Page 66 of The Other Side

“But he recognised you so I think you’re fine. We’re literally just going to get him to the door and leave. You stay in the vehicle.”

“Okay.”

“The story is—you’re the guy I saw swimming. Maybe we heard Matthew call out. You were with me. I said I’d give you a lift home.”

“It’ll get messy. I could compel him to forget me. He won’t even notice me in the car.”

“Can you do that?”

“I can try. I’ve just managed to put him to sleep, haven’t I? If he says anything to me when we get to his house, we’ll know whether it worked or not.”

“Okay. Do that. Disappear before we get there.”

Osian wove his spell. He felt it had been successful but…

Drum pulled up outside the semi-detached house. “We’re here, Matthew.”

The guy opened his eyes and smiled. “So we are.”

The curtains twitched almost immediately.

“Rachel always does that,” Matthew said with a sheepish smile. “Nosy, like me.”

“It’s nice to have someone looking out for you.”

“Thank you for helping me. I don’t know how you found me. When I saw you walking towards me, I thought it was me for a minute. I didn’t get your name.”

“Drummond. Drum.”

“Thanks, Drum.”

He climbed out and so did Drum. A woman came running down the street shouting, “Indie!” and the dog jumped out of Matthew’s arms and ran to her.

Osian smiled.

Drum waited as Matthew headed towards the door. It opened before Matthew reached it. A woman stood there, frozen. For a heartbeat neither of them moved.

Matthew smiled uncertainly. “Sorry I’m late, love. Bit of an adventure.”

She didn’t answer. Then her hand flew to her mouth and she stumbled down the path. “Matt?”

He laughed awkwardly. “It’s me.”

She reached him, touched his face with shaking fingers, then pulled him into an embrace so fierce it almost knocked him backwards. Osian sighed with happiness.

“I thought you were dead. You’ve been gone so long.”

Matthew’s smile faded. “What?”

“Was it you who found him?” Indie’s owner came up to Matthew. “Where was he? Where’s he been all this time?”

Two police cars arrived and Drum got back in the Defender. Osian held his glamour in place until Drum had driven away.

“Should you have stayed?” Osian asked.

“Probably, but I didn’t want to.”

“Let’s find a pub and have something to eat.”