Shooting in the Dark

do?’ he said.
    Echo woke up then, as if she’d heard her cue. She opened her eyes and shouted. It wasn’t an angry or a hungry cry, just a sound to let the world know she was approaching consciousness. Janet went to her. She took her from the cot and changed her nappy in the bathroom. Then she brought her downstairs.
    Geordie was kneeling in front of Venus’ basket, putting one of her kittens back in there. He got up and looked at the shattered pane of glass in the top panel of the front door. He’d covered it with a sheet of plywood a few days before, but now he’d removed the covering. ‘The glazier’s coming this morning,’ he said. ‘You know what I don’t understand? If somebody’d thrown a stone at it, then the stone’d still be around. I reckon one of us broke it slamming the door.’
    ‘It’d be you, then,’ Janet said. ‘You’re the clumsy one.’
    ‘It wasn’t me,’ Geordie told her. ‘I’d’ve known if I’d done it. And it wasn’t you. So it must’ve been Ralph.’
    ‘Oh, come on, Geordie. Perfect Uncle Ralph wouldn’t do a thing like that.’
    ‘Not on purpose,’ Geordie said. ‘I reckon it was an accident. But he doesn’t want to admit it ’cause he’s frightened what we think of him.’
    Janet put Echo in her pram, grabbed a coat and manoeuvred the pram around Geordie and out of the door.
    ‘What’d I say?’ Geordie shouted after her. ‘Where you going?’
     
    ‘I’ll get hold of myself in a minute,’ Janet said. ‘Are you working? I should have rung.’ She dabbed at her eyes with a tiny handkerchief. She wasn’t really crying. There was moisture there, but no tears.
    ‘Yes, I was working,’ said Angeles. ‘But I’ve stopped now. I don’t want to work. I want to talk to you. I want to know why you’re upset.’
    ‘Oh, Christ. I knew I should’ve rung. I didn’t want to interrupt something.’
    ‘End of conversation,’ said Angeles. ‘I’m going to switch the computer off and put the kettle on.’
    Janet followed her to the kitchen. She said, ‘I don’t want to be the one who makes it impossible for Ralph to stay.’;
    ‘You aren’t the one,’ Angeles said. ‘If Ralph’s making a play for you, he’s the one making it impossible.’
    ‘I know, but I mean in Geordie’s eyes. If I wasn’t there.
    If there was just the two of them, they’d make a go of it. I know they would. There aren’t any other relatives, apart from their mother, and nobody knows where she is.’
    ‘Is it getting worse?’
    Janet nodded. ‘He came on to me yesterday, said we could go upstairs for a quick fuck while Echo was sleeping. The guy’s really obnoxious. But it was talking to Geordie that got me upset today. Talk about being blind... Oh, I’m sorry.’
    ‘Don’t worry.’ Angeles put her hand on Janet’s arm. ‘Would it help if someone had a word with Ralph?’
    ‘No. At least not yet. I don’t want to involve anyone else until I’ve tried everything.’
    ‘I don’t see what else you can do,’ Angeles said. ‘Not without telling Geordie that his brother’s no good.’
    ‘I’m just going to watch him closely,’ Janet said. ‘Play him at his own game. Because that’s what he does. He watches people, and he keeps his eyes open for any passing chance. Me, Sam’s house, anything he thinks he might be able to get his hands on.’
    ‘He’s an opportunist.’
    ‘Exactly,’ said Janet. ‘He’s a petty crook. I reckon if I keep my eyes on him, he’ll incriminate himself.’
    ‘So long as he doesn’t wreck your family in the meantime.’
    Janet sighed. ‘That’s a chance I’m going to have to take. But I think me and Geordie are strong enough to take a few blows.’
    ‘And Echo?’
    ‘Oh, yes, Echo as well. No doubt about that.’
     
    The glazier arrived at eleven o’clock and by half-past he’d replaced the pane of glass in the front door. Geordie paid him and watched while he got in his van and drove off down the street.
    The lavatory flushed in the bathroom and Ralph appeared wearing only a pair of jeans. No shirt, no socks. What’s all the fucking banging about?’ he said.
    ‘Glazier was here,’ Geordie said. ‘We’ve been fixing the door.’
    ‘Where’s the missis?’
    ‘I’m not sure. She went out with Echo.’
    Ralph farted and took eggs and bacon out of the fridge.
    He cut a knob of butter and tossed it into the frying pan ‘I’m starving, Geordie. Cut some bread and stick it in the toaster, will you? D’you