“As lovely as this is, I have to go home.” I’d been there for most of the weekend. Here, I could physically and mentally regroup and nobody with malicious intent could reach me.
“Trying to get rid of me?”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Good,” he whispered, sliding his warm hand down my flank, drawing me close, making me tingle, “patch things up with your mother later.”
My body tensed beneath him. I’d deliberately switched off my phone and my parents would be worried sick. Conceivably.
I made to move. Rocco pinned me down. Playful. A languid smile spread slowly across his mouth. When he pressed first his lips and then his skin against mine, I thought I could stay that way forever.
Afterwards, we lay together, his lips a feather’s touch on my neck. Tender. Gentle.
“Hey,” he said. “What’s up?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Sorry, of course, Scarlet. What was she like?”
I took a moment. I hadn’t done right by my sister when she was alive. I had a chance to set the record straight now.
“Quite simply, she was brilliant. With Zach, with Mum, who isn’t the easiest woman on the planet, brilliant with everyone. For Scarlet, family was all.”
“The kind of woman with everything to live for,” Rocco observed.
Except Rocco didn’t know the half of it.
“Tell me about Richard Bowen.”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“That wasn’t a question. It was a request.”
“Had an interesting private life with a mistress and child.”
“Anything else?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
He hitched a shoulder. Why did I feel that Rocco was trying to pull a dressing off a badly healed wound?
There were dozens of messages on my phone, via Messenger, on Facebook and Twitter, and through my emails. And numerous missed calls, four from Lenny, two from Chancer. “Molly, darling, are you all right? You left in such a tearing hurry the other day. Gather from Zach you had a bit of a spat, which comes as no wonder as your brother is a lovable pillock. Anyway, hope you’re okay. See you soon and come and talk to me, otherwise I’ll come and find you, ha-ha!”
I returned dad’s first.
“Molly, thank God.”
“I’m very sorry. It was wrong of me to worry you.”
“Nobody has seen you for the best part of thirty-six hours.” He lowered his voice. “You haven’t had any more trouble, have you?”
I glanced over my shoulder in Rocco’s direction. “No, nothing like that.” I cursed the false note in my voice.
“Thank God. Where have you been?”
“Staying with a friend.” I pulled a face at Rocco who flashed a grin and zipped up his fly.
“I went to the house, then phoned Lenny, spoke to Zach.”
Zach. I wondered how that had played out. “I should have told you I wanted some space.” I winced as I piled on cliché after cliché. Typically, Dad cut to the chase.
“Mum told me you’d had words.”
There was no defence. Without anything to say, I said nothing.
“Come home, Molly. We need you.”
“Did Mum say that?” My voice was thick and heavy. How could I face either of them?
“She did.”
I pretty much buckled with relief.
“Dinner at six?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Stay over?”
“Yes.” It would give me a chance to have a proper talk with my dad.
I smiled weakly at Rocco as I finished the call.
“See, that wasn’t so bad?” He slipped his arms around my waist. A good fit, mine snaked around his neck. He smelt of old-fashioned soap and something more astringent.
“Thank you,” I said, meaning it.
“For what?”
“For not judging me too harshly.”
He grinned, nuzzled my neck and dropped a soft lingering kiss upon my lips. “So, shall we–” He grimaced, cut off by the sound of rapping at the door.
“Expecting someone?”
A gleam of irritation sparked behind his eyes at the intrusion. Maybe he’d hoped for a crazy action replay. “Stay right where you are.” He sprinted towards the door, closing it firmly behind him.
Voices drifted up the stairs. I plumped down on the bed and listened.
“Are you decent?” a voice called from the landing.
Astonished, I opened the door to find Lenny’s solid frame occupying the doorway.
“How on earth?”
“The question you should be asking is what took you so long?”
“You mean you knew where I was?” I stepped aside.
“Credit me with some intelligence.” She swished in, the large canvas bag on her shoulder almost knocking me off my feet. “After a frantic phone call from your dad, which I handled as if your little disappearing act were no big deal, I retrieved Mr Noble’s name and address from the diary. Thought I’d give it a bit for you to come to your senses. Looks like that might take time.” The way her eyes scoped the room you’d think she was hunting down criminals.
“I didn’t feel well.” I winced at my cowardly and pathetic lie.
Lenny plumped down in the place I’d recently vacated. Disapproval tightened her mouth. Didn’t suit her. She stared at me for several seconds.
“It’s complicated,” I said.
“A mercy fuck is not complicated.”
“That’s not what it was.”
“Look,” she said in a gentler tone, “your parents are going through hell, Molly. I know you are too but shagging a client and disappearing without trace isn’t going to remove the pain.”
Ouch. Lenny knew how to land a blow. I opened my mouth to reply then thought better of it.
“You need to go home.”
“I am.”
“Good.” Pleased with getting a result, she reached out, patted my hand. “What made you run?”
Blown away by her doggedness, I told her about the row with my mother. “So, call a truce.”
“Are you done?”
“Not quite. I brought you this. Thought it would help you see the light - in more ways than one.” She rummaged in her bag and handed me a small cardboard box that weighed heavy. Puzzled, I took it. As I opened the container, Lenny’s face cracked into a wide forgiving smile. Inside was a torch. But not any torch: a BYBLIGHT. I looked up, truly touched. She’d remembered my story about Zach, my fear of the dark and Chancer coming to my rescue.
I felt the weight of it in my hand. “It’s very fancy.”
“Be careful where you point. It’s powerful enough to rip out retinas.”
“What’s that?” Rocco said.
“Lenny bought me a present in case I get stuck in a tunnel.” I exchanged a grin with her. “I guess you two have met?”
“Briefly.” Lenny gave Rocco the big look treatment although her smile seemed genuine enough. I think she wanted to prove that she didn’t disapprove of Rocco Noble, only what I was doing with him.
Lenny got up and made for the door. “Remember what I said, Molly.” Turning to Rocco, “Nice to meet you,” and then she thundered down the stairs and was gone.