Friends Who Lie

by Paul J. Teague

  It was not so busy though that she didn’t do a double-take as she walked across the road from one of the many, large Chinese Bazaar stores that lined the resort’s streets. It was difficult to tell, because whoever it was wore a cap and sunglasses. But it was the broad, muscular shoulders that she recognised, rather than the face. If she wasn’t mistaken it was Wes. And he seemed to be out early spending his first wages from Erin’s Bar. By the look of it, his bags were filled with all sorts of new purchases.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Benidorm: June

  ‘I’m so embarrassed about the whole episode, I just want the ground to swallow me up.’

  Kasey squeezed Caitlen’s arm, Harriet felt compelled to come in and give her a hug.

  ‘I’m so grateful to you, Gina, for sorting everything out. You’ve been such a gem out here, a true friend. That interpreter fellow was great. I hadn’t got a clue what he was saying, but they released me fast enough.’

  ‘Will there be any repercussions?’ Kasey asked.

  ‘What, other than being on Benidorm’s Most Wanted list?’ Gina laughed. ‘No, she’s safe, the owner was ecstatic that we’d gone out of our way to pay him for the damage and said that we’re welcome back any time. Can you believe it? The Incredible Hulk here wrecks the joint and they invite us back!’

  There were laughs all round and even Caitlen was shaken out of her gloom by Gina’s reference.

  ‘I was a bit of a cow, I can’t believe I kicked off like that.’

  ‘Well, I think we need to concern ourselves with finding your bitcoin device,’ Gina said, changing the subject to more pressing matters. ‘Have you any idea where you might have dropped it?’

  ‘I had a good think about it during my long incarceration,’ Caitlen smiled, her sense of fun returning now she was back among friends. ‘I thought I had it in your apartment Gina, I have to have lost it there, I’m as sure as I can be that it wasn’t lost in the street.’

  ‘Well, I did ask while I was waiting for you to get released. Nobody had handed it in to the police station, I’m not even sure they’d know what it was if they did find it.’

  ‘It has to be in your apartment, Gina. Is it possible somebody could have sneaked in this morning? The door was ajar for – what – five, ten minutes or so?’

  ‘Well, I didn’t see anything,’ Harriet said. ‘I crashed out last night after all the fuss. Emmy was asleep too. It was only Kasey knocking on the door that woke us.’

  ‘Wes was out early,’ Kasey interrupted, thinking through the events of the morning. ‘I didn’t hear him go out, but I heard him come back in. He went straight to the shower. He’d been for an early morning run on the beach, I think. I guess you have to do something to stay in good shape like that.’

  ‘No, it wouldn’t have been Wes, the door was only slightly ajar, he wouldn’t have even been able to see it from your end of the hallway. I wonder if it was a cleaner or something like that?’

  Caitlen was baffled by the incident. She kept running through that morning’s events. They’d woken, had the text exchange with Kasey, taken turns to shower and gone out for breakfast. She hadn’t been thinking about the contents of her bra when she placed her clothes on the sofa, waiting for her turn to freshen up. It seemed improbable that anybody could have sneaked in in that time.

  ‘Let’s check your apartment and the bins and everywhere else one more time,’ Caitlen said.

  ‘Is it still safe to go out in the hallway?’ Gina asked Kasey.

  ‘Yes, you’re fine. Emmy and Terry went off together ... sorry Caitlen ...’

  ‘It’s alright, Kasey, Terry is the least of my problems right now. I’m quite grateful for my short spell with the local police. It gave me some time to clear my head. I’ll try to make it as painless as possible for everybody tonight. But I think we all know it’s over for me and Terry. And truth be told, I’m relieved.’

  ‘Well, good, I’m pleased you’re okay,’ Kasey said. ‘I asked Wes to get lost for the day. He seemed pleased to do so, he wanted to check out some more bars and see about some work. I thought it was better if he made himself scarce, bearing in mind what happened with Becky. There are bound to be a lot of mixed-up emotions today.’

  ‘Matt’s over in my apartment now,’ Harriet interjected. ‘He has a sore head and he looks like he’s been beaten up badly. Well he has, I suppose. He’s very embarrassed and humiliated by last night, but he’ll survive ...’

  ‘I know that feeling,’ Caitlen quipped.

  ‘He and I have some serious talking to do. In fairness to Becky, we need to clear the air with her too. It’s just a horrible situation.’

  ‘How about Naomi?’ Caitlen asked, recalling the terrible words they’d exchanged.

  ‘Rhett was badly hungover this morning. In fact, they were the last to leave the apartments. They headed out for breakfast and to spend the day sleeping it off on the beach.’

  ‘So who does that leave? Becky and Porter?’ Caitlen ran through a checklist in her head. ‘I’d forgotten all about poor Porter. Talk about the holiday from hell. Not only does he catch on fire, his wife leaves him too. I’ll look forward to reading his TripAdvisor review.’

  ‘Talk about The Odd Couple,’ Kasey said, laughing. ‘They kind of figured out there was nobody left, so they went off on their own. Porter didn’t seem to have much trouble walking, but he did make a bit of a meal of it at first. Becky was being remarkably patient with him. They went off shopping, I think.’

  ‘How is Becky?’ Harriet asked, her cheeks colouring.

  ‘She seems more annoyed with Wes than she does with Matt. I don’t know what happened between those two last night, but she seems mighty pissed off with him. I barely spoke with Wes today, he was showered and out like a shot. Maybe those big muscles conceal a tiny manhood.’

  There was laughter all round. Porter and Becky were certainly an unlikely couple, but at least they’d got company for the day.

  ‘So we’re safe to come and go now until people start to gather for the meal?’ Caitlen asked. ‘Only I don’t want us to run into Terry and Emmy by chance. I know we’ve got to thrash it all out, but I think we both need to be prepared for it first.’

  ‘No, Naomi, Becky, Terry and Wes are on a warning. They’ve got strict instructions to text me before they enter the building. I don’t want anybody having any more fights like we had last night. And we’re all going to hammer this out before we go out tonight, so we can make-up, have a great night out and go and get pissed. And anybody who won’t behave, isn’t invited. Sound fair enough?’

  ‘Thanks for doing this, Kasey,’ Caitlen said, kissing him on the cheek. ‘You know, I just wanted us all to have a lovely time together. It wasn’t too much to ask, was it?’

  ‘You and I need to speak to Terry,’ Harriet said to Kasey. ‘You know what about.’

  ‘What is it about?’ Caitlen asked. ‘Don’t tell me Terry is having an affair with Kasey too?’

  ‘No, nothing like that, don’t worry,’ Kasey replied, giving Harriet a stern look. ‘It’s nothing, Cait, honestly. Just a bit of outstanding business that Terry and I have to sort out. Nothing that you need to worry about, it doesn’t affect you at all.’

  ‘Okay,’ Caitlen replied, not at all reassured. If Terry was so adept at hiding his affair with Emmy right under her nose, she wondered what else he’d been up to.

  ‘So, a final search of my apartment, a look in your apartment while Terry is out, and then the last couple of hours in the sun before we all start gathering for the showdown?’

  ‘Don’t call it a showdown Gina, please!’ Kasey urged. ‘I prefer to think of it as a reconciliation. Please God, don’t let it all kick off again. Right, you lot buzz off, I’m going to get a table booked for this evening. Seven o’clock alright? Or later?’

  ‘Seven is fine,’ Caitlen confirmed, looking to Harriet and Gina for approval.

  The three women spent the next half hour searching high and low for Caitlen’s USB devic
e. They had no luck, in either of the apartments.

  ‘It’ll turn up,’ Gina reassured her, and besides, even if somebody has picked it up, they can’t do anything without the passwords. At least you had the good sense to hide that from prying eyes.’

  ‘Do you know what, I just want to forget about it for a couple of hours, Gina. I hope you girls have both been waxing regularly, because I fancy a nice sit out in the sun until it’s showdown time. Sorry, reconciliation time. I just want to forget everything and sit out in the sun for the rest of the afternoon. Are you coming or not?’

  ‘I’m not sure about the waxing bit, but I’m on!’ Harriet replied, glad of the escape. ‘I’ll check in on the wounded hero next door and get changed. Meet you by the pool?’

  Gina walked across the hall to her own apartment to get changed and Caitlen pulled her own door shut behind her, so that she could do the same. Thankfully, Kasey had thought to take the key cards from everybody as they left their apartments for the day.

  Seeing Terry’s clothes spread out on the bed already made it feel like he was a million miles away. In her head, they’d been separated for some time. It all seemed so easy now, he’d actually done her a big favour. This removed all the drama. She could make a clean break and move on. If only she could get her hands on that missing device, she could kick herself for being so careless.

  There was a tap at the door, it was Gina in her bikini and Harriet in a one-piece. Being the older woman in the group, Caitlen had opted for the more modest one-piece with sarong. She had no intention of taking on her companions in a swimsuit contest.

  As it turned out, she had nothing to be afraid of. There were all types of sizes and shapes gathered around the poolside, it did Caitlen’s ego the world of good. They managed to lay their hands on three sun-beds and before long, they were frying in the afternoon sun, protected only by the wisdom of Gina, who’d thought to bring along some sunscreen.

  The chatter had long since died down and the three women were enjoying the semi-comatose state that only fierce sunshine can create. Gina was staring idly into the distance, watching the world go by and not taking notice of anything in particular as she did so.

  All of a sudden she shot up on her sunbed, like she’d been stung by a wasp.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Caitlen, suddenly alert.

  Harriet opened her eyes, but was happy to lie still and await an explanation.

  ‘Look who’s back already,’ Gina continued, turning to Caitlen. ‘It’s only Wesley, no doubt up to his old tricks. Look at all those bags, the boy’s been out shopping.’

  Caitlen looked ahead and checked him out. He was wearing a sun cap and shades.

  ‘He’s had a busy day, I saw him out this morning while I was walking up the hill to bail you out of Spanish prison.’

  ‘Cow!’ said Caitlen, giving Gina a pretend snarl.

  ‘Looks like he’s been to the airport too. He wasn’t carrying that shopping bag when I saw him this morning!’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Porter and Becky: June

  ‘How’s that leg of yours, Porter? I’m not walking too fast, am I?’

  ‘It’s better than it should be to be honest with you. It looks sore as hell, but with the bandages and the cream on it, it’s not so bad. It’s when I have to change the dressing that it’s most painful. Besides, I have a supply of painkillers, so I’m feeling great.’

  ‘I can’t believe Kasey chasing us away like that,’ Becky said as she offered Porter her arm, concerned that a set of steps might cause him some difficulty. He didn’t need the help, but thanked her anyway.

  ‘I guess it’s for the best,’ Porter replied. ‘I’m not sure that I’m ready to face Emmy yet. I mean, our marriage has been dead for some time. There’s no hate there just – well – I think we both lost interest a long time ago. What is it they always say in the agony columns? We’ve grown apart. Well, that’s us if I’m honest. We’ve just been going through the motions. I’m beginning to understand why I’ve been feeling the way I have now.’

  ‘Oh yes, how’s that?’

  Becky was intrigued. She’d never really spent any time alone with Porter. He was part of the group so she would engage with him in a general way. But she couldn’t recall a time when they’d been alone together like this. She’d been a bit pissed off with Kasey because she’d rather have been with someone like Naomi or Caitlen. She felt like she’d got to pick last in a PE lesson and Porter was all that was left to join her team. Now they were chatting for the first time, it was flowing easier than she might have hoped for.

  ‘So, what are we going to do today?’

  Porter changed the subject, he wasn’t ready to share just yet. He was inching closer towards that personal precipice. It exhilarated and frightened him. He feared that he might truly be a monster inside.

  ‘How about we find somewhere to sit down and admire the view? Maybe we can try some shopping later, if your leg is up to it.’

  They headed towards the beachfront and walked from bar to bar, examining the menus and seeing how British they could get with their selections.

  ‘Are you smoking still?’ Becky asked. ‘Do we need to find somewhere outside? They seem more relaxed about things out here.’

  ‘Vaping, you mean?’ Porter asked. The distinction was important to him. It allowed him one more small deception with himself. He wasn’t a smoker, he was a vaper. Neither was he a killer – he was a victim of an unfortunate accident. Dr Barbara Lawrence had told him as much.

  ‘I won’t be vaping any more. I think that little incident was God’s way of telling me to quit, don’t you? Besides, Emmy always said that I looked like a complete wanker with that thing in my mouth. Said it looked like I was giving R2D2 a blow job the way I sucked away on it. I’m beginning to wonder if she had a point.’

  Becky ventured a giggle, but stifled it as quickly as it had started. She wasn’t sure if Porter was the kind of guy who liked to laugh at himself. She thought probably not. So she took his comment as a direct Emmy quotation rather than a serious attempt at self-knowledge or humour. She recognised Porter’s self-absorption, she couldn’t understand why she’d never noticed it before. They were very much alike. They lived in their heads, not in the moment. And it was what was going on in their heads that told the true story, not what was coming out of their mouths.

  They finally settled on a bar and ordered a couple of bacon rolls and a pot of tea between them.

  ‘We’re so English when we’re abroad, aren’t we? Look at us, tea and a bacon roll, it’s so predictable.’

  ‘What is it they say? When in Rome do as the Romans do. I say nonsense to that. When in Spain do as the English do ... just not in the pissing rain!’

  ‘I’ll second that,’ said Becky laughing. Porter was funny in a totally ironic way. If he ever got the joke, he had the potential to be quite a comedian. Only, Porter never got the joke.

  ‘What did you think of Wes’s behaviour last night?’ Becky asked, completely out of the blue.

  ‘What, when we all fell out?’

  ‘No, when we came back to my apartment and you came into the hallway to see who it was. Before all the others arrived and it all kicked off. When it was just us three.’

  ‘He seemed fine. I noticed that he was very touchy-feely with you, but I figured you’re a grown woman.’

  ‘Did you think he was drunk at all? Or maybe even a bit high?’

  ‘No, not particularly. Why?’

  Porter looked at her closely, trying to figure out where she was heading. He thought back to what had happened. After returning from the hospital, Kasey had abandoned him for a night in the Old Town. He was feeling sorry for himself when he heard a loud crash in the hallway beyond the apartment. At first he’d thought it was a break-in, so he stepped outside to see what was going on.

  Becky was there, with Wes. Her apartment was directly opposite the one that Porter and Emmy had been using. Wes had dropped his guitar case onto the marble
floor, that’s what had created the noise. As Porter stepped out of his door, he ran straight into Wes, who was kneeling down on the floor picking up a pile of key cards which had evidently just dropped out of the case.

  ‘Oh, hi, are you alright there?’

  Porter had bent down instinctively to help Wes. He’d snapped at him, then immediately softened his tone.

  ‘It’s alright I can do it! Sorry, thanks Porter, sorry I disturbed you.’

  ‘What are these?’ Porter asked. They looked just like the key card he was using to access his own apartment.

  ‘Oh ... err ... just some spares I got from reception. We’ve not really had enough to go around so I thought I’d ... err ... surprise Caitlen and get some extras.’

  They’d invited Porter in for coffee – or to be more precise, Becky had invited Porter over for coffee. She was concerned about Porter being on his own all night while everybody else was out on the town. It had been immediately obvious to Porter that Wes wanted him out of the apartment. He was usually a bit slow to pick up on the social signals, but it was clear to Porter that Wes wanted him to piss off. The sooner, the better.

  Eventually he’d made his excuses, but not before asking Becky if everything was alright. She’d been fine – concerned about his leg, but clearly not worried about Wes’s presence.

  ‘He did something a bit weird last night. Nobody’s ever done anything like that before, it was a bit of a shock.’

  Porter looked at her.

  ‘You mean weirder than being a key card kleptomaniac?’

  Again Becky noticed the humour. He didn’t even know he was doing it.

  ‘No, but that was a bit odd, I agree. Fancy hanging onto all those key cards and not handing them out. Very odd.’

  She took another bite of her bacon roll and chewed it slowly, considering whether to share her experience with Porter.