Two for Joy

by Louise Collins

  He remembered what Will had told him in prison. Sixteen-century John Nevison who faked being dead to escape. He’d done the same, but unlike John Nevison, Romeo wasn’t going to be caught a second time, not unless Chad wanted him to be.

  Chapter Twenty

  Whether the police believed it or not, his suicide still made it to the papers. Romeo found one discarded in a bin three days later.

  Romeo didn’t puff up with pride like when his countdown had been recorded, he sagged with a slow sigh. Holly’s featured article supported the whole “I finished what I set out to do, and now I’m uncatchable” theory.

  Even if the police believed it had all been a ruse to escape, they’d assume he’d run away. Disappeared into the shadows and fog like a Hollywood monster.

  He wasn’t lurking in the shadows, but he might well have been.

  Three days after he’d seen Chad. Three days after his ‘suicide’.

  He’d been the farmer. The Suited Businessman. And the Homeless Guy. All disguises he’d donned to help the monster.

  The farmer stood out with his rural clothing, muddy boots, and flat cap.

  The suited man stood out with his tailored clothes, his stylish taste, and good looks.

  But the homeless guy faded into the background. He always had, and always would.

  Brown loose pants he’d found in someone’s trash. A well-worn jacket he stole from someone’s shed. Gloves he found in a skip that looked like they’d been chewed by rats. His face was dirty, his stubble wild, and his hair clumped with grease.

  He didn’t have to avoid people, he could walk right up to them, they avoided him. Hurried across the street to get away, didn’t make eye contact, and pretended he was invisible. The ones that didn’t, threw money into his pot to spare their own guilt.

  Romeo, the countdown killer, was right there, but no one suspected a thing.

  ****

  Another dream.

  He didn’t kill the magpie.

  He let it go.

  The magpie was rejected by its own kind, looked on with fear and suspicion.

  It flew.

  But was caught by Marc Wilson.

  Marc Wilson who broke its wings with a sadistic smile on his face. Marc Wilson who asked Romeo to join him, to pull the magpie apart together.

  He turned to Romeo, grinning with glee, triumphant in his brutality. Romeo felt weak, defeated, helpless, he couldn’t get to Chad in time, he couldn’t save him.

  The nausea in his stomach changed to fire, to an intense anger that fed into his veins.

  The monster tore free from Romeo’s mind, hideous, evil, hard to even look at. It sunk its fangs and claws into Marc, growled and roared as it devoured him. His life, the energy the monster craved, longed for, wished to possess spilled out of Marc into the monster.

  It was killing Marc and enjoying every second.

  Romeo stumbled towards the magpie on trembling legs and picked the broken bird off the ground.

  He had hold of it, promised to fix it again, but this time he’d never let it go.

  ****

  Romeo didn’t wake shouting or covered in sweat. He slowly opened his eyes, then looked up at the light flickering above him, literally a spotlight showing him to the world.

  Seven days since he’d seen Chad. Seven days since his apparent suicide at the jumping hotspot.

  Romeo had moved.

  Hitchhiking, and the small change from strangers had moved him across the country, back to the county of his crime.

  “You done with that?”

  He looked to his left, a man limping towards him, sleeping bag wrapped around his shoulders, gesturing to the paper on the floor next to him. The man wore gloves like Romeo, worn down clothes like him, too. He had a piece of cardboard asking for any spare change.

  Romeo opened the paper, took out the center puzzle page, then stretched out his arm to hand the rest over. “Nothing interesting, still on about Marc Wilson, and that countdown killer bloke.”

  The man huffed. “I couldn’t give a shit about either.”

  Romeo laughed, and turned away. He tugged his own sleeping bag—found in a dumpster, up to his neck. It was stained, smelled terrible, but it all added to his disguise. He’d found a new set of clothes by searching through bins, sheds, even tearing open charity bags left on people’s doorsteps. He bought food and water with the coins tossed his way, and his own cardboard sign asked for a second chance.

  Anyone looking for him would go by his mug shot. His stylish stubble, neat hair, big green eyes, and clear complexion. He looked the opposite.

  He hadn’t shaved in weeks, his hair was weighted down by sweat and grease. His skin was dirty, his face had a nasty slice through it, and although the swelling had gone down significantly, he could feel his cheek wasn’t quite right.

  Anyone who thought he was still alive, would never suspect he sat in a bus stop outside the place he’d escaped from.

  The hospital was popular with the homeless, and those he spoke to didn’t care for the news. They worried about getting through each day. Keeping warm at night, and cool in the day. Never knowing when they would eat or drink, or when someone might hurl abuse their way. That was their lives, and serial killers and detectives didn’t feature at all.

  Chad never revealed Romeo pretended to be homeless to spy on the DI after his heart attack. They had no idea he’d used the disguise before to his advantage.

  Romeo turned at the sound of a car door slamming. He recognized the car, and the people that climbed out of it. Police privileges apparently meant detectives didn’t have to park their cars in the designated zones. They turned up, mounted the curb, then flashed their ID badges if anyone asked.

  Romeo lowered his head, half hiding in his sleeping bag. They walked along the path towards him, not sparing him a glance, not even noticing he was there.

  “The footprints further up from the car. They’re proof.” Gareth said.

  The DI stopped, huffed, then spun around to face Gareth.

  “We know Romeo’s shoe size was 10.”

  They were only two meters away from Romeo, discussing him.

  “But the weight distribution, as if someone was wearing shoes that were too small. The prints sunk in deeper. They lead away from the cliff.”

  “He told Holly when he was done, he’d kill himself. We found the car he’d stolen at the edge of a cliff, the clothes we know he was wearing laid out on the seat, and a suicide note.”

  “All very clever, but bullshit.”

  “What are you saying then?”

  “He planned it. He must’ve had clothes in the car, and shoes. He made his getaway.”

  “Then went where?”

  Gareth hissed. “No idea.”

  “Exactly … look, the footprints are suspicious, but they could be anyone’s. He was counting down, he must’ve been counting down to something, there must’ve been some end in his head. It all hints at suicide. Holly supports this, and even Chad admitted in the farmhouse Romeo talked about killing himself once he got all five.”

  Romeo frowned, then resisted the urge to snort.

  Clever magpie.

  “I still think he’s alive.”

  The DI took a deep breath. “Don’t go saying that to Chad. He’s happy thinking Romeo’s dead, knowing it’s all over. That he can move on—start again.”

  “I know.”

  “You can’t go in there and mess with his head anymore, not now that animal’s influence has finally lifted.”

  Monster, Romeo inwardly thought, rolling his eyes.

  Gareth lowered his head. “I’m not going to mention it.”

  “The most important thing now is Chad getting better.”

  The DI started walking toward the hospital doors. Gareth sighed, then went after him.

  Romeo lifted his face out of his sleeping bag and stared after them. Chad was happy thinking he was dead. Romeo shook his head. It had to be a lie. His magpie was just being smart, wasn’t he? />
  Chapter Twenty-One

  It was risky, but he had to see Chad, had to know he was getting better. He spent the money tossed his way in the hospital shop, then explored the corridors, strategically mapping the place a little more each day until he found Chad.

  Chad had a small room on the first floor, but he was rarely left on his own. Gareth and Zac were his most frequent visitors, and they appeared to be taking shifts, making sure Chad wasn’t alone and no one could get to him.

  Romeo slotted money into the coffee machine, side-eyeing the door to Chad’s room. Gareth was leaning against the wall outside, tapping away on his phone, completely oblivious.

  Romeo took his cup from the machine and blew gently on the top.

  “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

  Romeo froze, it was Gareth’s voice, and projected down the corridor in his direction. He’d been caught. Gareth had seen him, but Gareth didn’t rush at him, or tackle him to the ground. His coffee didn’t go flying, splattering the wall. Nothing happened, and Romeo tentatively turned, keeping his face low, half hidden in the top of his sweatshirt. Gareth’s angry tone wasn’t directed at him, but Holly Stevenson.

  She had a box of chocolates, a bunch of flowers, and walked right by Romeo without sparing him a glance. Gareth moved in front of Chad’s door and folded his arms.

  “Can I—”

  “No, you can’t.” Gareth snapped. “Leave.”

  “I owe Chad an apology.”

  “You owe him more than that.”

  “You’re not exactly white as white are you. Hunting down one of your own like a dog.”

  Gareth flared his nostrils. “Leave.”

  Holly held up the chocolates and flowers. “Can you at least give these to him?”

  “I’ll give them to the nearest trashcan.”

  “Please.”

  Gareth snatched the chocolates from her, then read the tag. “Are you actually serious?”

  “When he’s ready he can tell me his side of the story. He can tell me what happened between him and Romeo.”

  “Chad won’t want to talk to you. No one wants to talk to you anymore.”

  “He can clear his name—”

  Gareth shook his head. “That article you wrote on Romeo, dressing him up as the victim and Chad the villain. Have you lost your mind?”

  Holly shrugged. “I’m a journalist. I seek the truth.”

  “Said no journalist ever. Romeo is dangerous…”

  “Is?”

  “Was dangerous. He got inside people’s heads. He got inside Chad’s, he got inside yours.”

  “No one is a hundred percent good, or a hundred percent bad. He was misunderstood.”

  “Chad went through hell because of that monster, but at least he woke up, came through the other side.”

  “I know him.”

  “Knew him.”

  Holly shook the flowers at Gareth. “Look are you going to let me see him, or what?”

  “No.” Gareth said. “Out.”

  Holly backed away. “Tell him—”

  “I’m not telling him shit from you.”

  “I’m going.”

  “I’m making sure of it.”

  Gareth followed her down the corridor, and they both passed Romeo, too wrapped up in their own little world to notice him.

  Holly had gifted him the perfect opportunity.

  He looked at the door that led to Chad, checked for Gareth coming back, then reasoned he could be quick, in and out of Chad’s room in less than a minute.

  When he pushed through the door shock hit him before any relief. Chad looked deathly pale, hooked up to machines, with tubes feeding into his arm. His eyes were closed, and he lay completely still. If it weren’t for the machine tapping out his heart rhythm Romeo would’ve thought he was dead.

  “What the hell had Marc been giving you?” Romeo muttered, before getting closer.

  “Chad?”

  His eyelashes fluttered at his voice, and Romeo repeated his name until his eyes opened. Hazy, confused. Chad looked at him, frowning.

  “It’s Romeo.”

  “Romeo.” He breathed, closing his eyes for a second. The machine sped up, beeping out Chad’s quickening heart rate. “Out.”

  Romeo never would’ve imagined one word would hurt so much. “Is that what you want?”

  Chad flexed his hand on the bed, the odd anxiety fueled mannerism, only slower, and weaker. “Yes… Before they find you.”

  Romeo exhaled shakily, then dared to smile. “You don’t want them to find me.”

  “No.”

  Romeo leaned closer and stared into Chad’s drugged up eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

  Chad bit his lip. “I know I shouldn’t…”

  “Tell me?”

  “I want you to wait for me.”

  Romeo took hold of his hand, stopping his fidget. “Then I’ll wait for you.”

  “You’re the only one that was on my side.”

  “We’re not on sides, we’re in the middle together. Just me and you.”

  Chad’s hand relaxed in his, and his eyes fluttered closed again. The machine slowed back to the rhythm it had been beeping at when Romeo had first walked in. He let go of Chad’s hand, not wanting to push his luck, and left the room.

  He hurried away, thinking he’d got away with it, but he heard footsteps behind him, trying to catch him.

  “Hey!”

  Romeo cursed under his breath. He ignored the shout, rushed away even faster, but the man called out again.

  “Slow down.”

  He had two options, to slow down and let the man following catch him, hope to defuse the situation, or run, drawing more attention to himself in the already edgy hospital. The door wasn’t too far ahead, five meters or so, he could go through, then run. Gareth pushed through the corridor doors, eyes on his phone. He started to lift his head, check where he was going. Romeo stopped, and whirled around to face the man coming after him.

  “I saw you earlier outside the outpatients.”

  Romeo flicked his gaze up to the man, the doctor he realized when he looked at his scrubs. He didn’t look fearful, or angry, only concerned.

  The doctor tapped his own cheek. “What happened here then?”

  Gareth walked by, pocketing his phone. He flashed a look at the doctor and Romeo, but quickly looked away again.

  “Some drunk threw a punch at me.”

  “I can have a look.”

  “Thanks, but it’s all right.”

  He went to move on, but the doctor held onto his arm, stopping him. “It must hurt.”

  “I don’t want no needles, or X-rays—

  “How about I look at you, and you have a proper bed for the night, warm food.”

  Romeo hesitated. It was tempting, awfully tempting.

  “I’ll be fine outside.”

  The doctor sighed, then reached into his pocket. “I thought you say that. Take these.”

  Romeo took the box of painkillers from him.

  “They’re only over the counter painkillers, not the good stuff I could prescribe if you actually let me look at you…”

  “Thank you.” Romeo said, lifting the box. “I really appreciate it.”

  “If the pain gets worse, or you have any problems eating, let me know.”

  “I will.”

  He nodded his head in thanks, then disappeared through the doors. Chad wanted him to wait, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

  ****

  Romeo sat outside the hospital for three weeks. He’d only been inside to see him once, not wanting to risk being caught. He gritted his teeth when he saw others freely visiting him, Kate, Zac, Gareth, The DI, a detective he didn’t recognize, even Neil made an appearance, but he was in and out faster than Romeo could blink. The friendly doctor tried to convince him to get his face looked at, but he declined, until the doctor came to him in the bus stop. He let the doctor look at him, the whole time waiting for the moment he realized w
ho he was, but it didn’t happen. He gave Romeo some stronger painkillers, and something for the swelling, and Romeo thanked him. He was tempted to ask the doctor about Chad, but bit his tongue not to. That would’ve ignited the good doctor’s suspicions.

  Then one day, when Romeo was considering breaking in through Chad’s ceiling panels to check on him, Chad stepped out of the front doors and Romeo’s heart stopped in his chest.

  Still ghostly pale, scruffy hair, and prickly jaw, but he was standing straight, no longer swaying with weakness, but looking across the road. He turned, and rather than ignoring Romeo’s presence like everyone else, Chad looked straight at him. Their eyes met, and a soft smile lifted Chad’s lips. Romeo felt the giddiness in his chest again, the odd, indescribable, immeasurable feeling he always had when Chad visited him in the prison. The one that made him laugh softly, avert his gaze, and blush, embarrassed by his strange reaction.

  Chad walked towards him, smile growing, eyes growing glassier, then he came to a sudden halt. Zac had come out of the hospital and gripped onto Chad’s arm.

  “Where the hell are you going?”

  “I needed some air.”

  Zac let go of Chad, then looked about. His gaze raked over Romeo, but he didn’t react, there was no recognition in his expression, but Chad blocked him from taking another look just in case.

  “Tell me though, yeah? I was worried.”

  “You don’t need to worry about me.”

  “Easier said than done. We’ve only just got you back … again.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m sick of the sight of you and Gareth.”

  Zac laughed, leaning against the wall. Chad followed him, making sure he was between Zac and Romeo a few meters away on the ground.

  “We’re worried about you.”

  “There’s no need. I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine, and no one expects you to be.”

  Chad didn’t say anything back.

  “I didn’t tell you, but … I went to see Romeo in prison.”

  “Yeah?”