Heatwave by Oliver Davies (the red fox clan txt) 📗

children’s home, aye, and moved from there to a juvenile detention centre when he came of age.”

“Was Mickey okay?”

“Oh yes, fine, I believe. Got himself sorted and went off to uni, I think. You could probably track him down if you wanted, though I don’t know that he’d want to relive it. It was a hard summer for him. He did give us a good deal of help, though, and I’m grateful to him for that.”

“He got let off for what he did, then?” Douglas asked.

“Aye,” I sighed, settling back in my chair and waving away a whining midgie. “He wasn’t the best informant, that’s for sure, but I considered that the lad had paid his dues. He promised to get straightened out, and I advocated for him to get leniency. He got a couple of months of community service if I remember right.”

“What about Jules?” Mickey said, his pen poised above his notebook.

“Now, he was set for a lot of juvie time, being the oldest and a leader of sorts. We found out later that there were some extenuating circumstances, you know what that means?”

“Yeah, like, other things to take into account,” Liam said, and I nodded, impressed.

“Exactly. He had it rough at home, actually. That’s why he was camping out in Drew’s cellar alongside all the petrol.” I grimaced at the memory. “It didn’t excuse him of what he did, o’course, but he did get help. He was a troubled kid.”

“You must’ve been angry at him. He left you badly injured.” Douglas gave me a considering look.

“Mm, I was initially, but it faded. He was complicated.”

“What happened to him?” Liam asked, and I winced. When I’d been picking the case, I’d forgotten some of the details of what happened afterwards.

“He, ah, he didn’t get a happy ending, I’m sorry, lad.”

“He did something bad?”

I glanced over at Douglas, who gave me a nod.

“No, he got into drugs, actually,” I sighed. “After getting out of juvie. I didn’t find out until later, but he overdosed in his twenties.”

“That’s sad,” Liam said, his brow pinched for a moment as he took a note.

“Aye, it was.”

“Could I talk to any of the others, d’you think?” he asked, and I gratefully steered us back to lighter topics.

We spoke for another half hour or so until Liam’s belly started audibly rumbling, and I could feel the midges biting at my bare neck.

“Time to turn in, I think,” I said, standing up with a wince.

Douglas came to offer me an arm, and I took it, steadying myself while I stretched out my old, stiff legs. Sitting down for hours wasn’t the best for me these days, and I ought to have gotten up and walked around a couple of times. But Liam had been so engaged, as had Douglas, that I hadn’t wanted to interrupt the flow and forget what I’d been saying. I’d be achy tomorrow, no doubt, but I could always go to the village for the paper and walk off the stiffness.

I led the way back through the cool house, passing my wife in the sitting room. She bid Douglas and Liam goodbye without getting up, and Liam gave her a wave.

“Thanks again, Darren,” Douglas told me, shaking my hand at the door. “We really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing. It’s always good to see you, and I couldn’t pass up having a captive audience, aye?” I smiled. Douglas laughed.

“See you soon, Mr Mitchell?” Liam said hopefully.

“Of course, lad,” I said, patting his shoulder, which wasn’t as bony as it used to be. The kid was growing up, as they all seemed to do so fast these days.

They headed out into the balmy evening, and I watched them go. I could hear the chatter of the quiz show my wife liked in the background, and the air was full of warmth and the scent of cut grass. For a moment, I thought I could smell smoke, too, before I shook my head and shut the front door.

My days of running towards fires and getting into fights with teenagers were long over, and I couldn’t say I really minded. I liked the peace of retirement with my wife and the calm it brought. Still, getting to remember all the things Stephen and I had gotten up to in our day made me shake my head at my recklessness but smile to think of the times we spent together.

I was grateful to Liam for asking about those years because sharing those memories was what helped keep them alive.

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