Winterland Read Online Free PDF Page B

a hug and a few platitudes.
    Approaching the house, Gina takes a deep breath.
    The first thing she notices is an SUV parked in the driveway.
    This can only be Noel’s.
    She rolls her eyes. Every time she sees Noel, which of course isn’t that often, he’s driving something different.
     
    As she’s passing the SUV, she peers into its tinted windows. She sees nothing except her own reflection. Up ahead, the hall door of the house opens and Noel himself comes out. He’s wearing a heavy overcoat and appears to be in a hurry. When he spots Gina, he rushes up to her, takes her by the hand and kisses her on the cheek.
    ‘How are you, sweetheart?’
    ‘I’m OK. How’s Catherine?’
    He makes a face, shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders – each time about to say something, each time about to make an assessment, each time defeated.
    Gina nods along.
    Eventually, Noel says, ‘The Guards have just left. They say she can’t go in to identify the body until the morning.’
    ‘Which means it’s going to be a long night.’
    ‘Yeah, looks like it.’
    They both shake their heads.
    Gina then says, ‘So what happened? Do we know anything?’
    ‘No. I made a couple of calls a while ago. No one knows a thing.’ He pauses. ‘You do realise what he’s been up to for the last few years?’
    ‘Well yeah, I read the papers,’ Gina says. ‘But it’s not like anyone ever talks about it.’
    ‘No. I suppose. Catherine had a hard time with it, understandably.’ He looks around, shivers from the cold and turns back to face Gina. ‘But anyway, from what I’ve heard it was unexpected.’
    ‘Weird.’
    ‘Yeah.’
    Noel then looks Gina up and down. ‘Jesus, are you not freezing in that get-up?’
     
    She nods yes, then says, ‘I was in town at a gig. Going on to a party. What do you want?’
    ‘No, I’m just saying.’ He looks at her again. ‘Here, do you want my coat?’
    He starts taking it off. She puts a hand out to stop him.
    ‘ No ,’ she laughs. ‘Are you mad?’
    This is so Noel.
    He shuffles the coat back on.
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Yeah, I’m grand.’
    He reaches out and strokes her cheek.
    ‘You’re my baby sister,’ he says, ‘and I love you. I wish I saw you more often. Are you all right ?’
    ‘Yeah, of course.’
    ‘How’s the software business?’
    ‘It’s OK,’ she says. It feels weird to be talking like this, casually, as if nothing has happened. ‘We’re under a lot of pressure at the moment.’
    ‘Yeah?’
    ‘Well, with the downturn and all.’
    Gina and her business partner, P.J., run Lucius, a small software-development company. They started up with some decent venture capital behind them, but that was back when the economy still seemed unassailable. Now, after two years, they have yet to launch a product on the market, and P.J.’ s trip to London is an attempt to drum up some potential customer interest.
    ‘It’s a living,’ she adds, half defensively. ‘Not that my bank manager is too convinced.’
    Noel squints his eyes at this.
    ‘ What ?’ Gina says.
     
    ‘Are you all right for money?’
    She nods. But that’s not enough, apparently. ‘Yeah, I am.’
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Noel,’ she says, ‘that was a joke .’
    Though actually it wasn’t. Since Lucius started up, they’ve been working on the same software package – a suite of integrated data-management tools – but their burn rate has been pretty startling of late. In fact, the VCs are beginning to get alarmed, which is quite serious, because if they pull the plug now there won’t be any salaries at the end of the month. There won’t be any jobs.
    For anyone.
    ‘Look, I’m fine ,’ she adds. ‘I am, really. Thanks.’
    Noel shrugs his shoulders.
    Gina raps her knuckles gently against the side of the SUV. ‘So, where are you off to?’
    Noel exhales and looks exasperated all of a sudden. ‘Oh, I’ve got to go and pick something up in town. I’m meeting someone.’ He glances at his watch.