She thought about running. Or nearly bolted before she thought again. Where could she run? Daniel blocked the path. Trees and banana plants surrounded the little clearing. The river? Maybe. Over the rail, into the shallows …
But if she tried it and he caught her, then what?
‘It’s not—’
‘Don’t fucking tell me what it’s not.’ He gripped the watch like he’d crush it if he could. ‘Tell me what it is. Why do you have this?’
It was a gift. From my nephew. So I can take pictures without people seeing me. I promised him I’d …
She thought all that. Maybe she could sell it. Maybe he’d buy the lie. Maybe he wouldn’t.
‘Gary,’ she said.
He didn’t say anything right away. She couldn’t read his expression clearly, behind the sunglasses. She had the impression that he was looking at her but not seeing her. That he was thinking it through.
‘Fucking Gary,’ he finally said.
He stood there, staring at the watch. ‘You really had me going, you know? You’re a real fucking pro.’
‘I’m not,’ she said. ‘That’s not it at all. I didn’t want to—’
‘But the way you kept turning up, I had to be sure.’ He tossed the watch around in his hand. ‘How much did he pay you? Or are you a regular?’
‘There’s hardly anything on it. If you looked, you saw—’
‘How long have you been working for him?’
‘I—’
His fists clenched, and he took a step toward her, and then he threw the watch to the ground.
‘If that asshole thinks a dick move like this is what’s gonna keep me in line, he just fucking screwed the pooch, because I am done with this bullshit job.’
‘Please,’ she said. ‘Please let me explain. I didn’t want to do this.’
‘You know, I should fucking kill you.’
She stared at him.
If he takes another step, a single step, run.
‘Can we talk?’
He stared back, light reflecting off his sunglasses, making them a mask.
‘Please,’ she said. ‘After everything we … You said we’d talk. That’s all I’m asking. Just … Don’t you want to know?’
He swallowed. She could see the bulge of his throat move, and then he gestured at one of the tables. ‘Okay. Let’s talk.’
She told him everything, all of it. She’d heard about people confessing things, to police or interrogators, and she got it now, how releasing the tension of keeping the guilty secret felt something like joy, regardless of the consequences.
When she finished, he sat there, the muscles in his jaw working.
‘I’m sorry,’ Michelle said.
Something seemed to break in him. His expression cracked. He looked away.
‘Yeah, aren’t we all?’
He reached down, scooped up the watch and put it back in his pocket. Stood. ‘Come on.’
‘Where—’ Her voice caught. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘I’m not going to hurt you. Jesus. I’m not …’ He ground the heel of his hand into his forehead. ‘Just forget it.’
He turned and headed to the path that led out of the clearing. She got up and followed him.
They walked back to the hotel in silence. Questions pinballed in her mind, but she wasn’t about to ask them.
‘Pack your stuff,’ he said when they reached the cabana. He pulled the door open, hard enough that it banged into the wall, and went inside.
The room smelled like heated dust.
‘Where are we going?’
‘You’re getting on the next water taxi out of here. It’s none of your fucking business where I’m going.’
For a moment she was speechless with rage. This isn’t my fault! she wanted to scream. I’m not the criminal here – you are!
And then she thought, What’s wrong with you? He’s letting you go. Just get out.
She nodded and went into the bathroom and packed up her toiletry kit. Grabbed her bathing suit and sarong.
When she came out, he was sitting on the bed, shoulders slumped, hands resting slack on his lap. He didn’t look up.
‘I’ll talk to Gary,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell him to lay off you.’
She almost laughed. ‘You think he’ll listen?’
‘He should. This is between him and me anyway. He didn’t have any business bringing you into it.’
‘So who is he, Danny? Is he your boss? Who does he work for?’
‘I can’t talk about that.’
‘Give me a break.’
She gathered up the rest of her clothes and stuffed them into her totebag. Daniel still sat on the bed, staring at his hands.
‘Look,’ he finally said. ‘You don’t have to go.’
‘You know what? Fuck you.’
Just say something, she thought as she walked toward the door. Say one thing, to stop me.
He didn’t.
She walked outside. Clouds had started to pile up over the bay.
It looked to be another beautiful fucking sunset.