Page 47 of Edge

It explained the muscleson the man, Jory thought in exhaustion as he lay on the gurney in aside room awaiting treatment at the local hospital.

Thank God forBob Ferguson or else I’d be a goner.

He still felt sick no onehad been able to locate Roger’s body. The local police had said thecoastal bluff was a popular suicide spot, and many people who’dchosen the same path as Roger had were never located.

Jory had given hisstatement to the police, backed up by Mr “Call me Bob,” who’d saidthe maniac was trying to drag Jory over the cliff with him. Itseemed open and shut, and in this moment, Jory was too tired tocare.

The only thing he wantedwas to see Damian, and Sooty, and his bandmates, and tell them howmuch he cared for them. One copper had promised he’d call Damianand let him know Jory was at the hospital, but he’d made himpromise not to tell his boyfriend what had happened. He wanted todo it himself.

He was dozing on thegurney when there was a clattering of high heels in the corridorand other footsteps that sounded like people in boots. Jory grinnedwearily. He’d recognise those high-heeled footstepsanywhere.

Damian was the firstthrough the door, his face blanched white, his eyes dark withworry.

“Oh God, babe,what the hell happened? The police only told us you’d been in anaccident, and you were okay, but nothing else. Jesus, why is yourarm at such a funny angle?” He crouched down beside Jory, carefulnot to jostle his dislocated arm. Damian’s warm fingers entwinedwith Jory’s good hand.

Next was Sooty, imperiousas always, sweeping into the room with a presence hard to ignore.She came over and stood beside the gurney, face creased in worry,with a hint of anger. “It was that dipshit Roger, wasn’t it? Damiantold me you were meeting him. What the fuck did he do to you? I’llhave his ass for this.”

Jory didn’t have time totell them Roger wouldn’t be a problem anymore as Bernard, Alice,and Hannah swept into the room with the force of an approachingavalanche. All of them were speaking at once.

“What the fuckhappened to you, dude? You look like shit.” Bernard.

“Hells bells,Jory. Did you lose a fight with a monster truck?”Hannah.

“Christ, RockMan. I know Damian’s a great shag, but you look like you got railedhard.” Alice, of course.

Jory took his hand fromDamian’s and held it up in a “stop” motion. “If you all sit downand keep quiet, I’ll tell you what happened. The cut version,anyway.”

He kept it concise,giving them only the salient details and watching their faceschange from anger to horror, to relief, and back to anger again.Damian was the one who seemed most affected. He’d fallen silentduring the recounting of Roger trying to pull Jory over the cliff.His expression of tight-lipped anger and fear stayed with Jory longafter the story finished.

Jory sat back, exhausted.“Thanks for not bringing Dumont with you. I don’t fancy hisreaction right now. He’s going to ream me out somethingawful.”

Sooty pursed her lips.“He was pretty upset to hear from Damian here you’d gone off tomeet Roger on your own. You know he never trusted the man.” Shegave a watery smile. “But you aren’t off the hook. He’s on his wayover from the other side of town as we speak.”

Damian spoke then, hisvoice cold. “It wasn’t Jory’s fault some maniac decided to try tothrow him off a cliff. Roger was someone he knew and had no reasonto distrust. He wasn’t some stranger. Roger was a fucking crackpotand,” his voice faltered, “he tried to kill Jory, and for that, I’mglad he’s dead.”

The room went silent, thejarring lack of noise interrupted only by the appearance of thenurse.

“I’m afraid Ineed you to all leave now,” she said. “It’s time for us to check MrLongstone out and repair his shoulder.” She smiled politely andgestured to the door.

Damian squeezed Jory’shand and kissed him on the lips. “See you in a while. I’m gladyou’re okay. I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d lost you.” Histone turned steely. “And don’t worry about Dumont. I won’t let himget to you.” He left the room and the others followedhim.

All exceptSooty.

“I’ll keep aneye on him,” she murmured to Jory. “He’s really shaken up. Don’tworry. He’ll be fine with us.” She brushed a hand down Jory’s cheekand bent down to place a perfumed kiss on his head. “I’m gladyou’re still with us too.”

Then, in a flash of softfloral fabric, she disappeared and Jory was alone with thenurse.

“Roughmorning, huh?” she sympathised. “Sounds like you had quite theadventure. You’re a lucky man to have so many people care aboutyou.”

Jory nodded. “I am.They’re incredibly special.”

“And yourboyfriend loves you very much, I can tell. He’s such a cutie too.”Jory agreed and could only nod tiredly.

A slim,mid-forty-something woman entered the room, brandishing a chart.“Mr Longstone? I’m Doctor Meadows. Let’s take a look at you, shallwe?”

Jory lay back and waitedto be fixed.

EPILOGUE