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thought about it later, I gave him some lines to glam it up a little. “Not the quiff, buddy. Anywhere but the quiff.”
    Once I felt safe, I took out the mobile and sent the text to Bart.
    I’d bought myself a life, kept my sister safe and earned myself a few thousand quid into the bargain. It felt good.
    Back on the street I hailed a cab. Headed over to Jenny’s. She’d give me a bollocking, but she’d get over it.
    The cab driver moaned about working through the night. Told me how much more he earned if he took the late shift. “Pays the mortgage and then some,” he told me. “You know what they say, mate. No pain, no gain.”
    I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

Taking A Line For A Walk
    T here was a bug going round the school. If it wasn’t coming out of one end of a child it was coming out of the other.
    Duke Earl was doing his best to hide away from it all. Couldn’t blame him for that. Didn’t mean he wasn’t working, mind. Nobody could say he hadn’t earned every penny the state had ever paid him. And then some.
    As he painted the perimeter fence he saw a girl coming towards him. Couldn’t make out who on account of his weary eyes.
    “Hi grandpa.” Daisy wandered over, knowing there was no point rushing.
    “How’s my girl?”
    “Doing fine.” She was growing up so fast. Was starting to look like her mother and her mother’s mother before her. Made his heart feel like it was swelling and shrinking at the same time.
    “They send you looking?”
    “Miss Prime. Third grade. One of the Johnson twins has gone and puked all over the mat.”
    Duke took out his handkerchief and mopped his brow like he needed a moment. Reached into his pocket. Took out a poke of sherbet-limes. Opened it up and passed it over.
    “Thanks,” Daisy told him as she un-wrapped her candy. “You all right Grandpa? You’re looking old. All them wrinkles round your eyes and all.”
    “Them’s laughter lines,” he said.
    They both smiled, knowing it wasn’t even close to the truth.
    Duke Earl hadn’t laughed more than twice since his dog died.
    First time was when Rufus Kelly, hard-case class of ’99, got his nose spread by a little guy who was tired of taking his shit. The second, well he couldn’t remember exactly when that was, but that didn’t count for nothing.
    “Tell Miss Johnson I’ll be along presently.” He bent down, put the lid on the paint-tin and pushed it with his palm. Looked up to watch Daisy heading back. Felt something give in his neck. Couldn’t do nothing anymore without part of him breaking down.
    He waited for a moment for the pain to go and straightened up as best he could before heading for his supplies.
    Amy Johnson was sitting outside the secretary’s office waiting to be collected. Orchid-white she was, all wrapped up in her coat even though it was ninety-degrees outside. Didn’t stop her taking one of Duke’s chocolate-limes when he offered the bag. Seemed to get in the way of her saying thanks, though.
    That was one thing that had gone to pot since his day. Way the kids talked to adults was a crying shame.
    He carried on down the corridor till he reached Room 3.
    The door was open, but Duke knocked anyway. Folk liked it better when everyone behaved like they knew their station.
    “Mr Earl, thank goodness. Do come in.” It was like he was taking her flowers or something the way she greeted him. “We’re so glad you’re here, aren’t we children.”
    She was one of the good ones, he could tell. Had the kids eating out of her hand. Wouldn’t have thought she could manage from looking at her. Hair tied up in a bun and thick-rimmed spectacles like a librarian from yester-year. It was a darned shame, in Duke’s opinion, young girl like that going to waste the way she was.
    “Morning Mister Earl,” the children called in unison, as if she’d counted them in.
    He nodded in return.
    “I’m afraid we’ve had an accident, haven’t we boys and girls?”
    If he