“I’ll help you,” he said. “I know this town. I know how small towns work. What do you need to know?”
I started to shake my head. “No,” I said emphatically. I couldn’t let him help me when I was secretly researching his family. That would be wrong. On so many levels. “I can’t let you do that. I’ve already caused too much trouble and put you in a bad situation,” I said. “But thanks for your offer. I probably don’t really deserve it, after all I’ve done.” I moved away from him, and felt the emptiness immediately. The steady weight on my shoulders had been reassuring.
“I disagree. If I help you, I’ll make sure you stay out of trouble.” He walked over to the couch and sat down. “At least I can keep an eye on you.” He said the last part with an amused tone of voice.
I turned around and looked at him.
“How’s your head feeling?” he asked.
I reached up and touched it. The pain was ever so slight. “It’s okay,” I said.
“That’s good.” He turned the TV back on and I sat down next to him again. But, before we were able to settle on anything, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered quickly.
“Shit,” he said, with a sense of urgency in his voice.
I immediately turned and looked at him; his face took on a frown.
“Where?” he asked, into the phone. There was a pause. I couldn’t make out the words being said, but I could hear that it was a woman’s voice and she was speaking frantically.
“What time?” He looked down at his watch as he spoke, and then he nodded. “I’ll go there now.” He hung up and stood up immediately.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Well, you know the reason I left you in a parking lot, holding condoms?”
“Yes.”
“It’s that again. Petra Van der Merwe. She’s escaped from her home and someone said they saw her by the beach.” He started walking towards the door. “I have to go now.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you sometime, then.” I followed him into the entrance hall and watched as he grabbed his car keys.
“You’re coming with me. You’re not meant to sleep tonight, remember? Doctor’s orders.” He pulled a jacket off a coat hanger and held it out for me. “Come. It’s cold outside.”
I walked up to him and he slipped the huge jacket on to me. “Thanks,” I said, running my hands over the coat.
“Pleasure,” he mumbled, and then held the door open for me.
I walked through it and into the chilly night air.
“You warm enough?” he asked, as we ambled towards his car—not his police car. This was confusing, having two cars. How did he decide which one to drive?
“Yes, thanks. But what about you?” I looked at the T-shirt he was wearing. “Isn’t this yours?” I indicated the jacket I had on. “Shouldn’t you also be wearing something warm?”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about me.” And then he smiled at me again—that big, bright smile that made his green eyes sparkle—and I felt myself go warm and fuzzy inside. Suddenly, I no longer needed anything to keep me warm.
