The Liberation of Alice Love

by Abby McDonald

  “Already taken care of.” Nathan turned back and then stared at what she assumed was the full force of the red dress. “No wonder you got arrested,” he murmured.

  The fact that he had just likened her to a prostitute was not lost on Alice. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she informed him, her gratitude dimming slightly. Presenting the jacket to the desk clerk, she stumbled through some rudimentary sign language to convey her meaning before turning back to Nathan, a little more wary this time. He was staring at her bare legs with less than a virtuous expression. Sainthood, perhaps, would wait.

  Nathan held the front door open in a gesture of exaggerated chivalry. “After the lady.”

  “And there I was just thinking you’d called me a whore,” Alice quipped as she bounded down the front steps. But it was impossible to stay annoyed: outside, it was a glorious morning, with blue skies and a fresh breeze. Ah, breeze. She closed her eyes and turned her face up toward the sun. Six hours in a gloomy cell had certainly renewed her appreciation for natural light.

  When she opened her eyes, Nathan was looking at her with that same expression from before, equal parts bemusement and disapproval.

  “What?”

  “You shouldn’t have taken off like this. Stefan didn’t even know you’d gone.”

  “Says the man who invites strange women away on a whim,” Alice replied drily, following him toward a sleek, dark car. They’d avoided the subject of Paris and his proposition for so long, but she didn’t see the point anymore. “You’re hardly the poster boy for reliability.”

  Nathan coughed. “But you thought that was crazy,” he pointed out. “So why this?”

  Alice shrugged. “I took a philosophy class once.”

  He looked blank. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “One of their great challenges was always this idea of certain knowledge,” Alice continued, enjoying herself. “What we could rely on being true. And the problem is, there’s nothing certain. Not gravity, not existence—even if everything seems predictable, it doesn’t mean it won’t be different tomorrow.”

  “So you came to Rome?”

  “So I came to Rome,” She opened her door and slid into the soft leather seat, almost sighing with pleasure. Oh, the padded upholstery. And was that…? Yes, a seat warmer!

  “You seen pretty upbeat, all things considered.” Nathan got in the other side but didn’t start the engine. “Are you sure you’re all right? They didn’t hurt you at all, or—”

  “Gosh, no!” Alice exclaimed. “They treated me fine. Decent breakfast, actually. Continental, some hotels would call it.”

  He stared at her again, but Alice was already dreaming of the delicious hot shower that awaited her and the sumptuous fluffy robe hanging on the back of her bedroom door. Her flight wasn’t booked until evening, so that left plenty of time to investigate Ella’s hasty departure. Amalfi wasn’t far, if she remembered correctly, and surely held the next thread in her trail; Alice hadn’t traveled all this way simply to turn around and return home, content with some sightseeing and a few delicious meals. No, she was determined to discover something more.

  Before Alice knew it, they had pulled up outside her hotel. “Right.” She smiled at Nathan. “Thanks for straightening everything out. I really do appreciate it.” She opened the door and made to climb out of the car.

  Nathan looked confused. “Where are you going?”

  “To take a shower, of course.” Alice looked at him. “And change into something more appropriate, since you think I’m bound to be arrested again in this.” As soon as the comment was out of her mouth, Alice softened. Ill-advised remark aside, she really did owe him. “Thanks for everything,” she added, warmer this time. “I hope it didn’t put you out too much. I’ll be sure to call Stefan and let him know I’m all right. Have a safe trip!” Giving him a grateful smile, she slammed the door behind her and hurried toward coffee and the rest of her day.

  ***

  Despite her hasty farewell, it occurred to Alice that Nathan probably hadn’t flown all the way down from Switzerland just to act as an escort to her hotel door. Sure enough, when she returned to the lobby to check out, she found him sipping from a cardboard cup and flicking idly through back issues of Time and Newsweek.

  “If I’d known you were waiting…” Alice was gratified to catch another appreciative look from Nathan as she approached. She’d changed into her flowing sundress, letting her hair dry in messy curls and spritzing on a light cloud of her new perfume.

  “You’d have got a move on with that shower?” Nathan finished. “I thought I was going to have to call up to get you out.”

  “It was illegally good,” Alice agreed, perching on one of the leather chairs. Then she laughed. “Maybe that’s not the best choice of words, all things considered.”

  “True.” Nathan’s grin faded. “I was thinking that, uh, I owe you an apology, for what I said before, about the dress. You’re right: it was way out of line.”

  “Thanks.” She gave him a small smile. “It’s all right.”

  “Good,” Nathan exhaled, and immediately, the confident expression returned. “Then we better get moving. We’re on a schedule here, you know.”

  “Actually, I don’t.”

  He paused. “Oh, right, I should have explained in the car. I’m taking you back to England.”

  “Taking me?” Alice arched an eyebrow, amused.

  “We’re booked on the two-o’clock flight.” Nathan checked his watch. “Which gives us time to get to the airport and check out some duty-free…” He trailed off, finally catching her expression. “What is it now?” he sighed, with woeful look. “I didn’t call you anything offensive; I tried especially.”

  She laughed. “And I appreciate the effort. But I’m sorry to disappoint you. This isn’t the nineteenth century, and you’re not my legal guardian.”

  “I should hope not,” Nathan murmured, giving her body another long stare.

  Alice snapped her fingers. “Umm, up here?”

  He looked up. “Sorry. Distracted.”

  “Evidently.” Alice grinned. She was enjoying their banter, despite herself—and Nathan’s mistaken belief that she was cargo to be transported back to her closest male relative. With this new frisson under her skin, Alice found herself able to flirt and quip as playfully as she did as Angelique. None of this seemed real; it was all just a temporary escape.

  “So?” Nathan prompted. “I did mention that schedule…”

  “Yes, see, that’s the thing.” Alice bit her lip. “Your plan doesn’t really work for me. I have a flight already booked for tonight, so I’ll just keep to that and see you in England.” She shot him a bright smile and tried to maneuver her case toward the front desk, but Nathan was on his feet in an instant, blocking her path.

  Narrowing his eyes, he looked at her for a long moment. “You’re up to something,” he said slowly. “Where are you going?”

  “Just to do some sightseeing.” She shrugged, the picture of innocence—or so she hoped. “Now that I’m here, it seems a shame to waste the time.”

  “Yes, here.” Nathan’s eyes took on a devious gleam. “You just happened to book the same hotel as this Ella woman?”

  “She must have mentioned it in passing.” Alice shrugged. “You know how these things work: subconscious triggers, and all that. Now, could you let me past?”

  He wagged his fingers at her. “Not so fast, missy. I want to know what you’re playing at.”

  “Missy?” Alice had to smirk. Nathan grinned back.

  “Better than madam, I think.”

  “Given your record, definitely,” she agreed. “And I told you, I’m just off for some sightseeing. I thought I’d rent a car, drive down to the coast…” Alice knew as soon as she’d spoken that she’d said too much. Nathan’s eyes lit up.

  “You’re going to Positano!”

  Alice paused. “What do you know about that?”

  “Plenty,” Nathan replied,
smug. “I made some calls before getting you out. That’s where they say she went.” He frowned. “Is this what you’ve been doing—running around, trying to track her down? Because you won’t find her, I told you, she’s long gone by now. A professional like this—she’d cover her tracks.”

  Alice gave an impatient look. “I know that, I’m not stupid.”

  “Yet still you’re here, playing Nancy Drew.”

  Alice bristled. “I suppose that makes you a Hardy Boy then.” She was tempted to tell him about everything else she’d discovered: Ella’s schedule, the volunteering, and every other tiny detail she’d found in her search for answers. She’d been nothing if not thorough. But Alice caught herself just in time.

  “This has been fun, but I better leave you to that schedule of yours.” She took a step to the side.

  “No, you can’t.” Nathan mirrored her with a step of his own, blocking her way again.

  “Come on,” Alice chided him playfully. “Even Nancy Drew managed to get around in that sports car of hers.”

  He looked down at her, all humor disappearing from his brown eyes. “I’m serious, Alice. You can’t just go running down there. For all you know, she skipped out on those bills too, and you’ll get arrested all over again.”

  Alice paused. She hated to admit it, but the man had a point.

  “You’re right.”

  Nathan nodded. “I know I am.”

  “Which is why you better come with me.”

  He blinked. “Me? No, Alice, I said—we have flights booked, and I need to take you—”

  “Again, with the taking!” Alice sighed, before remembering that exasperation probably wasn’t her best tactic—not when she wanted him to drive her a few hundred miles or so and question local hoteliers on her behalf. She beamed at him instead. “Face it, I need you. I’m going to Positano no matter what you say, so you can either let me go get in trouble all over again or come along and make sure I don’t.”

  “I could kidnap you and force you on that plane instead,” he muttered darkly.

  “I wouldn’t recommend it,” Alice sidestepped him, patting him lightly on the chest as she went. “I bite.”

  The desk clerk was efficient, checking her out in a matter of minutes. They offered to comp her room, as penance for the inconvenience, but Alice insisted on paying her bill, as well as Ella’s. She didn’t know what panic had made the other woman leave without paying, but she knew this much by now: Ella didn’t steal from small businesses if she could help it, and neither would Alice, whatever the expense. Thanking Pascal profusely for his attentions, she picked up her shoulder bag and strode happily for the exit and the possibilities that awaited in Positano.

  Nathan followed, as she knew he would.

  ***

  The drive was smooth and swift, and with a soundtrack of classic Motown playing low on the stereo system, Alice found herself slipping in and out of sleep, drifting through the hours as the muted green and gold tones of the countryside slipped past. In what felt like no time at all, she was being gently shaken awake—Nathan’s hand soft on her arm.

  “Mmmneh,” she yawned, her voice thick with sleep. “Are we here?”

  “Almost. I thought you’d want to see this part.”

  Alice opened her eyes fully and looked out of the car. They were driving on a twisted road, set into the side of rocky cliffs. Above them, a jumble of whitewashed houses rose, lodged on the hillside at a perilous incline, while to her right, the cliffs fell away to a crash of blue water, patches of golden sand nestled between the rock.

  “It’s beautiful,” Alice breathed, looking out at the vast stretch of ocean. The sky was powder blue, dotted with wisps of cloud, and out in the water, she could see tiny white sailboats scattered across the horizon. “No wonder Ella came here.”

  Soon, the road veered inland, through the steep, winding streets of Positano town itself. It was the most charming place Alice had ever seen: red-tile roofs perched tight together, tiny gleaming cafés and stores set out on the main streets, and bougainvillea spilling from every terrace and steep, uneven wall.

  “The woman at the hotel in Rome—the snooty one—”

  “Carina,” Alice finished, still staring, rapt, at the contrast of white walls against the blue, blue ocean beyond.

  “Right. She said she gave Ella a list of five hotels here, so it shouldn’t be too hard to work our way through them, see what they know.” Nathan glanced over. “If you’re tired, you could just nap here. It’ll probably be faster if I’m on my—”

  “No. Thanks.” Alice tried to rouse herself. Never mind sleep—she had work to do. “I’m coming with you.”

  “OK, but don’t get your hopes up,” Nathan warned, slowing the car as they approached what Alice assumed was the first hotel: an elegant building set back from a small square. “This town is a tourist hive in summer. It’s doubtful anyone will remember her at all.”

  “They will,” Alice vowed. “We’ll find something.”

  ***

  But Ella had clearly made an art of being forgettable, because nobody could recall even laying eyes on the woman. Desk clerks consulted with managers, who consulted with security guards, but each demurred, regretfully informing them that CCTV footage and client records were strictly confidential. Unless they had a police warrant or proof that this woman had, in fact, been a guest, well—they were sadly unable to help.

  “That’s it, then.” Nathan returned from the last reception desk with a sigh. “Five strikes, and we’re out.”

  Alice refused to be defeated. Casting her eye around the lobby, she thought hard. It was the most stylish of all the hotels, set on a cliff top, with sprawling white terraces and uninterrupted views of the ocean, but aside from the luxury of the airy white rooms, it had the most Ella-esque feel. It wasn’t something she could explain to Nathan, but after the weeks she’d spent picking through Ella’s every movement and purchase, Alice had developed an instinct for the other woman’s taste. With lemon trees dotted around the slim pool outside, hot-pink flowers spilling over the long balcony, and even vines twisting up the inside walls in an unexpected garden, of all the hotels they’d seen, this was the one she’d pick for Ella—and herself.

  “So, what’s our next step?” Alice asked. “Hacking into the security system? Slipping the cleaning staff a few euros to jog their memories?”

  Nathan coughed. “Didn’t you learn anything from your night behind bars? Nothing illegal, Alice. That’s the number one rule of the job.”

  “Oh.” She was disappointed. “Really? I thought—”

  “You thought wrong.” Nathan fixed her with a stern look. “Sure, there are some guys who run around, breaking the rules, but they give the rest of us a bad name. I get what I’m after the legal way.”

  Alice frowned. “Then what do we do now?”

  “Go back to England.” Nathan softened. “I know you wanted to find her, but you’re chasing shadows here—it’s time to give it up.”

  But Alice wasn’t ready to do that. “We should have some lunch first,” she suggested.

  “We can eat in the car.”

  “Yes, but look at the restaurant here.” Alice pointed invitingly at the sunlit terrace and sweeping ocean views. “We could sit outside, have some drinks…Although, you might want to—” Alice reached over and straightened Nathan’s shirt, smoothing down his hair.

  “Thanks,” he replied, a touch sarcastic. “Personal grooming has been kind of far down my priority list. After, you know, flying in and rescuing you from the squalor of a foreign jail cell.”

  Alice wasn’t so easily managed. “Is this where you try and guilt-trip me into obedience?” she grinned, her hand still resting on his chest. She felt a flicker of excitement from the bold touch.

  “Maybe.” His eyes were glinting as he looked down at her. “Is it working?”

  Alice smiled, flirtatious. “Not yet. You’ll have to try a little harder.”

  “Damn,” Nathan adopted another h
ang-dog expression. “What if I tell you about getting woken at five a.m.? Or spending hours manfully wrestling with the Roman police force for your freedom? I didn’t even have time for breakfast,” he added darkly. “I’ve had so much coffee and sugar, I feel like I’ve got the shakes.”

  “Poor baby.” Alice took his hand and led him toward the terrace. “All the more reason to get you fed.”

  ***

  Nathan didn’t even pretend to protest about flights and timing once he was seated, with a cool beer in his hand. Considering that he’d refused to even leave Rome only a few hours before, Alice thought her newfound powers of persuasion were doing rather well. Ella was right, she decided, gazing happily at the vivid ocean views; men did enjoy the femme fatale routine. Her red dress had played a part last night, true, but so did the lure of foreign travel and mysterious investigations.

  The temptations of adventure were not to be overlooked.

  “It’s not the Fifth Arrondissement, but it’ll do…” Alice leaned back and gave Nathan a deliberate smile.

  He looked up, surprised, but quickly rearranged his features into their usual friendly expression. “And there I was, thinking we weren’t going to talk about that.”

  “Sorry,” Alice laughed. “Unspoken agreements aren’t worth the words they’re not spoken with.”

  Nathan grinned. “Is that your official legal advice?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, taking another sip of wine. “I won’t even bill you for it.”

  “No, it’s OK. I’ll just take it off my expense claim for this search and rescue.” He winked and went back to his steak.

  Alice wasn’t so easily dismissed. Nonchalance had been Nathan’s default setting since the day they met, but she wanted to know who he really was, beneath that casual smile. If she couldn’t be direct now, with this restless impulse still fluttering in her veins, then when would she ever be?

  “Do you do it often?” Alice took off her sunglasses off to watch him. “Invite strangers to run away on an illicit weekend?”