Hong Kong

by Luke Richardson

  Chapter 9

  Leo enjoyed the drive to Yatton, the village in North Somerset where his sister Emma lived with her husband and three-year-old son. Although diligently learning to drive as a teenager, Leo had never owned a car. Having spent most of his life in the city, he felt there was never the need. He had, however, rented one for the weekend so he, and now Allissa, could make the three-hour journey in comfort.

  The previous night, at the rental place, Leo had been faced with the choice of a small Toyota, or for an extra £25 a BMW 1 Series. Now, powering past two lorries, feeling the grumble of the engine, he didn’t regret his decision.

  Along the banks of the motorway, signs of spring pushed themselves skyward. Green shoots flowered into blue, yellow and white with the warmer weather. The harsh blue of the late morning sky was cloudless behind skeletal trees.

  Emma, Andy and Frankie had moved into their new house around the same time Leo and Allissa had returned from Kathmandu. Although Leo had seen them at his parents in Bath, he’d not made it to their new place yet, much to his sister’s disapproval. It seemed that now Emma had four-bedrooms, she felt the obligation to fill them as frequently as possible. In reality, it was not a prospect Leo savoured. Firstly, it was a long journey. Secondly, Frankie loved to fill the house with the noise of shouting and crashing furniture. And finally, despite trying on multiple occasions, Leo really didn’t find Emma’s husband Andy good company at all. In fact, he found the man simply infuriating.

  With the thought, Leo felt frustration prickle across his skin and a growing desire to turn around and go home. He took a deep breath. On the passenger seat next to him, Allissa slept. Snatching a glance at her as he pulled into the inside lane, Leo felt his anger subside and a smile begin to form. No, he would go to see his sister. He would do the good big brother thing and, if needed, he would stand up to Andy.

  Chapter 10

  Jamie’s drive home passes in a blur. The city streaks in neon scars against the rain-flecked windows.

  He shouldn’t go, he’d be mad to, right? He should stay away from her.

  But what if she says that?

  What if she says that he forced himself upon her? Or worse that she said no and that he had been too drunk to listen?

  As he slows to a wash of red taillights ahead, Jamie knows he would never do that. Even the thought of it shocks him. He hadn’t with Isobel. She’d been consenting alright. She’d wanted it as much as he had, he was sure of it. The way she’d kissed him, the things she’d done.

  But the allegation itself could ruin him, there’s no way the company in Hong Kong would still want him with this hanging over him. He needs to resolve it.

  As the traffic pulls away, inching its way out of the city, Jamie slides the window down. The night’s heavy, threatening and morose. Jamie knows everything hangs in the balance. He must solve it. He has to. Outside, through the open window, he feels anticipation in the air. Something’s going to happen. Taking a deep breath of it, Jamie makes a decision.

  Chapter 11

  Allissa woke as the car slowed. Through the window the scene had changed. When she’d closed her eyes the banks of the motorway were speeding past, now they were crawling into a modern housing estate. Gleaming houses seemed to spring from both sides of the road, each slightly different and set at varying angles. The lawns of the houses reached down to the roadside, some already littered with pesky wildflowers. A light aeroplane skipped through the sky; the drone of its motor inaudible through the window. Allissa Yawned.

  “Hey, she’s awake, thanks for the company,” Leo said. “Had a really nice chat.”

  “Are we there?” Allissa squinted towards him.

  “Yeah, I think. I hope so. It’s number fifteen.”

  Allissa nestled back into her hoody and stretched. It was warm inside the car, but through the glass the world looked cold. While travelling she hadn’t missed the British winters. During the two years she had been away she’d always managed to find herself a warm country for the winter months. Allissa liked the warmth, she felt good in it. She could wear bright clothes and didn’t have to worry about cumbersome coats or scarves. Even with mosquitoes and cockroaches, Allissa knew she’d take a hot climate any day. She was half-African after all.

  “That’s it,” Leo said, pulling the car to the curb outside number fifteen.

  Allissa didn’t reply but shivered in anticipation of him opening the door.

  “Thank you for coming,” Leo said. “I think you’ll find it… enlightening.”

  “I’m considering it an investigation, like Louis Theroux, undercover.”

  “Good idea,” Leo cut the engine and sounded the horn. “Here we go.”

  “It’ll be fine.”

  “It’ll be fine for you,” Leo opened the door. “They’re my family, you’re just here for the food.”

  They really can’t be that bad, Allissa thought, shivering with the invasion of cold.

  “So good to see you,” Emma squealed from the open door as Allissa followed Leo towards the house. “Welcome, oh this is so nice.”

  As Emma squeezed Leo into a hug, Allissa couldn’t help but notice how different they looked. Emma was dainty and feminine with long blonde hair and pale skin. She was glamourous and well-kept. Leo looked scruffy by comparison with his messy hair and baggy clothes. But then Allissa knew she didn’t look like her brother and sister either.

  “Oh, you’ve brought someone with you,” Emma said.

  “Yeah sorry, I should have said. We only decided late last night.”

  Leo made the introductions.

  “Men, hey,” Emma said, hugging Allissa and punching Leo playfully on the arm, “they’re rubbish at these sorts of things.”

  “Tell me about it,” Allissa replied.

  “Well let’s show you the place,” Emma said turning and leading them inside.

  To Allissa, used to Leo’s flat and before that moving frequently from place to place, the house looked unused. It certainly didn’t look like the residence of a two-year-old. Following Emma into the large kitchen, gleaming in tile and chrome, Emma introduced Andy.

  “Alright pal, how are you?” Andy said, finishing his bottle of beer and shaking Leo’s hand.

  “Yeah, alright.”

  Noticing Allissa, Andy’s small eyes narrowed and he pulled Leo in close. Allissa didn’t hear what he said but saw Leo shake his head in tense irritation as he pulled away.

  Watching the pair, Allissa noticed there were two empty beer bottles on the counter already.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Emma asked.

  “Sure,” Allissa said automatically. “I’ll have a beer.”

  “Get me one an’ all,” Andy said, “and Leo too.”

  As Emma opened the fridge, a sibilant female voice came from the hallway.

  “Where’s this brother of yours then?”

  Leo turned in confusion and caught Allissa’s eye.

  “I’ve been looking forward to meeting him all morning.”

  Chapter 12

  At ten past nine, Jamie pulls up outside Isobel’s apartment block. They’re the sort of modern apartments that are thrown together on landfill sites and sold for a fortune. Outside, a row of Audis and BMWs glimmer beneath the orange sky of the city.

  Sitting in the car, Jamie looks up at the outline of the building.

  This is a crazy idea. He should be anywhere but here.

  Twice he changes his mind. Once he even starts the car.

  He’s got to go in. This can’t happen. He’ll go in, reason with her, apologise and then leave. Then he’s done everything he can.

  At the first sign of her getting crazy, I’m out of there.

  At least if she makes allegations now, he can say he’s tried everything.

  I’ll be in Hong Kong soon, Jamie mutters to himself, getting out of the car, the cold stinging his face. This will just be a bad memory.

  “Come up, third floor, flat 319,” says the voice of nightma
res on the intercom, followed by the buzz of the door.

  The corridor is stark against the grim darkness outside. The sort of bright light which makes you feel dirty, as though it’s exposing your secrets. Jamie passes the lift. He doesn’t want to have to wait for it and if he needs to leave in a hurry he needs to know where the stairs are.

  This is such a bad idea.

  Go in, reason with her, and leave.

  Each landing is the same. Behind each door someone’s Friday night plays out. There’s the faint sound of music and laughter as someone in a flat nearby prepares for a celebration.

  Flat 319 is quiet.

  Jamie knocks. Waits. If he thinks about it now, he’ll turn, leave and won’t come back.

  Maybe that would be for the best.

  The lock clicks as it disengages. The door opens. Isobel.

  Jamie doesn’t know what he was expecting, but this wasn’t it.

  The woman who opens the door hardly looks like Isobel at all – but it is her. All the meanness is gone. She looks scared, timid, meek. Her red hair, usually so close to perfect, is down and messed up at one side. Her green eyes are shot with red and framed with a blotchy, pale complexion. She’s wearing a white and pink dressing gown – the sort Jamie has seen on the back of many girls’ bedroom doors. Isobel’s is faded, even in the half-light.

  Where’s the vicious tongue, dirty looks and shocking, perfect hair?

  Isobel looks up at him and moves aside, allowing him in. He hesitates for a second. This is his last chance to go back.

  Down the corridor a neighbour leaves their flat. The door behind them bangs as they head for the lift. Looking back, the notice Jamie at Isobel’s door. It’s a look that lingers. Remembering the details.

  It’ll be those details that seal Jamie’s sentence.

  Isobel beckons him in. The door closes behind him.

  Inside the apartment’s a mess. Burglars would take more care than she has.

  Clothes and shoes adorn the floor through the hall. The kitchen counters are covered with dirty plates and packets of food. Jamie looks into a bedroom on the right as he passes; the bed is swamped in clothes. The whole place is dark.

  The destruction continues in the lounge. Stepping in, Jamie stands in the centre looking around. Clothes, towels and bedding are piled against the walls. Light seeps from a lamp buried in one corner. There’s almost no furniture. He turns, expecting Isobel to be there. She followed him through the flat, he was sure of it.

  She’s not. He’s alone. The room’s empty.

  Downstairs a sound system starts up. The music is inaudible, but its rumble passes through the thin floors. Jamie thinks about that person’s flat. They’ve probably got new sofas, matching furniture, fashionable lighting – all on finance, like the cars outside.

  There’s a noise from the bedroom across the hall.

  “It’s so nice you’ve come to see me,” comes a voice from the hallway. It’s liquid, docile. Isobel.

  Jamie sees her appear from the shadows.

  “We’ve got so much to catch up on, so much to do.”

  She’s silhouetted against the warm light of the hallway. Naked.

  Chapter 13

  “This is, urrm, a friend of ours, Chloe,” Emma said as the girl appeared at the door of the kitchen. “Chloe, that’s Leo, and this is his friend, Allissa.”

  “Oh, it’s good to meet you,” Chloe said, not attempting to hide her surprise. Chloe’s make up was gratuitously applied and she had squeezed into a dress that seemed far too small.

  Chloe looked expectantly from Leo to Allissa to Emma and back again.

  “It’s a lovely house you have,” Allissa said, breaking the silence.

  “Thank you,” said Emma. “We’re pleased with it. Just been in a few months, it’s starting to feel like home now.”

  “Where do you live, Chloe?” Allissa asked, taking a sip of the beer.

  “In the next village,” Chloe said, before turning to Emma. “Shall we have a glass of prosecco?”

  “Being a mum is amazing,” Emma said two hours later. They’d moved with their drinks to the large front room. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so proud of anything…” she continued, meticulously cleaning Frankie’s orange shit from her hands with a wet wipe for the fourth time since he’d woken up.

  “He’s got the shits,” Andy said, as though no one would have noticed. “Been a nightmare, had it a week.”

  “Just something he picked up at one of the classes last week,” Emma said. “They get everything at this age.”

  “That’s why he shouldn’t be going to nursery,” Andy said. “Full of grubby kids. Keep him here, I say.”

  “I, well…” Emma said, her smile unfaltering.

  “Do you have any children, Chloe?” Allissa asked.

  “No, I’m afraid not. Can’t wait though. They’re so cute.”

  Allissa watched Frankie pull a handful of earth from a potted plant. Then while his mum was still preoccupied cleaning herself up, he smeared it across the glass of the patio doors.

  “Yeah, he’s a top boy. Gunna be just like his dad!” Andy indicated from his slumped position in the armchair. Next to him a table was quickly filling with empty bottles. Draining his current one, he added it to the empties.

  “They’re not as much work as you think,” Andy said, getting up and crossing the room to where Frankie was banging the window. “I don’t really know what all the fuss is about.”

  Picking up the three-year-old, Andy threw him to the ceiling, filling the room with shrieks and laughs.

  “Oh my God,” Andy said, after the third throw, holding the little boy out in front of him. “Emma, he still fucking stinks. You need to clean him properly.”

  Allissa watched as Leo sat up a little straighter. He seemed a step away from throwing Andy to the ceiling himself.

  “Who wants another beer?” Andy said, looking towards the kitchen door as he crossed the room back to his chair. “You never could keep up, could you Leo?” Andy nodded towards the half-full bottle in Leo’s hands.

  Chloe giggled nervously and sunk the rest of the prosecco in her glass.

  “Yeah, I’ll have one,” Allissa said, standing and finishing the half-bottle she had left. “I could drink this weak stuff all day.”

  Chapter 14

  “Finally, we’ll get to spend the whole evening together. There’s so much I want to do,” Isobel says. Jamie tries not to notice the impossible slenderness of her waist and arms, the curve of her hips, the bulge of her breasts. She’s approaching in the darkness. Looking so sweet in the half-light.

  Jamie’s words come slowly. “No, wait, we’re, I’m…”

  A beautiful woman walking towards him would usually be something good, something he’d strive to engineer. But he knows this won’t end well.

  “Stop, Isobel. I came… I came here just to talk to you.” His words seem aggressive against her tender skin.

  “We can talk if you like, baby,” her reply is soft and warm. Soft as the light in the room and warm like her skin had been in his hands. “We can do whatever you like.”

  She’s still moving towards him, her hips rolling with each step.

  Jamie tries to stay focused. He knows this shouldn’t happen. It mustn’t happen. It can’t happen.

  “You just tell me what you want me to do.” Liquid words. Each syllable tasting the air with a forked tongue. She’s in front of him now. If Jamie were to reach out, he would touch her delicate, naked skin. He knows what that feels like. He sees it in his mind. It would be so easy, right now, and it would feel so good.

  He can’t.

  “No, Isobel,” he says, gentler than he intends to. Almost with a laugh. “We are not doing this again.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. Undo this,” she says, pulling at his belt. Her body presses into his.

  “Seriously, Isobel, no,” Jamie says, using all the strength he thinks he has. The words sound weak – far too w
eak. Almost a joke. He feels her body pressing against him. Her hands explore.

  Again, Jamie says no, but keeps his hands by his side. He remembers how good she feels.

  She kisses his chest and starts to move downwards.

  Jamie looks for something to distract him, to pull him from her curse. All he can see is the twist of her body as it intertwines with his. The feel of her soft breath on his skin.

  Go. Get out. Now.

  Jamie steps backwards. Isobel looks up.

  He’s moments from something he already knows he’ll regret.

  “What the fuck do you think you are doing? Get back here now,” Isobel says. The soft voice has gone. Her tongue’s barbed and bitter.

  “No, Isobel, I’m leaving.”

  “You are not. We are spending the night together. You promised.” The word ‘promised’ is shouted – it reverberates around the room.

  As Jamie moves, Isobel blocks the door. One arm on each side.

  “You need to move out of my way,” Jamie says. Isobel doesn’t reply. She looks up at him, twisting her face into a snarl and moving her neck to the side. Her eyes glimmer like a threat.

  Jamie doesn’t see her hand move until he feels a slash across his face. It stings like a whip. Isobel steadies herself for a second attack, nails outstretched to dig into his skin. This time she begins to scream, and the nails fly forwards and back.

  Not feeling the lacerations, Jamie pushes past her. He’s bigger and the force catches her off balance. Isobel stumbles backwards into the bedroom across the hall.

  Jamie doesn’t wait. He runs for the door. He’s getting out. Getting home. Behind him the screams continue. Blood thumps from his ears to the strike across his cheek.

  Out in the hallway. Down the stairs, two at a time.

  Leaving the building he passes a neighbour coming back to their flat. Their eyes pause for a moment on his face. He touches his cheek. When he pulls his fingers away there’s a streak of red across them.