She had the urge to reach out to him. “Before what?”
“Before she died.” He cleared his throat. “Mum and Dad died in a car accident a few months ago.”
Tess gasped. “I’m so sorry.” The pain must be so raw still. As much as her parents frustrated her, she couldn’t imagine life without them. “Do you have more family in Retribution Bay?”
“Yeah. Two brothers and a sister. I’m heading home for my eldest brother’s wedding.”
Oh. That was lovely and tragic at the same time. His parents would miss it.
What family did the woman who’d been shot have? How much would her death affect those in her life?
Tess clenched her teeth. She had to say something, do something to give the woman’s family closure.
The sun was edging over the horizon in the east, and they were well and truly out of Perth. The rain continued to pour, putting the windscreen wipers through a workout they hadn’t had in decades. Tess’s jacket was drying, but the car smelled wet and foisty. Hopefully, by mid-day they would be far enough north to leave the rain behind and be able to dry out. All she had were the clothes she wore, her laptop, and her cash. She opened her backpack to check the damp hadn’t got inside and breathed a sigh of relief at her dry computer.
“There’s a roadhouse up ahead,” Ed said. “It’s far enough out of the city that we don’t have to worry about traffic. Mind if I stop for coffee and food? I skipped breakfast thinking I’d get something at the airport.”
“Sure.” She hadn’t eaten since last night either, and there was little chance Tan would search for her here. She closed her eyes. Should she call the police now? She couldn’t keep running forever. No. They weren’t that far from the city and if Ed overheard, he might leave her here.
What about her parents? She cringed. She did not have the energy to deal with them now. Her parents wouldn’t believe her, or they’d see it as proof she shouldn’t have come to Australia. But they’d sent her to stay with Tan. Did they know what kind of person he was? The couple of times she’d brought up her concerns about Tan’s controlling ways, her parents had told her not to be ungrateful. Tan was doing her a favour by letting her stay, and if she didn’t like it, she could come home.
Which wasn’t an option as far as she was concerned. She daydreamed about using the money she’d saved to find her own apartment, or a room at one of the university colleges. She had enough to pay for a semester of accommodation, and if she found a job which paid her properly, she’d be able to afford her final year as well.
But to do that would be a major betrayal in her parents’ eyes and they would stop paying her university fees. Those, she couldn’t afford on her own.
“This will do,” Ed said as he pulled into a service station. “You ever had Australian roadhouse food before?”
She shook her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
He chuckled. “Then you’re in for a treat; meat pies, egg and bacon sandwiches, Corn Jacks and Chiko Rolls. It’s likely to repeat on you until lunch.”
Tess frowned as she ran after him into the building. He spoke as if that was a good thing. Sometimes she couldn’t quite understand Australians.
Still, she enjoyed trying something new, and she was starving.
What were Chiko Rolls?
***
Ed shook the rain from his head and made a beeline for the coffee counter. No one was waiting. “Your largest latte, please.” He glanced over his shoulder at Tess. “You want one?”
She smiled and nodded, pulling the elastic band from her long hair and running her hands through it. Her smile brightened her face, taking some of the worry from her eyes, and she looked less the damsel in distress. He told himself not to be concerned about her twitchiness. He was a stranger, so of course she’d be a little uncertain. He’d hope his sister, Georgie would be as cautious in a similar situation. Did she still have the pepper spray he’d bought her?
Ed cleared his throat and turned back to the server. “Make that two.” He joined Tess at the bain marie with its selection of fried food. What could he eat while driving? The Chiko Roll or Corn Jack were the obvious choices, but his stomach hadn’t woken up sufficiently to handle them yet. “I’ll have an egg and bacon sandwich.” He paid for both coffees and took the sandwich, stepping back so Tess could order. If he was fast, he could finish the sandwich before the coffees were ready.
Tess bit her lip, a slight furrow between her brows as she studied the options. She turned to him. “You said the Chiko Roll was good?”
He chuckled. “It’s something everyone should experience at least once.” He bit into his sandwich, careful not to let the runny egg yolk explode from the wrapping.
Her eyes widened, and she smirked. “Hm. Then I’ll have a Chiko Roll and some chips.”
Adventurous. He liked that, though he should have guessed it about her when she agreed to travel with him. The barista was almost finished with the coffees, so Ed stuffed a few more bites into his mouth to finish the first half of his sandwich. He wrapped the rest and grabbed his drink with a nod of thanks.
Back in the car, he took a long sip of the life-giving substance. His eyes rolled back. So good. Then he looked for somewhere to put the cup. No cup holders. Of course not.
Tess had spotted the problem as well. “Let me hold your drink.” She had her chip cup between her knees and her Chiko Roll on her lap, while she held her own coffee cup.
“Thanks.” After they were on the road again, it wouldn’t be difficult to hold it. There was only one intersection between here and Geraldton. He fired up the engine, relieved when it started first go, and the heater coughed back into life. When he hit the highway, he reached for the coffee and savoured the strong flavour.
