The Unfinished Tale Of Sophie Anderson Read Online Free PDF

cover like he was turning ninety years old tomorrow.
    "Today would be nice," I said.
    "Jesus, I can't stand it up here."
    "Try being me," I laughed. I was laid on my side looking out over the edge of the walkway that would run across the entire shopping centre; my harness was fastened to the column because we hadn't fitted the railings yet. The air was cool and blowing gently through the open design from east to west. From where I was I could see the rest of the workers scurrying around below, putting the finishing touches to the AstroTurf roof garden.
    Tom slid the cover onto the walkway and went straight for the controls to take him back down.
    "Adios!" he said. "I'll get us a brew. Coffee?"
    "Yeah, white with none."
    "Sweet enough?"
    "Something like that."
     
    By mid-afternoon we'd blitzed the covers and were looking at the railings where we'd laid them out in sequence. Each one had a band of masking tape around both ends telling us what order they went in.
    "Nice one, Dave," said Tom to our distant colleague. "That made life a whole lot easier."
    "Do we have time to make a start?" I asked. Tom shook his dishevelled head.
    "We need to get going. We're in front though so I can't see Hammer Head complaining tomorrow. The polisher can work around us. It should take him longer to clean one weld than it does for you to finish. We've given our pound of flesh today."
    We dragged the gear back to the van and loaded up. The stench of petrol from the generator hung in the air, spoiling the effect the waning light had on the shopping centre rooftop.
    "It'll look quite nice once it's finished," I said.
    "It should do. I might come once it's opened."
    "You could take the wife and kids," I said. It occurred to me that I didn't even know if he was married. I saw him around the shop but until now we hadn't really worked together and I'd never asked. I knew about the gym because of the other guys but for some strange reason I didn't know if he was married or not. The heat began to rise up again, warming my neck and cheeks.
    "Chance would be a fine thing," he replied, shutting the back door. "The ex doesn't speak to me unless it's to do with Dan and he's getting older now so he isn't really interested in spending time with his uncool Dad."
    "Divorced?" I asked. Yep - the heat was getting hotter. I was sure the van paint was about to melt off.
    "Yeah. Been that way for eight years now."
    "How old is your son?"
    "Fourteen. I married young and I've regretted it ever since. Dan got used to me not being there and that was that. I've been living alone ever since."
    We got in the van and Tom started it up, seeing that our escort was waiting again. He flashed his headlights and we followed, heading a completely different way off site.
    "What about you?" he asked. "Got a fella' at home?"
    "Nah," I said. "Living with Mel is a full-time commitment."
    "Is she the one you met at lunch time?"
    "Yeah, that's her."
    "She seems okay." Good answer. If he'd said she was fit I'm sure my life would have ended there and then. "You get on then?"
    "Most of the time," I said. "She can be hard work but you get used to her ways after the first ten years."
    "Wow - you've been living together that long?"
    "Yeah. She was married but it didn't work out so she came to live with me."
    "I think I can understand that," he said. We were on the main road out of Liverpool now and the traffic wasn't that bad. We rumbled along at a steady pace and on the left hand turns we heard the welding set rolling back and forth, smashing into my toolbox.
    "It isn't easy once you leave the 20's, is it?" he said.
    "You're telling me," I replied. "I think we've been put on the scrap heap. The kids make no sense anymore and I'm struggling to follow half of the tech they're using."
    "Dan is glued to his phone or his tablet. I guess if I really wanted a relationship with him there might be a 'Dad' app he could download." He started chuckling to himself and it made me smile. There was a spark to