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“Harry seems to think that because of his incessant love for music, he would have chosen to come back with his musical knowledge to carry on that journey. But again, there’s no way of knowing. Either way, I think the music industry is a good place to start the search. The fact that I’ve got a lot of connections in that field and that we’ve both come into contact with each other means you’re on the right track to attracting him back into your life.”
Cody felt the life drain out of him, and Quint frowned as he eased his touch off.
“What is it?”
“If he has rebooted, how will I know it’s him?”
Quint offered the saddest smile. “There are many ways you can tell. Your senses will pick up his unmistakable essence. You’ll recognise his mannerisms: they’re something that travels with the soul. Not only that, the subconscious mind is a wonderful thing. Sometimes it’s so desperate to reunite with those it recognises that certain memories can leak through, letting you know that they’re there.”
“Really? Such as?”
“I don’t know, maybe the lyrics to a song you both loved, maybe the words of a book, an inspirational quote you lived by. It could be any number of things.”
Cody frowned, then he took out his wallet and picked a folded piece of paper out of it.
“I wrote this for Tim the day he died. I took it into the hospital and read it to him, and I dreamt about him singing the words back to me that night, clear as anything.”
Quint took the piece of paper from Cody.
In the silence of the night, your sleep is so deep
I’ll be here for your awakening and promise not to weep
I lead you in my dreams because I know you’ll find your way
Back to me where you belong, in my heart where you will stay
“It’s beautiful Cody.I bet those words will stay with him forever.”
Cody eased back and wiped his hands over his face,. Then he went over and hugged Quint, surprising him. Times had changed. Go back to the 80s, this was something he’d never be able to do in public, and he screwed his eyes shut, needing the freedom to do it here, amongst other Players. Tim would have loved this time, with these people. Maybe there was still a slim chance that he could….
As he sat back down, Quint seemed distracted as he looked out of the window.
“You okay?”
Quint smiled his way. “Yeah.” His smile said so. “A little nervous, but then first dates do that, don’t they?”
Cody raised a brow. “A date? Who with, if you don’t me asking?” His eyes startled. “Did… have you found Leo?”
ChapterTwenty-One
Acold evening wind cut into Quint’s cheeks as he walked down Richmond high street, following the road down to the river. For the rest of his date with Leo, he’d picked a quiet pub with serene surroundings so that he could get to know him properly without having to shout over everyone to be heard.
Quint had given Leo rough directions, not that Leo wasn’t savvy enough to find his own way there, but Quint just didn’t want to risk him getting lost, although Richmond was a pretty friendly part of town as far as London went. Leo could ask someone if he couldn’t find it.
Quint arrived at the pub fifteen minutes early, only to find Leo already there, seemingly taking a selfie. When he saw Quint, he fumbled with his phone and stood up, looking his way. Leo came in for an awkward hug, then stopped halfway through the action to change to a handshake. They both laughed at the awkwardness, which was broken by Quint telling him to “bring it in.”
There was that aroma again. The scent of Leo that brought back the happiest of memories, piercing Quint’s senses. He wondered how it was possible that Leo’s essence had transferred to his new body, but he guessed it was part of his overall being, so just accepted it for what it was.
Quint asked about Leo’s day and what he’d been up to. After lunch at Broadway Market, Leo had been for a walk along the South Bank, taking in the sights and the city skyline from a ride on the London Eye. He told Quint that he had made friends with a couple that recognised him from his social media posts and they ended up taking him for a beer by the river.
“Apparently, the man, his name’s Liam, he’d been chatting to his now girlfriend Steph on a dating app and had sent her a few of our TikTok videos. She loved them, and that’s the thing that gave them a connection. They’ve been dating for a couple of months now and were pretty adamant that it was partly down to us. Sounds mad, doesn’t it?”
“That’s the beautiful way the universe works,” said Quint. “And that’s just one instance you’re aware of. Who knows who else you’ve touched? Feels good, right?”
Leo looked visibly blown away at the thought, but then it was to be expected. If the intention was to share his art with the masses, it was bound to affect people in so many different ways.
Quint decided that it was time to go to the bar, so offered to buy Leo a drink. They both opted for a pint of lager, so Quint returned with two pints and a packet of pork scratchings. “It’s my guilty pleasure,” he said.
