Contents (83)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- Acknowledgements
- OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK
Alyssa Johnson.
The connection was almost instant.
‘Where are you guys tonight?’
‘You’re coming here?’ Alyssa sounded surprised, even over the noise of the crowds around her. ‘What about your drinks with Michael?’
‘Yeah. That didn’t go the way I thought it would. And you won’t believe what happened before, either. I’ll tell you when I see you.’
‘What was it?”
‘I said I’ll tell you when I see you! Patience, Lysh!’
‘Okay, can’t wait. Love you.’
‘Yeah, love you too. See you soon.’
The disconnected call took Draper back to the home screen. A text from Michael had appeared while she had been speaking: Please don’t give what happened in the hotel a second’s thought. It doesn’t change a thing so don’t worry. We’re still good.
Draper smiled, typed ‘Thank you’ and pressed send. Putting the telephone back in her bag, she began to walk.
Maybe it would be OK.
The thought was interrupted and disproved in the same instant.
Draper did not have time to register the sound of a sliding van door. Grabbed by her suit jacket, she was dragged backwards with more force than she had ever experienced and thrown head-first into the darkness of the van.
SIXTY-EIGHT
The screen on Michael’s iPhone came to life, displaying a two-word text message: Thank you.
Short but complete. Michael smiled when he read it, hopeful that it drew a line under the awkwardness of the past half-hour.
The hotel’s small basement bar was dark, despite the long, hot summer nights outside. Michael had taken a tall stool. One of six that lined up against the front of the bar. Four of the other five were occupied. Two couples, it seemed. The stool chair next to Michael was empty.
Otherwise the bar was quiet. There were too many places nearby that were more suited to the good weather.
Michael looked up from his empty glass and caught the barman’s attention.
‘Same again?’
‘Please.’
Within a minute Michael’s glass was full. Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013. No ice. A single drop of water. The barman knew what he was doing. A connoisseur’s drink, served the right way.
Not that Michael really cared tonight. Tonight, the alcohol content was all that mattered.
The first mouthful drained half the glass. As it had the previous one.
People drink for a variety of reasons. Some to savour the experience. Some because they must. For Michael it was something else. At least it was right now.
Michael was drinking to forget.
He looked at his right hand as he placed his glass back onto the bar. The swelling on his knuckles was getting worse. But the pain had gone. Temporarily, at least.
‘I’m glad it wasn’t you that needed to be mopped up in the street.’
The voice came from behind, the distinctive accent now impossible to miss.
Michael turned to see Joelle Levy as she stepped off the staircase and into the bar. It took her just three or four more steps to reach him. He stood up as she approached and indicated the seat next to him.