Savage Night (7 page)

He wasn't making any noise at all now. The only sound was something dribbling onto the floor.

Prelude To A Savage Night

The Parks

"WHERE'S GRANT?" ANDY Park asked, looking at the door of Effie and Martin's tiny council flat, expecting his younger son to walk in any second. Little bastard was late again.

"He called when you were in the toilet, Dad," Effie said.

"How long's he going to be?"

"He's not," she said, looking at Martin.

"Not what?" Park said.

"Effie means he's not late," Martin said.

"He wanking well is." Park looked at his watch. "Time do you make it?"

"Dad," Effie said. "Grant's not coming."

Park couldn't believe he was hearing this. Ever since he'd got out of prison, he'd visited his wife three or four times a week. Effie usually joined him in the evenings. And he made sure Grant tagged along on Saturdays. Fair enough, the wee bastard was a teenager and had his own life to lead, got bored sitting around with Liz, but she was his mother and the least he could do was put in an appearance once a week.

"He says it's too upsetting," Effie said. "Meredith House is a shithole. And, anyway, Mum doesn't know who anybody is. Grant says she won't notice he's not there. He says she's … gone, Dad."

"She's not
gone
, Effie." Park was inside when Liz had tried to kill herself. Saw her once afterwards while he was locked up. Everybody agreed that prison visits wouldn't have done either of them any good. But he'd seen her regularly these last six months. It was hard, knowing the medical experts had given up on her. Called her chronic. But what did they know.

"Dad, Grant's right. Her body's here but her mind's elsewhere. She doesn't recognise any of us."

"She does," he said. "She just has no way of showing it." She was locked up inside herself. Park knew all about being locked up. Liz was experiencing a 24-hour bang-up, not even getting out for meals and a quick canter round the exercise yard.

"And Grant says he can't stand that new guy."

McCracken. The prick who had taken over Liz's wing. The type who had no hesitation about cutting corners if it meant making profits to impress his employers.

First thing the fucker had done was moved another resident into Liz's room. Park told him his wife needed her privacy. McCracken said there was nothing he could do. And smirked.

"Let's go," Park said. "We'll pick Grant up on the way. You coming, Martin?"

***

MRS H SAID, "Hello, I'm Mrs H."

Mrs H was Liz's roommate and she introduced herself to them every visit. She got up off her bed, held out a hand.

"Already met," Park said and eased past her. The beds were only a couple of feet apart. The room wasn't that much bigger than his old cell and looked far less lived in. Smelled just as bad, though. That useless bastard McCracken needed to get the drains fixed.

Mrs H sat down again. Ran her fingers over her quilt cover, tracing invisible patterns.

"We're all here," Park said to Liz. She was lying on her bed wearing a pair of dark-brown trousers and a lilac cardigan that was far too big for her. She looked like something had sucked all the flesh out of her body. He bent down, took her hands in his. They were cold, the bones sharp. "Grant was really busy but he put off what he was doing to come along. Isn't that nice?"

Grant waved from the doorway. "Hi, Mum."

"Come over here," Park told him.

Grant shuffled over, nearly tripping on Mrs H's fluffy slippered feet.

"Waste of time," Mrs H said, looking up. "She doesn't know who any of you are."

"Get out," Park said.

"This is my room."

"Get out."

"I will not. The soldiers are on my side."

Total loophead.

"Let's take Mum for a walk," Effie said.

"Good idea," Park said. "You like that, Liz?"

She didn't look at him. He squeezed her hand, which was a little warmer now. She didn't squeeze back.

Mrs H said, "She's whiffy. They don't change her."

Park sighed. So that's what the smell was.

***

OUTSIDE LIZ'S ROOM, Park bumped into Moira, one of the carers. Asked her how come his wife was allowed to lie in her own filth. Moira said they were busy, she'd sort her out just as soon as she could. Park said, "Don't bother. Just tell me where McCracken is."

Fifteen seconds later: "You run this craphole," Park said to McCracken, barging into his office. More of a broom cupboard than an office. Just enough space for a desk, a pint-sized filing cabinet and a visitor's chair.

Park didn't sit down.

McCracken leaned back, locking his fingers behind his head to show Park his beefy arms. He didn't lean back very far before his head touched the wall.

Park had seen muscles before. Lot of muscles in jail. Muscles didn't mean shit. Park said, "My wife's not an animal."

"Who's your wife?"

He knew who Park was. They'd spoken before. He was deliberately being an arse. "Liz," Park said. "Elizabeth Park."

"Oh," McCracken said, unlocking his fingers, levelling his chair. "I remember you." He leaned forward, steepled his index fingers under his chin. "You're the jailbird."

Jailbird? Jail-fucking-bird? "I've done my time, you poncey twat. Fuck off."

"No need for that kind of language, Mr Park."

"Don't change the subject. Liz needs looking after."

"I'm aware of what Mrs Park needs."

"So do something. Get your staff to take her to the toilet."

"We don't always have the time or the staff."

"Make the time. Hire more staff."

"It would be better for everybody if we could catheterise her."

"It isn't better for Liz. It's been tried before. She doesn't like it. She pulls it out."

"And yet I'm told she doesn't move of her own volition."

"That's how much she doesn't like it. You're not sticking one of those up her again. That's final."

"Fine. So what do you suggest?" McCracken smiled, showing his teeth. Perfectly straight and white, the kind of teeth you wanted to splinter with a hammer.

"I don't run this place. You do. Why should I be suggesting anything? Do your job."

"I'm sorry," McCracken said. "These things happen."

"Not to my wife, they don't. And while I'm at it, she used to be a big lass. Can't weigh more than six stone now. Her face looks like a skull."

"You're not happy with the care she's being given, why don't you look after her yourself?"

Park couldn't believe the fucker had said that. "If I could, I'd take her out of here right now."

"Be my guest. I can always use a spare bed."

Course, there wasn't any room for Liz at Effie and Martin's. As it was, Park was sleeping on the settee. And Liz had to be clothed, fed, bathed, taken to the bathroom, and God alone knew what else.

Park didn't think he'd be much of a nurse. Effie had the part-time hairdressing job, which meant she wasn't around all the time. And Martin wasn't flesh and blood, so they couldn't expect him to help out.

They stared at each other, Park and McCracken.

"You're a disgrace," Park said. "You're supposed to be looking after her. You're going to start doing that."

McCracken picked at his teeth with his thumbnail.

It was as if the guy
wanted
a kicking. Park asked, "You know why I was in prison?"

McCracken shook his head. "Let me guess." He pretended to think. "Paedophilia?"

Patience.
"Fireraising," Park said. "I like burning things. Buildings mainly. Wouldn't mind if there was a person got stuck in one of them, though. You do night shifts?"

McCracken ran his tongue over his teeth. "You threatening me?"

"Better believe it."

"I don't scare easily."

"How about your family? You got a wife? Kids? Mother? I can find out. Maybe they scare easily. I'll roast the fuckers if I have to. Every single one of them. You want to play with me? I like games, Mr McCracken. And I'm very fucking good at them."

McCracken looked at his fingernails. Cleared his throat. "You're unbalanced."

"Too right, I am."

"I don't respond to threats." He held up his hand to stop Park interrupting. "But I do believe in doing my job. I'll make sure your wife's well cared for."

Park waited.

"What?" McCracken said.

"I want to see you do it."

"Now?"

"Now."

McCracken sighed, picked up the phone. He spoke to someone, told them to look in on Mrs Park, make sure her incontinence pad was changed, see if she was hungry. He looked at Park, eyebrows raised.

Park nodded. That was a start.

When McCracken put the phone down, Park said, "And I expect you to apologise to her in person."

"But she doesn't—"

"What was your wife's name?"

McCracken stood up. "Get the fuck out of my office."

Park leaned across. "No need for language like that," he said. "You going to apologise to Liz?"

"I'm not apologising," McCracken said, "to a cabbage."

Park gripped the edge of the desk, squeezed.

"What?" McCracken said. "You look like you want to say something."

***

BACK HOME, EFFIE put what Park was thinking into words: "We need to get Mum out of there."

Park said, "Maybe McCracken'll be okay now. He acted tough but I think I scared him."

"Didn't sound like it."

She was right, of course. Park was just trying to stay positive. Cause once he started going down that negative path, there was no going back.

Martin said, "Liz could stay with us. Be a bit cramped." He looked around the pokey sitting room. "But we could manage. For a while."

"Appreciate the thought, Martin," Park said. The lad kept surprising him, and in a good way. "But we couldn't manage. You're already overcrowded with just me staying."

"She could sleep on the settee with you," Martin said.

"You and Eff are getting married. Be having kids of your own before you know it." Park noticed Effie glance at Martin. "You won't want us around."

"But if there's no alternative," Martin said.

"There's always an alternative," Effie told him.

"Exactly," Park said. "I'll find her somewhere nice."

"Costs money, though, Dad."

"I know," he said.

"The kind of money that doesn't come legally."

"You've looked into it?" he said, quietly.

"Had to," she said. "When Mum first … became ill."

He didn't know that. The things he'd missed by being inside. "So how much are we talking about?"

"Won't get a lot of change out of thirty grand a year."

"Holy shit," he said. "I need a drink."

***

COUPLE OF WEEKS later and Park had knocked back more than a few. He shook the last drips from his penis and zipped up. Long time since he'd had a piss outside.

"Come on, Dad," Grant said.

Park hoped the lads didn't mind him taking a leak. No doubt they'd have done it too if they'd needed as badly. Although Effie'd said Martin was a bit shy. Maybe those two only did it with the lights out. He should ask sometime just to see Martin's face.