The Rabbit Hunter

89

As Rex puts his suitcase down in the hall he can hear Sammy playing his guitar. He recognises the chord, and tries to remember what song it is as he heads towards the living room.

Rex gave Sammy a steel-stringed Taylor guitar when he got confirmed, but he didn’t know that he still played it. As he enters the room he remembers the song: Led Zeppelin’s ‘Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You’.

Sammy has dirt under his nails and he’s written something on his hand. His blond fringe hangs in front of his face as he concentrates.

He plucks nimbly at the strings and sings along quietly, just to hear the tune in his head.

Rex sits down on the amplifier and listens. Sammy keeps playing until he reaches the long instrumental section, then holds his hand over the strings to silence them and looks up.

‘You’re good!’ Rex exclaims.

‘No, I’m not,’ Sammy says, embarrassed.

Rex picks up his semi-acoustic Gibson and adjusts the amp. There’s a buzz as the cables warm up.

‘Do you know any Bowie tracks?’

‘“Ziggy Stardust” was the first song I taught myself. I felt really cool. Mum must have heard it a million times,’ Sammy says, smiling as he starts to play.

Rex sings along, trying to keep pace with his son on his guitar.

Grey clouds are racing across the sky outside the large windows, and it looks like there might be a storm brewing.

As they sing together, Rex looks at Sammy’s face and remembers when Veronica told him she was thinking of keeping the baby. He had already said he didn’t feel mature enough, and was unable to contain his feelings of powerlessness and frustration. He stood up, tucked his chair in and walked out on her.

‘Solo, Dad! Solo!’ Sammy cries.

With a look of horror on his face, Rex starts playing the only blues scale he knows, but it sounds all wrong.

‘Sorry,’ he groans.

‘Try E-flat instead,’ Sammy says.

Rex changes position and tries again, and this time it does sound a little better, almost like a real guitar solo.

‘Bravo!’ Sammy says with a smile, looking at him happily.

Rex laughs and they start to play Håkan Hellström’s ‘It’ll Never Be Over For Me’, when suddenly the doorbell rings.

‘I’ll get it,’ Rex says, and puts his guitar down on the floor, making the amplifier rumble.

He hurries out to the hall and opens the door.

A young woman with pierced cheeks looks at him groggily. She’s wearing black jeans, a Pussy Riot T-shirt, and a black hat, and her skinny left arm is in a cast from the elbow all the way to her fingertips. In her other hand she’s carrying a crumpled plastic bag from H&M.

Behind her stands a man in his thirties. His eyes are warm and his face is boyishly attractive, albeit rather haggard, like a rock star. Rex recognises him. It’s the man Sammy was at the party with when he took an overdose.

‘Come in,’ Sammy says behind Rex.

The young woman stumbles over the doormat and hands the bag to Sammy.

‘Your stuff,’ Nico says, stepping into the hall.

‘OK,’ Sammy replies.

The woman wraps her arms around Nico and smiles up at his face.

‘Is this the gay guy who paid for your car?’ she asks.

‘He’s my Salaì. I love him,’ Nico says, stroking her back.

‘I thought you loved me,’ she complains.

Sammy looks in the bag.

‘Where’s the camera?’

‘Shit, forgot it,’ Nico says, and taps his head.

‘How are things?’ Sammy asks in a subdued voice.

‘The court case is in November... but I’ve rented a house in Marseilles, so I’m going to spend the autumn there.’

‘He’s going to paint a series of pictures of me,’ the young woman says, wobbling as she manages to step on Rex’s boots.

‘Filippa’s coming along. There’ll be a little gang of us, so it’s going to be really cool.’

‘I’m sure it will,’ Sammy says.

‘She doesn’t have your eyes,’ Nico says quietly.

Sammy looks up at him.

‘Damn, you’re so handsome,’ Nico sighs.

Sammy can’t help smiling.

‘When can I have my camera?’ he asks.

‘What are you doing tonight?’

‘Why do you want to know?’ Filippa whispers into Nico’s ear.

‘I’m thinking of going to Jonny’s party,’ Nico says.

‘They’re so fucking sick, I can’t handle that,’ she groans, leaning back against the coats hanging in the hall.

‘I wasn’t asking you,’ Nico says, and looks at Sammy. ‘Do you want to come? It could be fun, and I’ll take the camera.’

‘To Jonny’s?’ Sammy says dubiously.

‘He’s staying at home,’ Rex says sternly.

‘OK, Dad,’ Nico says, and salutes.

‘I’ll think about it,’ Sammy says.

‘Say yes, that would make me—’

‘Thanks for coming,’ Rex interrupts.

‘Stop it, Dad,’ Sammy whispers, sounding pained.

Filippa giggles and starts to go through the pockets of the coats behind her. Nico takes her arm and backs out through the door.

‘I’ll call you,’ Sammy says.

Rex closes the door, then stands there holding the handle, staring down at the floor.

‘Dad,’ Sammy says wearily. ‘You can’t just do that. That was really shitty.’

‘You’re right, I’m sorry,’ Rex begins. ‘But... I thought it was over?’

‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.’

‘You need to live your own life, but I can’t pretend to like him.’

‘Nico’s an artist. He went to art school in Gothenburg.’

‘He’s good-looking, and I can see that he’s exciting, but he put you in danger, and that—’

‘I’m not completely naïve,’ Sammy cuts him off irritably.

Rex holds his hands up towards him apologetically.

‘Can we just try to get through these weeks together, like we said at the beginning?’