Mann’s mouth tasted like a dog had shat in it. He had been dreaming of drinking a gallon of water. His head was so hot he was sweating hard. He pushed back the sheet that covered him and realized he was lying next to someone. He reached out a hand. His hand lingered as it touched a woman’s body and then it moved up over her waist, along her ribcage, up over her arm and froze. He realized it wasn’t the body he was expecting. He thought he would feel Miriam’s familiar curves but he didn’t, instead it was a skinny little body. He withdrew his hand sharply and opened his eyes. Lilly was lying on her side smiling at him. Mann jumped up. He had his boxers on. That was a tiny consolation. Lilly lay there, naked.
‘Shit…what the hell? Lilly, get up. Put something on.’ Mann backed away from the bed.
‘That’s not what you said to me last night.’
Mann shook his head. He tried to remember he couldn’t. ‘There’s no way, Lilly. How the fuck did you get in here?’
Lilly laughed, she leant up on her elbows. Mann felt sick. Her skinny ribs stuck out, her pierced navel, her tiny breasts. She was a child. Mann turned his head away, sick to his stomach. Lilly got out of bed and picked up her clothes as she went. She paused as she passed him. ‘You couldn’t get enough of it last night. Practically forced me to do stuff I didn’t want to. I just wanted a place to stay. Come home with me, you said, you can sleep in the spare room, you said.’
Mann closed his eyes, his heart was racing, he felt the bile build in his throat.
‘Lilly, do this. Lilly, do that.’ Lilly stayed where she was and made sure Mann had no choice but to look at her. ‘Tut, tut, tut, Inspector Johnny Mann. You should be ashamed.’ Lilly grinned. ‘Well, I can’t hang around. I got school to go to. Thanks for a very nice evening though. I am sure we’ll see each other again.’
Mann heard the door bang behind her and the sound of her laughter as she walked down the corridor. He stripped off and stepped into the shower. He closed his eyes as the water streamed over his face. He leant against the side of the cold cubicle. His head was banging; he rested it on the cold tiles. Could he really have had sex with Lilly? The only sound in the flat was the ticking of the clock coming from the bedroom. He needed to get dressed. He needed to sort his life out. He walked along the wooden floor, staring straight ahead at his open bedroom door. He nudged it with his foot. It glided open. The clock’s ticking was so loud now it blocked out everything else. Mann stepped inside and looked to his left, his bed unmade; he pulled off the sheets and threw them in a heap on the floor. He swore out loud so many times it became part of his breathing. He picked up his socks from the floor, as he bent down he saw a bag under his bed. He pulled it out, opened it, peeling back layer after layer of plastic. He peeled back the last layer. A familiar face stared back at him.