The Border: Part One by Amy Cross Read Free Book Online

to keep busy for the past hour, coming up with little jobs to avoid being near him. Something about the guy just made her skin crawl, and she was worried he’d try to strike up another conversation when really all she wanted was for him to go home, or back to his motel, or wherever the hell he was staying. Finally, realizing that she should just get on with it, she wiped her hands before heading back to the bar’s main room.
    “Okay,” she announced, “sorry, but -”
    Stopping suddenly, she looked around.
    The stranger was gone.
    ***
    “Mummy, are we going home now?”
    “Yes,” Beth replied as she pulled the car door shut. She paused for a moment, staring at the steering wheel, before checking her phone again. “We might stop at one more place on the way, though.”
    “Mummy, I’m tired.”
    “I know, honey, but -” Looking over at her daughter, Beth suddenly paused as she saw the overwhelming tiredness in the girl’s eyes. After a moment, she leaned across to the passenger seat and gave her a big, tight hug, the kind she’d been meaning to give her all night. “Of course we’re going home,” she continued finally. “Right now, and no stops along the way. You need to get to bed, I should never have dragged you out like this.”
    “Are you mad at Daddy?”
    “I -” She paused, watching the lights of the office building. After a moment, she realized there was a figure standing at one of the windows, looking down at them. Probably Tom Lanegan, she told herself, worrying about the late-night visit. She’d asked him not to mention any of it to Bob, but she didn’t know Tom well enough to be confident that he’d respect the request. “I’m not mad at anyone,” she said finally, pulling back from the hug and smiling at Lucy. “I promise.”
    “Are you crying?”
    She shook her head.
    “Are you upset?”
    Another shake. She was worried she’d start crying if she said a word.
    “You sound upset. It’s okay, Mummy. You can tell me.”
    “Don’t be silly,” she replied finally, although her bottom lip was starting to tremble and her voice was shaking. Anyone else would be able to see that she was on the verge of a breakdown, but she figured she could probably allay the concerns of a six-year-old. “Mummy’s absolutely fine,” she continued. “You, however, must be exhausted. Come on, young lady, let’s get home and tuck you into bed.”
    “Can we decorate the Christmas tree?”
    “Soon.”
    “Tomorrow?”
    The last thing Beth wanted was to start putting up Christmas decorations. Christmas was still a week away, but with everything in so much flux, she had no idea how much everything might have changed by then. Still, she could see the enthusiasm in Lucy’s eyes and she knew it would be a way to calm her down.
    “Tomorrow,” she said finally. “Sure, why not? And we -” Spotting a glint of light on the window, she leaned over and ran a finger along a thin crack. “When did this happen?”
    “It started earlier,” Lucy replied, staring at the crack with a hint of dread. “It’s much bigger now.”
    ***
    “Hey, buddy! Hey! Slow down!”
    Stopping for a moment, Joe turned and drunkenly looked back along the street. He blinked a few times, struggling to clear his vision as the lights of the town center blurred and spun around him. Finally, he realized with a sigh that the smiling, talkative stranger from the bar was hurrying to catch up.
    “Oh, hell no,” Joe muttered, turning and stumbling toward his truck.
    “Hey!” Reaching him, the stranger kept pace and watched as Joe pulled his keys from his pocket. “You’re not thinking of driving home in this state, are you?”
    “It’s two minutes. Straight line.”
    “Yeah, but still, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Why don’t you let me take the wheel?”
    “Ha.” Reaching the truck, Joe tried to slip the key into the lock, only to miss completely and scratch the paint. He muttered a few expletives under his breath