Turtle Island (45 page)

‘…
we will have to sit back and slowly continue trying to piece
together this together, but the truth is we may now never know.’
Ebbley's voice snapped back into focus.

Georgina laughed to herself, though the ironic smile never
escaped Ebbley's attentive eyes. Georgina O’Neil stood and handed
over her badge and her weapon. Wynan O’Neil blinked once but
remained concentrated on his daughter’s face.

‘Take the break, O’Neil. We’ll be in touch.’

Winter still hung in the air in Maryland. It seemed like an
age since summer. Georgina had just about had enough, she was
mentally and physically exhausted and the temptation to walk away
from the FBI was overwhelming. She lay on her bed, her nose pressed
close to the quilt and she breathed in the comfort of home, the
smell of her and her house, the smell of loneliness. Now more than
ever she needed somebody. Her mind strayed to Korjca, to her
slightly rounded face and fresh complexion and as she wondered and
imagined. Four strands of Korjca’s hair were wrapped around
Georgina’s fingers; sleep entered and closed the world outside her
head, to allow fantasies breathing space. She woke in a dark cold
room, disorientated. Georgina sat bolt upright and tried to gather
her thoughts and wits, but for a few long seconds she was somewhere
else, somewhere terrible. Familiarity slowly broached, entering
through the dark. As she reached for the phone on the bedside
locker it rang. Her hand hovered above it briefly before she
garnered the courage to lift the receiver.

‘Hello.’ Her voice left vapour trails against the moonlight
coming from the shuttered window.

‘Hi.’ He had a deep honey brown voice, which she instantly
recognised.

‘Hi, Leroy.’ She did not even try to hide the relief in her
voice. ‘How are things?’

‘Thought I'd call see how you were. I heard about the
inquiry.’

Georgina barely contained a disgusted grunt, which managed to
sound like a stifled sneeze to Leroy.

‘Suspended until further notice. It's procedure, so they tell
me…I need a friend.’ The end of her sentence even surprised
Georgina, the words fell from her lips like betrayers kiss and in
an instant left her floundering. ‘Can we meet?’ Georgina hoped that
there were no signs of desperation in her voice.

‘How about lunch tomorrow? On me. I'll pick you up around
twelve

Twelve, Georgina sat on the bed in the cold, dark room. ‘Make
it two. I don't get up early these days. Don’t sleep through the
night too well.’

‘Are you okay?’ Leroy asked. The silence down the end of the
phone that greeted him added to his concerns.’

After a pause, Georgina answered. ‘Not really. See you
tomorrow.’

‘See you then.’ Leroy lingered for a moment before placing the
phone down on the receiver, as did Georgina. Both of them listening
to the silence and to their own breathing.

END

Georgina O’Neil will return in Dark Country