River Side

The concrete veranda jutted out above the river. It was here on a late summer evening in July that Andrew had last seen his brother. The had been sitting, with their feet just above the water. Tom had been kick his feet across the water, his old grey boots seeming to skim across the water and back again, until they slammed into the concrete that made up the dock wall. They’d had drinks then, cheap champagne that had been served late in the night as the celebrants had become less and less discerning.

“You still haunted mate,” Andrew said and immediately regretted the levity of his tone. The happy alcoholic haze that Tom had been walking around in for the last few hours dissipated leaving his cheeks red and his eye flittering from Andrew out to see. Tom was 45, but didn’t normally look it, he lacked Andrews grey hair and wrinkles, but for a moment he looked at least 75.

Tom’s hands had shock, he started to spin his battered wedding ring around his finger. He’d taken a deep breath and below it out so heavily that strains of his fringe stretched out to sea. When he spoke his voice was perfectly clear.

“I am scared Andrew. I am really fucking scared.”

Andrew listened as Tom spoke, the words pouring out quickly. Andrew had decided that his shadow was either someone he new, or had some sort of contact in his inner circle. He said this was the only way that the leather coated man could have found out that he was staying at a hotel in hull last week.

“This can’t go one,” said Tom. “I needed protection.” He nodded at a small red cloth bag that was leaning again his thigh. Tom reached over and opened it. At first he thought he was looking at a toy or a replica, but the weight of it told him the truth.

“Jesus Christ Tom” said Andrew passing the bag and gun back to Andrew.

Tom chided Andrew for blaspheming. Andrew over road the instinct to snipe back and asked instead

“When did you last see him?”

“Last night, 3 in the morning. In the street. When I got down to the street he had gone.” The ghost always got away, Tom had never been able to speak to him, which Andrew realised probably made it worst.

“Well at least you won’t see him tonight at 3” said Andrew.

“What do you mean?”

Andrew flashed his phone at him. It was three 01.

Tom never saw who pushed Andrew in the water, but of course he knew now.