Chapter Nine

Suddenly Walter is awake. He woke up to the sound of the ringing phone. To say that he is very displeased to be getting a call at this time of night is an understatement. He is a very light sleeper and he has woken up very quickly. The thought, “this had better be damned important”, is already running through his head. Who would be calling him now?

He picks up the phone. There is no way for him to be pleasant right now and the way he says, “Hello”, reflects this.

“Hi Dad it’s me…”

Suddenly Walter’s demeanour changes. His voice softens slightly. Gary is a smart kid and there is no way he would be calling this early in the morning unless there is something serious happening.

“Gary?”

“I’m sorry to call this late…”

Walter shakes his head, forgetting for a moment that his son will be unable to see him doing so. It is funny what goes through your mind at this time in the morning. He instantly thinks, “It’s not late, it’s early.”

“Don’t worry about that. What’s wrong?”