by Mark Ayre
“I told you I believed you,” he said. “I know you didn’t kill him.”
“Yeah, but don’t you need to hear the rest? Hear what a good kisser he is? I let him undress me, and I started to undress him.”
“I know what you’re doing.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“You’re crying,” he said, looking at her, feeling the anger ebb away. Reminding himself, she was desperate and afraid. “Is it because you don’t want me to investigate?”
“I’m just telling you what happened?”
“Skip the undressing bit. Or let me guess: you were on the mezzanine and you heard something. Harris put on his trousers and half put on his shirt and went to check it out. You waited where you were and when you heard shouting and fighting you freaked out and ran, putting on any clothes you might have discarded but missing your bracelet in your haste. That about right?”
The girl that sat on the bed was broken. Her eyes were red, and the fight had faded. She stared as though she wanted to find a way to rally, to come at him again, but there was nothing left.
“Help me, Megan. Please.”
A shake of the head and James came forward. Kneeling on the bed before her he took her hands, then retook them when she jerked away.
“Megan.”
“It’s true,” she said, now squeezing his hands back. “I heard it, and I ran. I thought it was a fight. If I’d known it was more, I would have called the police. But I should have checked. If I’d have checked then—“
“Stop. Stop, you can’t do this to yourself. You had no way of knowing.”
Her hand slipped from his to wipe her eyes.
“You’re the only one who’s going to believe me.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter so long as I’m the only one looking into it besides the police. That’s why I have to try and find out who did it.”
Vigorous shaking.
“No. You have to leave this alone. I told you yesterday, the Chappell’s are dangerous. Harris was nice, and Nina seems fine but Davis and Jane… you don’t want to get mixed up with them.”
“Getting mixed up with messed up families is what I do,” he said, trying a smile that was not returned. Her head bowed, and he put a finger under her chin, forcing her eyes up to his. “I know you want to leave.”
“I have to leave.”
“I get it, but you can’t.”
Wide eyes met his, tears glistening in their corners, and the pleading word that followed almost killed him.
“Please?”
Falling from knees to bum he slid in next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. This time there was no resistance. She took hold of him and pulled as close as she could, placing wet eyes against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “If I thought leaving was a possibility, there would be no stopping me. I’d call you a taxi, and you’d be gone in minutes. I’d even come with you if you wanted.”
“That’s what I want.”
After the beating it had taken in the conversation, his heart began to fill with hope once more, glowing with warmth even as he tried to restrain it, to keep perspective.
“We can’t. Jane is determined to find her son’s killer, and if you run, there will be suspicions. She will come after you, and find you. I can’t let that happen.”
She looked away, and he cupped her chin, bringing her face back to his.
“What do I do?” she asked.
“You go to work—“
“No. I can’t. I—“
“You go to work as normal. You say nothing. You let me deal with this. Let me find who killed Harris. Let me clear your name then you can leave. Do you understand?”
He spoke with far more conviction and confidence than he felt. But Megan needed that. She needed to believe he believed or she would fall apart. Simple. He kept her eyes after he spoke, and waited until she bought it, paying with a nod. With that acceptance, he pulled her into his arms and held her.
“I promised I would see Nina for lunch,” James said, and felt Megan flinch in his arms. “I’ve known for a while things weren’t right, but seeing you again made me see I need to end it. I still want to end it.”
“But Harris…”
James thought of what Jane had said about how close the auntie and nephew had been. Remembered how hurt Nina had seemed when Harris had all but ignored her when they’d all met.
“Admittedly, it’s not great timing.”
“I like Nina,” Megan said, which didn’t help. “Only met her a few times but the first was at this party at Davis’ house. Harris went early, and she was the one who looked after me. Tried to make sure I was alright. I don’t want to see her hurt. Especially not now.”
“Right,” James said. “Guess I’ll stay with her forever.”
“Maybe just for now?” she whispered. “It doesn’t feel right leading her on, but you can’t break up with her after this. It could push her over the edge.”
“You’re right,” he said, closing his eyes. “I hate it.”
He felt her shift, and when he opened his eyes she was leaning in, her forehead almost touching his.
“When this is done,” he said. “I’m taking you on that date.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
It did. More than good. It sounded perfect, and he knew it would be perfect. The connection was too strong for it to go any other way. He had seen her bracelet and felt compelled to make sure she remained safe, and, when he had shown her this, she had done all in her power to push him away for the same reason.
More than ever, he felt there could be a future for them, and if they wanted that future, James had to ensure Jane never came knocking on Megan’s door, looking for answers about Harris.
By any means necessary.
8
The redhead possessed a mischief maker’s smile.
James occupied an out of the way, two-person table in Egg, Nina’s favourite (and erroneously named) vegan cafe. Two fake lattes sat before him. High-quality coffee ruined by a milk substitute. Made from plants or fruit or something. He should have ordered black.
Red caught his eye, and that mischief maker’s smile grew. She crossed to the counter and James returned his eyes to the door, waiting for Nina’s hotly anticipated arrival.
His mind sifted through his meeting with Megan. Trying to discern meaning in what she had told him but becoming lost in the scent of her hair, the feel of her cheek on his, the beauty in her eyes, even as they swelled with tears. The sound of her voice was there, but it was thanking him for wanting to protect her, apologising for trying to hurt him and begging him to understand her flight from the bar while Harris was being murdered.
Red took her drink and scanned for a table, watching her James forgot himself, and sipped from his disgusting vegan coffee, choking as he managed to avoid spitting it out. Going for a napkin, he mopped the little dribble he had allowed down his chin and saw Megan’s tear-stained face again, begging him to be careful.
In truth, there was little she could tell him. Harris had been good to her during working hours, but her refusal to date him meant they only saw each other a couple of times outside of work. As a result, she had barely said ten words to Michael and had no idea where Harris might have stolen such a large quantity of money, or how his now deceased friend might fit in.
Balling up the napkin he lifted it as if to throw it and found a tightly clad chest at eye level.
“Hey. This seat taken?”
Red was there, one hand on a vegan coffee, the other free to swipe hair from a pale face over a freckled ear. James took inventory. Clean white trainers. Unholed jeans. Branded top. Her outfit likely cost more than the combined wardrobes of the remaining patrons of Egg. A fact they would no doubt be proud of.
“Uh, I’m meeting someone,” he said. She was his age or younger but exuded the kind of natural confidence that always made him feel small.
“No problem, I’ll move when they mat
erialise.”
She dropped into the seat opposite and dumped her bag next to his with a carelessness that spilt them both. A quick apology and he stared at her hair as she fixed the situation. Sitting up, she offered him a hand.
“Melanie.”
“James.”
“Pleasure. Sorry to disturb but there are few free seats, and I can’t bear the thought of sharing with one of these weirdos.”
She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, sipped her coffee, and spat it back into the cup, her face twisting with ugly disgust.
“What the shit is that?”
“It’ll be the milk,” James said, trying not to smile. “Vegan.”
“Christ, is it even legal to serve this muck?”
“I think,” James said, pushing his cup into the middle of the table. “It’s about saving the animals, or the environment, or something, but I’m with you. Can’t stomach it.”
“No one can,” Melanie said. “Not possible. They sit there and pretend, but it isn’t because of the fucking environment or animal rights, whatever that means. They want to look cool. It’s a fad, and it makes me sick.”
James was staring over her shoulder. She turned to see a clutch of people glaring.
“Sorry,” she said to James alone. “I’m an opinionated bitch. Plus, you know these guys don’t bathe so the smell is probably getting to me. Who did you say you were meeting?”
As if in answer the door swung open, and Nina appeared. There was a weak smile as she saw James before the storms of jealousy rolled in at the sight of Melanie. It was a darkness missed by the redhead as she stood beaming to greet Nina.
“Another normal, awesome.”
“Who are you?” Nina asked. With no hint of friendliness or politeness.
“Mel.” She held out a hand, Nina didn’t take it. With a shrug, Mel returned to James. “Nice to meet you. I’d better be going before your girlfriend stabs me—I wasn’t flirting, I swear—or even worse, I catch Vegan. Bye.”
Nina’s expression suggested she could go for that stabbing, but she stepped aside, letting Mel drift away.
Redhead gone, Nina rounded on James, fire in her eyes. He smiled as though nothing had happened.
“Something to eat?”
Nina ignored this and sat, shoving Mel’s coffee with such force it almost tipped and sent vegan milk all over James. She took her drink and drained it as though worried it was about to expire.
“You stacking dates now?” she asked, bringing the coffee down like a gavel.
“Of course not. She was looking for a seat, and there was nowhere else available.”
Nina snorted. “Yeah sure. Said she was Mel, right? Knew I recognised her. Year above at school. Daddy was a cop, so it was all about rebellion.”
James wasn’t sure this followed but guessed Nina wasn’t looking for him to plug her logic holes.
“She’s a slut. Used to twist all the boys around her fingers. For a while Harris—”
As though it were connected to an internal switch, the sound of Harris’ name sent a dramatic change through Nina. The facade broke. Anger dissolved into tears and before he could stop her, she had jumped into his arms, almost tipping them out of the chair as she landed on his lap, shoving her face into the same shoulder Megan had rested on. He prayed Nina would not smell her perfume.
“Oh, James. My nephew. I’ve lost my nephew. What am I going to do?”
People watched this little show with unashamed fascination. James tried to ignore them, offering a stiff, unsure arm, patting her on the back as might a sympathy robot that hadn’t quite been programmed right. For something to focus on that wasn’t the spectators to this little scene, James looked to his full coffee and held, not even breathing until Nina broke his paralysis.
“James?”
Her voice was hurried, annoyed. His shoulder was wet, and there was every chance his search for a zen state of being had run parallel to Nina talking. He found her red eyes and tried to get a handle on the situation.
“I know you’re upset,” he said. It had been the start of something, but he retreated upon realising that was an awful way to start a comforting conversation. Next he would say she was overreacting. He sought composure and tried again.
“I understand you’re upset—“ bit better, but he was losing the thread. “I know that—“ this was difficult. “I get—“
“James, I don’t need you to try comfort me. I need you to listen.”
Yes. Right. That made sense.
People were still watching. James shifted Nina off his leg as though she were a sleeping child he was afraid to wake and rose.
“I think we could both use some fresh air. Let’s go for a walk.”
They stepped out of the cafe and made their way towards the river. This was the last place James wanted to go, but Nina was the one who had lost a family member, and he supposed this gave her the right to decide which road they travelled.
“We used to be so close,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “I was barely two when he was born, and we grew up more like brother and sister than auntie and nephew. We went to the same school and even though I was a couple of years above we made the friendship work. Made it work even when I was at Uni, and he was here, and I thought, having made it from babies to adulthood as best friends, we’d be that way forever.”
The roads were quiet. It was a beautiful Saturday, and the city’s residents were stepping out of their front doors, breathing the summer air, and deciding to ditch the cars. Walk instead. He saw couples and friends tracing the pavements, most in the same direction as James and Nina, heading for the riverside where the ducks would be patrolling the waters and the frisbees patrolling the skies.
Nina was watching him with hurt eyes. She had said she needed him only to listen, but James could see this wasn’t so. She needed interjections and prompts to feel he was engaging with what she had to say, and that he cared. It was an insecurity he had noticed the first night they met, each with a drink in hand, racing to the bottom rather than trying to enjoy it.
“Jane said after she went to prison, and Harris dropped out of uni,” James said, “he changed. Had less time for his friends.”
Nina gave him a close, analytical look, then nodded, a director indicating her star has nailed the line.
“I loved my nephew, but the Harris I knew didn’t come back from University. All he cared about was work—the bar. Proving he could be something. I wasn’t against that. Told him I was proud of him for working so hard. For improving the bar. Proving he wasn’t there cause of Jane alone. But I wanted him to balance it, remember it was important to have a social life too. It didn’t seem he was listening, then he did. He reclaimed a social life, but I was surplus to requirements. He had a better friend.”
“Michael Fisher?”
Nina looked at him.
“You know about Michael?”
“A bit.”
“I liked Michael. He was never the problem. We got on. I tried to become part of their new little group, but Harris kept pushing me away. Do you think I look like my sister?”
The question caught James off guard, but he rolled with the blow, recovered.
“No. Why?”
“That was the problem, I think. He hated Jane for going to prison, and anything that reminded him of her had to go—except the bar, of course. I don’t look a thing like Jane, but I ended up on the Jane Chappell things scrap heap. It broke my heart.”
She kicked a rock, sending it rolling away.
“I must sound such a cow, having a go at him now he’s dead, but it makes me angry that he cut me out. If he kept me close, I would have done what I always did. I would have looked out for him, kept him safe. If he’d just let me in he wouldn’t be dead.”
“Nina—“
She was staring at the rock, as though willing it to keep rolling, even with the momentum generated by her kick gone. Stepping from James, she walked over and gave it a nudge, like she thought it might hatch.
“Nina,” James tried again. “You can’t think like that. What happened to Harris wasn’t because you weren’t there.”
“You don’t know,” she snapped, sounding like a spoilt child. “He didn’t want me around, so I gave up on him. But he was different. Changing. Who knows what he was getting up to when he wasn’t working or fucking any slut that’d have him.”
James flinched, and the anger dropped from Nina’s face. She came over and rested a hand on his arm, comforting him as though she knew the slut comment had drawn him back to what Megan and said about undressing with Harris.
“There I go again,” she said, taking her hand from his arm to dry the tears from her eyes. “Total bitch but if he’d let me in I know I could have stopped this.”
She turned and carried on down the road, leaving the rock behind. James gave it a nudge of his own but it made him feel no better, so he followed Nina.
“Do you have any idea why someone might want to kill him?”
“What I just say?” she snapped. “He kept me out. Might have had a thousand enemies and I wouldn’t know. Could have been engaged and I’d have no idea. I don’t know how close he was to anyone he worked with, but my guess would be the only person he told anything to was Michael, and he’s not going to be telling anyone anything any time soon.”
James tried to consider this but had to take a brief intermission to be relieved Nina did not know Harris had been after Megan. Meant she would be unlikely to point fingers should Jane come asking about who was close to Harris. The only people who might do that would be those who had worked with both at the bar. These James would hopefully talk to that evening.
“You know what happened to Michael?” James said, pushing onto safer, non-Megan related ground.
“He pissed off daddy,” Nina said, smiling bitterly. “You don’t do that and get away with it.”
This reaffirmed what he knew of Davis, who was currently the only person James could see who might have both upset Harris and had the money to be stolen when Harris came seeking revenge. Then again, as Jane had pointed out, it might have had nothing to do with the money.
“He must have been lonely after Michael went,’ James said, hating himself for the stupid euphemism. “He didn’t try to build bridges with you?”
