“Tell me you haven’t hurt him. Promise me, Rocky.”
Rocky held his hands up. “Hey, what are you on about?”
“Jack. That new guy in the village, he’s gone missing. Tell me you aren’t involved.”
Rocky looked down at the ground. He shrugged. “He’s a twat. It’s nothing to do with me.”
“Look at me,” she said.
Rocky looked up, shoulders hunched, and shoved his hands in his jeans’ pockets.
“Tell me the truth,” Jen said.
“I’m telling you the truth. Anyway, it should be me questioning you.”
Jen frowned.
“The other night. I saw the two of you. He was outside your house. It was obvious he fancied you, and by the sounds of it, you were leading him on.”
“Was not.”
“That’s what it sounded like to me. I should have had it out with the cunt then.”
“Had what out? We were only talking. It’s not a crime, you know.”
Rocky grunted in response. “Whatever.”
“Look, he came to see me. So what? Trouble is, now he’s gone missing.”
“Great. Serves the prick right.”
Jen bit her lip and scowled. “Just tell me you’re not involved.”
“I’ve already told you. But so what if I was? You’re my girlfriend, not his. You’re not supposed to worry about other guys.”
“That is so lame. I can be concerned about whoever I like. Now tell me, where is he?”
“I’ve told you, I don’t know.”
“But you do know something.”
“Yeah, and so do you.”
“What are you on about now?”
“You know, the drugs he stole from Zander. He told you about it, right?”
The revelation hit Jen like a brick. Zander. But Zander didn’t know Jack had stolen his drugs, not unless…
“My god, you didn’t tell him, did you?” she said.
Rocky shrugged. “So what if I did.”
“Zander’s a lunatic. He’d kill him.”
“Save someone else the job then.”
“Rocky, how could you?”
“It was only what he deserved.”
“You prick.”
“You can’t talk to me like that.”
“I just did. And as far as I’m concerned, we’re through.”
“Fine. I prefer a girl who’ll put out anyway, not a frigid bitch like you.”
Jen fought to control her temper. She had more important matters to deal with now. How could she tell Jack’s dad what she knew without getting Jack into more trouble? Talk about being stuck in a difficult situation.
Without another word to Rocky, she spun and started walking away.
“If Zander hasn’t finished the creep, you can bet I’ll do the job properly,” Rocky said before he slammed the door shut.
Jen shivered, and made her way quickly towards the harbour. She only hoped she wasn’t too late.
Chapter 23
Although she searched around the harbour and looked in the bar, Jen couldn’t find Zander anywhere. His vessel was moored up, and she shouted out his name, but no one answered, and the boat looked deserted.
It was hopeless trying to look by herself. Zander and Jack could be anywhere. She took out her mobile phone and called her best friend, Sara to help with the search.
When Sara arrived, she was chomping bubble gum. “Hey, what’s up? Have you seen this weather? It’s thicker than custard,” she said as she jumped up on the harbour wall to sit next to Jen
“Yes, it’s no wonder someone’s gone missing in this.”
Sara blew a pink bubble and nodded. When the bubble popped, she dragged the gum back into her mouth with her tongue. “Yeah, he’s cute. ‘Bout time we had some decent talent around here.”
“He’s all right.”
“All right! I saw the way you looked at him. Eyes almost popped out of your head. You’d better not let Rocky see you looking at another guy like that.”
“Rocky and me are finished.”
Sara’s nose twitched and she flicked her brown ponytail through the air in disbelief. “No way. So what about this new boy? Are you, you know…”
Jen blushed and shook her head. “No, nothing like that.”
Sara grinned and blew another bubble.
“Honest, there’s nothing going on.”
“Whatever.”
”There’s not. But we’ve got to find him. He found some cannabis on Zander’s boat—”
“No way,” Sara said, almost dropping her gum.
“Listen, will you. Rocky heard Jack talking to me about it outside my house—”
“So Jack’s been to your house. And I thought you said there was nothing going on,” Sara said. “You dirty dog.” She winked.
“Look, will you let me finish. Rocky heard Jack mention the drugs, and he went and told Zander.”
“Oh shit. Do you think Zander’s done something to him?” Sara asked.
“I don’t know, but you know what Zander’s like. Remember that man the other year, that tourist they said spilt a bit of beer on Zander. He ended up in the hospital with his ear bitten off.”
“That was just a rumour,” Sara said.
“So explain why after Rocky told Zander what Jack had done, Jack goes missing?”
Sara shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps he’s gone back to the city. Who in their right mind would want to stay here?”
“If that was the case, he would have told his dad. But he hasn’t. He’s looking for him.”
“Have you looked in the bar for Zander? That’s where he usually is.”
Jen nodded. “I already checked there. And at his boat, and at his shed at the end of the harbour.”
“Well how are we going to find him in this weather?”
Zander’s boat creaked against the harbour wall, the sound like a groan. Jen took a deep breath, shivered as the fog chilled her nostrils. “We can check around the village for a start. Anywhere you think they might be. It’s better than doing nothing.”
“And what about Rocky?” Sara asked. “Does he know where they might be?”
“He says not, but then he’s not likely to tell me. Can you go and look around the village, ask anyone you meet?”
“On my own? You’ve got to be joking.”
“It’s better if we split up. We can cover more ground.”
Sara shook her head. “I’m not going in search of an ear-chomping madman on my own. No way!”
Jen sighed. “Okay, then come with me. Hurry, we’ve wasted enough time.”
She jumped down from the wall and headed into the fog with Sara at her side. Although she didn’t say it out loud, she was glad Sara was going with her. Whether the ear-biting story was true or not, the thought of tracking down Zander by herself wasn’t appealing.
Chapter 24
The water lapped around Jack’s waist. He shivered. Throat raw through screaming, he fought the instinct to scream again and kept his mouth closed as a fresh wave pummelled against him.
The fog and sea seemed to be as one. Both were cold and pervasive. Something tickled his fingers in the water. He hoped it was only seaweed. But what if it was a jellyfish, or… Jesus, what if it was that shark people had been talking about. The thought made him quake and he tried again to get free, but it was no good. He might as well be clapped in irons. He scanned the sea that frothed around him, hoping, praying not to see a fin break the surface.
Who in their right mind would have tied him up out here anyway? It was crazy. He hadn’t done anything to anyone.
Another wave crashed into him, submerging his face as it passed over. He kept his eyes and mouth shut as tight as possible; thought the water was never going to settle. Goosebumps mottled his arms and legs.
When the sea smoothed out, he took a deep breath. The pungent smell of brine and seaweed invaded his nostrils.
He looked down. The water was up to his navel. At this rate, it wouldn’t be much longer before it was up to his neck. Then up to his mouth, then… God, he was going to drown.