Page 118 of A Long Way Back
“I’d read those! You could write under a pen name. Not Ink Farrow. Self-publish on Amazon.”
“Maybe. The last twenty-four hours have made it hard to think about what’s ahead. But I don’t want to start all over again in a new place, with another name, making new dreams, a new history, a new future. Losing all the things I liked and those I feared, in case those truths betrayed me.”
“Such as?”
Ink stirred the pesto around his pasta. “Killian was scared of frogs, snakes and centipedes. Ink is supposed to be okay with those, but I’m not. I had to make sure I didn’t react if someone mentioned my old name or what had happened. Be noncommittal if I was asked anything about it. I was always anxious. I know it sounds petty, but George stressed and stressed how careful I had to be. They did a TV drama about it. I’ve never seen it. It’s awful that people could find entertainment in the story.”
“I haven’t seen it.”
“Some online weirdoes found out every solitary thing they could about me and Wes, probably from our classmates. Every snippet of information was noted. They knew we’d end up getting new identities—well, not Wes—and promised we’d never be safe. We’d spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders because someone would be there to remind us of what we’d done.”
“The police allowed that?”
“The people that were doing it were on the Dark Web. But my new identity was supposed to keep me safe.”
“A bit like the Skripals.”
“The Russian father and daughter that were poisoned? Yeah. Hard to hide that you’re father and daughter and that you’re Russian. And their faces were all over the news.”
“They’re supposed to be in New Zealand.”
“I bet they’re not. Maybe they’re in Canada. I think New Zealand is just to put the Russians off their scent. They’re not hiding from people like Carter, or the ones who want me dead, but from the whole Russian intelligence machine. I hope they survive.”
Tay poured more wine and lifted his glass.
“To our new future.” Tay stared into Ink’s eyes.
Ink nodded and clinked his glass against Tay’s. Tay wished Ink had repeated the words.
Chapter Sixteen
INK CAME BACK INTO THE flat from the garden with Dog when Tay called him.
“The guys have gone,” Tay said.
Dog ran from room to room and whined.
“What’s the matter with him?” Tay asked.
“It looks weird with no furniture. Maybe he’s worried he’ll get left behind.” Ink picked Dog up and looked around. “Where’s your wheelchair?”
“I let them take it. I don’t need it. Not today. Are you feeling okay?”
“Better than yesterday.”
“I told the removal guys that if anyone asked where I was going, they were to say Cornwall and to tell me if anyone did ask.”
Ink sighed and nodded. He felt bad that he’d trawled Tay into his mess.
“Stop it,” Tay said. “If I didn’t want to help you, I’d have told you to fuck off. Not that you ever took any notice when I did say it.”
Ink laughed.
“There’s a black cab coming to get us in around ten minutes to take us to King’s Cross. Let’s wait in the entrance hall so we can get straight out to it.”
Ink faltered. “Do you think there’s someone out there?”
“I didn’t see anything suspicious when I looked, but better safe than sorry.”
