Agent Ren Bryce Thriller Series Books 1-3: Blood Runs Cold, Time of Death, Blood Loss. Alex Barclay

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       Chapter 32

      ‘This is a disaster,’ said Ren. She rubbed an arm across the window and looked out on to a black-and-white night. ‘Screw this.’ She turned around to him. ‘Did you listen to the forecast this morning?’

      ‘Oh, this is my fault?’ He was smiling. ‘I don’t want to be here either. I want to close up.’

      ‘You are closed up.’

      ‘I want to go home to my own bed, instead of …’ He threw a glance back behind the bar.

      ‘What’s back there?’

      ‘It’s not five star.’ He looked embarrassed.

      ‘Do you stay there a lot?’

      ‘No. Jesus. In the back of a shitty-ass bar like this? In the cold? In the middle of nowhere?’

      Ren shrugged. ‘I don’t know what you’re into …’

      ‘Who’s into that?’

      Ren stared back out the window. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.’ She went quiet, staring at a rising storm. ‘What will I do?’

      ‘Is there someone you can call?’ said Billy. ‘State patrol?’

      ‘No one’s going to be out in this weather. Anyway, by the time they make it out here, it will be the middle of the night and the storm will probably have passed. I’d rather stay here until four a. m …’ She turned slowly around. ‘I mean, if that’s OK with you …’

      ‘I’m sure whatever’s OK with you is OK with everyone. All the time.’

      Screw you.

      ‘I didn’t mean you have to stay up talking to me until four a. m.,’ said Ren. ‘You can go ahead to bed. It’s not like I’m going to rob the place.’

      ‘I don’t know what you’d be like, let loose in a bar.’

      ‘You don’t want to know.’

      ‘That sounds interesting.’

      ‘No. Take it from me. It’s not.’ She turned back to the window. ‘Some proper insulation here might be good.’ She walked away and took a seat by the fire. ‘It’s at an annoying level,’ she said, pointing to it.

      ‘Its only level,’ said Billy. ‘The boss is tight. The heating’s OK, but he doesn’t want the fire to ever be turned up.’

      ‘Yeah,’ said Ren, stretching her palms toward it. ‘God forbid the place ends up looking cozy.’

      ‘Does the princess find anything to her satisfaction?’ said Billy.

      Ren ignored him.

      ‘I’m going to fix myself a drink,’ said Billy. ‘Do you want something?’

      ‘I’m not really drinking … but, OK. I’ll have a vodka Red Bull.’

      ‘Are you worried you might fall asleep?’

      Ren smiled. ‘Vodka’ll do that to you.’

      Billy went behind the bar and poured the drinks.

      ‘Cheers.’

      ‘Cheers.’

      ‘So …’ said Ren.

      Billy turned to her, waiting. ‘So …?’ He grabbed the remote control for the television and hit the power button. Nothing happened. He shook out the batteries and tried again. He got up, switched it on and got static. ‘Damn,’ he said. ‘Damn.’

      ‘Yeah, last thing you want to have to do is talk to me,’ said Ren.

      ‘It’s not that. It’s just …’

      ‘I’m kidding,’ said Ren.

      ‘I don’t know what to say to you.’

      ‘Same as what you’d say to anyone else …’

      ‘… who could put me behind bars for life.’

      ‘Come on. Why would I want to do that?’

      ‘Ask your Atlanta buddies.’

      ‘Oh, come on. Would I be sitting here alone with you if I thought you were … you know?’

      ‘It could be all part of your plan.’

      ‘I don’t have a plan. I’m just doing my job.’

      They sat in silence. ‘So … how did you end up here?’ said Ren.

      ‘It was a long hard climb up the corporate ladder, but I did it. I made it.’ He hit his glass off hers.

      Ren laughed. ‘I don’t know what to say to that.’

      ‘OK – let me think – how did I make it here? Do you know that song “God Bless the Broken Road”? Well, think of mine as a broken road, but maybe the devil blessed it.’

      ‘That song’s adorable. Was your road that rough?’

      ‘Yes.’

      End of discussion. ‘But, like, how was it, growing up?’ said Ren.

      ‘It was a badly beaten, animal-murdering kind of childhood.’