Page 121 of Crocodile Tears

“Rising Remains.” Tyler smiled. “Pieces of Old London that were dislodged or dredged up while Ghost Eye City was being built. They aren’t worth anything – the government takes anything of value – but they are a little piece of the past.”

They were a strange mishmash of oddments: a plastic WestminsterPalace security pass; a woman’s handbag; the number plate from a car; and a rather striking piece of stained glass, amongst other odd curios.

“That’s from Westminster Abbey,” Tyler told him, pointing at the glass.

Alex barely spared any of it a glance. Pieces of Pre-R junk surfaced all the time. You were supposed to hand them in to the government’s Rising Remains department, to determine whether there was a traceable owner – if there was, then you might receive a finder’s fee. Most people didn’t bother, and there was a thriving black market trade.

“Not a history buff, I see,” Tyler commented.

Alex shrugged. “I’m more interested in the future.”

“Then let’s go eat.”

The maître d’ welcomed them, showing them into an obscenely large room where well-dressed people were dining on exquisitely presented food. With space generally at a premium, the opulence of the restaurant was clear to see from the small number of tables.

“I’m not really dressed for fine dining.” Alex gestured at his work overalls.

“I thought of that.” Tyler clicked his fingers, and one of his indies materialised, carrying a small case. “The facilities are over there.” He pushed Alex in the direction of a spacious restroom.

The clothes in the case were a smartened version of his usual style – an oversized white cotton shirt, plain black chinos, and a black leather waistcoat with a thin burgundy silk scarf to add a flash of colour.

They fitted perfectly, but he was starting to find Tyler’s attention to detail too close to Neil’s smothering style and was increasingly feeling that he was being played.

He strode back to their table, sat down angrily opposite Tyler, and threw the scarf on the table.

“It’s not my size,” he said sarcastically.

Tyler raised an eyebrow. “I seem to have pissed you off. That wasn’t my intention.”

“Yeah, well – the helicopter, the ostentatious displays of wealth, and the whole stupid ‘one day, my boy, all this could be yours’ shit –that’s all about seduction, and I should know; I’m good at seducing people.”

“Seduction? That’s an interesting word.” A small grin played at the corners of Tyler’s mouth.

“Oh, I don’t mean you’re trying to get me into bed. I mean you’re trying to impress me, but I’m not that easily impressed.”

“Sorry.” Tyler sat back in his chair and gazed at him thoughtfully. “You’re right, of course, but I simply wanted to get to know you better. Is that a crime? You were a far more charming young man when you came begging for money back at my house than you have been since.”

“It’s not about the money,” he snapped.

“Then what’s changed?”

“My father told me a different story about why you fell out than the one you told me on the golf course.”

“Really? What did he say?” Tyler leaned forward, his brown eyes sparkling in the candlelight. “Go ahead, Alex – as I said before, there are two sides to every story, and I’d like to hear his.”

“He told me you were once in love with my mother and were upset when she chose him. He said that you resented him for being able to offer her more than you could.”

Tyler gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Well, that’s the gist of it, I suppose.”

“You’re not denying it?”

“I’m not denying I loved your mother once, and I believe that she loved me, too.” His eyes blazed with sincerity. “Ah – I’ve shocked you. Let me tell you what happened, and then you can judge for yourself. It was me who introduced your mother to your father – I bet you didn’t know that.”

Alex frowned, wondering how much of this story his father had left out. “No, I didn’t.”

“I met her at university, and we fell in love. Or, at least, I did.” Tyler gave a tight smile. “I thought she loved me, too – I thought I’d met the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Then I introduced her to your father – we were sharing rooms, so obviously she had to meet him – and he stole her from me. He began seeing her secretly, behind my back, and to cut a long story short, she chose Noah.”

He took a sip of the sparkling mineral water on the table, his eyes dark and wounded.

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