The Busker: A gripping psychological thriller

by M. J. Patrick

  ‘You okay?’ Ashley asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ Sally replied.

  ‘What are you thinking about?’

  Sally wasn’t listening. She turned to her friend. ‘Sorry?’

  ‘I said, what are you thinking about?’

  ‘Nothing much.’

  ‘How’s the ice cream?’

  ‘Yeah, good,’ Sally said, licking another mouthful of vanilla. ‘I haven’t had one in years. Thanks for getting it.’

  Ashley got them ice creams on the way from the harbour to the bus stop. She'd bought them at a cafe geared towards tourists, at prices Sally thought of as ludicrous. Even though Sally had made a passionate objection to how expensive the ice creams were, Ashley said she didn’t mind.

  ‘We’re on holiday,’ she’d explained to Sally at the cafe. ‘Spending too much money is the point of going away.’ Sally nodded along with her friend like she understood, but she didn’t at all. She didn’t have spare money to spend on ice creams, but Ashley had come from a family where money wasn’t an issue, or even a necessary discussion. Money was the biggest difference between them. Money, for Sally and her Dad, was precious and scarce, something you didn’t spend on things like ice cream.

  Now that they were on the bus, Sally regretted asking Ashley for such a large cone at the cafe. The ice cream was melting faster than she could eat, and Sally pictured a vanilla-flavoured puddle forming underneath her feet on the bus floor. She couldn’t help thinking of all of Ashley’s money spent on the ice creams, gone.

  ‘Is this about the phone?’ Ashley asked.

  ‘I’m sorry about it,’ Sally replied.

  ‘Stop repeating yourself,’ Ashley glared at her. ‘I’ve said it’s fine.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I know it was an accident.’

  ‘It was.’

  ‘But you did promise me you’ll get a new one.’

  ‘I did.’

  ‘Great, so it’s sorted. Let’s leave it at that.’

  ‘Okay,’ Sally replied. She leaned against the bus window, embarrassed by the way Ashley had snapped at her and the way she herself had coiled back. Sally was afraid of telling Ashley she didn’t have any money to buy a new phone. She resolved not to say a thing about it, afraid of saying anything negative to her friend.

  She had to figure out how she was going to buy a new one. Ashley wouldn’t forget. She sighed, and looked out the window.

  Ashley was watching her. ’Is this about me being late to the airport?’ she asked Sally, concerned.

  ‘What? No.’ Ashley was wrong, Sally had completely forgotten about the other day when they’d nearly been late for the plane.

  ‘I told you my alarm didn’t go off,’ Ashley explained, her own ice cream starting to melt over her hand. She ignored it. ‘I didn’t mean to sleep in like that.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Sally replied. ‘We’re lucky I got to yours early to wake you up in time. If it hadn’t been for that check-in woman being nice and putting us in the fast-track queue we would’ve been so screwed.’

  ‘How did you know to come around to mine so early?’

  ‘Ashley,’ Sally said. ‘I’ve known you for years.’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘I knew you were going to miss your alarm and sleep in.’

  On the morning of the flight, she’d expected Ashley to be late. Ashley was always late. It had become a joke between them. Sally had gone around to her house early for that reason. Surprised, Ashley’s mum had let Sally into her friend’s bedroom, also not knowing what time the flight was. Sally had to wake Ashley with a strong shake. She leapt out of bed swearing.

  At the front door, as they headed out to the airport, Ashley’s mum farewelled Sally with a concerned smile, the same one she’d given Sally every day since the Funeral. Sally suspected, for the whole time they’d been friends, that Ashley’s parents thought of her as some kind of project, a thing for them to fix up. Since the Funeral their pity had developed and developed even more until they were practically ready to adopt Sally as a pet. Sitting in the pews of the church at the Funeral they’d even tried to write her a cheque. Sally politely refused three times before they stopped, but they persisted. She had to return a cheque they’d sent in the post a few days later.

  But, indirectly, Ashley’s parents had written her a cheque in the end. They were the ones paying for this entire holiday. The flights and the hostel. The holiday of Sally’s dreams. They were calling it their gift to Sally, to help her forget the past few weeks. And, by her acceptance of their gift, Sally had finally become their project. She had finally become their pet.

  Ashley squeezed Sally’s hand. ‘Isn’t it crazy we’re on the other side of the world,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘It’s all I’ve been thinking about since we landed the other day. The holiday of my dreams,’ Sally said. She took a bite out of her ice cream. Her mouth froze. She shuddered and pinched her sweaty forehead in pain.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Brain freeze,’ Sally replied with a wince. Ashley started to laugh, covering her mouth as Sally slapped her shoulder. ‘Hey, don’t laugh at me. It hurts.’

  ‘Serves you right for being so moody.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah. Right, very funny. I can’t wait to get to the beach and get away from you.’

  ‘You’re so keen for the beach’ Ashley said.

  Sally picked at the cone, tearing off crumbs with her nails, avoiding her friend’s gaze. ‘It’s because Dad went there,’ she said quietly.

  ‘I see,’ Ashley replied with a little nod. Her hand squeezed Sally’s tighter. ‘You know you can always talk to me if anything is bothering you, right?’

  Sally didn’t respond. She bit her nail, tasting the ice cream coating it.

  She didn’t want to talk about it.

  The bus took a right turn at a bustling traffic junction and drove past a sprawling shopping centre. People carrying shopping bags streamed in and out of entrance’s sliding doors. This city, with its sprawling roads, concrete structures and uniform-looking shopping centres, kind of reminded Sally of home. They may be on the other side of the world, but the people here were still the same as home. People never changed.

  She’d seen the inner city now, there wasn’t any need to go back into the busy harbour again. They’d taken the photos and seen the right sights. Ashley should be happy with the images of the harbour for her social media. Sally had to admit her friend was a good photographer, everyone back home would definitely be jealous.

  But Sally wanted nature, that’s what she came here for. Sally wanted the ocean and the coast. Trees. Heat. Sunshine. The wild.

  Leaning against the window, Sally gazed at the faces of the shoppers outside the grey building. She imagined seeing the Busker’s face down there. His face, imprinted in her memory, watching her from the crowd of shoppers. She imagined his smile when he disappeared at the harbour. Why had he pointed at her? Why had he smiled at her? Someone was staring at her. No. Nobody was. Stop it.

  With a couple of bites, Sally finished the remnants of her ice cream. She browsed through the shop windows as the bus scrolled past the centre. Another teardrop of ice cream dribbled down her chin. Sally wiped it away with a napkin she’d taken from the cafe.

  Maybe she should say something to Ashley about the Busker, his image was still clear in her mind, maybe talking it over would help erase his memory.

  ‘Hey, Ashley,’ she said.

  Her friend raised her chin. ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Is it alright if I ask you a question?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘It’s going to sound random, and it might be weird,’ Sally said.

  ‘Oh no,’ Ashley replied. ‘Not one of these.’

  Sally took in a deep breath. ‘Do you know sometimes when you first meet someone, that feeling you get? That feeling when you can sense a really strong connection between both of you?’

  Ashley nibbled at her ice cream cone. There wasn’t much of it left. ‘You mean lik
e when you know someone is watching you?’ she asked.

  ‘Not exactly,’ Sally shook her head and wiped off the new sweat building on her forehead. ‘Maybe. I don’t know. I’m thinking more about the feeling when you meet someone, but you feel like you’ve met them before, like you know them really well.’

  Ashley tilted her head at Sally, her lips forming into a smirk. ‘Sally,’ she said slowly, and with unconstrained glee. ‘Are you talking about a boy?’

  Sally laughed. ‘No.’

  ‘It sounds like you might be.’

  ‘I’m not.’

  ‘Then I don’t know what you mean.’

  ‘Forget it.’ With her tissue, Sally wiped her hands. They were still sticky from the ice cream. Ashley wasn’t getting it, but if she started talking about the Busker again Ashley would think she was crazy. When Sally had recounted, at the harbour, how the Busker had disappeared into the crowd, Ashley had dismissed her. She didn’t care about the Busker or the reasons why he’d pushed Sally. All she wanted was a new phone. Sally never did find the busker in the crowd. He’d disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared.

  Ashley sighed. ‘You’re so weird sometimes, Sally. You know that?’

  ‘Yeah, but you still love me,’ Sally said.

  ‘Of course, I do.’ Urgently, Ashley pulled out Sally’s phone from her pocket and straightened up in her seat. ‘Shit. I forgot something,’ she said with panic in her voice.

  ‘What is it?’ Sally asked.

  Ashley ignored her. Her eyes fixed on the bright screen of Sally’s phone.

  ‘Luckily I gave you his number before we left,’ Ashley said, tapping at the phone.

  Sally leaned her head over her friend’s shoulder, but she couldn’t see what Ashley was writing on her phone. She was typing fast. ‘Whose number did you give me?’

  ‘Imagine if his number got lost when my phone broke,’ Ashley murmured to herself. ‘That’d be awkward.’

  ‘Ashley, whose number?’

  Her text message finished, Ashley stopped typing and slid back into her seat. A moment later the phone buzzed with a message. Ashley read it, typed a reply, and slipped it into her pocket.

  ‘Who was that?’ Sally asked. ‘Whose number did you give me?’

  ‘It’s about tonight,’ Ashley said.

  ‘What’s happening tonight?’

  ‘You forgot?’ Ashley asked, scrunching her face. ‘How can you forget?’

  Sally smiled weakly. ’Jet lag is screwing with my head,’ she said.

  ‘We’re seeing Jim, my cousin,’ Ashley replied as if Sally was stupid to forget. ‘Remember I gave you his number before we got on the flight? I’ve let him know my phone’s broken. And now he’s messaged to say he’s picked out a bar for tonight. He says it’s close to our hostel. I can’t wait.’

  ‘I remember.’ Sally said. She rolled her eyes at her friend. ‘Tonight’s going to be super exciting.’

  ‘Don’t be like that, it’ll be fun. We haven’t had a drink since the plane. Let’s enjoy ourselves.’

  ‘Whatever you say.’

  Sally head bumped against the window as the bus pulled over at a stop. They’d driven around to the other side of the shopping centre, and a new load of people boarded the bus. One of them, a wide woman, middle-aged, strolled down the aisle and sat in the row behind them. With a groan, she pushed Sally’s seat as she adjusted herself against the window. Sally hoped the seat budge would be a one-time thing, but then she felt another one. She glanced behind, checking what was going on. The woman had her feet resting on the back of Sally’s seat. Great.

  ‘You know my mission here is to find you a guy, right?’ Ashley directed at Sally, oblivious to the woman behind.

  ‘Not this again.’

  ‘I want you to have fun on this holiday,’ she said, nudging Sally with her elbow. ‘Take your mind off things.’

  Sally rocked forward. The woman was digging her feet into the seat again. The seat creaked, and Sally clenched her jaw. The woman was either oblivious to what she was doing or was doing it on purpose, looking for a confrontation, and that was the last thing Sally wanted. She calculated that the shopping centre wasn’t far from where they were staying. The guide book had said the bus trip from the harbour to the beach should only take half an hour max. Sally would just have to stick it out until they got to their stop. She didn’t want a fight. Grin and bear it.

  ‘I don’t need some hook up to take my mind off things,’ Sally said, trying to ignore the wedge into her back.

  ‘Trust me, Sally. It works.’

  ‘I’m sure it does.’

  ‘Look, I’ll find you someone,’ Ashley said. ‘I want to do this for you. Leave it to me.’

  ‘That sounds amazing. Thank you so much for interfering with my love life.’

  ‘Shut up with your sarcasm. I’m going to love it. I am the master at this.’

  A click came from the row behind. To Sally, it sounded like a lighter. The woman was up to something. Sally turned to the window. Through her peripheral vision she saw the woman had draped herself over her seat and was now proceeding to light a cigarette.

  ‘Is that smoke?’ Ashley asked, sniffing. ‘Can you smell that?’ She swivelled around in her seat, and Sally sunk in hers. Ashley had noticed, and Sally knew what was coming. Why couldn’t she let it be? They were nearly at their stop. Ashley coughed dramatically and frowned. ‘Excuse me?’ She asked the woman. Sally refused to turn around and look.

  ‘What?’ the woman said.

  ‘You’re smoking? On the bus? I’m pretty sure that’s against the law here,’ Ashley continued.

  ‘Piss off.’

  The leather seat squeaked as Ashley straightened up to square off with the smoking woman. ‘What did you say to me?’ She had her usual confidence. All Sally wanted to do was get off the bus and disappear. ’I asked you what you said to me?’ Ashley asked the smoker.

  ‘Piss off,’ the woman replied again.

  ‘Ashley, let’s get off,’ Sally whispered to her friend. ‘We’re nearly there anyway.’

  Ashley ignored her, her focus on the row behind. ‘How about you piss off?’ She snarled at the woman. ‘You’re the one smoking. It’s illegal.’

  ‘Please don’t get into a fight, Ashley,’ Sally protested. She kept her face forward and away from the two of them, trying to avoid the firing line.

  The woman didn’t raise her voice. ‘I said piss off,’ she said, the words spitting from her mouth.

  ‘Right. That’s it,’ Ashley said, standing. ‘I’m telling the driver.’ She was gone, marching to the front of the bus. Ashley pulled her heavy bag down the aisle with her, Sally accompanying. The woman didn’t move from her seat. Smoke rose from her mouth as she watched Ashley march down the bus, her hand draped over the bus seat. The cigarette dangled from her fingers.

  Sally reached out and grabbed a handrail as the bus pulled over to a stop. The beach could be seen outside the window, they were nearly there.

  ‘We’re at the stop before ours,’ Sally said to Ashley. ‘Let’s get off here. We can walk the rest of the way.’

  ‘You heard what she said to me,’ Ashley muttered. ‘She broke the law and swore at me. I’m getting her kicked off.’

  ‘Forget about it, Ashley.’

  ‘No, I won’t.’

  The bus doors squeaked open. Sally raced down them on to the pavement. ‘I’m going, Ashley,’ she said. ‘We can walk from here, come with me.’

  Ashley ignored her, she was busy talking to the bus driver. ‘A woman is smoking back there. You should probably kick her off,’ she said. She followed Sally off the bus. The bus driver shrugged and shut the doors. The bus rolled away.

  ‘Thanks for getting off,’ Sally said to her friend. She tried to be calm, but her heart rate sped.

  ‘You should’ve stuck up for me,’ Ashley replied sternly. Without waiting for an answer from Sally, she started to walk towards the hostel.

  Sally bowed her head. They should’ve
waited until their stop. Ashley had made the situation worse by confronting the crazy woman. There was no need to go into a fight with her.

  Sally chased her friend along the pavement.

  ‘I’m sorry for not sticking by you,’ she said when she caught up to Ashley.

  ‘It’s okay, Sally.’

  ‘I just didn’t want to get into a fight.’

  ‘It’s fine. I’m tired from all this travel. It's made me frustrated,’ Ashley replied. ‘I’m fine.’

  She didn’t seem fine. They walked together in silence all the way to the hostel.

  8

  Sally stared out across the beach.

  She only had one option.

  She had to run.

  ‘Hurry up, Ashley,’ she cried over her shoulder. Her friend was probably far behind, following her down the road to the beach from the hostel, probably still complaining about having to walk barefoot outside.

  After they’d checked in at the hostel, Ashley had given in to Sally’s insistence and reluctantly agreed to go to the beach. It was when they had unpacked their bags, that they’d realised they both had forgotten to pack sandals. That meant one thing, the walk to the beach had to be done barefooted, and Ashley had made her discomfort well known.

  Sally leaned on the railing of the concrete staircase leading down into the beach sand. The ocean spread out before her, clear blue water. A gale, heaving off the ocean, blew into Sally with a burly force. Her hair flicked back, and her shirt fluttered in the heavy wind. There was a strong chance she’d blow over.

  From the safety of the last step of the stairs, she tapped her foot on the sand, testing the temperature. It was so hot the rising heat tickled her skin even before her foot made contact. When Sally had left the hostel she’d not have guessed the beach’s sand could actually burn her feet. She would’ve worn her normal shoes if she’d known.

  She sucked in the fresh air through her teeth, feeling the midday sun burn her neck and shoulders.

  The water ahead was so inviting. This was where she’d wanted to be all morning. She’d endured the plane, the harbour, the tourists and the hot buses for this. The beach. She ached to go in and feel this ocean’s water for the first time.