Lucas Read Online Free PDF

brother?’
    I ignored him, looking around the beach again, scanning the shore for Deefer, but the fading light was indistinct and I couldn’t seem to focus on anything. The sky was darkening, streaked with yellow and grey, and the sea had taken on a black and icy look.
    Jamie came up to me with the stick yoked across his shoulders. ‘So,’ he said, ‘what are we going to do now?’ I put my hands in my pockets and said nothing. He smiled, nodding at the pillbox behind me. ‘My changing room.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜The pillbox, it’s where I get changed.’ He looked down at his trunks. ‘You don’t think I’m walking all the way back in just these do you? I’d get arrested.’
    I looked away. ‘I have to get going now.’
    He stepped closer. ‘How’s your old man, Cait? Still writing naughty books for kiddies?’
    I didn’t say anything.
    Jamie grinned. He was still breathing heavily, but not because he was out of breath.
    â€˜I must come round some time,’ he said. ‘Have a chatwith the great man. What do you think? Me and Johnny McCann. Johnny Mac. We could have a drink together, a little Oirish whiskey, a little smoke … what do you think, Cait? Would you like that?’
    â€˜Goodnight, Jamie,’ I said, and turned to leave.
    He moved quickly, stepping in close and bringing his stick down to block my way. A cold light iced his eyes. ‘I asked you a question, Cait.’
    â€˜Get out of my way—’
    â€˜I asked you a question.’
    â€˜Please, I want to go home …’
    He pursed his lips and smiled. ‘Oh, come on, Caity, let’s stop messing about. You can’t bring me all this way and then change your mind.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜You know what I’m talking about. Come on, it’s getting cold. Let’s go inside. Let me show you my changing room. I’ve got a bottle in my jacket. A nice drop of whiskey will warm us up—’
    â€˜How’s Sara?’ I asked.
    Sara was his fiancée. Sara Toms. A strikingly beautiful girl, with all the social graces a bright young thing could wish for, she was the daughter of Detective Inspector Toms, the head of the local police force. She was also insanely possessive. I suppose I thought that mentioning her name was a smart thing to do under the circumstances, but as soon as I had, I wished I hadn’t. At the sound of her name, Jamie froze. His pupils shrank to pinpoints and his mouth narrowed to a tight slit. For a moment I thought he was going to explode or something, but then – with an almost visible sigh – the anger left him and something else took over. Something worse. He smiled and stepped closer. Not close enough to actuallytouch me, but close enough to force me back against the wall of the pillbox. My head was racing, blood rushing through my veins, but I still didn’t quite believe that anything was wrong. It was ridiculous, really. My instinct was telling me to kick him in the groin and run, but something else, some kind of inbred civility, I suppose, was saying – no, hold on, just hold on a minute, he’s just trying it on, it’s not serious, think how embarrassing it’ll be if you kick him in the groin, think what the papers would make of it – MP’s Son Attacked By Local Girl . I actually imagined the headline. Can you believe that?
    He didn’t say or do anything for a while, he just stood there breathing hard and staring into my eyes. I was still trying to convince myself that everything was OK, that there wasn’t anything to worry about, that he was nothing more than a slightly unbalanced spoilt brat who needed to let off a bit of steam now and then … and then I felt him take my hand and move it towards him.
    â€˜No—’
    â€˜Shut up.’
    I felt bare skin, cold and oily. I tried to take my hand away but he was too strong.
    â€˜Don’t