Deadly Code Read Free Page A

might wonder why he wasn't back in school with the rest of them. He resisted the warm smell of potato coming from his pocket even though he was hungry. He had plans for the tattie scones.
    When he reached the tenement block, he walked straight past the front entrance and nipped in through the back railings in case the woman on the first floor spotted him. He ducked under half-a-dozen grey nappies flapping on a line. Nothing there worth nicking.
    When he reached the third floor, he heard the peevish whine of the baby. He didn't like hearing it cry. It reminded him of his wee brother Calum. Next door was flapping open, caught in the stair's sucking breeze. The baby's whine was louder now. 'Christ. Pick it up. Pick the kid up.'
    He ignored the bad smell that drifted out the neighbours' door and turned the key in his own. He was halfway in when the baby emitted a high-pitched cry. It was no use. He would have to make sure it was alright. He almost gagged at the smell of stale piss as he made his way to the living room. The baby had stopped whining now and was weeping, a lost sound that expected no answer. Spike pushed open the living room door. It ground its way over broken glass.
    He looked about angrily. Where the fuck was she this time? She was on the settee, junked out of her mind. And beside her, head slumped back, mouth hanging open, was the kid's father. Spike swept the baby up from the floor and took it to the bathroom.
    He ran the dirty wee hand under the tap and dried it on his shirt. The cut was only a nick, and couldn't have hurt much - it had probably been more shock than pain that had brought on the crying. Spike brushed at the knees of his dirty trousers, sending fragments of glass down the toilet pan.
    'Okay. Now what do we do?' he asked his patient.
    Some snot escaped the child's nose, ran down his face and met the remains of a tear. Spike pulled a bit of toilet paper off the roll and wiped the mess away.
    'Come on,' he said. 'We're leaving.'
    He was sharing his dinner with his new best friend when he heard the front door open. He had fried the tattie scones and heated some beans. The baby was sitting surrounded by cushions, wee hands waving in the air in anticipation of the next mashed spoonful. Spike shovelled another one in and handed it a mug of milk. He looked up as Esther came into the kitchen.
    'We've got a visitor,' he said.
    'So I see.'
    She tried to smile, but he knew by the shadows round her eyes.
    'It's bad, isn't it?' he said.
    'No!'
    He jumped at the sharpness of her tone and she looked sorry.
    'It's okay. Honestly. It was bad in the Underground but it's quieter now.'
    'I made some food,' he said. 'Yours is in the grill.'
    They were drinking mugs of tea when the baby's mother banged on the door.
    'Did you take the wean?'
    'What do you care?'
    'Fucking wee smart arse.'
    She pushed past Spike and pulled the child up by his arm. He let out a squeal of rage as the biscuit he was eating flew to the floor.
    'Don't feed my wean. I've told you before.'
    'You feed it then.'
    She kicked the door as she went out.
    Esther was pale and frightened.
    'They were both out of their minds on the settee,' he explained. 'The place smelt like a pisshole.'
    Esther looked worried. 'She'll tell the social about you. She knows you're a runaway.'
    'Then we'll move,' he said. 'I'm fed up listening to them shagging anyway.'
    'Spike.'
    'What?'
    He could feel his face shift into worry.
    'You might not be able to stay here any more.'
    'You want me out?'
    'No.' She shook her head. 'It's just... if the singing doesn't work out... there won't be any money.'
    'There's none now.'
    He fetched the pot and poured more tea. He felt sixteen going on sixty.
    Esther took the mug and nursed it, her mind somewhere else.
    Spike wondered about going to a doctor, asking about the voices. When he'd tried to persuade Esther to make an appointment, she'd looked so frightened. He couldn't bear it when she looked at him like that.
    'Spike?' She smiled.