Fangtooth

Chapter 20

Bruce had known asking Jack to help him would have the desired effect and drive him away. He felt a little guilty, but now he could visit Erin again without having his motives questioned. He knew Jack wouldn’t be happy about him having feelings for another woman, but until he knew those feelings were reciprocated by Erin, he wasn’t going to mention anything.

As he drove out of the village, he saw a bank of fog rolling in off the sea. From his higher vantage point, there was a dreamlike beauty to the scene.

The ruckus in the bar had disturbed him more than he let on to Jack, and although he knew his son could take care of himself, he was slightly apprehensive about leaving him on his own. The villagers’ despair and anger was only to be expected under the circumstances, but it wasn’t right for them to pick on Jack and himself.

When he arrived at the hospital, he parked and headed towards the entrance only to see Erin walking through the door with a bag slung over her shoulder. Although he had been nervous the first time he visited, now he felt more at ease, the ice already broken by his previous visit.

“Erin. I was just coming to see you,” he said, smiling.

Erin looked puzzled.

“I was just coming to see how you are, but I see you’re well enough to leave.”

“The doctors gave me the all clear. They kept me in for tests, that’s all.”

“That’s great.”

Erin looked at him for a moment, and Bruce fell into silence. He didn’t know what to say now.

Eventually, Erin spoke, “Well thanks for the interest in my well-being, but I’ve got to go and call a taxi.”

“Right, right, of course,” Bruce said as he stepped aside to let her pass. Then as an afterthought, he said, “You don’t have to phone for a taxi you know. I mean, I’ve got to drive back to the village, if that’s where you’re going.”

“No, it’s all right; I’ll find my own way.”

“Honestly, it’s no problem. It just seems daft you using a taxi when I’ve got the car.”

Erin stared at him apprehensively and bit her bottom lip.

“I’m quite safe to be around. Honest.”

“I’m sure you are. I just don’t really know you.”

“Well, here’s your chance.” He gave her what he hoped was a disarming grin.

A moment later, Erin shrugged. “What the hell. After what I’ve been through, a ride in a car’s not going to hurt.”

Erin’s comment reminded Bruce of her previous assertion that there was something other than a shark in the water, but he wasn’t going to badger her for more information now.

“Here, let me carry your bag,” he said.

“I can manage,” she said sharply. Then she smiled. “But thanks for offering.”

Bruce led the way to his car, making idle chitchat on the way.

He drove out of the car park and onto the main road. Erin stared out of the passenger window, her arms folded across her chest in a protective manner.

“I heard your diving partner is missing.”

When she looked across at him, her expression was grim. “He’s not missing. He’s dead.”

“Dead? How?”

“Something attacked him.”

He recalled the man on holiday that had supposedly been attacked in the sea. “So what do you think it was?”

She bit her lip, thought for a moment. “I don’t know. There was something familiar about it, something that I recognised… but I’m not sure.”

“Give it time, and it’ll come to you. The brain’s funny like that. Leave it to its own devices, and eventually the subconscious will work it out.”

“Perhaps I’m better off not knowing,” she said quietly.

To change the subject, Bruce said, “So where are you staying?”

“I live and sleep on board the research boat, so I’ll have to contact them and have them come pick me up.”

“Well, you could come and wait at my house if you want, you know.” He would just have to take whatever his son threw at him.

Erin frowned. “I don’t understand why you’re taking such an interest in my welfare.”

Bruce coughed to clear his throat. “If I’m being honest, it’s because I like you.” He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, too afraid to look at her in case she was laughing. He noticed the wedding band on his finger. It felt as though it constricted slightly on his finger.

After a moment, Erin said, “Oh.”

Bruce didn’t know what he thought his disclosure would produce, but ‘oh’ most certainly wasn’t high up there on the list. Thinking he had embarrassed her, and that she wasn’t interested, he could feel his cheeks glowing red. He had ruined his chances before even getting to know her.

“I’ll only come to your house on one condition: that you tell me why you call your dog Shazam.”

Bruce turned to look at Erin, delighted to see she was smiling. It was almost unbelievable she had remembered his dog’s name. “Yes, right, of course,” he said, unable to keep the grin from his face. “As a kid, I always read Captain Marvel comics, couldn’t get enough of them. When I bought Shazam as a puppy, I couldn’t really call her Captain Marvel, especially as she was a bitch, and my wife… I told you about my wife, didn’t I?”

Erin nodded.

“Well, she said Captain Marvel would be a stupid name for a dog, so I called her by the name of the wizard who granted Billy Batson the ability to transform into Captain Marvel, Shazam.”

“That’s quite sweet in a way, naming a dog after something you remembered from your childhood.”

“Some people might say sad.”

“That all depends on who you tell the story to.”

Bruce smiled. It was the first time since his wife had died that the expression felt genuine.

When they arrived back at the village, the fog was thicker than ever. Dense clouds of mist rolled across the road, and Bruce cruised along at a walking pace to avoid crashing. It took almost fifteen minutes before he reached the house, whereupon he exited the vehicle and stood in the fog for a moment, shivering as the mist embraced him. Just as he made his way around the vehicle to be gallant and open Erin’s door, she stepped out.

“You always leave your door hanging like that?” Erin asked.

Bruce frowned, then looked to see the front door hanging off its hinges. “Oh my god,” he said as he ran into the house. “Jack, Jack, are you in there?”

The place was a mess. Cupboards were open and drawers were pulled out, their contents tipped on the ground. The settee had been torn open like a gutted animal. A sudden bark from the dining room alerted him to Shazam, and he tore across the room to find the door barricaded with a chair beneath the handle. Bruce yanked the chair away and flung the door open. Shazam bounded out, barking loudly.

“Where’s Jack?” he asked the dog. At the mention of Jack’s name, Shazam barked even louder. Bruce wished he could interpret the sound. He took his phone from his pocket and called Jack’s number. The phone rang a number of times, then voicemail cut in asking him if he wanted to leave a message.

“Jack, it’s me. If you get this message, call me straight away.” Sensing someone behind him, Bruce spun around to find Erin standing in the doorway, looking around the room in shock.

“Good god, what’s happened?”

Bruce shook his head and put his phone back in his pocket. “I think we’ve been ransacked.”

“You mean burgled?” she said.

“I only hope that’s all it is,” Bruce replied.

Erin frowned. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“My son and I, we had a little run in with the locals. They were blaming us for the shortage of fish.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Try telling them that.”

“And you think this could be something to do with it?”

“I’m not a gambling man, but I’d put money on it.”

“Even more reason to call the police then.”

“I know. It’s just… it’s Jack.”

“Jack? What’s he got to do with this?”

“Nothing. At least that’s what I’m hoping. I just need to find him first.”

Erin scratched her chin. “You think he’s missing?”

“I don’t know but I’d better go look for him.”

“Well what are we waiting for, let’s go.”

Bruce followed her out of the room with Shazam at his heel. If anything had happened to Jack, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.