The Border: Part One (5 page)

“They’ll be waiting for you when you finish your shift at six. Or sooner, if you decide you want to quit. That’s allowed, but there’ll be no money if you do. You’re in complete control of your participation.” After checking everything was okay with the contract, he headed back to the door and pulled it open, so that the music could once again be heard. “Are you ready to rock n’roll, Katie?”

She paused.

“You’ll do fine,” he added. “I have a kind of sixth sense about these things. If I didn’t think you could handle The Border, I’d have made an excuse to send you on your way by now. I believe in you.”

“You do?”

He nodded.

“No-one’s ever…” She paused again, before making her way around the desk and over to the door. “Are there lots of people down there?” she asked.

“Not lots. A few. Some people like you, working there, and then there are the clients.”

“And I won’t…” She swallowed hard. “What will I have to do? Is it completely safe?”

“It’s
completely
safe,” he replied .”All our clients are aware of the rules, and the other girls will look after you. There’s never been an incident, not in all the years this place has been running. I doubt your local dive-bar can say that.” He waited for her to step forward. “Or, if you prefer, I think I saw a sign at the supermarket this morning. They’re looking for cashiers. Minimum wage, long hours, no future. You could go and do that if you only care about getting by, and if you don’t mind getting yelled at by customers who think you’re an idiot.” He watched her face for a moment, and he could tell she was wavering. “Do you know Sally Clements?” he asked finally.

“Sally?” She frowned. “Yeah. Yeah, we’re friends. Well, we
were
friends, before she moved away.”

“And how do you think she got the money to do that?”

“She worked here?”

“Bingo, and if she could do it, you sure as hell can.”

“Yeah,” she replied, suddenly feeling a little more confident. “I can.” Finally, taking a deep breath, she began to make her way down the stairs.

“You’ll be fine,” Simon said, watching for a moment before closing the door and turning the key in the lock. “Absolutely fine.”

Heading back over to his desk, he reached down and picked up Katie’s clothes, carefully folding everything before placing it all in a clear plastic bag. Once he was done, he took a seat and grabbed the pen, before opening another file and starting to go through the rest of the night’s paperwork. A little while later, he grabbed his phone and started playing a game.

III

She stormed straight out of the elevator and into the office. “Is he here?”

“Huh? Beth?”

“Is he here?”

“Bob? Um, no, I don’t -”

Marching across the brightly-lit room, holding Lucy’s hand and pulling her along, Beth made her way quickly to her husband’s desk, which was piled high with paperwork.

“Beth?”

Turning, she saw Tom Lanegan watching from a nearby doorway.

“Hey, Tom,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear as she forced a smile, “I was just wondering if by any chance Bob was working a night-shift tonight.”

“Bob?” He frowned. “No, sorry.”

“Right. And what about last Tuesday night? Did he do a night-shift
then
?”

“I can check the sheets, but I don’t think so. Bob never does night shifts these days.”

“He doesn’t, huh?”

“Not for years. We tend to avoid giving night-shifts to the guys who’ve got families. Wouldn’t be fair.”

“No night shifts at all?” she asked, clearly frustrated. “Well, that’s sure interesting, isn’t it?”

“Are you okay?” Tom asked with a frown, as he took a sip of coffee from his mug.

“Oh, I’m peachy,” she replied, leading Lucy to a nearby chair and forcing her to sit down. “Just wait here for a moment, darling, okay?”

“Mummy, I’m tired.”

“Which is why we’re going home right after this,” Beth added, kissing her daughter’s forehead before turning to Tom again. “So is that girl working tonight?” she asked, feeling a little breathless. “The younger one, the new one, what’s her name again? Claire? Kathy?”

Tom paused. “You mean Candy?”

“That’s the name, yeah. The one who’s twenty-one, blonde…” She paused, before spitting the next word out as if it was coated in poison. “Perky.”

“I don’t think so, no,” Tom replied. “She doesn’t really do many night shifts, either.”

“I bet she doesn’t,” Beth muttered.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nothing,” Beth continued, making her way behind Bob’s desk and taking a seat. “I just need to leave a quick note for my husband.”

“Sure,” Tom replied, clearly surprised. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?”

“Thanks,” she said, grabbing a post-it note and a pen, “but I’ll be real,
real
quick.”

“What about you, Lucy?” Tom asked, turning to the little girl. “Do you want a drink? Something to eat?”

“I’ve just had a Burger King.”

“Lucky girl.”

At the desk, Beth was furiously scribbling something on the post-it note, with the tense energy of a woman who was on the verge of exploding with rage. There were tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

Tom watched for a moment, as his concern grew.

“Are you okay, Beth?” he asked finally.

She nodded, as she crossed something out on the note and added a few more lines.

“It’s late, huh?” he continued, glancing across the office and seeing that the other night-shift workers were all watching from behind their monitors, trying to work out what was going on. After a moment, he turned to Lucy and saw her tired eyes. “Are you sleepy, honey?”

She nodded.

“I’m sure your mother’s gonna get you home soon,” he replied, turning to Beth. “That’s right, isn’t it? You’re not going to keep this lovely young lady up too long after her bedtime, are you?”

“We’re headed straight home after this,” Beth replied, fixing the post-it note firmly to Bob’s monitor before getting to her feet and heading back around the desk. “I just need to use the bathroom first, if that’s okay?”

“Second door on the left,” he replied, as she slipped past him and stormed out into the corridor.

“Hey,” said Aaron Giles, one of the other workers, as he wandered over, “is that Bob’s wife?”

“Yeah, that’s Beth.”

“Is she okay?” he asked. “She seems kinda… tense.”

“I think…” Tom paused, before turning to see that Lucy had wandered behind the desk and was peering at the post-it note. “Um… She’s… To be honest, I’m not really sure.”

“What’s a whore?” Lucy asked, frowning as she peered at the note her mother had stuck to the monitor. “What’s a…” The next words were difficult for her to pronounce. “What’s an arse-brained bimbo?”

***

As she lifted the last two crates of empty bottles and set them on the shelf, Mel checked her watch and saw to her relief that it was finally 2am, which meant she could close up. There was just one problem.

Glancing back at the door, she realized she’d have to tell the strange guy to leave. She’d managed 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 before trying again.

“Seriously?” the stranger asked with a faint smile. “Do I have to be the safe, boring guy who tells you not to drive? You’re wasted, man.”

“I’m used to it. I always drive home.” Still, the key wouldn’t quite go into its hole.

“Well, I believe you, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.” He glanced both ways along the street, but there was no sign of anyone else out and about. Just dark buildings and shuttered shops. “Aren’t you worried about the local pigs picking you up one night?”

“Me and the cops are like this,” Joe replied, briefly crossing his fingers before trying once again – and failing – to get the key into the lock. “They know me.”

“Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“I guess everyone knows everyone in a small town like this,” the stranger continued, glancing along the street again. Still no sight of anyone. “Must be what made it so hard when that Caitlin girl died.”

At the mention of that name, Joe seemed to freeze.

“It must be hard, man,” the stranger added, “knowing that a friend of yours died and there was nothing you could do about it. Or nothing you
did
do about it, I don’t know if you tried everything.
Was
she just a friend, or was she your girlfriend? Was she your childhood sweetheart n’all that?”

Slowly, Joe turned to him.

“I’m not trying to pry,” the stranger told him, raising his hands in mock surrender, “I just figure… Hell, most people probably try to pussy-foot around you, especially on the anniversary, so I figured I’d try the other approach and really dive right in. I thought maybe you’d find that refreshing.” He paused, waiting for a response. “Or is it just painful?” he added finally. “Does it claw at your guts? All that guilt and rage, the sense that the world isn’t fair, that there’s no-one up there watching down on us and keeping the good people safe? Or maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.
Was
Caitlin good? Or, hell, did she do something to bring that fate crashing down on her from the stars above?”

“You don’t know anything about it,” Joe muttered, focusing on the key again and finally managing to get it into the lock. As he pulled the door open, he realized that he suddenly felt much more sober. He needed more beer, fast.

“Didn’t mean to freak you out,” the stranger replied, taking a step back and watching as Joe pulled the door shut and started the engine. “Like I said, I just believe in being direct, even if the subject’s a tricky one. Drive safe and -”

Before he could finish, Joe put the truck in gear and hit the pedal, sending it shooting forward and then swerving to the middle of the road before finding the lane and heading off on his way.

“Huh,” the stranger said to himself, watching as the truck’s lights disappeared into the distance. “Well hey, Joe, I guess you really didn’t recognize me after all these years, did you?”

***

He had to kick the door a couple of times to get it open, but finally Joe managed to get into his apartment. Stumbling a little over the mat, he slammed the door shut and then stopped in the dark hallway, listening to the sound of the silent house.

In the distance, there was a faint creaking sound.

And the rushing of his blood in his ears. Sometimes he could hear that too.

After spitting some phlegm onto the doormat, he made his way through to the front room. He flicked the light-switch a couple of times, hoping that it might have somehow fixed itself, but of course the room remained dark. Muttering some more expletives under his breath, he staggered over to the sofa and crashed down, landing hard and rolling onto his side. The journey home had been slow and difficult, and now it was almost one in the morning. Even though the whole world seemed to be spinning around him, he forced himself to sit up.

Orbit.

Everything was in orbit around his head, all at different speeds.

Again, there was a creak elsewhere in the house. It sounded like it was on the stairs.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and squinted, trying to see the screen properly. He had to try several times to enter his pin-code, before unlocking the damn thing and bringing up the list of contacts. Scrolling through, he found Caitlin’s number and stared at it for a moment, before tapping twice and starting the call. He knew this was a mistake, that he’d regret it in the morning, but he figured he’d just have to deal with it in the cold light of day. Right now, the call was the only thing that felt right. As he raised the phone to the side of his face and waited, he felt tears welling in his eyes.