Closer to Home by Heleyne Hammersley

Author:Heleyne Hammersley [Hammersley, Heleyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

Dad says you need some money. Get in touch and I’ll see what I can sort out.

A message came back almost immediately.

Great. Thx. I’ll give you a buzz in the morning.

Kate considered texting back then hit the icon to call instead. She wasn’t going to take his call at work and she knew that he’d just get huffy if she didn’t have time to talk to him. It was one of the things that they’d argued about the most. He hated her job and the amount of time it took her away from her family and he resented her dedication to every case that she’d been involved with. He wouldn’t be inclined to mend fences if she had to brush him off yet again.

‘Mum?’

She could hear voices and music in the background then a door slamming as her son found some quiet and privacy.

‘Mum. I said I’d call you tomorrow. I’m with some friends at a party.’ He sounded a bit drunk.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ Kate said. ‘But I’ve got an early start tomorrow and I didn’t want to miss your call. I thought I’d try to catch you tonight.’

He didn’t respond so she continued.

‘Dad says you’ve spent your loan money.’

‘I have,’ Ben sighed. ‘And I know you’ll just think I’m irresponsible but I had a job lined up for the summer so I thought I’d be okay.’

‘What happened?’

‘It fell through. It was in a restaurant. Waiting on, clearing up, that sort of thing. Minimum wage, but it would have kept me going. The restaurant closed down.’

‘In Sheffield?’

‘Yep. I don’t want to go back to Dad’s for the summer. I’d feel like such a loser.’

‘Any chance of another job?’

‘I’m looking but there’s not much about.’

‘How much do you think you’ll need to get you through?’

‘Dunno. I’ve got rent to pay. I’m sharing a house with some mates next year and we’ve already moved in.’

Kate wondered whether these were the same mates that she could still hear faintly in the background.

‘How much is rent?’

‘Two fifty a month.’

Kate calculated. Three months’ rent plus expenses would be well over a thousand pounds.

‘Has your dad given you anything?’

‘A bit,’ Ben admitted.

‘How big a bit?’

‘Five hundred quid.’

She was impressed. It wasn’t like Garry to be so generous now he had a baby to feed and clothe.

‘Okay. So how about I pay your rent for the next academic year? Your dad’s money should get you through the next couple of months if you’re careful and at least your loan will go further if you’ve not got rent to think about.’

Silence.

‘Ben?’

‘You’d do that? For a whole year?’

‘Of course. But, I’ll pay it directly to your landlord. You’ll have to send me the details. I don’t want you tempted to spend it every month.’

He laughed.

‘As if.’

‘As if nothing. I know you. At least I’ll know that you’ve got a roof over your head.’

‘Mum. I’m sorry I’ve been such a shit these last couple of years. I wanted to get in touch when I got to Sheffield but I didn’t really know what to say.

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