He
clenched each fist in turn.
"No cops," he said.
Natalie spat. "Why the hell not?" She spat again. Blood was running into
her eye, down her cheek, into her mouth.
"The girl, she's inside. Drunk. She's only 15."
Alan watched the brother and sister stare at one another. Blaine handed
him the phone. He hit a speed dial.
"I need a taxi to Toronto Western Hospital at 22 Wales Avenue, at
Augusta," he said. He hung up. "Go out front," he told Natalie. "Get a
towel for your face on your way."
"Andrew --" she said.
"I'll call the cops," he said. "I'll tell them where to find you."
It was as she turned to go that Krishna made a lunge for the
hammer. Billy was already kicking it out of the way, and Link, thrown
from his chest, got up on one knee and punched him hard in the kidneys,
and he went back down. Natalie was crying again.
"Go," Alan said, gently. "We'll be okay."
She went.
Link's chest heaved. "I think you need to go to the hospital too, Link,"
Alan said. The injured knee was already so swollen that it was visible,
like a volleyball, beneath his baggy trousers.
"No," Link said. "I wait here."
"You don't want to be here when the cops arrive," Alan said.
Krishna, face down in the dirt, spat. "He's not going to call any cops,"
he said. "It's grown-up stuff, little boy. You should run along."
Absently, Link punched him in the back of the head.
Pages:
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446