Reubyn shrugs. ‘Wecould. But I would suggest we load up on supplies, get everything we need, and then move on in the morning.’
‘Okay, okay.’ Miles nods, his eyes scanning the room, where his belongings are spread out across the space. He opens his case, and then picks up a pair of jeans, rolls them up and puts them inside. ‘What about the girls? Can they come?’
Reubyn grins. ‘I’m glad you asked. I’ve already told Faith about it, and she wants to join.’
‘She does?’
‘She wants to be a YouTuber, and she’s offered to help as a kind of intern.’
Miles grins back. It’s incredible to see how much his mood has suddenly lifted. He takes another look down at the motorhome. ‘But would there be enough space? If they both came, that would make seven of us.’
‘There’s loads of room.’ Reubyn hooks a finger to beckon Miles, whose newly found energy has caused him to wander all over the room, tidying various items into his case. He points at the vehicle. ‘You see those panels on the side of the bus?’
‘Yeah.’
‘When it’s parked up, those side bits can extend, so the interior pretty much doubles in size. We could fit ten people in there, easy. It’s epic inside, it really is. Do you want to come down and take a look?’
Miles shakes his head. ‘Not right now.’
Reubyn’s smile fades. ‘Yeah, of course. I wasn’t thinking.’ He bites his lip and stares out of the window for a moment, then turns back to Miles. ‘So, will you pitch the idea to Jessie?’
‘Yeah. I’ll invite her over here later. It’s not like I can go out anywhere.’
‘Yeah, right.’ Reubyn sucks in his cheeks. He goes quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed, then takes a deep breath. ‘Look’ – then after a long pause – ‘do you think it’s time to be honest with the girls about what’s going on?’
Miles stops still and narrows his eyes. ‘Seriously? I doubt they’ll be thrilled about coming with us if we suddenly mention a murder trial and a stalker.’
Reubyn lets go of a nervous laugh. ‘Look, I want them to come, too. I’m just saying we probably ought to be open about it, so they know what they’re getting involved in.’
Miles stares vacantly at the sunglasses case in his hands. He turns it over several times, then tosses it into the suitcase. ‘I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not like we’d be putting them in anydanger or anything. The whole point is we are movingawayfrom trouble.’
Reubyn twists the corner of his mouth.
‘I’ll tell them,’ Miles says. ‘Let’s just leave it a few days, until everything has settled down a bit. I just want things to be normal for a little while longer. Fair?’
‘Okay,’ Reubyn says. ‘Fair. Let’s be honest, it’s a miracle they haven’t found out already – why ruin it?’ He claps his hands together. ‘Right, I better get on. We need to stock up, fill the bus with supplies. Any requests?’
‘Hang on a minute,’ Miles says. ‘You haven’t even told me where we’re going.’
‘We can go anywhere – that’s the whole point.’
‘But where first? You must have some idea?’
‘Well, there’s not a lot of point in heading south because there’s not much between here and Antarctica.’
‘So, we go north?’ Miles takes his phone out of his pocket, presumably to open a map.
‘Basically, yeah. Ultimately, it’s up to you where we go – it’s your trip.’
‘Is it all right if we go somewhere quiet? Somewhere a bit out of the way?’
Reubyn smiles. ‘Absolutely. I think I know the perfect place.’
Chapter 26
Miles
Miles spots Jessie as soon as she arrives in the hotel bar, on the sixth floor. He waves to get her attention, and, after scanning the expansive space for a moment, she spots him and makes her way over. The bar is modern and minimalist, with low-seated soft furnishings and a wall of huge arched windows that look out on to the lake. Jessie has just missed sunset, and the vista to Miles’s right is fading to black. He stands to greet her and leans in as she approaches, but she pulls away. He ushers her to sit by his side. ‘How are you?’
