the cop’s house. The photo was taken in the
downstairs living room judging by the furniture and the other activists caught
in the background.
I turned to speak and was met with
Jessica’s tattooed waist. Now she was stretching her arms backwards as if
attempting some erotic yoga position. I wondered if it was solely for my
benefit...
‘When was this taken?’ I pushed, wanting
to keep focused.
‘Just over four of weeks ago, after we
showed the first film,’ she said bending forwards to touch her toes.
‘You’re sure?’ I pressed.
She came back up and raised an eyebrow.
‘Okay, okay...Do you know roughly where
they were headed, so that I can give Olivia’s father a rough idea of where
she’s hanging out?’
‘Err...no.’
She offered a curt smile, though her body
language remained engaging.
‘I’m just doing him a favour that’s all,’
I said, innocently.
She placed both hands on the back of my
chair, stretched like a cat, then leaned forward as if to whisper directly into
my ear.
‘Sure you are...So now can I ask you a question, Blake?’
‘Go for it,’ I said, feeling the warmth
of her rhythmic breath on my neck.
‘Why is there blood on your sleeve and
your collar? And why do you look and smell like you’ve been sleeping rough? You
sure don’t look like a man who’s just passing through and doing a friend a
favour. You look like a man who’s got himself into trouble, and who attracts
trouble...’
She bit my earlobe playfully and inched
away.
‘Look, I’m not a cop, and I’m certainly
not some tiresome investigator. Not my scene...’ I said, enjoying her earthy
tones.
‘But you’re hiding something, Blake,
aren’t you? You’re not some stiff accountant type, of that I’m sure.’
‘No. I used to be in the army and now
work as a mechanic in London. I come over to the U.S occasionally to check out
the monster-truck shows.’
‘Mechanic huh...’ she said, eyeing me
suspiciously. ‘Your fingernails look far too clean for that...’
‘Look, I’ve known Olivia since she was
young, okay. I know her friends, Ben and Izzy, back home too. You might have
heard her speak of them?
‘No, I haven’t.’
Jessica sat down on the edge of some
drawers and started to roll a cigarette, eyeing me warily as she did so.
‘I knew you weren’t some white-collar
worker in town on business. You look far too streetwise and rugged for that...’
I ignored the compliment.
‘Look, if it helps, I think Olivia’s
father is a bit of a dildo, and I don’t care if she never goes back to him,
okay. I was more of a friend of his wife’s really.’
‘So why are you helping him out then?’
‘Because I can…and at this very moment,
I’m not so sure if it is a good idea, as I had to fight off a gang of bikers
last night on the outskirts of the city. They ended up torching the truck I was
sleeping in this morning, along with the rest of my money and my clothes in it.
Hence my garment situation…’
Her eyes widened with surprise.
‘Shit, I heard about that on the radio
earlier. That was your truck?’
‘No, it kinda came into my possession…’
She laughed then offered me the newly-lit
cigarette, which from its resinous smell I gathered wasn’t a regular one. I
took a couple of quick drags to be polite then handed it back, wanting to keep
a clear head.
‘You need to let you hair down, Blake, do
you know that? You look so uptight...’
‘I like uptight?’ I said playfully.
‘And uptight could end up killing you through
stress,’ she said, tweaking a smile.
‘I’m uptight because all I’ve got is
seven dollars to my name, because I stupidly left my wallet in the truck, and
because I was so wrapped up in taking some Somalian guy to hospital who’d got
ruffed up by that same band of bikers.’
Jessica inhaled deeply looking concerned.
‘Did you see their colours?’
‘One had a jacket with a lightning bolt
and a horse rearing up on it…I think.’
The girl shook
downstairs living room judging by the furniture and the other activists caught
in the background.
I turned to speak and was met with
Jessica’s tattooed waist. Now she was stretching her arms backwards as if
attempting some erotic yoga position. I wondered if it was solely for my
benefit...
‘When was this taken?’ I pushed, wanting
to keep focused.
‘Just over four of weeks ago, after we
showed the first film,’ she said bending forwards to touch her toes.
‘You’re sure?’ I pressed.
She came back up and raised an eyebrow.
‘Okay, okay...Do you know roughly where
they were headed, so that I can give Olivia’s father a rough idea of where
she’s hanging out?’
‘Err...no.’
She offered a curt smile, though her body
language remained engaging.
‘I’m just doing him a favour that’s all,’
I said, innocently.
She placed both hands on the back of my
chair, stretched like a cat, then leaned forward as if to whisper directly into
my ear.
‘Sure you are...So now can I ask you a question, Blake?’
‘Go for it,’ I said, feeling the warmth
of her rhythmic breath on my neck.
‘Why is there blood on your sleeve and
your collar? And why do you look and smell like you’ve been sleeping rough? You
sure don’t look like a man who’s just passing through and doing a friend a
favour. You look like a man who’s got himself into trouble, and who attracts
trouble...’
She bit my earlobe playfully and inched
away.
‘Look, I’m not a cop, and I’m certainly
not some tiresome investigator. Not my scene...’ I said, enjoying her earthy
tones.
‘But you’re hiding something, Blake,
aren’t you? You’re not some stiff accountant type, of that I’m sure.’
‘No. I used to be in the army and now
work as a mechanic in London. I come over to the U.S occasionally to check out
the monster-truck shows.’
‘Mechanic huh...’ she said, eyeing me
suspiciously. ‘Your fingernails look far too clean for that...’
‘Look, I’ve known Olivia since she was
young, okay. I know her friends, Ben and Izzy, back home too. You might have
heard her speak of them?
‘No, I haven’t.’
Jessica sat down on the edge of some
drawers and started to roll a cigarette, eyeing me warily as she did so.
‘I knew you weren’t some white-collar
worker in town on business. You look far too streetwise and rugged for that...’
I ignored the compliment.
‘Look, if it helps, I think Olivia’s
father is a bit of a dildo, and I don’t care if she never goes back to him,
okay. I was more of a friend of his wife’s really.’
‘So why are you helping him out then?’
‘Because I can…and at this very moment,
I’m not so sure if it is a good idea, as I had to fight off a gang of bikers
last night on the outskirts of the city. They ended up torching the truck I was
sleeping in this morning, along with the rest of my money and my clothes in it.
Hence my garment situation…’
Her eyes widened with surprise.
‘Shit, I heard about that on the radio
earlier. That was your truck?’
‘No, it kinda came into my possession…’
She laughed then offered me the newly-lit
cigarette, which from its resinous smell I gathered wasn’t a regular one. I
took a couple of quick drags to be polite then handed it back, wanting to keep
a clear head.
‘You need to let you hair down, Blake, do
you know that? You look so uptight...’
‘I like uptight?’ I said playfully.
‘And uptight could end up killing you through
stress,’ she said, tweaking a smile.
‘I’m uptight because all I’ve got is
seven dollars to my name, because I stupidly left my wallet in the truck, and
because I was so wrapped up in taking some Somalian guy to hospital who’d got
ruffed up by that same band of bikers.’
Jessica inhaled deeply looking concerned.
‘Did you see their colours?’
‘One had a jacket with a lightning bolt
and a horse rearing up on it…I think.’
The girl shook
Similar Books
