Majorca Flats -- 339

 “Lou … I don't think I'll be able to have sex again. It … after … him … it seems … I just can't.�?

Luigi hugged him closer. “It doesn't matter, Coads. When it feels right, then we can do it.�?

“What if it never feels right, Lou?�? Cody sounded desperately sad and downcast but also matter of fact, as if he were facing a bleak and unavoidable reality.

“It will, one day. When you love someone enough, you can … overcome … big obstacles.�?

“But what if … Lou …. what if it was my fault that all this happened to me?�?

“Your fault?�?

“How can it be your fault?�? Despite himself, Luigi was feeling nettled. What the fuck was Cody saying? What did he mean?

“Well … I mean … if I hadn't been there, in that pub, he wouldn't have got me.�? He stopped for three or four breaths. Luigi waited. When Cody next spoke he was close to inaudible. “I'd still be all right. Everything would be all right.�?

“He would have taken someone else. Fuck it, Coads, that man is a monster.�?

“Yes, but … if I hadn't been out whoring … if I'd stayed at home with Phillippa ...�?

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Majorca Flats -- 338

As it turned out, the police detective was scrupulously polite. But police protection for Cody appeared to be still unavailable.

“Just as well I was there,�? muttered Deborah as they left.

“He seemed OK,�? observed Luigi.

“Yeah, but a couple of times, he started asking something then stopped. They tend not to do that unless … Listen, don't agree to have an interview unless I'm there. I don't trust them.�?

“OK,�? answered Luigi. He was too tired to argue. They thanked her and said goodbye.

“Shall we go home?�? he asked Cody.

“Where's that?�? asked Cody, bitterly.

“With me.�?

“Do you still love me?�?

Did he? He wasn't sure, any more. But he had to say he did, because Cody needed him. Later ….

“Yes. I do.�? And saying it made it all at once real. He wasn't 'in love' any more, perhaps, but he certainly loved Cody. Cody mattered to him. He wanted Cody to be happy. He needed Cody. Was he a friend? He didn't know. Jason and Luigi were friends. And lovers. Their relationship was equal, one of mutual affection and support. And lust. Was that love? He didn't know any more. After Richard, his cello player older lover, Luigi had thought he'd come to a more nuanced and adult view of love. And then he'd met Cody. Now …. now he felt wiser but he also felt he knew less about love and sex and 'in love' and friendship. What had happened over the last few weeks had made it harder to make a harsh judgement, to divide and classify.

He pulled Cody into his arms and kissed him. “I do love you,�? he said again.

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Majorca Flats -- 337

Lygon Buildings, Carlton

Luigi's phone rang. “Excuse me for a moment, Lucasta.�?

“G'day.�?

“G'day. Luigi DiPietro speaking.�?

“This is Detective Sergeant William Lukovic. I understand you're the contact for Cody Williams?�?

“Yeah. He doesn't have a mobile at the moment.�?

“Can I talk with him?�?

“Yeah.�? Luigi took Cody's arm and whispered to him, “It's the 'tecs.�?

“Yeah …. Good .... OK …. I'll see you there in half an hour.�? He handed the phone back to Luigi. “We're to meet him at Carlton Police Station.�? He stared at Luigi. Luigi could see his reluctance.

Luigi pulled him into a hug. “Don't worry. You've got Jace and me and Key on your side. And a lawyer. We'll sort it out.�?

Cody shook his head and looked away.

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Majorca Flats -- 336

“I would be very pleased to accept your invitation, er, Lucasta. Perhaps we can come over when Jason goes back to England.�?

“Oh, d'you think he will he seems quite settled here fitting in which he didn't in England all his snobbish friends so silly really when it's what in your heart that matters don't you think? But people can fuss about such unimportant things in the scheme of things though upbringing is important but sometimes you can be brought up by the best and go all wrong and sometimes have an impossible time in your youth and come right.�? She looked anxiously at Luigi and then beyond him at her grandson.

Divining her concern, Luigi gave her a small smile and nodded. “Jace will be fine. He's ...�? Luigi paused for a breath, “he will be OK. He has us.�?

The simple honesty with which he said that brought a lump to Lucasta's throat and for once she was speechless.

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Majorca Flats -- 335

 “My dear, indeed you have. But if you will take some advice from an old woman, I do believe that in the end it will come right. Things which seem so intractable and serious and urgent in the end sometimes just resolve themselves. Time is a great healer. I should know, I've had lots of it.�? She turned to Luigi. “So delighted to meet you my dear you've all been so kind to Jason here in a strange country and so upset.�?

“Mrs Ellesmere, it was my pleasure. Jason is a top bloke. He was very kind to me when I was … unhappy.�? Here Luigi looked at Cody and gave him one of his blinding smiles. Despite Cody's incipient jealousy over Luigi's relationship with Jason he was unable to
stop himself smiling back.

Lucasta wondered whether 'top bloke' was Ozzie slang or some kind of sexual code word. She decided to ignore it. “Do call me Lucasta, dear, such an old-fashioned name but mine own as Shakespeare said or was it Marlowe I forget so long ago at school.�? She drew breath and so did her interlocutors. But the pause was just momentary. “I was saying to your young man here that you must come and stay with me in London we'd be delighted to have you.�?

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Majorca Flats -- 334

Louis XIII, bisexual King of France

Luigi went back into the living room to talk to Cody. He was deep in conversation with Lucasta Ellesmere.

“So my dear I said to him that if that was his opinion of course he was entitled to it it's a free country though not with those ultra-nationalists who are they I forget so vulgar. But really! Canon Green would give him a gentle rebuke you know so kind and wise and insightful but what I wanted to say was that you must come and stay with me and Parker and Mr Minim in London soon it'll be such a pleasure to have you and you can tell him yourself about it you know that piece in the Bible about donkeys. Or is it wine? I get so muddled sometimes. Do say you'll come and bring Jason too and your beautiful young man such a pleasure.�?

Cody was smiling a little. “How kind! I've never been to London. I'd love to come and bring Luigi.�?

“Such a beautiful name I always preferred it to the French version all those kings, Louis one after the other so tricky to remember at school and I always got muddled and then Miss Lavers would get cross though she was quite a sweetie really and would let us senior girls have tea with her every so often and I remember she had the most deliciousseed cake and a photo of her young man killed in the Great War such a pointless waste I think if women ran the world it would be a better place and I said that to Lillibet when last I had tea there her cooks do make the most scrumptious eclairs though I suppose we shouldn't eat all that stuff just live on lettuce leaves so dull.�?

She smiled anxiously at Cody, not quite sure whether her prattle was helping.

On impulse, he took her hand in his and squeezed it.

“I’m sorry,�? he said, “that I'm not more talkative. I've been through some bad times recently.�?

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Majorca Flats -- 333

Jason still had the piece of paper Colin had given him with the surgery's address and phone number scrawled on it.

“Hi. This is Luigi DiPietro. I was in earlier with my friend Cody Williams. I was just wondering if Dmitri could give a doctor's certificate for the days off work Cody has had."

“I'll put you through."

When Dmitri picked up the phone, Luigi explained what he was looking for.

“I'm an idiot!" exclaimed the doctor. “I should have asked you when you were here! Of course I'll do a certificate."

“What will you say?" asked Luigi. A certificate which said the wrong thing would be worse than useless.

“Well …. first, it would be confidential, normally. But since you and Cody are partners … also, I can't lie on the certificate. And I won't. Hmmm. Injury. Trauma. The problem is …. Cody's boss will want to know what the injury is. It's not like a broken arm. And trauma … they'll want to know what caused the trauma. I'll do a certificate. But it might not solve all Mr Williams' problems."

Luigi thanked him and gave his email and snail mail address.

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