her cold lips as they’d been warmed by his. When he re-opened them, she was a step closer, her eyes narrowed, assessing, calculating. He took a breath and a matching step back. Get a grip.
“Tell me the truth about Jacob,” he muttered. “Who is he?”
“A monster.”
“That’s not enough, Nell. I need a full name, an address, something that can help me find him.”
“And is that what you intend to do - find him?”
“Of course. That’s my job.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you understand? There’s no need to go looking for him. He will find you .”
“No, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this, or you. Why would he be looking for me?”
“We don’t have time for this, Joe. He will soon be here and we must be gone before he arrives.”
“I asked you a question. What has this to do with me?”
She fixed him with her violet eyes and shook her head impatiently. “We must hurry.”
“ We? There is no we . You are the victim of a crime. I’m investigating that crime. That’s the only connection we have. Playing games, for whatever bizarre reason you feel is justified, won’t help you.”
“You think this is a game?”
“You tell me.” He took a step towards her. “How do you know my name? Why did you ask for me?”
“I told you, you’re responsible for all of this.” She gestured vaguely with her hand. “Only you can put it right.”
She spread her arms and glanced down at the hospital gown, as if recognising for the first time her precarious position in the here and now. His own gaze followed. Her feet were bare, her toes scarcely healed. Wherever she had come from, she had walked a long way. She inhaled gently, arched her back and allowed the sheet to slip from her shoulders. He stooped to catch it. Her hand skimmed his and her hair brushed his cheek.
“Thank you, JoJo,” she whispered.
McNeil jerked away, stepping backwards until the closed door prevented further retreat. Had she spoken out loud or was the voice in his head? He couldn’t be sure. His heart pounded, perspiration prickled suddenly on his skin. There was only one person who had ever called him ‘ JoJo’, and she had been gone for the last twelve months.
“What did you say?”
She approached him slowly, placing each foot carefully as if she walked a tightrope. He watched, mesmerised, unable to resist, as she slid her hand beneath his jacket and placed her palm flat against his chest. He felt her coolness through the thin fabric of his shirt, inhaled her scent as it wrapped around him and his heart slowed its frantic response.
“Don’t be scared, Joe,” she whispered. “Trust me.”
He felt himself falling, the edges of reality blurring as he struggled to regain his focus. Reaching out, he grabbed her slender shoulders and shoved her away, forcibly breaking the connection.
“Who are you?” he hissed.
“The best friend you’ve ever had.”
“No!” He shook his head in denial. “I don’t know you. You don’t know me. This is either some kind of crazy game or I’m going mad, but whichever it is, I won’t do this anymore. I … I’m leaving.” He held her at bay with a raised hand, gut-churning panic rushing in to fill the space left behind as hope vacated.
“You can’t walk away and leave me here, Joe.”
“Just watch me.”
He felt the imprint of her palm, despite its removal. The coolness still lingered, his skin continued to tingle. He turned and pulled open the door. “I can and I will. There’s an officer posted at the nurse’s station. You’ll be quite safe. When you decide to give a proper statement, the twenty or so people who are currently flogging themselves to wrap up this investigation can get on with their job and put Jacob, or whoever is responsible, behind bars.” He took a step into the corridor. “Of course, if you continue to play games then … who knows what will happen?”
“If you leave, you’ll never know the
“Tell me the truth about Jacob,” he muttered. “Who is he?”
“A monster.”
“That’s not enough, Nell. I need a full name, an address, something that can help me find him.”
“And is that what you intend to do - find him?”
“Of course. That’s my job.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you understand? There’s no need to go looking for him. He will find you .”
“No, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this, or you. Why would he be looking for me?”
“We don’t have time for this, Joe. He will soon be here and we must be gone before he arrives.”
“I asked you a question. What has this to do with me?”
She fixed him with her violet eyes and shook her head impatiently. “We must hurry.”
“ We? There is no we . You are the victim of a crime. I’m investigating that crime. That’s the only connection we have. Playing games, for whatever bizarre reason you feel is justified, won’t help you.”
“You think this is a game?”
“You tell me.” He took a step towards her. “How do you know my name? Why did you ask for me?”
“I told you, you’re responsible for all of this.” She gestured vaguely with her hand. “Only you can put it right.”
She spread her arms and glanced down at the hospital gown, as if recognising for the first time her precarious position in the here and now. His own gaze followed. Her feet were bare, her toes scarcely healed. Wherever she had come from, she had walked a long way. She inhaled gently, arched her back and allowed the sheet to slip from her shoulders. He stooped to catch it. Her hand skimmed his and her hair brushed his cheek.
“Thank you, JoJo,” she whispered.
McNeil jerked away, stepping backwards until the closed door prevented further retreat. Had she spoken out loud or was the voice in his head? He couldn’t be sure. His heart pounded, perspiration prickled suddenly on his skin. There was only one person who had ever called him ‘ JoJo’, and she had been gone for the last twelve months.
“What did you say?”
She approached him slowly, placing each foot carefully as if she walked a tightrope. He watched, mesmerised, unable to resist, as she slid her hand beneath his jacket and placed her palm flat against his chest. He felt her coolness through the thin fabric of his shirt, inhaled her scent as it wrapped around him and his heart slowed its frantic response.
“Don’t be scared, Joe,” she whispered. “Trust me.”
He felt himself falling, the edges of reality blurring as he struggled to regain his focus. Reaching out, he grabbed her slender shoulders and shoved her away, forcibly breaking the connection.
“Who are you?” he hissed.
“The best friend you’ve ever had.”
“No!” He shook his head in denial. “I don’t know you. You don’t know me. This is either some kind of crazy game or I’m going mad, but whichever it is, I won’t do this anymore. I … I’m leaving.” He held her at bay with a raised hand, gut-churning panic rushing in to fill the space left behind as hope vacated.
“You can’t walk away and leave me here, Joe.”
“Just watch me.”
He felt the imprint of her palm, despite its removal. The coolness still lingered, his skin continued to tingle. He turned and pulled open the door. “I can and I will. There’s an officer posted at the nurse’s station. You’ll be quite safe. When you decide to give a proper statement, the twenty or so people who are currently flogging themselves to wrap up this investigation can get on with their job and put Jacob, or whoever is responsible, behind bars.” He took a step into the corridor. “Of course, if you continue to play games then … who knows what will happen?”
“If you leave, you’ll never know the
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