Sharp Turn - Marianne Delacourt [61]
Then, without warning, he smiled and knocked me sideways onto the sand. It was on – a wrestle to the death. It wasn’t long before Fridge joined in, with Ed and Smitty watching on and laughing.
Chapter 20
ED WAS QUIET ON the way home and I wasn’t sure if he was tired or upset.
‘The photos should be great,’ I ventured as I parked out the front of his unit.
He nodded dismissively. ‘I need to remember to bring mints to those kinds of bookings.’
It took me a while to get the inference. I grinned. ‘She had bad breath.’
‘Worse than Fridge,’ he said.
I roared with laughter.
Unexpectedly, he leaned over and kissed me. It was soft and exploratory, as though he was trying to find out something.
When we broke contact, he sat staring at me. ‘I can’t work you out, Tara.’
He couldn’t work me out?
‘Thing is, I’d like to know you better, but you keep brushing me off, like you’re not taking me seriously.’
‘Do I?’
He took my hand. ‘Yes, you do. Can you stop, please?’
I thought about how to reply. Now was the time that I should mention I’d seen him with someone, but the words wouldn’t come out. I really didn’t want to act like a jealous nutcase. So I opted for a more general approach.
‘Ed, you’re younger than me and you’re hot. You’re also new to the city and you’ve got a career about to happen. I’d be stupid not to consider all that.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, you’re still finding your feet. Things will change for you, and that’ll include who you want to spend time with. So I’m just giving you time to work that out before . . .’
‘Before?’
Before I get my feelings trampled all over. Before I get deserted again. Before you run off with someone. ‘Before we get into anything.’
He stared out the front window considering what I’d said, and I got a chance to admire his flawless profile.
‘Tara?’
‘Uh-huh?’
‘Why would someone be watching us with binoculars?’
My breath caught. ‘Where?’
‘Over by the hedge in the next block of apartments. Leaning against the mailbox. You can just see a lens reflection.’
It took me a few seconds to locate the watcher.
I slid the keys out of the ignition and dropped them into Ed’s hand. ‘Stay with the car so it doesn’t get stolen. Please.’
‘Tara, you can’t –’
I didn’t hear any more because I was out of the car and running flat out towards the hedge. It took my stalker a few moments to realise I was onto him. I launched myself and managed to latch onto an arm before he could escape.
I held on doggedly, digging my nails in, but strong fingers ripped my grip away and I fell face-first into the hedge. By the time I’d got to my feet and staggered around the letterbox, my stalker had vanished.
Then a hand gripped my shoulder.
Without thinking, I used Hoshi’s break-hold to rid myself of the hand and swung around, letting go the same roundhouse punch that I’d taught Smitty’s son Joe. The person behind me went down with stunning effect.
Trouble was, it was Ed.
‘Oh, fuck!’ I fell to my knees alongside him.
He was clutching at his nose while blood streamed out of his left nostril, and coughing horribly.
I held up two fingers. ‘How many?’
He pushed me back. ‘I’m al-wight.’
‘Ed, I’m –’
‘Save it. I’m gow-ing.’
‘Let me –’
He held out a hand, signalling me to shut up, and tossed me my car keys. Then, hand pressed over his nose, he got to his feet and headed towards the stairs up to his apartment block. The lobby door banged with meaning.
I hastened back to Mona. The rear-view mirror told me that I looked nearly as bad as Ed: fresh bloody scratches from the hedge to add to the cactus scars on my face, and my hair sticking out. Lifting my top, I spied a large graze just above my belly button.
I drove home feeling miserable in so many ways. My phone rang as I pulled up outside Lilac Street. It was Wal.
‘Yo, boss,’ he said.
‘Yeah, Wal?’ I didn’t feel much like talking to anyone.
‘Ignatius got another threat.’
‘When?’ I asked, immediately alert. ‘How?’
‘Text again. Another picture.’
‘Can you send it to me?’
‘Yeah.’
I waited for it to come through. It was even more graphic