First, food. In the old days, he’d have checked a recipe, but most of his cookery books had been given away when he was sent down. There was a limit on how much stuff you could ask your brother to look after for you. Nick decided to take the simplest option. He bought two sirloin steaks, an onion, mushrooms and baking potatoes.
He rang her a couple of times before setting off. Engaged. He decided to risk Sarah having made other plans and go straight round. If Sarah wanted to go out tonight, the ingredients would keep until tomorrow. She didn’t have to be in London until Monday at the earliest. Maybe by then he would have persuaded her to give their relationship another chance, on whatever basis she chose.
He stopped at the video shop on the way over, but they wouldn’t let him join because he didn’t have the requisite credit card or multiple proofs of address to establish his identity. If he’d given an address in the Park, rather than scruffy Alfreton Road, they’d most likely have treated him differently. Never mind. Sarah probably belonged. They could go later, if she fancied it.
It was ten past six when he got to her flat, a bottle of wine in each hand. The car was still outside, so she hadn’t gone anywhere. When he rang the bell, however, she took a while to answer. The door opened on the chain. Sarah was dressed smartly, fully made up, about to go out.
‘I thought I’d cook you dinner,’ he said, giving her his broadest smile. ‘But if you’ve got other plans . . .’
‘Nick, you should have phoned first. I have to go out this evening, a celebration meal with the constituency officers.’
‘Maybe I can leave this stuff here and we can have it to morrow.’
‘Sounds good.’
She took the chain off and he stepped into the hall. He reminded her where his flat was.
‘If you want to call by on your way back, I’ll be in. Or if you need company. It’s not far.’
He saw from the look on her face that he was being overeager.
‘I could do with a little space, Nick. It’s been a huge few days.’
‘No bother.’ He turned to go, not even pushing his luck for a kiss.
‘Wait.’
For a moment, he thought she’d changed her mind.
‘There’s something I need your help with. Do you think you could find out what shift Ed Clark’s working on Monday?’
‘Sure,’ Nick said. ‘No problem. But how does it fit with what we discussed last night?’
‘I’ll tell you later,’ Sarah promised, then gave him a kiss, followed by a small hug. ‘I’m not pushing you away, Nick. I need a little space, time to take things in.’
‘I understand.’ He returned to his flat, disappointed but not dejected. In her situation, he’d need space, too. And, since he wasn’t seeing her tonight, he could get a few cans, smoke some weed, get wasted and watch TV. Not too wasted. He had to do two hours’ teaching before he cooked Sarah her dinner tomorrow. Why did Sarah want to know Ed’s schedule? Nick rang the Cane Cars switchboard and got Nas, which meant that Joe hadn’t sacked her yet.
‘Ed’s on tomorrow from two till eight, then he’s on holiday for three weeks. His compensation came through. Why you wanna know?’
‘A friend of mine needs to see him,’ Nick said. ‘But do me a favour, don’t tell him I asked.’
‘I don’t talk to that baldy-head fascist unless I have to,’ Nas said. ‘I’m sorry you don’t work here any more, Nick. I won’t be around much longer myself. Let’s have a drink soon, yeah?’
‘Yeah.’ Nick’s reply sounded unconvincing, even to himself, so he added, ‘That’d be nice.’
‘You know where to find me.’
Nick hung up. Nas was about to be sacked. She would be vulnerable and she was into him. He liked her too, but wasn’t going to see another of his brother’s cast-offs, not even if Sarah blew him out. Nick reminded himself that he might be reading too much into the offer of a drink. After so many years without female company, he saw sexual nuance in everything. If Sarah could read his mind, she’d run a mile.
He went out onto the fire escape and listened to the city: cars, conversation, wailing sirens and snatches of song. The endless clatter of everyday life blended into an exhilarating hum. When he was sure nobody was looking, Nick removed a brick from the wall, pulled out the tin containing his stash, and went back inside to skin up.
35
Sarah phoned Andrew Saint mid-afternoon on Sunday. He answered his mobile on the third ring.
‘Sarah! Well done.’
‘Thanks for the flowers. I appreciated them.’
‘Called to invite me to dinner?’
‘Afraid not. I’m still in Nottingham. But we’ll meet up soon, I promise. In the meantime, I have a favour to ask you.’
‘Anything.’
She had deliberated all day over whether to do this. ‘It’s for a mutual friend.’
‘Intriguing. What mutual friend would this be?’
‘Nick Cane. I . . . happened to run into him this week and we’ve been catching up. I don’t know if you’re aware, but he’s had some serious bother.’
‘I was aware,’ Andrew said, in a different, more formal voice. ‘But I didn’t want you getting drawn into it. You and Nick are ancient history.’
‘Maybe so, but I still care about him. And he used to be your best friend.’
‘What’s the favour?’ Andrew asked, tersely.
‘He needs to get out of Nottingham, make a fresh start. London, ideally. I wondered if you could find him some sort of job.’
There was a long pause. ‘Did he tell you he’d been to see me?’
‘No. We haven’t discussed you . . . there’s not been time.’
‘He came to see me almost as soon as he got out, hit me up for a few grand. So I feel like I’ve discharged my obligations to him. In my business, Sarah, clients have to depend on your integrity. Nick’s blown his. There are a lot of police checks. I’m not sure I could have him on my books. This is probably making you think badly of me and I’m sorry, but I have to be straight with you.’
‘That’s all right. Like I said, Nick doesn’t know I’m calling you. Let’s pretend this conversation never took place.’
‘Agreed. I’d keep your distance from Nick if I were you. He got involved in some heavy stuff. Remember, you can’t change your family, but you can change your friends. You’re not bound together unless you choose to be.’
‘That’s good advice, Andrew, thanks. I’ll see you soon.’
Sarah hung up. She shouldn’t have called Andrew without first asking Nick how things stood between the two of them. It didn’t sound like Nick, pressuring his old friend for money. But people changed. Prison must change people. Parliament had changed her. Sarah had become more ruthless and, according to Dan when they split, she had steadily become less playful, less take-people-as-they-are. She wanted to be relaxed, but a necessary uptightness went with the life. Last night, despite the exhilaration from the victory, none of the constituency officers really let go, even after a few drinks. They wanted to gossip, and made sure they remained sober enough to remember what was said the next morning.
Afterwards, it would have been wonderful to have a lover to come home to. She had walked back from town, looked up at what she presumed was Nick’s flat and nearly rung the doorbell. But that would have been so, so weak. Instead, unwilling to walk through the Park’s badly lit streets so late, she had hailed a cab for the three-minute ride home. Having talked to Andrew, Sarah was relieved she hadn’t succumbed to temptation. It was only just beginning to sink in. She was still an MP. For the last few weeks, she’d had the wobbles – certain of losing, obsessed with the Ed Clark affair which, when put in perspective, was just one out of hundreds of cases she had on her plate. She couldn’t get them all right, no matter how hard she tried.