The Carrier Read Online Free PDF Page A

those living conditions any worse than ours? I mean, I know they
are
, but . . . we should go and buy some wallpaper next time we’ve both got a day off – or one of those roller thingies, at least, and a tub of white paint.’ She was sick of the lounge walls being a hotchpotch of faded colours no one had wanted for years: a jagged crest of 1970s wallpaper here, a peak of old plaster there. The clashing, unevenly stripped collage effect looked like a psychedelic mountain range, and sometimes felt like a form of visual torture. ‘You’re staring at me,’ she told Simon.
    He looked pointedly at his watch. ‘I’m wondering what time we’re expecting your sister.’
    ‘Liv?’ Could Charlie be bothered to deny it? ‘How did you know?’
    ‘You’re on edge, and you keep picking up your phone.’ He stood up.
Great
, thought Charlie.
Another nice, relaxing conversation
. ‘You’re obviously expecting something to happen. I know Liv’s in Spilling today, I know you met her for lunch . . .’
    ‘She’s late,’ Charlie said, frowning. ‘She was supposed to be here between eight thirty and nine.’
    Simon pulled open the curtains and leaned his back against the window. Drummed his fingers against the sill.
    If he wanted to look out for Liv, he was facing the wrong way. Charlie waited, certain that her sister was the last thing on his mind, grateful to be spared a rant about unexpected visitors. Simon saw no moral difference between a family member turning up unannounced to say a quick hello and grab a cup of tea, and an invading horde holding aloft burning torches as they battered down your front door, intent on razing your home to the ground.
    ‘Why’d you forgive her?’ he asked.
    ‘Who, Liv?’
    He nodded.
    ‘I didn’t exactly forgive her. Well, I never told her I did. I just . . . slid back into seeing her.’ Charlie hid her face in the neck of her favourite slobbing-around jumper. She’d stretched it so much over the years, it was probably now capable of being slipped over the heads of three or four people at once, if they stood close enough together. The roll neck in particular was badly prolapsed. Through its wool, Charlie said, ‘No formal absolution was ever granted.’
    ‘One minute you hate her because she’s started seeing Gibbs, the next minute you’re back to talking to her most days like nothing ever happened. And she’s still seeing Gibbs. Even planning her imminent wedding to another man hasn’t stopped her.’
    Charlie could feel her chest and shoulders stiffening. ‘Do we have to talk about this?’ she said.
    ‘Gibbs is still married, we still work with him. Liv’s still invading your territory – that’s how you saw it when they first got together, anyway. They still got it on at our wedding, she still hijacked a day that should have been about us and made it about her.’
    ‘Thanks for the reminder. When she turns up, I’ll spit in her face. Satisfied?’
    ‘I’m asking what changed.’
    ‘Well, let’s see. Gibbs is now the father of premature twin girls, as cute as they are fragile.’
    Simon looked impatient. ‘You know what I mean. Gibbs is a dad since last month. You forgave Liv last year.’
    ‘No. I didn’t.’ Charlie walked over to the window, pushed him out of the way and pulled the curtains closed. ‘If she turns up now, tough. She’s missed her chance. What you call forgiving, I call burying my head in the sand and trying to pretend the past never happened. And let’s throw in the present for good measure. Pathetic, isn’t it – the lengths a person will go to in order to hang on to a sister?’
    Simon picked up the remote control. He flicked through the channels for a few seconds before pressing the ‘off’ button. ‘You’re dodging the question,’ he said. ‘Suddenly you’re prepared to bury your head and make the best of Liv in spite of her transgressions when you weren’t before. How come?’
    ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘You don’t,