Chapter 21: 21. An Early Morning Visitor - Jamie

Jamie

"Bloody hell I should give up drink,” Jamie muttered to himself as he rolled out of bed.

Bleary eyed he glanced at the clock, saw that it was nearly mid-day and felt a surge of panic until he remembered that it was Sunday. Thank God, I couldn’t take work today, not if Alex herself begged me he thought. Grinning, he said aloud, “Well perhaps if she asked really nicely.”

Staggering to the bathroom, he thought Got to clean my bloody teeth. My mouth feels like a bag of camel shit! Unbidden, the night before flashed through his mind – the drink, Alex and that guy Dave, the fight. “Oh God. No! I got in a brawl again… in front of Alex. Again! Shit. Shit and bugger it. When will I learn?”

Looking into the mirror, he took a good look at himself. Christ I’m a mess, eyes bloodshot as hell, and… shit! – I’ve got bags under my eyes. Where the hell did they come from, I’ve never had bags before? I look like crap.

As Jamie splashed water over his face in a vain attempt to rouse himself, the doorbell chimed. “Who the hell can that be? It’s Sunday for Christ sake. No one bothers me on Sunday, they all know its out of bounds,” he said out loud gruffly.

But the doorbell rang again, and after only a split second, again, and then yet again. “A little patience wouldn’t go amiss!” Jamie yelled as he made his way down the stairs to the front door.

Hand on the latch, he realised that apart from his boxers he was starkers. Well I’m buggered if I’m going to dress to answer my own door. Who knows perhaps it’s Alex. Smirking at the thought, Jamie snatched open the door just as the bell rang once more.

“Davie boy! What are you doing here? Wasn’t it enough that you almost carried me home last night? Had to see me again did you, couldn’t stay away?” Jamie said, sarcasm in full flow again despite his throbbing skull and camel infested mouth.

Dave stood at the door, a smirk on his face as he looked up and down Jamie’s near naked form. “Sorry to drag you from your bed, Jamie,” he said. “Aren’t you going to invite me in? As I remember, you were quite forceful about me joining you for a drink last night.”

“Look, it’s Sunday. I don’t do visitors on a Sunday. It’s a sort of… tradition of mine… a drink thing, you know what I mean?” Jamie said, but despite his raging hangover he was intrigued by Dave turning up on his door so unexpectedly.

Then Dave’s words sunk in. Last night, last night I all but dragged Dave in for a drink, and then… “Shit, I talked to you about Alex, didn’t I? I told you how I felt. Bloody Hell! Look Dave, I didn’t—”

“Its fine, Jamie, your secret is safe with me. Honestly. I won’t tell a soul. Actually, it’s Alex that I wanted to talk to you about. So are you going to invite me in or not?” Dave asked, seriously but still with a little smirk on his face.

“Okay, I’ll make an exception on just this one Sunday. But only for you, and then only because you bring tidings of Alex,” Jamie replied. Even with the Sunday intrusion and his pounding head, Jamie knew he was grinning. Alex. I could talk about Alex all day, listen to anyone talk about her all day. Maybe Sundays aren’t so bad after all.

“You go through to the kitchen, Dave… and make some coffee. Strong, almost black for me, just a tiny drop of milk. I’ll go put some clothes on… don’t think I didn’t notice the way you eyed me up and down. I’ll feel much safer when I’m dressed.”

Jamie heard Dave laugh as he pushed the bedroom door open, then he remembered – Teeth! I have got to clean my bloody teeth. My mouth feels foul.

Five minutes later, and Jamie was sat in the kitchen, with the coffee good old Dave had made. “What’s this all about then, Dave? Alex is okay isn’t she, there’s nothing wrong is there?” The last was said with a hint of panic in his voice. It had only occurred to him as he spoke that Alex could be hurt, that something might have happened to her after he’d left last night.

“Alex is fine,” Dave replied, “but I do need your help to ensure she stays that way.”

Dave’s tone was serious, very serious Jamie realised, and his hint of panic slowly started its way towards full blown hysteria.

“I don’t like the sound of that, Dave. You’d better explain what you mean. I’ve told you how I feel about Alex, so you know full well that talking like that is going to set me off. So spit it out, and get straight to the point. I bloody hate anyone who rambles or bullshits.”

Jamie’s head was pounding, what with the hangover and his rising panic. To top it all, he now had a really sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. One almost flippant, comment about Alex’s safety, and I’m sick with worry. God I’ve got it really bad for her… bloody shame she doesn’t appreciate how I feel.

Annoyed, he noticed Dave still had that bloody hint of a smile on his face. Is he laughing at me? Is he winding me up? Taking the piss?

Suddenly he was angry. “What are you grinning at Dave? What’s so funny?” Jamie seethed as he spat out the last words. Silly how I loose my rag so easily, I need to learn to curb my temper.

But this was about Alex, and he really couldn’t control any of his emotions when it concerned her. He was up on his feet, he realised, looming over Dave who sat opposite.

Dave looked up at him, the hint of a smile gone, his face serious but without the slightest look of worry or concern at Jamie’s outburst and obvious anger.

“Jamie, I’ve come to you as a friend. As Alex’s friend. I need your help, and if you sit back down I’ll explain,” he calmly said.

The calm in Dave’s voice irritated Jamie so much that he almost took a swing at him.

Instead he slowly sat, and just stared at him, waiting. Somethings not quite right here he thought. Yes, he was drunk last night, but there’d been no hint of this then, no hint that good old Davie boy needed his help. No hint at all that Alex might be in trouble. So what could have changed overnight? And it wasn’t just that, Dave seemed different somehow, acted differently. Jamie couldn’t put his finger on it, but Dave was different today, not the way he was last night at all – despite the hint of a smile earlier, he looked much more serious than the Davie boy he’d poured his heart out to the night before. Whatever it was, Jamie was now really concerned for Alex.

“Jamie, first let me just say that Alex is fine, there’s nothing wrong with her. But I do need your help to make sure she stays that way,” Dave said in that so very irritatingly calm voice.

“You flaming said that already. Get to the bloody point will you!” Jamie blurted.

“It’s not easy to explain; there’s only so much I can tell you. So just calm down and listen to what I have to say, okay. That said, before I do say anymore, I need you to promise that the conversation we are about to have is strictly between the two of us. You can’t talk to anyone about it, and especially not Alex. I need your word on that, Jamie, or I won’t say another word.”

With Dave’s last words Jamie’s temper rose to nearly bursting, and he almost lost it as he said, “Has this got something to do with your disappearance? Have you gotten yourself into some kind of trouble, and now Alex is in danger? Because if you have I’ll—”

“You’ll do nothing, Jamie!” Dave interrupted. “Believe me, you’ll do nothing at all. You just give me your word, and then I’ll tell you how you can help Alex.”

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Christ his voice sounds so serious, not angry, just cold. I’ve got shivers running up and down my spine Jamie thought.

He’d been afraid for Alex, but now he was scared himself, afraid of this guy Dave sat in front of him. He’d been afraid before, many times. But never like this, never just sitting listen to someone talk to him.

He’s not even threatening me, he’s just talking and I’m shitting myself – who the bloody hell is this guy? “Okay! I give my word. Whatever you say to me now, I’ll keep it to myself. I won’t tell Alex, I won’t tell anyone. So get on with whatever you have to say,” Jamie said as quickly as he could, trying his best to not let fear show in his voice, but feeling that he’d failed miserably.

Dave’s voice seemed to relax somewhat, the cold leaving his tone, as he said, “I’m sorry Jamie, but you are right, it is because of my disappearance. But I can’t and won’t go into that now, there’s not enough time, and besides, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

“Try me,” Jamie heard himself say, his confidence returning as the fear he had felt seemed to suddenly just not be there anymore.

“No, like I just said, there’s not enough time,” Dave replied. “All you need to know is this… I believe there may be some people looking for me, people who mean me harm, and if they find out that Alex is my friend, they will hurt her to get at me.”

Jamie began to get angry again. Wherever the fear had come from, it was gone now and his anger stepped in to replace it. “So what do you want from me?” he growled.

“Firstly I want you to calm down. Your anger won’t do anyone any good. I’m here as a friend, Alex’s friend, and hopefully in time you’ll learn to trust me enough to consider me your friend too. So please just remain calm, and I’ll explain what I want you to do,” Dave answered.

Calm. He wants me to stay calm, how the hell can I stay calm. I need to get bloody calm first! “Right, whatever you say, but please get to the point, will you?” Jamie said, almost biting his own tongue off in an attempt to stop his hands from throttling Dave.

“I need you to watch out for Alex, watch over her. Stay close to her and keep an eye out for any strangers that take an interest in her, ask about her, or anyone who seems to be acting strangely,” Dave said.

“Anyone acting strangely! You want me to watch out for anyone acting strangely?” Jamie said, incredulously.

Jamie watched as a small smile crossed Dave’s face, but before he could say anything more, before he really lost it, Dave said, “Your right of course, this must all seem very strange. What I’ve said must sound totally ridiculous. But regardless, it’s all true. I really need you to do this Jamie. I need you to watch over Alex for me.”

“But what about you? You seem to be with her all the time, certainly more so than I am,” Jamie asked.

“You’re on her team Jamie, that’s eight hours a day that you’re in her company. Besides my contract here is not going to last forever; I might have to move on at anytime. And, even if I’ve gone, the danger to Alex may still exist… at least for a while,” Dave replied, again with that infuriatingly calm voice.

“This is bloody ridiculous. Alex is in danger because of you, and even with you gone she might still be in danger. What type of danger? What are these people going to do to her, and what the bloody hell am I supposed to do about it?” Jamie spat out, angrily.

“The last was a good question, and if you’ll stop interrupting I’ll tell you,” Dave said as he took a mobile phone from his pocket.

Passing the phone across the table to Jamie he said, “I want you to carry this with you at all times, it’s got my number on speed-dial. If you see anything suspicious, anything at all, no matter how trivial, no matter what time of day, you use that phone and call me. That is all you are to do! You phone me… you do not interfere in any way whatsoever. Is that clear!”

With Dave’s last words the fear had come over Jamie again, a fear he didn’t think he could control, a fear he couldn’t fight against. What the hell is going on? How can he make me feel like this… with just words? Jamie thought, panic and fear almost overwhelming his mind.

“Well?” Dave asked.

Jamie just nodded. I’ll bloody well do whatever I need to do when the time comes he thought. Surely, even with my agreement now, he must know that when the time comes I‘ll just wade in. That much he must have learned about me last night.

“A nod of the head is not enough, Jamie, I want your word on it. These people are extremely dangerous, much more so than you could ever imagine. You get in their way and they will kill you without a second thought. And without you to call me, who’s going to protect Alex then? This is no joke, this is very serious. These people are killers. They may never show themselves, they may not even know about Alex. But if they do, you can’t deal with them… this is far beyond barroom brawls. You have to give me your word that you will phone me immediately, and then just stay out of the way.” Dave’s voice was quiet and calm, at complete odds with what he’d said.

Jamie knew that he must look pale, he had felt the blood drain from his face as Dave spoke. It wasn’t the fear now, it was Dave’s seriousness, the deadly earnest in his voice as he calmly talked of these people who he said were killers.

“If these people are killers, if they are that dangerous, I should phone the police, not you. What the hell can you do that the police can’t? In fact we should phone the police now, and tell them what you’ve just told me.”

“Jamie, I couldn’t tell the police anymore than I’ve just told you… I believe that there are some people out there that want to get at me, and they might use Alex to do that, and they are very dangerous. Do you think they are going to act on something as vague as that? …You phone me, and I will take care of them. I will make sure that Alex is safe. I will make sure that no harm comes to her, I promise you that. So what’s it going to be, Jamie? Will you help me? Will you help Alex?”

This is insane Jamie thought, and yet he heard himself say, “I give you my word. I will phone you at the first sign of any strangers. Hell, at the first sign of anything at all out of the ordinary.

"But I want to know what the hell this is all about. Who are these people? Why are they after you? Can’t you just go now and leave Alex alone? You’re putting her in danger just by being around. Go! Leave her alone. Leave us all alone!”

He was getting angry again he knew. Alex was in danger and it was Dave’s doing. Why didn’t he just leave?

“Lots of questions Jamie,” Dave said, “but I’m afraid I can’t give you any answers, not now anyway, not—”

“Can’t? It seems more like won’t to me!” Jamie interrupted.

“You’re right. I could explain. But, as I said at the beginning, I don’t have the time to explain it to you, and you would not believe me if I did. I’m not going to leave Alex alone, I can’t. I need to be with her now. I need her help. Besides, when I’m with her, she is safe… I need you to watch out for her when I’m not around, that’s when she’s most at risk. And that’s all I am going to say, I’m not going to go into anymore detail, no matter how many times you ask. I need an answer now Jamie… are you going to do as I ask?”

Jamie left Dave’s question hang there between them, as his anger bubbled up inside. He looks so bloody calm. He talks of danger to Alex, of killers even, and yet he sits there as if it was all in a day’s work. “Yes!” Jamie almost screamed at Dave. “I will do as you ask! I give you my word.”

“Thanks,” Dave said, sounding genuinely relieved. “I’m really sorry that this has happened, and I’m sorry I had to bring it to you. But I know how you feel about Alex, and you’re the only person I trust with this.”

“I don’t want your trust! I just want Alex safe!”

“I promise you that Alex will be fine as long as you call me at the first sign of anything out of the ordinary. Do that, and I’ll make sure no harm comes to her,”

Dave repeated as he stood. “I’m leaving now, but don’t forget what I said… you can’t mention this conversation to anyone.”

“I know, I know. You said that already at least a thousand times!” Jamie said, exasperated.

“Yes I did, but there’s more. You and I need to appear completely normal if we bump into each other. They could be watching, so we need to carry on as we are – new acquaintances, friends even. I do not want to talk with you about this conversation at all, even if you think we’re completely alone. If you bring it up, I’ll act as if I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.

"So forget that this conversation ever happened. The only time we ever talk about this, is over the phone if you’re worried about something… and then you phone me straight away, using that phone and no other. I’ve got its twin, both bought just for this.

"Mine will never be in use, never engaged, and I’ll answer immediately.” And with that Dave held out his hand to Jamie.

What the hell is going on? He tells me stuff that frightens the shit out of me, and then wants to shake my hand? Jamie thought.

The hand hung there for what felt like an eternity.

Jamie didn’t want to shake his hand, and yet Dave looked so sincere that Jamie found himself believing all that he’d said, believing that Dave too cared for Alex, that he didn’t want any harm to come to her. He came to me because he knows how I feel about her, that I’d never let anyone hurt her.

With that last thought, Jamie reached out his hand, grasped Dave’s and shook.

Smiling Dave said, “Thanks,” and then turned to leave. “I’ll see myself out. Don’t forget, we need to act normally around each other, no talk of this at all.”

And then, just before the door closed behind him, he said,

“I hope you never have to use that phone, Jamie, I really do.”