He took out his shades and started the car. He hit the CD player and started to drive along the straight, almost empty road. Thoughts of snatching a glimpse of Danny the next day kept him going; that and the rage he still felt about the past. After about half an hour he noticed a strange rattling noise in the engine. A moment later the car became enveloped in a shroud of steam and a matter of seconds later he came to a standstill. Before stopping he managed to steer the vehicle off the road and onto the dusty ground.

‘For fuck’s sake,’ he shouted, as he got out of the car, banging the door shut. ‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuckin’ piece of shit.’ The Beemer had never had a fault in four years.

If he didn’t get the car started and get on his way he wouldn’t make it to Albuquerque on time to see Danny on his birthday. He scanned the highway, but there were no other vehicles in sight. He took out his cell. There was no reception.

He walked over to the front of the car and opened the hood, burning his fingers as he did so. Steam continued to spew forth from the engine like a little hell.

Then, in the distance, he thought he could see a car on the horizon, speeding towards him. He squinted. Yes, he was sure of it. He would hail them down and hope they either knew how to fix a car or had a cell that worked out here.

As the car approached he stood in the middle of the road and started to wave his hands. He felt like a fool, like a character from a movie, but what else was there to do? Was the car slowing down? Yes it was, and he had to do everything in his power to remain calm, to stop himself from jumping up and down.

‘Well, I’ll be goddamned,’ he said, as the car pulled over. It contained the man he had seen in the bar, the one with the black baseball cap.

‘Can I help you with anything?’ the man said, getting out of the car and striding over.

‘Thank fuck you stopped. Looks like my piece of shit of a car has overheated. I wondered if you knew anything about how to –‘

‘Sure do,’ he said the man. ‘It’s your lucky day.’

‘Really?’

‘That’s right. I’ve got everything here in my hold to fix you up.’

‘Gee, you don’t know how grateful I am. What are you a mechanic?’

‘Used to be. One of the many things I can do.’

‘Well, aren’t I the fortunate one,’ he said, his mood lightening. He felt like he could talk to this stranger in a way he hadn’t talked to anyone in years. ‘You know, if you hadn’t come along I don’t know what I would have done. You see, I’ve got to get to Albuquerque to see my son. It’s his birthday tomorrow. He’s going to be 13.’

‘I see.’

‘I don’t get to spend much time with him. He lives with his mom, you know? But it means a lot to me. Just to see him.’

‘I’ll just get the equipment from the car. What do you say is wrong with it? Over-heating, you think?’

‘I guess so. What with all this steam and all.’

‘Okay.’

The slim, well-built man went to the back of his car. Casually, he looked left and right, checking the highway for signs of other cars. Nothing. He listened for anything in the distance. Nothing. He reached into the hold and took out a large, red toolbox. Inside was everything he needed.

‘What’s your name?’

The man in the baseball cap hesitated for a moment.

‘I said, what’s your name?’

‘Steve.’

‘Hi. I’m Charlie. Pleased to meet you.’ He held out his hand and was surprised that the stranger kept his black gloves on.

‘You don’t know much about engines then?’

‘No, not much. I used to have a Beemer, you see. Never went wrong. German efficiency, I guess.’

‘Guess so. Here, I’ll show you,’ he said, gesturing towards the engine, now mostly clear of steam. ‘It looks like a gasket has blown. You see here?’ he said, pointing towards a part of the engine. ‘It’s hidden by this other part, here. If you just bend down you might be able to see it better.’

Charlie bent his knees, feeling the girdle of fat around his middle, and leaned forwards slightly. What was he supposed to be looking at? He’d play along with Steve. If he wanted to give him a free lesson in car mechanics, then so be it. You never knew, it might even prove useful. He heard Steve unlock his tool case and bring something out.

‘So you think I might be back on the road –‘

The rock slammed into the side of his bald head, stunning him.

‘What the –?’ he shouted.

The second blow – the harder of the two – forced him to the ground in front of the car. He thought it was odd that although he couldn’t’ move – as he reached up to try and defend himself his hand lay flat by his side like a dead fish – he could take in what was happening to him. He noticed, for instance, Steve’s gloves sheathed in a black red liquid. A spray of blood had bloomed inside the engine. A mushy, sticky sound was coming from his head as Steve slammed the rock into him. He saw blood pooling beneath him.

‘You do know why I’m doing this, don’t you Charlie?’

He tried to shake his head, but the movement intensified the pain.

‘I always ask the same question, and never get the replies I think I deserve. It’s amazing how unaware all of you are. In your case, Charlie, I would have given you a bit more credit. After all, you’re not the typical welfare criminal, are you? In fact, once upon a time, before all that messy business with Sharon, you had quite a nice lifestyle going on, didn’t you.’

If Charlie felt any surprise he was unable to show it; one of his eyes had already swollen shut, the other remained immobile and unseeing.

‘It’s a shame about Danny, but personally I think it’s for the best. I wouldn’t want any son of mine growing up with a man like you. I know you said that it was provocation, that you did everything in your power to control your violent urges. But you nearly killed her, didn’t you? You slammed her head so hard against the wooden table in the kitchen that it collapsed, remember? And it seems you would have carried on if Danny hadn’t have started to cry.’

‘How do I know all of this? Let’s just say I make it my business to find out these kind of things. Yes, I realised you served your time in prison. But that was just punishment by man, not a just punishment by the Lord. You must have heard of the phrase, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’. Well, that’s what is going on here. There’s one exception, of course. Sharon survived your vicious attack. You, I’m afraid, will not.’