Excerpt: Memento Mori

Chapter Two

The brothers return to Fiona. Hours pass. They wait and they keep ringing his mobile. Evening creeps in and the room grows dark. Fiona takes her children to bed, returns to the lounge. She stands in front of the window, staring out at the street as if she still expects his bike to pull into the driveway.

Euan sits on the edge of the sofa, watching her watching the road. he remembers his father standing in that spot waiting for their mother the night she died. Remembers the police car pulling up outside and his father staggering to the door, hand over his mouth. Remembers the howl of anguish and the low voices of the police officers.

'I need a smoke.' He gets up and walks out of the door.

The night air is cool, not quite cold. He finishes one cigarette and pulls another from the packet. In the bay window Fiona's face is clearly visible, her hand strays up to her lips, pulls at them. She pats her hair, goes back to her lips. Euan smokes a third cigarette before the trembling subsides, replaced by a sick hollow in the pit of his stomach.

Craig looks up as Euan walks in. He has the cordless phone in his hand. He replaces it on the cradle.

'Any joy?'

'I've rung everyone I can think of, no-one's seen him.' Craig pauses. 'I'll ring the hospital next.'

'The hospital?' Fiona turns to him. 'Why would he be there?'

Euan says nothing, watches her face as she thinks it through. She takes a step back, hand over her mouth. He catches her as she sags.

'He probably won't be there.' Euan says. 'I'm sure we would've heard if he'd been in an accident, it's okay.' He hugs her to his chest. 'It's okay Fiona, it's okay.'

Craig picks up the phone again. He dials half the number and then cuts the connection. 'I only know the morgue number.'

Fiona sobs. Euan strokes her hair. 'He uses it for work, they'll put him through to the switchboard. Right Craig?'

Craig nods, redials. After a brief conversation he covers the mouthpiece with his hand. 'He's not in the morgue, they're putting me through.'

'See?' Euan tilts Fiona's face upwards. 'He's not dead.'

'He's not in the hospital either.' Craig says. 'I guess there's only the police left to ring.'

'Coffee.' Euan says. 'Let's go make a drink.' He leads Fiona into the kitchen. Makes her sit down while he gets out cups. The washing up is still piled in the sink. He notices her looking at it. 'Yeah, remind me to do that later.'

'You said that an hour ago.'

'He'll be okay. He's not dead and he's not in hopsital. Perhaps he got laid.'

Fiona snorts. 'He wouldn't let me down for a girl. He's not you.'

Euan tosses the tea-towel at her. 'He'll turn up.'

'I can't report him as a missing person.' Craig leans on the doorway, phone still in hand.

'He's got to be missing twenty-four hours, right?' Fiona asks.

Craig shakes his head. 'No, they say he's an adult with no mental health issues. I can't report him missing.'

'He'll turn up.' Euan repeats, but the sick feeling is growing.