Alarm Call

Chapter 11

I did, though. Incidentally, on the subject of Phillips forenames: Primavera was christened such because she was conceived in the springtime, in Spain; the Eagle part, you know about. I’ll leave you to work out why her sister is called Dawn, but their father once confided to me that she narrowly missed having Kellogg as a middle name, and I don’t think old Super-Dave was joking.

I dropped her at Semple House, then watched her walk up the driveway to the front porch and ring the bell: that’s how much I trusted her not to do a runner as soon as my back was turned and just spend a couple of hours walking around town or, worse, in the pub. I even waited until I saw the door open before I drove off.

Ellen didn’t press me too hard when I got back to the hotel, although we were seated together at the lunch table. ‘She’s in trouble, is she?’ was all she asked.

‘Yes. Harvey will tell you all about it later on, I’m sure.’

‘Not if he’s acting for her, he won’t: he’s hot on client confidentiality.’

‘Tell him I’ve given you special dispensation.’

‘You sound like the Pope. You really do think a lot of yourself these days, wee brother, don’t you?’

I crossed myself, surreptitiously. ‘Does it show?’

She smiled. ‘It’s not your public image, don’t worry. But you’ve changed: there’s an authority about you that wasn’t there before. It used to be that all our lives revolved around Dad, but not any more.’ She glanced sideways at me. ‘Incidentally, I’m glad you two have made it up, whatever it was that was wrong between you. He mentioned that you’d been to see him.’

‘What makes you think there was anything wrong?’

‘Credit me with sense, and powers of observation, please. Just because I never asked doesn’t mean I never knew or didn’t care.’

‘Okay, I admit it. We had a disagreement, but it’s sorted.’

‘Well, now that it is, how about you putting in a word with him for Harvey?’

‘Hey,’ I whispered, ‘I’m only just recognising the guy’s existence myself.’

‘Because it suits you?’

‘Of course.’ I grinned at her. ‘But don’t worry, I’m being won over. In fact, if you ask him, I’ve already advised him that the way to Dad’s heart is through a golf swing that’s slightly less efficient than his.’

Ellie laughed at that. ‘I know; he told me. He’s even going to give it a try this afternoon.’

‘That’s good; I brought a spare set just in case. He can buy himself a pair of golf shoes in the pro shop.’

‘You underestimate your future brother-in-law.’

‘My what?’

She went a very un-Ellie-like pink at her slip. ‘You heard. But shut up about it until he’s spoken to Dad and to you, and I’ve spoken to the boys.’

‘That’s why Susie set us up to have lunch on Tuesday?’

‘Exactly. You see, bro, your women have still got your number. . even the one who’s not here right now. Anyway, as I was saying, you’re selling Harvey short. He and Jonny went out this morning, early, and came back with a pair of Footjoy shoes, and a Gore-Tex rain-suit, and last but not least a set of Taylor-made clubs, and a big bag.’

‘Balls,’ I said.

‘It is not! It’s true.’

‘Did he buy himself any golf balls, Ellen?’ I asked her patiently. ‘The rest is useless without them.’

I glanced across at my nephew; I had raised my voice so he could hear me. ‘Titleist Pro V1, Uncle Oz,’ he said, with a grin. ‘Two dozen.’

‘Let’s hope that’s enough.’ Jonny had done the pro a favour in his advice. The gear Ellie had described must have cost Harvey a right few hundred quid; I found myself hoping for the kid’s sake that he didn’t turn out to be a no-hoper.

As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. I’d booked a four-ball on the Queen’s Course, the shortest of the three eighteen-holers, for two thirty. That allowed half an hour after lunch for me to take Harvey into the practice net and show him how to swing, not the full John Daly grip-it-and-rip-it style, but something nice and simple with a short backswing. He seemed to have a natural eye for the ball, for after a few awkward swipes, he was soon able to clip it pretty straight with the four clubs that I advised him to use out of his very expensive full set.

I paired him with Jonny on the course, and I took Colin as my partner. Since he’s only a wee lad yet, I told him he could drive off the ladies’ tees. Mistake, Uncle Oz: the look he gave me would have done credit to his mother. (To emphasise his point, the tee-shot he hit off the first would have done credit to his grandfather.)

Harvey was nervous, when it came to his turn, but I told him to try to imagine that he was in the High Court, pleading before Lord Emslie. That seemed to settle him down, for he plonked one up the middle, around ten yards short of Colin’s ball.

We didn’t keep score. . it wouldn’t have been fair. . but under Jonny’s guidance Harvey did okay. I could tell he was concentrating: the Queen’s, like all the Gleneagles courses, is one of the most beautiful in the world, but he didn’t even notice the scenery. He was surprised when I shook his hand after we had holed our putts on the eighteenth, and even more so when Jonny and Colin did too. Like the rest of the game, that piece of etiquette was new to him.

‘Did you enjoy that?’ I asked him, as we walked back to the clubhouse.

‘I have to admit that I did, very much. Do you think I’m ready to play with your father yet?’

‘Have a few more rounds with the boys, and a couple of lessons from a good teaching pro. Then he should be able to take money off you honourably, which is all he’ll expect of you.’

‘That takes me back to my early years at the Bar.’ That was the first piece of humour I ever heard him try. ‘Are we still having lunch on Tuesday?’ he asked me, as the boys walked on ahead.

‘Let’s keep our options open on that one,’ I replied, ‘till we see how Prim’s business develops. But for the avoidance of doubt, I wish you and my sister all the best, and I hope you’ll be very happy together. I have to say, for the sake of formality, that if you mess her about then, judge or not, I will kill you without hesitation, but I don’t think there’s a cat’s chance in hell of that. Welcome to our crazy family.’

I stopped as we entered the hotel, and made a slight detour into the office area. I’m quite well known there, so just before lunch I’d taken advantage of the fact by asking if they could check something out for me. One of the booking staff knew Prim by sight too, and remembered her meeting up with an American guest.

The woman was waiting for me, looking pleased with herself. ‘I’ve run that check you asked for, Mr Blackstone. The gentleman you mentioned did indeed register under the name Paul Wallinger. He booked a three-night dinner-bed-and-breakfast package …’

‘Any golf included?’

‘No, just accommodation and evening meal; he settled his bill with cash.’

‘What, like ordinary folding money, the kind people hardly ever use here?’

‘It is unusual, I agree.’

I thanked her and gave her some currency for her trouble, then rejoined the guys.

We found Ellie, Susie and the kids in the coffee lounge. When she saw how sun-flushed and contented her new man looked, my sister smiled with sheer delight, and that pleased me. I ordered three pints of beer shandy, and a Coke for Colin; if the waiter wondered whether or not Jonny was eighteen, he didn’t worry enough to ask, so I didn’t enlighten him.

I was able to keep an eye on the entrance from my seat. About ten minutes after our drinks had been served, I saw David Phillips’s old Rover pull up on the driveway. Polite-ness, nothing else, made me go to greet them, although I didn’t expect him to wait. I saw Prim lean forward from the back seat to kiss his cheek, and say her goodbyes to her mother; then she got out. Elanore turned to look back at her as Dave drove off. I was shocked to see that she was wearing a wig. ‘Your mum,’ I said. It was a question.

‘Her cancer’s back, Oz. It’s in her lymphatic system. They’re giving her chemo down at the Western General in Edinburgh, but the prognosis isn’t too good. That’s why I didn’t say anything about Tom when I was here before.’

‘Maybe I was an idiot for making you do it today, then.’

‘No, you were right. She was blazing mad that I hadn’t told her as soon as he was conceived. Now I feel guilty as hell, for the chances are that she’ll never get to see him.’

She looked positively mournful, so I put a hand on her shoulder. ‘She will, kid. I promise you that; she will.’

‘But how, Oz? Tom’s on the other side of the Atlantic, and for all the things that Harvey and Greg are going to do in court, they’re not much use if we can’t find him.’

‘Didn’t you hear me, girl? I made you a blood oath there. You came to me for help before anyone else. I’m touched by that, and I’m not going to let you down. Elanore will get to hold her grandson.’