Page 26 of The Tourist

“Just before Ileft the flat.” Ricky nodded, his voice still shaky. “I should havetalked to you then. But I didn’t know…”

“Of courseyou didn’t. But I waited for you to call back. Then when you did,all I could hear was some kind of echo in the distance. Subduedvoices. A crash, as if you’d dropped the phone.”

“That was thesound when it hit the barrels. I just hoped to God it didn’t break,that the line would still be connected. Then I tried to speaktowards the open phone, keep my voice loud enough. Give you enoughclues to know where I was, that I was in trouble.” He spoke firmlyand clearly, though his eyes still looked wild. “Fucking phone!”The cry startled me. “He gave it to me in the first place. Throwthe damn thing away, Dan! I don’t want anything to remindme.”

“It’s okay.”I held him tight, soothing his shakes. “Listen to me, your planworked! In fact, I’d started back towards your place—I was comingto find you, to apologise. So, I was already on my way. I justneeded to know where you were—and you told me.”

“I tried todistract him, to keep him talking, too.”

“I know.” Iglanced over at the police van, the officer nodding to me. “Youwere great.”

“But whathappened to him?” Ricky stared at the car as it drove away. Acouple of policemen still remained, waiting to take us to thestation for our statement. “He had a knife, you know.”

I nodded but Ricky didn’t seemto expect a reply.

“He was goingto cut me, I know he was. Then he just suddenly crumpled down. Likehis legs wouldn’t hold him. I never touched him, though. Was heill?”

Yeah. I could agree withthat.

I leant downand touched my lips to his. To hell with any police audience. Rickyrelaxed totally in my arms, though he winced when my tongue brushedhis lower lip.

“Ouch. Hesplit it. Bastard. It’s going to look really bad bytomorrow.”

“Yeah? Youneed to get it seen to? Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

Ricky’s eyeswidened and he grinned. “You didn’t notice? What about my strikinggood looks?”

I shrugged.“There’s far more to you than that, whether your lip’s fat or not.I’m just grateful I got to you in time.” And when he continued tostare at me, I dropped my head to whisper in his ear, “Let’s getthe paperwork done then come back to mine and I’ll show you justhow grateful I am.”

“You mean…after all this?” Ricky made a strange, sad little gesture that wasprobably meant to encompass him, his ugly split lip, the wholepolice rescue, and the shimmering echo of Calder’s hostility. “Iwas a stupid victim, Dan. Always have been.”

“No.” My tonewas urgent. “Bravery isn’t just physical, Ricky. Sometimes it’sjust knowing what’s right.”

Like with Freddy.

“I let himgrab me. Threaten me.”

“And then,” Isaid gently, “you told him to go to hell so fucking perfectly, Icould have cheered.”

And, his gazefixed on mine as if it’d never waver again, Ricky started tolaugh.

CHAPTER 13

I came out ofthe cosy hotel bathroom, drying my hands on the towel. Ricky wasstanding by the window, his back to me.

“It’s agood-sized bathroom, excellent power shower. Fuck it, better thanmine at the flat.” I grinned, though he couldn’t see me, of course.“Instead of visiting the bars, we could spend the night here andtry it out together. What do you think?”

Ricky didn’tanswer. His shoulders looked hunched, as if in tension. Biting mylip, I dropped the towel onto the bed and walked towards him. Theroom was high-ceilinged and quiet, the only sound the muted hum oflate afternoon traffic outside on the promenade, and the occasionalcry of scavenging seagulls. My bare feet didn’t make any sound onthe carpet. I was out of his range of sight and he never moved as Ineared the window.

“Ricky? Youokay?”

When I saw himshiver, I knew he was aware of me. I slid my arms around his waistand rested my chin on his shoulder. My heartbeat kicked up a notch.His hair brushed my cheek, his skin smelling salty after our walkback from the town to the hotel, and I followed his line of sight,looking out over the sea. The hotel was only a hundred or so yardsaway from the beach, though I reckoned it wasn’t the season forskinny dipping. But the cooler weather had kept many seasidetourists away, leaving the town less crowded, and the wind whippingfrothy white heads to the waves as they hit the pebbles of thebeach. I watched them tumble for a while, admiring the patterns,imagining the spray on my face. The rhythm soothed me.

I supposed Iwas a seaside tourist, too, at least for the weekend. There was anironic smile on my face.

“You don’thave to treat me like an invalid.” Ricky’s voice was hoarse, and hestill didn’t turn to face me.

“What?” Ipressed a kiss on his ear, rather clumsily, but it was all I couldreach from that angle.