Louie positioned herself at the top of the steps, dropping down onto the promenade so she could lean against the railings. Her phone was on full zoom, framing an image she had to hold steady: Karin, her hair rolling across one shoulder, a flimsy scarf trying to free itself with the help of the sea breeze. She took a photo just as Karin turned her face. The motion blur would be good to capture when she came to paint her later.
Louie was aware that she had been spotted, but she had seen enough in any case. This nauseating display – kissing, holding hands with someone old enough to be her father – didn’t fool Louie for a second. She knew exactly why Karin had returned to Morecambe. It was because she was still in love with her. Karin had come back to remind herself of what she had walked away from, before she made the biggest mistake of her life.
Louie always knew she would return.
When she saw they were coming inside, she disappeared into the bar area. There was something about that old fart she didn’t like. Not solely because Karin was supposedly marrying him either, more of a vibe he gave off. She had chatted to him briefly last night after Karin disappeared. He had a sort of shifty arrogance about him. Louie couldn’t quite decide whether it was just his age, or that was really a part of his character. Even if he could find outlets for her artwork, tempting though that was, did Louie really want his help?
She worried about Karin. Louie didn’t want either of them to owe this guy anything when they eventually got back together. Why was she even with him in the first place? He looked like he might have money, although appearances could be deceptive and he could easily be one of those all flash no cash sort of guys. Louie saw enough of that type at The Midland. But Karin didn’t even need his money, not if her mother had been true to her word yesterday on her birthday.
The way he looked at her made her skin crawl.
Louie cleared some more glasses off the tables, returning them to the bar while still keeping an eye on things outside. A few of the guests were braving the terrace in their summer dresses and shirt sleeves, but the breeze was driving most people indoors now. There was no sign of Karin, and for a moment Louie wondered if they had gone round to the front entrance, but when they finally appeared she retreated behind the bar to serve a customer.
Karin’s arm was linked through his, like he had glued it there. She saw Karin take a quick scan of the room. Panic swept over her face the moment her eyes landed on Louie. Louie smiled back, giving her a nonchalant wave. Karin must have said something to him after that, like she was feeling the chill, because the old fart began rubbing her shoulders and folded her up in his big, hairy arms. He gave her a peck on the shoulder, moving the neckline of her shirt to one side.
Karin moved her body round to face him, turning it into a full kiss, and Louie had to clench her fists inside the pocket of her apron, digging her nails into her palms to distract from doing anything foolish. As soon as their display had ended, Karin looked across to gauge Louie’s reaction. But what she hadn’t anticipated was the round of applause they received for such a public performance. It took Karin by surprise, and Louie knew she wouldn’t have wanted all that fuss.
‘It’s okay, everyone. They’re almost newlyweds!’ That was Janine shouting, their waitress from last night. ‘They’ve got engaged.’ Her comments prompted wolf whistles, cheers and more applause. The old bastard said something to Karin, clearly embarrassed, and he escorted her under a bridge of hands and grinning faces.
Louie was desperate to rescue her from this circus. As soon as she had finished serving the next customer, she hurried out into reception, where she found Karin fleeing upstairs and Aaron making his way to the desk. Her heart said to follow Karin, but the front desk was unattended.
‘Hi. Someone will be along in a minute,’ she said, hurrying over to him.
‘Oh. Hello again.’ Aaron greeted her with a smile, his face like a deflated balloon, all lines and wrinkles.
‘Anything I can help you with?’ she asked. She was trying to imagine what he would look like in another ten years. Dead probably. He was so old.
‘Yes, maybe you can. My fiancée – Karin – lost her scarf while we were out walking on the beach. She’s only just realized. It was a present, so if anyone should hand it in—’
‘Of course.’
Fiancée. What an arse.
‘Em, do you have a pen?’ he asked, looking round for one.
Louie took the pen from behind her ear and slapped it onto the notepad. When she realized that Aaron was scribbling down an address, she was about to tell him that it wasn’t necessary, it would be on their database. Giving her the perfect excuse to look for it, of course. However, as if he had been reading her thoughts, he glanced up and said, ‘The post is terrible at my place. Better send it to her. That’s if you do find it.’
‘No problem,’ she replied, delighted at how easy he was making this for her.
He carried on scribbling and Louie noticed his hair was showing the first signs of thinning on top. ‘How was your night?’ she asked. ‘Did you sleep okay?’
‘Very well, thank you.’
He tore off the sheet of paper and handed it to Louie. She was tempted to ask if he needed any more Viagra. ‘Well, I do apologize for that scene in the bar,’ she said instead, ‘if it embarrassed you. I’ll have a word with my colleague.’
At that moment, her other colleague was scurrying back to the desk. ‘Sorry about that,’ she said, flustered. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘I’d like to sort out a few things for this evening,’ Louie heard him say as she slowly edged away. She could still hear their voices as she waited for the lift, followed by polite laughter. The lift took far too long; she held her finger in the button to hurry it along.
When she stepped out onto the top floor, Karin was only just heading down the corridor. She must have been taking her time on the staircase, waylaid by nostalgia, overcome by all the reminders of Louie and their time together.
Louie was about to call out to her but, as Karin hadn’t registered that she was even there, she decided to surprise her instead. Just as Karin was going to unlock the door, she pounced.
‘You’re not seriously marrying that guy, are you?’ said Louie, pressing her hand over her mouth, twisting her arm up her back. She pulled Karin out of sight, round the corner at the end of the corridor, and only then removing her hand.
‘Louie, what the hell are you doing?’ Karin spoke in an angry whisper, wiping her mouth as if having Louie’s fingers across it was in some way disagreeable. Louie still wasn’t fooled. Nor by Karin’s rubbing of her wrist. She used to beg Louie to grab her like that, take her by surprise. Last night was proof that she still wanted it that way. She grabbed her again, attempting to kiss her, but Karin backed off.
‘Don’t tell me you prefer plain old boring now,’ said Louie, slapping her hand against the wall. ‘Shit, Karin. He could be your dad.’
‘Well he isn’t. And stop spying on me. I could get you sacked.’
Louie gave her a look as if to say I could do far worse to you. ‘So come on then, how old is he? Forty?’
‘He’s forty-four actually.’
‘Seriously? Forty-four. Jeez, Karin. It’s not like you need a sugar daddy. Not if your Swedish mamma—’
‘It’s none of your business,’ she snapped. Then she sighed, softening her tone. ‘Look I’m sorry, Lou. It was an insane time for both of us. I’m just not that person any more.’
‘You were last night.’
‘Please don’t say anything,’ said Karin. ‘I mean he doesn’t even know we were together.’
‘Oh really? I’d never have guessed that. Okay, so when you’re fifty, he’ll be what? Let’s do the maths, shall we? Seventy-two. In a bath chair sipping hot chocolate out of a feeder cup, waiting for you to wipe his arse and empty his colostomy bag.’
Louie gave the wall another slap as she delivered her last remark.
Karin went back down the corridor, but Louie got there first. She put her hand over the card reader as Karin tried to unlock the door.
‘So what was last night all about if you don’t still feel anything for me? Answer me that one.’
‘I told you, it was a mistake,’ Karin replied.
‘“Meet me at the edge”. Remember that?’
‘Look. In the end, you and me—’
‘We’re the same, Karin.’
They were disturbed by the pinging of the lift. The doors swished open. Then someone whistling ‘Flowers in the Window’, by Travis, coming down the corridor.
Tragic.
‘Right. So if there’s anything else you need,’ said Louie in a suitably loud voice, ‘you just shout up. Okay?’
‘Y-yes, I will,’ Karin replied. ‘Thank you. That’s very good of you. I appreciate it.’
Aaron turned the corner, clutching a huge bouquet of flowers.
‘Here’s the lucky man,’ said Louie. ‘I just came to make sure you have everything you need.’
‘We do indeed,’ he replied, with an unbearable smugness. ‘Just been to sort out dinner in our room for this evening.’
‘Don’t blame you,’ said Louie. ‘Well, you know where we are if you need anything. I’m going off shift now, but see you both in Leeds next Thursday.’
‘We’ll be there,’ said Aaron.
‘Great.’ Louie set off up the corridor then spun round on her heel. ‘Ooh. Tell you what though. Might be a good idea if you give me your number. These things can change at the last minute. There was talk about moving the preview to a different night. Wouldn’t want you trailing down to the gallery unnecessarily.’
‘Sure,’ said Aaron. ‘Why don’t you give her yours, Karin? Got my hands rather full, but there’s a pen in my top pocket. Actually it’s your pen.’ He nodded at Louie. ‘Think I stole it from you earlier.’
‘No worries,’ said Louie. Tempted to say that wasn’t all he had stolen from her. She handed Karin a piece of paper, suppressing a smile at seeing her hand shaking as she scribbled down a number. Louie snatched it from her and read it back. ‘Zero, seven, seven … two, seven, eight, four.’
‘Eight, seven, three, four,’ Aaron corrected.
‘It’s my writing,’ said Karin, weakly.
Aaron was struggling to get his key card to work; the flowers were hindering him. ‘Not sure why I’m still holding onto these,’ he said, laughing as he offered them to Karin. He gave her a peck on the cheek and went inside the room, leaving the door open.
‘Have a good night,’ Louie shouted. Then, lowering her voice down to a whisper, she pressed her face in to Karin’s. ‘I’m guessing he also doesn’t know you’ve killed people, Karin.’