Fools Who Dream

by Alex Pitt

  “Are you certain you saw him kill April?”

  “Yes. I remember that much. He knocked me out and my face fell next to hers. I can still see it now.”

  I could see this was upsetting him and he was still off his face, so I suggested he should take a seat at one of the tables, which he did. I fetched him a glass of water, and he gulped it down greedily. Taking a breath of air, he slammed the glass down and did a small hiccup.

  “This is a mess, isn’t it, Cooper?” he asked, and I nodded firmly.

  “Don’t you worry, Detective. We’ll get you home and then we can work this thing out in the morning, yeah?”

  “You called me by my name earlier,” Richard smiled, and I winced.

  I’d hoped he hadn’t noticed that. It had just slipped out, because I wasn’t talking directly to him.

  “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” I told him.

  After that, we left. I drive Richard home with the promise that we’d return the next day to pick his car up. We’d probably have to go there anyway, to do some digging around. Going into his bungalow, I lay him down on the bed and told him to catch some shut-eye. He could sleep in his clothes. There was no way I was helping him undress. Then again…

  No. I wasn’t going through that again.

  I decided I’d crash on his couch. I didn’t even ask his permission because he’d entered the land of nod approximately two seconds after his head hit the pillow, and I wasn’t going to wake him for this. He needed the shut-eye, so I gave myself permission to sleep on the sofa.

  The following morning, I awoke to the smell of bacon, and it was such a good smell. I could hear the oil spitting as I sat up, rubbing my eyes of sleep.

  “Morning, Cooper,” Richard said cheerfully to me.

  “Morning,” I grimaced, not properly awake yet.

  “Bacon sandwich alright for breakfast?”

  “Uh-huh,” I nodded, stretching my legs and getting to my feet. “You’re unnaturally high-spirited for someone who was completely pissed a few hours ago.”

  “I know,” he said, and beamed at me.

  “No hangover?”

  “I don’t get hangovers. I have done in the past, but usually only from mixing drinks. I was purely on the vodka and beer last night.”

  “Right,” I muttered, not sure how to mention the April case. Did he even remember it?

  “I’ve been thinking more and more about what happened last night,” he told me, answering the question I’d been thinking. “It was the same guy who killed Rachel. I knew it was at the time, but I couldn’t tell you why. I can now. He had the same knife. I knew it as soon as I woke.”

  “The same knife?” I repeated, making sure he was absolutely clear on what he was saying.

  “Yes, the same knife.”

  “But it would have been dark,” I frowned, sure he was mistaken.

  Richard shook his head, saying, “The moon reflected off the blade. It was definitely the same, but I couldn’t see who was holding it.”

  “Maybe the blade was the same, but it doesn’t mean the knife was. Remember, it doesn’t come from this country.”

  “I know,” Richard nodded. “And that’s what I’ve been thinking about, but it must be him. Think about it. I know it was the same knife, it has to be. The design of the blade is so unique, there can’t be another knife like it. Maybe this guy, whoever he is, went away on holiday, bought a few knives, somehow got them past security, and is now committing murder with them. Two girls who work at the same club, with the same knife, just a few weeks apart. It has to be him.”

  “I agree,” I told him. He was right, but that didn’t help us much without a body or a suspect.

  “There’s something else I’ve remembered,” and my ears pricked up. “He had an accent. He was saying something to April, something about disobeying him, and his accent was so strong. I couldn’t tell where it was from though. Or maybe I could, but I can’t remember.”

  “Are you sure? That means Spider’s off the hook,” I sighed, genuinely disappointed. I was sure he was our guy, but he had a clear English accent.

  “We need to head back to the club after breakfast,” he told me, and I nodded. “See if there are any clues we can pick up on.”

  “I really hope so. I wouldn’t hold your breath though. April wasn’t there when Spider called the station and I didn’t see her when I got there, so he must have cleaned the mess up. Judging from the job he did with Rachel, he knows what he’s doing. He won’t have left a trace, but it’s worth a look anyway.”

  Richard agreed with me, and finished cooking the breakfast. It was so nice: a bacon batch with tomato ketchup inside. It felt good to be back in Richard’s company again, but I hoped he wouldn’t mention the night we’d slept together. It had been fun, but I didn’t want to think about it.

  Donning the plates in the sink, we headed back to my car and I revved it up. Slamming into first gear, I span around on the drive and headed to the club.

  I didn’t know what we’d find. I didn’t even know if we would find anything. The only thing I did know: I was scared. The killer was still out there, and his second victim had been named.

  It was only a matter of time before he struck another blow.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I spent the next day thinking about what Daisy had told me. Now that college was out, I actually had time to think about something else other than exams and bloody revision. That was a good thing, and a bad thing. It meant that I was able to spend days on end in my bedroom, going over what Daisy had told me. It wasn’t her fault, I didn’t blame her for a second, but it was a truly horrific event for her family to go through. To lose a loved one, and to lose her so young.

  Then again, something positive had come from that day. Daisy and I had hooked up, and it was so good. Even better than I ever imagined it. She tried calling me the next day, but I let it ring out on purpose. I was still thinking things over in my mind, but, on her third call, I picked up. I didn’t want her to think I was drifting from her, now that we’d done the deed. I also didn’t want her to feel that I wasn’t there after she’d told me what had happened. It may have been a couple of years ago, but Daisy was still hurting from it and I was there to comfort her.

  “Hey,” I said, answering the phone and waiting for her soft voice.

  “Finally. I thought you were flaking on me, Jack.”

  “Would I ever do that?” I was hurt.

  “You wouldn’t be the first,” Daisy sighed, and this wasn’t right. This wasn’t how I wanted our relationship to be.

  “I was just on the toilet,” I lied. “I wouldn’t flake on you, OK? I can give you all the juicy details if you want.”

  “That’s fine,” Daisy laughed. “Sorry, I’m just paranoid.”

  “You don’t need to be,” I reassured her.

  “I know.” A pause, then, “Thank you for yesterday. For listening to me, for being there, for everything.”

  I could barely keep the grin off my face, the memories of the previous day still fresh in my brain. On the one hand, I felt bad for smiling after what she’d told me yesterday, but she had been the one to initiate our session.

  “Anytime,” I told her. “Is there anything I can do you for?” I asked, not wanting to sound like I was cutting her off, but also not sure why she’d called.

  “No, not really. I just wanted to hear your voice. I’ll let you go.”

  “Are you sure? We can talk for longer if you want.”

  “No, it’s OK Jack. I missed my therapy session on Saturday anyway because I was busy getting ready for the party. I’m going to see him later instead.”

  There was something to her voice when she said that, but I brushed it off. What could she possibly be thinking?

  “Alright, baby. Message me later, yeah?”

  And we ended the call.

  I was due to meet Scooter, Vince and Tom later on that day. I’d been feeling bad for spending so much time with Daisy of late, so I though
t we’d go to the cinema and grab a bite to eat. It sounded fun, and they all agreed.

  Baby Driver was the film of choice today, directed by the master filmmaker, Edgar Wright. I’d chosen this film for us all, but I knew the others would love it. I was right.

  “Fuck, that was brutal. So good, though,” Vince said, exiting the cinema, a spring to his step. “Ansel Elgort is amazing.”

  We all nodded in agreement, then headed into the nearest Burger King. I preferred a good Maccies any day, but I’d let them choose where we were eating because I picked the film. I was surprised though, to be honest. I didn’t think anyone chose Burger King over McDonalds.

  With Daisy’s agreement, I’d decided to tell the others what had happened to Ruby. It would shock them all, but they were my best friends and I thought they should know. Now that I was in possession of the knowledge, Daisy didn’t mind my friends knowing as well.

  We sat down at the table, and I spilled the beans.

  “Guys, there’s something I have to tell you…” and then I told them.

  Just as expected, they were horrified. Their burgers remained largely untouched when I told them; they were too engrossed in the story, and upset at the same time.

  “How the fuck can she be dealing with that?” Tom asked, once I’d finished the tale. His mouth was hanging open, as was Scooter’s and Vince’s.

  “Downright horrible,” Scooter agreed, shaking his head.

  “So that’s the reason,” Vince sighed, slamming his knuckle on his burger, squashing the bun.

  “The reason for what?” I frowned.

  “Taking the drugs. She was trying to find an escape for that. It must have been on her mind, and she needed something to take it off.”

  “Jesus, I hadn’t even been thinking about that. I’ve been too busy with what she told me, I’d forgotten about the overdose. It makes sense now.”

  I sighed heavily, and we finally tucked into our food. It was slightly cold and my tummy felt queasy, but I ate it nonetheless.

  All I could think about was Daisy. What was she doing now? Was she OK? Was she safe? What was she thinking about?

  All of these questions were burning in my mind, and I just had to call her. I needed to know she was safe.

  “I need the loo,” I blurted out, putting my half-eaten burger down and heading off.

  In actual fact, I was starting to feel a bit sick. Crashing into the cubicle, I lifted the toilet lid and heaved. A bit came out, but not too much. This whole thing was affecting me more than it should have, but it was all because I cared for Daisy. I wanted her to be OK.

  Flushing the loo and digging my phone out of my pocket, I called her.

  There was no answer.

  A second time. Still no answer.

  A third time. I listened to the long ringing of the phone, but still no answer. What the hell was she doing? I needed to talk to her.

  Then I remembered her therapy session, and I checked the time on my phone. It was half six. She shouldn’t be there now, but what else could she be doing?

  I rang a fourth time, this time leaving a voicemail.

  “Hey, Daisy, it’s Jack. Just ringing to see how you are. I miss you. Call me when you can, alright? I love you.”

  Then I hung up and waited in the bathroom for five whole minutes. When I still hadn’t heard back, I re-joined the others at the table.

  “You alright, mate?” Scooter asked, and I nodded.

  “That burger just affected me the wrong way,” I told them, but picked up the rest and wolfed it down anyway.

  The hours stretched on, and Daisy still didn’t call. I was even getting to the verge of wondering if she was the one who was flaking. Perhaps she didn’t like me anymore, but I knew that wasn’t true. Daisy was loyal, and she certainly acted like she still loved me, so I didn’t know what was going on with the girl.

  The four of us parted ways shortly after, and headed home. Part of me was glad the day was over, so I could lock myself in my bedroom and mull things over, but another part of me longed for company. I needed a distraction, and they were always good at that.

  My phone rang just as I was walking up the road, startling me. Racing to pick it out of my pocket and answer, I held it to my ear. I hadn’t even checked who was calling before answering. I just presumed it would be Daisy, and I was right.

  She was crying.

  “Hey, Jack,” she sobbed, immediately putting me into protective boyfriend mode.

  “What’s wrong? What’s happened?” I questioned, stopping in my tracks, ready to turn around and bolt for her house.

  “I’ve just got out of therapy. I should have been done ages ago, but he stayed with me because I was crying. I told him about us yesterday, about how I’d told you the story with Ruby, and then I just started crying. I couldn’t stop, so he sat with me until now. That’s when I found your calls. I’m sorry.”

  It was fine, I told her. Absolutely fine.

  Then we hung up, and I went inside.

  Why the hell did I do that?

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “You alright, sweetie?” my mum asked, coming to see me when she heard the front door bang shut.

  “Fine,” I nodded, not looking at her.

  I didn’t want her to see the tears. There weren’t many, but just a couple. I didn’t even really know why, because Daisy had told me that nothing was wrong. She had promised that everything was fine, but I just had a feeling she was lying and that had made me cry. I needed to talk to her about it. If I didn’t, it would destroy both my mind and the relationship we had created.

  “Jack, look at me,” my mum instructed, placing a firm hand on my chin.

  I did as she requested, and she gasped when she saw the tears. It wasn’t like me to cry. In fact, I could probably count the times on one hand when I’d cried since I’d struck my teenage years. It wasn’t often and it was usually over movies. Titanic and Toy Story 3. Oh, and that time when our cat got run over. It was three years ago, but I still miss little Tiddles.

  When she saw the state I was in, she wrapped a protective arm around me and squeezed. I knew she would always be there, and that made me cry even more.

  “Jack, honey, what’s happened?”

  “Daisy and I had a fight,” I lied.

  It was the first thing I could think of, the first thing to come to mind. It wasn’t the truth, obviously, but I’d decided it was for the best. I didn’t mind my pals, Scooter, Vince and Tom knowing what was going on with Daisy, but I didn’t want my mum in on it just yet. I thought I’d have to tell her one day, but not yet.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want her support, but I was scared of what her reaction would be. I knew she wouldn’t blame Daisy, just as I didn’t, but I wasn’t ready to discuss it with my mum yet, not when mine and Daisy’s relationship was still in the honeymoon phase. Soon, when I’d got some distance between myself and knowing what had happened to Ruby, I would tell her.

  “What did you fight about?” she asked me, but I wasn’t quick enough to think of a convincing lie this time. “Big secret, huh?”

  “No, it’s not a secret.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “It was only something petty. But, you know, sometimes the petty arguments can blow up big.”

  “Yeah, I know,” she said, and I could tell she was thinking about my dad.

  I smiled, and she smiled back. I did love my mum, I really did.

  “She must mean a lot to you, Jacky.” She used to call me that when I was little, but I hadn’t heard it in a long time. “It takes a lot to make you cry.”

  And she wiped a tear off my cheek when she said that.

  Guilt was rising inside of me so I decided it would be best to retreat to my room before I made the situation worse. Opening the door to my bedroom, I was greeted by Rufus, wagging his golden tail at me.

  “Mum forgot to feed you, huh?” I asked, glancing at his bowl.

  Sure enough, it was empty.

  Grabbing
the biscuits off my desk, I tipped the box up and spilled them into his bowl. He barked appreciatively and tucked in. Oh, what a life he must lead, I thought to myself. Not worrying about anything apart from when he was getting fed. I shook my head, laughing silently at myself for being envious of a dog.

  I opened my laptop up and played a game for a bit. It was nice doing that for once, not worrying about having to revise instead of playing.

  I got bored playing the game pretty quickly, so I switched over to Netflix. I didn’t pay attention to what I was watching. I clicked on the first thing that came up, and tuned out pretty quickly.

  Twenty minutes later, I closed the lid to my laptop without even bothering to shut Netflix down properly, and sat back. I tilted my head and let out a big sigh. Usually, playing games and watching Netflix were two of my favourite things to do, but I couldn’t concentrate today. I was still thinking about Daisy, praying she was OK.

  I was sure she wouldn’t mind if I called her again, but I thought a bit of time and space was for the best. I’d give her a ring in the morning.

  Rufus had finished eating his dinner and came over to see me, burying his face in my hand. I did love him very much, and it was coming up to a year since we’d picked him up. He’d been living in an unwelcoming home, and so we’d gladly taken the dog off their hands. I don’t know why they didn’t want him; he was a bundle of joy.

  “We’ll go for walkies tomorrow, yeah?” I said, rustling the short hair on his face.

  He didn’t say anything back, obviously, but the look he gave me was disappointed. Well, I thought he was giving off that vibe, but I was probably imagining it.

  “I’m not going back out now. We’ll go tomorrow, I promise.”

  I ripped off the clothes I’d been wearing all day, getting into my pyjamas. It was a nice feeling, especially when layered with sweat. A shower might have been in order, but I really couldn’t be bothered with that, so I just lay back on my bed and stared at my phone.