Soul Fire

get my hopes up.
    ‘I was expecting her to be more . . . more submissive, I suppose,’ I say. ‘After what Javier told me about their home life.’
    ‘Me too.’
    We want to wait, but there’s only so long you can hang around a corner in this neighbourhood without attracting attention. We find a bench in a small square at the top of the street and
watch from there.
    The sky is still bright blue. Below it, the rooftops are flat, cluttered with aerials and old bikes. We count one, two, three, four rooftops along: the roof Javier fell from must be the one with
the collection of bright plastic toys piled up against a low stonework wall.
    Gabe lights a cigarette. Even in the open air, it stinks. ‘So, have you found what you were looking for?’
    I think it through. ‘If it’s definitely Rosa—’
    ‘It’s her. You know that as well as I do.’
    ‘Then it might be good news. She didn’t look miserable, did she? And the cat. Javier’s father didn’t sound like the kind of guy who’d put up with a pet. Perhaps
he’s left – out of guilt or something.’
    Gabe takes a deep drag from the cigarette, shakes his head and then stands up. ‘We could sit here guessing all day. I’m going to ask after his old man.’
    I remember what Javier said about him. ‘Be careful.’
    Gabe smiles, and walks away. I watch as he approaches one woman with a baby in her arms, who shrugs and points to another, much older woman, sitting in a green plastic chair. She’s
pretending to knit, but I think she’s too busy keeping a beady eye on everyone else to make much progress.
    Something’s nagging at me. If the little girl is as happy as she looks, then surely Javier’s death is already resolved, so why would he still be on the Beach?
    Gabe has offered the woman a cigarette, she’s offered him a plastic chair, and now they’re huddled together, talking. Please let it help him. I hate the idea that I’m
making things worse.
    My phone buzzes in my bag. It’s Lewis: Text me back ASAP about the pictures. Need to see you.
    Gabe’s coming back towards me. His walk is carefully controlled, but as he links arms and drags me out of view of plastic-chair woman, I sense his excitement. Or is it anger?
    ‘What?’
    ‘He’s back,’ Gabe says. ‘The bastard’s back.’
    ‘Back from where?’
    ‘That old gossip knows everything about everything in the street, but even she’s not sure. What she thinks happened is that he left – or was thrown out – soon after J
died.’
    ‘Maybe Javier’s mother worked out it was no accident.’
    Gabe nods. ‘They all knew the father was a thug, of course. Not much slips past the neighbours when you’re living so close together. Apparently, the daughters turned into different
girls after he left. The older one was doing brilliantly at school. And you were right about the cat. J’s mum bought it for them as soon as the father left.’
    ‘But?’
    He’s grim-faced. ‘A few weeks ago, they heard raised voices again. Well, his raised voice. That’s how they knew he’d come back. The neighbour reckons he’s
wormed his way back in, somehow. When they saw him, he was thin. Perhaps he’s been ill. Though she reckons it might just be the drink. Shame it didn’t finish him off , she said.
He’s not exactly Mr Popular round here.’
    ‘What story did you tell the neighbour?’
    ‘Hinted at a few debts owed to me. Figured the old man would be the type. Didn’t take much to set her off. My Catalan is pretty good these days. Don’t worry, I said nothing
about knowing J. I know better than to blow his big secret out of the water.’ There’s a sadness in his voice.
    My phone buzzes. I bet it’s Lewis again. I wonder what he’s found out.
    ‘I’m sure he’d have told his mother and his sisters about you in the end,’ I tell Gabe.
    He lets go of my arm. ‘I’ll never know. I might as well never have existed.’
    ‘If you didn’t exist, why did J send me to see you?’
    ‘Maybe you’re a hallucination. Maybe I knew deep down J wouldn’t have deserted me, so I’ve imagined you – to remind myself that he loved me.’
    ‘No, no hallucinations. I’m pretty solid, Gabe.’ I squeeze his hand to prove it. ‘What now?’
    His eyes narrow. ‘I didn’t have any plans for tonight. I’m going to wait for him.’
    ‘ What? What can you do?’
    He shrugs. ‘I’ll rely on instinct for that one.’
    ‘No. Gabe, this isn’t what J would have wanted. His father’s