Chapter Thirty-Three

Debs called them down to dinner.

"Jason this is Debs, my step-mum, Jenny my little sister and Kat my big sister."

"And what a fine sister you have" said Jason, eyeing up Kat.  Kat looked away shyly but then looked back.

"Hey!" said Lincoln.

Jason grinned.

Even the half a spliff they'd had inspired their appetites, so there wasn't much talking for the first few minutes.

When they came up for air, Kat spoke.

"So Jason, how did you meet Lincoln?"

"We went to school together.  Though I am a year older and wiser" he added, winking at her.  "We played in the school football team.  How old were we?"

"I was 7 and you were 8.  And I was better than you" added Lincoln.

"Yeah right" said Jason.

They laughed.

"I'd love to see pictures of you at the age" said Kat.

"I've got some priceless ones of him.  I will Facebook them to you" said Jason, smiling serenely at Kat.  Lincoln kicked his foot under the table.

"So Jason," said Sam, "It is quite far to get back to London tonight.  Do you want to stay over?"

"Thanks, but I have to drive up north for work later on."

"So you aren't in school anymore?" asked Sam.

Jason shook his head as he gulped his drink.

"Oh that is your car out front?" said Sam.

"Yeah, borrowed" said Jason.

"What do you do for work?"

"Sales" said Jason, shovelling another mouthful.

Sam opened his mouth to ask another question but Lincoln silenced him.

"Enough of the twenty questions, hey?" said Lincoln.  "Let's go for a spin in the car."

Lincoln stood up and Jason followed.

"Oh, ok, not late though.  School tomorrow" he interjected.

"Sure Sam" said Lincoln, leading Jason out.

They took a spin in the sleek car and ended up pulling over and parking. 

Lincoln admired the leather interior as Jason tugged on the liquorice spliff from earlier.

He grimaced.  "I don't know why you like the flavour Linc."

"Cos I have taste, loser" said Lincoln, taking it from him.

"So we gonna go find these punks that did a number on you?" said Jason.  He stretched his hands out and cracked his knuckles.

"Nah man" said Lincoln.

"Why not?  Your arm is alright now."

"Yeah but one of them is Kat's boyfriend, one is Abbie's brother and another is my own brother.  I think I am going to leave them be."

"Leave them be?" said Jason, looking at him like he was crazy.  "You must have had some knocks to the head, mate.  You've gone soft."

Lincoln shrugged. 

"It is complicated.  Besides, the local copper is waiting for me to touch any of them.  If I do, there is only one I really want to get, though I may have to bide my time."

"What this Theo guy?"

Lincoln nodded.

"Yeah, Theo - Abbie's ex."

"Let's go get him now" said Jason enthusiastically.

"Nah, I want to get him by myself" said Lincoln.

"Why?  That fucking coward ganged up on you.  Two on one is fair payback by comparison."

"I want to do it by myself" said Lincoln firmly.

Jason saw Lincoln's look and dropped it. 

"Fair enough but if you change your mind..."

"You'll be the first thug I call" said Lincoln half smiling.

He passed the joint back to Jason.

A familiar hip hop song began to play through the radio and Jason cranked up the volume.

Lincoln made out the words "I love this song" coming from Jason under the noise.

After a minute, Lincoln turned the music down.

"Hey" said Jason.

"Probably best not to draw too much attention to ourselves given you are driving a 'borrowed' car and smoking a joint" said Lincoln grinning.

"It isn't stolen" protested Jason.

"But you don't have a licence.  Provisional doesn't count, you know."

"It has never stopped us before" said Jason, smirking.  "Man, do you remember that sweet Lexus?"

Lincoln smiled:  they had had a fun night.

"So who did you 'borrow' this car from?" said Linc, eyebrows raised.

"Hey I said it was legit and it is.  Jack let me borrow it.  In fact when I said I wanted to stop and see you, he suggested I take his new one."

"Minchella?  He is out?"

"Yeah for two months now.  Good behaviour and all that."

"So that is where all that cash came from" said Lincoln flatly.  "You are back working for him."

Jason looked a bit disgruntled.

"Why not?  No one else is going to employ me and he pays well."

"I thought we said we weren't going to do that again."

"No you said you weren't and then you left" spat Jason.

"I didn't have a choice" said Lincoln quietly.

"Really?" said Jason, "You could have stayed with me."

"And been a runaway?  Luca would have known where I was and would have found me."

"Suppose" said Jason, looking out the window. "That is what happens when you are friends with a copper."  He made a face at Lincoln.

"Luca is alright" defended Lincoln.

"He was more than a little heavy handed with me a few weeks back."

"He mentioned he arrested you.  Been to court?"

"Jack's lawyer got rid of it for me:  cautioned.  I just had a bit of speed on me, nothing much.  Luca was a bit late" said Jason, pulling on the spliff.

He passed it to Lincoln, who smoked in silence for a minute.

"Just remember that Jack is a businessman, and that is all he cares about" said Lincoln.

"Yeah, Dad.  Don't worry about it."  Jason glanced at his watch.  "I got to drop off some gear to some yuppie students in Oxford in an hour or so, better get you home to your cosy family unit."

Lincoln shot him a withering look as he drove the car back to Oakley Crescent.

Lincoln popped his head into the living room, while Jason went to the bathroom before his trip.  Everyone was in there watching some reality TV show.

"Hey, we are back.  Jase has to go ahead to his work thing so he is heading off in a minute."

Sam nodded at him.

"I made some sandwiches with the leftover meat for his trip" said Debs, "They are in the fridge."

Lincoln gave her his broadest smile.

"Thanks Debs, you are a star."

He grabbed the sandwiches out of the fridge and added that and two cans of coke to a plastic bag.  Jason was taking his time.  Lincoln sprinted up the stairs. 

The bathroom jar was ajar so he went into his bedroom.

"Debs made you a snack" he said, opening the door.

Jason looked up.  There was a rolled up note in his hand and a line of white powder on Connor's desk.  Lincoln quickly closed the door behind him, while Jason sniffed the last of the powder up his nose.

"You are back on the coke?" asked Lincoln pointlessly.

Jason wiped his nose and dusted off the last remains of powder from the table.

"This is just a bit of whizz.  A pick me up before my night" said Jason casually.

Lincoln watched him as he wiped his nose again. 

"Snacks for the road" he said, taking the bag off of Lincoln.  He looked in the bag.  "Nice step-mum you got there.  And your sister is hot..."

"Don't get any ideas" said Lincoln smiling.  "She has a boyfriend."

"Oh no.  Still, she might fancy a bit of black in her..."

Lincoln grabbed him playfully and they tussled around the room.  Lincoln wrestled him on to the bed and they fell about laughing.

"Right" said Jason, standing up.  "I better let you get to bed, school tomorrow" he mimicked.

Lincoln followed him down the stairs.

"I might have time to stop by on my way back."

"Wicked.  I'll be at school til 3-ish and then working at the shop."

"Safe.  See you bro."

They bumped shoulders and he was gone.

Lincoln came into the living room.

"Has he gone?" asked Kat.

"Yeah" said Lincoln leaning against the wall, watching the figures on the screen.

"Ah, are you sad now?" she asked.

Lincoln shrugged.  "He might pop by on his way home tomorrow."

"It would be good to have a bit more notice if you are having guests" said Sam.

Debs nudged Sam in the ribs.

"It is thoughtful that he came to surprise you.  He seems like a nice boy." She weighed her words carefully.

"He was impressed with the sandwiches you made Debs" said Lincoln, "He was well impressed with you as well Kat."

She blushed.

"Yes.  He certainly isn't backwards about being forwards" said Sam sternly.  He didn't like to see his oldest daughter flirted with in front of him.

 "That is Jason" murmured Lincoln.

"I better call Abbie.  She wasn't feeling well" said Lincoln, digging in his pocket for his phone.

"And then get an hour work in before bed?" said Sam, looking at his watch.

Lincoln had forgotten about that for today.  He thought about protesting but then remembered how nice they had all been to Jason today.  He was meant to be grounded and Sam hadn't made a fuss about him going out.

"Yeah, I had better just text her.  I want to finish Maths by tomorrow."

Sam watched his son disappear next door and felt relief.  He was worried this surprise visit would unsettle him, but it didn't seem to have knocked him off course.  The only thing he didn't like was the smell of smoke that wafted from him as he left, but his smoking was not worth breaking the peace between them.