Ebb Tide

by Leah Murray

  She started fiddling with a lace on one of her sneakers, not wanting to look Shelley in the eye, have to explain yet again how she could have been stupid enough to get involved with a guy like that.

  `I had the same problem once,’ Shelley said suddenly and Jo looked up, surprised.

  `Really?’

  Shelley nodded. `Well, not quite as bad, he never resorted to violence, but he followed me everywhere, kept phoning me, talking to my friends and family. It went on for ages, I felt too guilty to tell him to stuff off, you know. Anyway, point is, although mine wasn’t as bad I have some idea about how you must feel.’

  She looked Jo in the eye then, smiled, reached out and patted her on the shoulder awkwardly.

  `I just want to say you’re lucky you’ve got Will. He won’t let anything happen to you. He’s …. well he’s had a bit of a bad history himself, you know.’

  Jo frowned. `I know. I haven’t asked him about it though, he clams up. Do you know what happened?’

  Shelley sighed, leaned back against her chair. `I probably shouldn’t tell you but I doubt he’ll say anything himself. He was in the Navy, you know that?’

  Jo nodded, sat forward, her heart pounding. She wasn’t sure what she expected to hear but it certainly wasn’t what Shelley said next.

  `Well, he got shot down in Iraq.’

  Jo sat back, stunned. `Oh my God.’

  Shelley nodded.

  `Yeah, it was bad. There were twelve on the helicopter, I think seven survived the crash and most of them got out of there thanks to Will and one of his friends. Somehow they managed to get everyone away from the wreckage and keep the guys who had shot them down away long enough for rescuers to get there. I know he had some pretty terrible injuries himself but I’m not sure what kind. I only met him a few years ago, Grant told me all this.’

  She paused, took a sip of juice, met Jo’s eye again. `They gave him a medal for bravery.’

  Jo shook her head in disbelief. `Wow. You hear about this sort of thing but you don’t ever expect to actually meet people who’ve … well … been there.’

  Shelley grimaced. `It gets worse, I’m afraid. That friend of his, the one who’d helped him after the crash, well apparently he’d done some major damage to his back, lost the use of his legs and um, well, he couldn’t handle it. Shot himself.’

  Jo drew in a deep breath, winced and Shelly nodded. `Will had been to see him the day before and the guy had started screaming at him, saying things like why didn’t Will just leave him to die … I don’t think he’s quite gotten over that, he moved up here after that happened, hid away. You’re about the only person he’s had staying here since I met him.’

  `God, that’s awful. No wonder he clams up.’

  Shelley nodded and they sat in silence, both of them trying to imagine what Will must’ve gone through. A few minutes later, Shelley looked back up at the house. `Grant’s on his way back, I’m going to go home and do some baking. Bread, I think, I love the smell. I can bake you a loaf if you like?’

  Jo nodded absently. `Yes, thanks, that would be great.’

  She watched as Grant gave Shelley another kiss then she headed back over to the newly dug beds, went back to turning the soil, not really concentrating on what she was doing as she mulled over what Shelley had told her.

  `Why didn’t you call me last night?’ Shaun asked, his face red with annoyance, and Will sighed, sat down in the chair and crossed his ankles on the desk, knew he was in for the long haul.

  `Like I said, the guy knew I was onto him. He’d have hightailed it out of there before you could get anywhere near him. There wasn’t any point. And Jo was upset, I thought it better to help her first.’

  Shaun cleared his throat, stared pointedly at Will’s boots.

  Sighing, Will took his feet off the desk and sat with his legs apart, elbows leaning on his thighs instead. `Look, I’m telling you now aren’t I? Besides, there’s something else. He was with a woman, she looked vaguely familiar but I only caught a glimpse of her. Point is, he’s not alone … I thought Julia would tell you, in any case.’

  Shaun sighed. `She was asleep when I got home and I got called out early this morning. I haven’t had a chance to talk with her yet.’

  He rubbed between his eyes with a thumb and forefinger and sighed. `Anyway, we have a lead on the guy. There’s a cottage up in Widegates that is let out for the summer but we can’t get hold of the tenant. Someone’s been round to check it out a few times, last time they were sure they saw movement in the top room but nobody answered the door. With the owner’s permission, we went in earlier today, found these,’ he pushed a manila envelope over the desk at Will.

  `God,’ Will said, opening one of the folders and flicking through a collection of photos, mostly shots of Jo but there were a few of him, the farm, Jo’s house in Hannafore road.

  `He’s done his homework hasn’t he?’ he said grimly.

  Shaun nodded. `I’m afraid so. Jo’s in serious trouble, Will. Where is she now?’

  Will looked up, barely heard the words as he tried to ignore the bile rising in his throat at one of the photographs, an image of Jo asleep in her bed in Hannafore road.

  `Bastard was in her house.’

  `Where is she?’

  With a great effort, he forced himself to answer the question. `With Grant and Shelley. At the farm. I’m heading back there now. Do you think he’ll go back to the cottage?’

  Shaun shook his head. `I doubt it. All his clothes, luggage, that sort of thing were gone. We couldn’t get any prints off anything either, he’d wiped it all clean. We already know who he is but this makes it harder to tie him to anything; he also used a false name on his tenancy agreement. The folders were sitting on the dining room table …’ he paused `… to be honest, I think he left them there deliberately.’

  CHAPTER 19

  THE NEXT WEEK PASSED IN a blur for Jo. Will worked late shifts most nights and, not wanting to bother Grant and Shelley too much, Jo made do with interrupted sleep. She’d have dinner at the pub then do her best to get some sleep in the back office until Will was ready to go home.

  After the fourth night in a row, she’d simply had enough of the noise and endless tossing and turning and was grateful Gus offered to take over for the weekend. With so little sleep, her patience with Laura had withered steadily and they were now at the point where they only spoke to each other when absolutely necessary. It made for a stifling work atmosphere and Jo was completely drained.

  On Friday night, she walked in the front door, flopped down on the couch and laid her head back, unable to move another muscle.

  `How about take-outs for dinner?’ Will asked from the doorway and with a huge effort she opened one eye, saw him grinning at her and shut it again with a groan.

  `Whatever. I don’t care. I’m too tired to move.’

  `Okay, I’ll call in the order. What do you feel like? Chinese? Italian? Thai?’

  For a moment she didn’t answer but a loud rumble from her stomach roused her enough to sit up and look at him. Slightly embarrassed, she laid a hand on her stomach in a vain attempt to quiet it while she spoke. `Chinese? Or Thai? I don’t mind. What do you prefer?’

  `Hmmm, how about Chinese?’

  She nodded and he went to make the call while she lay back against the couch. She must have fallen asleep as the next thing she knew there was a knock on the door and Will’s voice echoed in the hallway as he spoke to the delivery man. After a moment, he walked into the room with a couple of packages and set them down on the table.

  `I’ll go get some knives and forks’ he said, heading to the kitchen.

  Jo dragged herself over to the table and sat down, investigated the contents of the packets – huge portions of Beef Chop Suey and Sweet and Sour Pork. Hungry, she grabbed a piece of pork with a finger and thumb and was sucking the sauce from her fingers when Will returned.

  He laughed. `Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered with the forks.’

  She pulled
a face, reached for one of the glasses of cola he’d brought to the table.

  `Man, what a week,’ she said after she’d swallowed a mouthful.

  He sat down, started dishing some Chop Suey onto a plate. `Tell me about it. No improvements with the Laura situation I take it?’

  `Afraid not,’ she replied, wrinkling her nose with distaste. `You should have seen her today. First off she rocks up an hour late with no explanation whatsoever, then she double booked a couple of appointments this afternoon and gave breakfast to a cat due for surgery so we had to postpone it and not charge the owners for the extra few nights’ accommodation. Honestly, I’m surprised Ian keeps her on. Her mind is absolutely not on the job at all.’

  Will chewed on a mouthful of beef and rice before replying. `I think you’ll find Ian’s as fed up as you are. Problem is this is a bit of a small town and he’s sweet on her grandmother.’

  Jo choked on her pork, started coughing and had to reach for the cola. `I beg your pardon?’ she said when her eyes had stopped streaming.

  Will grinned. `Yep. You’ll remember Phyllis? The woman who’s helping my mother with the hospice? Laura’s her granddaughter.’

  `But Ian? He … I mean … he’s over sixty ….’

  Will lifted an eyebrow and grinned wickedly. `So?’

  Jo flushed, took another sip of cola. `I guess that doesn’t matter. How do you know about it though?’

  `My mother can be a bit of a gossip when she’s had one too many glasses of wine. She let slip at a dinner a few months ago that Phyllis and Ian were involved. I remember because Julia had rather the same reaction you just had.’

  Jo chewed another mouthful of pork, shaking her head. `I still can’t believe it. I guess that makes a bit of sense though even if it doesn’t help me any.’

  `You have to adjust to life in a small town, it’s not quite like living in a city. Here, everybody knows everybody else’s business. I mean this isn’t all that small but you find after a while that the people you know move in the same circles.’

  Jo pursed her lips. `Is that why you hide away up here? To get some privacy?’

  He grinned, nodded but didn’t comment further and it set her pondering over what Shelley had told her about Iraq. She hadn’t mentioned it to him, knew he wouldn’t want her pity or even her compassion but the knowledge had made her increasingly curious about his past.

  `Have you considered living somewhere bigger? London?’ she asked after a pause.

  He shrugged. `Yeah. I don’t like the big cities but I wouldn’t mind somewhere in-between. Sometimes I think I’ll pack up and go but …’ he leaned back in the chair, looked around the room, `I don’t know. There’s just something about this place that’s … home. I know I’ve still got lots of work to do on it but there’s no rush.’

  He looked back across at her and smiled. `What about you? Not a big city girl?’

  She grimaced. `Not at all. I don’t like crowds, noise, traffic. That whole feeling of always rushing to get somewhere or do something. I’d rather sit back and savor what’s in front of me for the moment.’

  `I agree, I don’t tend to rush into things either nowadays … well, not usually.’

  Their eyes locked and she felt a sudden shiver run through her. Longing? Chill? Fear? Not daring to reply she had another sip of cola and looked around the room. When she finally found the courage to look back at him, she found he was still watching her and he smiled, looked down at the table, reached for her hand and idly laced his fingers through hers.

  `Anyway, everyone’s accepted for Sunday so we’ve got some work to do getting things ready. I’m in your hands with this, it’s not my sort of thing at all.’

  She nodded as he looked back up at her, unable to tear her gaze away, hypnotized by the touch of his fingers lightly stroking the delicate skin at the inside of her wrist. Finally, she looked away, absently rubbed at her neck to relieve a knot of tension.

  `Stiff?’ he asked and she nodded.

  He came around to stand behind her, started massaging her neck and she leaned back, closed her eyes. `Hmm, I could go to sleep right here,’ she said after a minute or two, lulled by the warmth of his hands, the only sound in the room the ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece.

  She felt him laugh and he bent to touch his lips to her hair. `That’s not quite what I had in mind,’ he murmured and a shot of pure desire bolted through her. She squirmed in her seat as he ran his hands down her shoulders, over the curve of her breasts.

  `God,’ she murmured, drunk on pleasure and the sharp scent of his aftershave as he bent to nibble gently at her neck.

  `Jo?’

  `Hmmm?’

  `Get upstairs. This floor’s still rough and I’m sure you don’t want any splinters.’

  After breakfast the next morning, they set out to do some shopping.

  `Right, where to first?’ Will asked as they climbed into the Land Rover.

  `You still want to get outdoor furniture? Or are you going to lug that table out there again?’ she asked

  `Nah, let’s go get something new. I like what you’ve done with the garden by the way,’ he said, glancing over at her as he reversed out the drive.

  She smiled at him, turned to stare out the window, absurdly happy at the compliment.

  `Any thoughts as to what we’re actually going to feed people?’ he asked after a moment.

  `How about something simple? The weather’s good, we’re eating outside so we may as well have a barbeque.’

  He groaned and she turned to him in surprise.

  `What?’

  `I guess I have to buy one of those too now. You realize how many late shifts I’m going to have to work to pay for all this?’

  For a second she was worried but she saw his mouth twitch and relaxed, patted his knee. `I’m sure you’ll survive.’

  He rolled his eyes and she laughed, stuck her elbow on the edge of the window and smoothed her hair away from her face, drawing in a deep breath of air.

  `Man, I love the smell of the air around here. Kinda a mix of grass and sea. It’s awesome.’

  He grinned but didn’t reply and she looked out the window, enjoying the mix of colors as the landscape changed from the green-yellow hedges to the dark brown-green of the woods and then the solid grey of the motorway as they headed for Plymouth, just for a change of scene.

  They spent the day shopping, Will arranging for the bigger items to be delivered the next morning as Jo focused on the food. She didn’t want to know what it would cost to deliver something that far away but decided she wasn’t going to interfere and concentrated instead on exploring Plymouth.

  It was strange to be out of Looe, in a biggish city again, and as they sat at a café for lunch, Jo felt an awkwardness come over her. Seeing Will out of the confines of home, in the midst of a mass of strangers, she felt closer to him, intimate, not just physically but emotionally, and in a way she hadn’t really felt before. It made her nervous.

  `What’s up?’ he asked over a bowl of steamed mussels and she pulled a face.

  `Nothing.’

  `Why’ve you gone all fidgety again then?’

  She grinned, despite herself. `I’m not fidgety.’

  `Yes you are, you’re hopping around like you’ve got ants in your pants.’

  She laughed. `I’m fine … just kinda edgy for some reason.’

  His eyes darkened. `Ah, well, we Cornish have an old fashioned cure for that, you know.’

  Her lips twitched. `And what would that be?’

  His eyes glinting with amusement, he leaned in, kissed her across the table, only pulling away as someone edged past them to head outside and cleared their throat. Will laughed and she flushed, rolled her eyes and settled back in her chair.

  `I’m so glad I met you,’ she said after a pause, surprising herself. Shocked, she hastily looked down. God, why’d she say that?

  `Likewise,’ he replied and she glanced up, met his steady gaze. She returned his smile, somehow feelin
g lighter, more cheerful. Okay, so he wasn’t regretting the fact that he’d invited her to stay, despite all the trouble with Jack. That was promising.

  She watched him eat, having finished her fish, and pulled a face. `Ughh, how can you eat those things?’ she asked, staring at the mussels.

  He glanced up, smiled but didn’t reply, his attention suddenly drawn to the road outside. He nudged her foot with his, pointed out the window with an elbow as he opened another mussel shell and finished chewing.

  She turned to see what he was looking at, couldn’t help a smile herself as she saw Ian walking hand in hand with Phyllis across the street.

  `Hmmm, it seems he’s decided to have the day off work too.’

  `Now you know where they go to escape being spotted,’ Will said and she nodded.

  Then she turned to him, suddenly serious. `You don’t think Jack might be staying here and …?”

  He looked thoughtful. `Possibly.’

  She frowned, started twisting a napkin. `Will, it worries me we haven’t seen or heard from him in so long. It’s almost worse than having to deal with him. I …. I know I’ve said it before but I’m really sorry to have dragged you into this and …’ she held up a hand as he started to protest, `and I wanted to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what would have happened to me by now. He … he’s not going to stop until he gets me. You do know that?’

  Will sighed, finished the last mussel and rubbed the napkin at the corner of his mouth before setting his elbows on the table and giving her a considering look.

  `I agree he’s going to keep trying but I think he’s going to mess up somewhere and he’s going to get caught and then you will be able to put this all behind you, move on. In the meantime, you’re with me and I swear I won’t let him lay a hand on you.’

  `But now he’s going after you too. I can’t help but think that … well, maybe if I moved out …’

  He frowned. `Don’t even go there. I’m not leaving you to face this alone.’

  `Will … you’ve only known me a few weeks and he’s already shot your dog. What happens if this drags on for months? Years? He’s already followed me for almost a year.’