Page 36 of Knot a Tie
“Shit.” Is there a way to withhold your number on this ancient contraption? I turn back to the laptop and leave it to good old Google to inform me that yes, there is.
Picking the phone up again, I dial 141 and then the number I retrieved from my iCloud account.
“Hello?”
My dad’s deep voice resounds through my head like a bass drum.
“Dad, it’s Rayne.”
“Ray-ray? Why are you ringing me from a withheld number?”
His suspicion makes me a bit annoyed. Before, I wouldn’t have thought twice. Now I know about all the danger, it pisses me off that he never told me.
Okay, here goes.“My phone battery died, and I can't get it to charge now.”
“Oh,” he says, his relief evident. “Do you need me to arrange to have another one sent to you? I don’t like you wandering around without it.”
“Yeah, to arranging, please, but I can go and pick it up at the shop in London.”
“Oh, are you going shopping with Morgan?”
“Mm-hm.” I cringe, my eyes tightly shut, glad my phone has been stolen so I don’t have to video call, and he can see the lies on my face.
“Leave it with me. Should be sorted by tomorrow. Everything else okay?”
The loaded question leaves my mouth dry and my pits sweating and exuding the BO stench of lies and deceit.
“Yep.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go. Have fun in the city.”
“Dad?”
“Yes, love?”
“Is everything okay there, with you and mum?”
“Of course,” he replies. “All good in the hood.”
I roll my eyes. “Fuck off with that, old man,” I chortle, making him laugh and it’s like the great divide that I suddenly know about isn’t there. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Ray-ray.”
“Dad?”
“Mm?”
“Don’t let Andy back into the house, please, okay? I’ve heard some things and I don’t want him hanging around me anymore.”
“What things?” he snaps, suddenly not fun-Dad anymore, but Chief Justice Halstead.
“Just some shit, getting drunk and spreading rumours. It’s nothing bad, but I don’t want to know him anymore.”
“Consider it done. I can have him detained and questioned if you want me to?” I hear the twinkle in his voice and giggle.
“As much fun as it would be to see Scrappy Doo piss himself, no, leave it and him. Uhm, one more thing before I go…”
“That doesn’t sound good…”
