The Key to Finding Jack by Ewa Jozefkowicz (best classic books to read TXT) 📕

‘It was when the shop first opened. My cousin arrived with a big delivery and we were unpacking boxes all day. Your brother turned up on his skateboard and said that he would help us out.’

‘He just turned up?’

‘Out of the blue, yes. A happy coincidence of the right person in the right place at the right time. He spent the rest of the day unloading stuff with me. It was more than sixty boxes. I offered to pay him of course – I’m not one to get people to work for free, oh no. But he wouldn’t take any money. Nothing at all. He said he enjoyed it and it was his way of saying “welcome to the hood”.’

I had no idea that Jack had done that for Sutty.

‘He was looking at that same sign on the door – the one that says “Sutantu Faasil and Sons” and he came up with a great riddle. It went, “Tell me a sentence in which the word ‘and’ is used five times consecutively and it still makes grammatical sense”. Do you know the answer?’

I mulled it over as Sutty went to collect our drinks. It was a strange riddle for Jack. I’d always thought he was terrible at grammar.

‘I didn’t know either,’ he said, looking at my expression. ‘It seemed impossible. But he told me eventually. Imagine you had a sign-maker who made that sign for you. You’d paid some decent money for it, but they managed to mess up the spacing between the words. So you’d have to tell them, “You didn’t leave enough space between ‘Faasil’ and ‘and’, and ‘and’ and ‘Sons’.”

‘We talked about all sorts that day,’ Sutty continued. ‘He asked about my family back home, so I told him about growing up in the Punjab. Then he told me about his sixth form trip to Kerala in India and the amazing experience he’d had there. He’d felt inspired to travel the world. But there were so many countries on his list, you see, and I don’t know which one came highest. Then he started to talk about his plans for his gap year…’ Sutty trailed off and coughed awkwardly.

‘Anyway, the second time we met was a day that I will carry with me for ever. It was the day that those horrible boys tried to steal Mick Morgan’s wallet.’

The tiny drummer began beating his insistent rhythm. I couldn’t bear to hear about Jack getting into trouble.

‘They attacked him just after he left the shop. Two of them, probably in their twenties, although you couldn’t tell because they had their hoods up. I hadn’t even seen them come in. Mr Morgan always pops in late for his milk and bread, usually as we’re about to close. I think he forgets to buy the essentials he needs. His dementia is getting bad. They got him on the side of the road, just there,’ he said, pointing out of the window.

‘I was about to run out, but I had a customer and in truth, I was scared. You never can tell with these people. They might have had weapons. I’m ashamed to say I got out my phone to call the police instead. But then I saw Jack come from across the road with Simon. They were heading back from tennis when they saw what was going on. It was amazing – they were onto those thugs in seconds. Jack pinned one of them to the floor. He didn’t shout, but I could see that he was saying something to him. Then I saw the other one hand back Mr Morgan’s wallet. I couldn’t believe it – then they legged it.

‘The poor man was shaking and they led him back into the shop to recover. The police arrived and Jack gave a statement. I hope it led to those idiots being caught. He’s a brave man, your brother. And he has a calm way about him. His voice makes you stop and listen.’

‘Jack? Jack and his friend helped Mr Morgan get his wallet back?’

I still couldn’t process what Sutty was saying. It felt as if I was listening to a story about a stranger.

‘Absolutely. I asked him what he’d said to the attackers to make them give back the wallet, but he wouldn’t tell me. But you must know this whole story already?’

‘No. He never told me,’ I mumbled. I’d been certain that Jack told me everything, and included me in all of his secrets and plans, but it seemed this wasn’t true. I wondered if he’d told Mum and Dad, but I doubted it. It was the sort of thing that Dad would have had a strong opinion about. Either he would have been incredibly proud or mad at Jack for taking the law into his own hands.

Without me even having to ask, Sutty had answered my first and second question, so the only thing left was to lead him to the final one. I wasn’t sure how to drop it subtly into conversation as I’d intended, so I decided to come straight out with it.

‘Do you know anything about a pendant that Jack used to wear?’ I asked Sutty.

‘A pendant?’ he asked, not understanding.

‘Like a necklace.’

He shook his head. ‘I didn’t realise he wore a necklace. Why do you ask?’

I looked into Sutty’s deep brown eyes, and I could see that everything he’d told me was the truth. I also knew that he wasn’t the one the key was meant for. But maybe he could be trusted to help?

‘He left a pendant with a key on it meant for somebody with the initials S.F. and I’m trying to find them.’

‘S.F? Wow. That’s why you wanted to speak to me, eh?’

‘You’re the only person I’ve found with those initials, other than Simon.’

‘Ah yes, Simon. Well they were – are – great friends, so you should speak to him. He is very likely the person it is meant for, no? Unless it could be Manfy?’

‘Manfy?’ I asked, not