London Has Your Eyes

Chapter 54. Liam

I take a cigarette out of the pack. Shit! I wanted to stop smoking... Daniel knew something was going to happen. For all his flights, it was the first time he asked to look after for someone. And he wasn't mistaken.

Alex is obviously in a state of shock. I don't know why she's so fixated on that weird girl, but apparently for a reason. I'm sure she left out some details. All right, we'll figure it out.

I'm running through the neighbourhood. For the most part, no one's home. But of the people I've been able to talk to, no one's seen anything. Only Mrs. Potter, the sweet old lady who lives a couple of floors up, says some motorbike passed by during the day. But who was there and what they were doing, she didn't see. Which isn't surprising. At her age, it's a miracle that she could see a motorbike at all.

I try to see the car from as many windows as I can, but Alex managed to park it in the blind spot. Good girl, damn it.

The cops come quickly, interrogations seem to last forever. Alex is pathetic to look at. The old girl can't break now, I have faith in her. But there's a fear in her eyes that I've never seen before.

As the cops leave, I walk over to the sofa where Alex is sitting. She's buried in the blanket like a mink and staring at one point.

- Mum, I'm just... I'm going to see some friends, so... I need to get some air. I'm tired of all this interrogation, - Max says as he throws on his jacket.

- NO! - yells Alex. Like a panther from one jump she is in front of her son, - You're not going anywhere! It's not safe! What if she hurts you?

I walk over to Alex and take her by the shoulders:

- Ok, look at me. Max is going to take a taxi to his friends and stay the night. He'll text you to tell that everything it's okay. And at this moment you will calm down and return to normal. All right?

Alex looks up at me with her scared blue eyes.

- Don't be silly. Let the kid go. He'll be fine. Think about it, if you're right, and this girl needs Daniel, then Max is clearly not her target.

Max nods gratefully, I order him a taxi and go down with him to the street to make Alex feel calmer.

- She's going to be all right, isn't she? - Max asks thoughtfully. - The only person standing in this chick's way is my mother. She's in danger, isn't she?

- I don't know, mate. Things are bad. We don't even know for sure if it was her or not. That's just your mother's guess. There's no proof. But I do know one thing, I don't like this situation at all.

- Are you staying with her tonight? - Max asks, opening the taxi door. - I'm worried about her. I should stay with her and be supportive, but I'm afraid I'll make it worse.

- Yeah, I think I'll stay here for a while, - I calm him down.

The door slams and the taxi takes the boy a safe distance away. But before I go up to Alex's, I light a new cigarette and dial Daniel.

- Hey, bro! How are you? - I say.

- Hey! Good to hear your voice! I don't have much time, I have an interview in an hour. I can't talk long. How's it going? Have you seen Alex? She hasn't been answering my texts all night, - he's babbling.

I sigh deeply and finally answer:

- That's exactly why I'm calling. Alex is in no condition to talk to you. - I can feel the atmosphere on the other end of the line change. - Something's happened, Daniel.

- Go on, - he says quietly, but with pressure.

- Look at the photo I just sent you in the chat room, - I reply.

I hear Daniel cursing loudly. The little hysteric in him immediately squeals in greeting.

- How did she manage to kill my car like that? - He's freaking out.

- Calm down, man. It's not her. Alex is wildly scared right now. She parked the car in front of her house, in perfect condition. But in a few hours it was decorated. We called the cops. Cameras from the shop across the road picked up the van, which blocked the view. During that time a motorbike entered the picture, 15 minutes later it continued on its way. The numbers weren't detected. There are no witnesses.

A long, foul language is heard in the phone.

- How's Alex? Is she all right? - He asks.

- Yeah, but she's terrified. One more snap of the fingers and she'll go crazy. You should have seen the way she yelled at the kid when he went to his friends.

- Well, who wants my car? - Daniel keeps asking questions.

- Alex is sure it was that girl who sucked you off at the bachelor party. Remember her? They sort of crossed paths with her the day you left, and she demanded that you become a single guy again.

- Holy shit! So that's why Alex was so wound up! And she didn't tell me anything! She lied to me. Are you with her now? - Daniel's asking.

- Yeah, I'm in front of the house. Just dropped Max off in a taxi.

- Can you stay with her? - Daniel asks. - I'll be there as soon as I can. Keep an eye on her, will you?

- In another situation, I'd have teased you about it. But not today. All right, I'll take care of her, - I promise.

I put out my cigarette and go upstairs. The door is locked. I knock. Silence. I knock harder. Rustling at the door. Finally, she opens.

- Thank God it's you! - She exclaims and hangs around my neck. Her arms cling chaotically to me like a lifeline. I pull away, take her by the elbows and look her in the eye:

- Did you get high while I was gone or something? Screwed yourself up? I've only been outside for 20 minutes. What happened?

In a trembling voice she replies:

- She's watching me! She knows everything I do! - Alex turns on the messages on her phone and turns the screen towards me.

The picture shows Alex in her blanket and on the sofa. The picture is taken through the window. The number is hidden.

I sharply close the curtains. The picture was taken and sent clearly during my absence. We need to do something. The phone in my hands rings and Daniel's name pops up on the screen. I know he'll find the right words for Alex.

- It's Daniel, - I tell her, returning the phone, - I've told him everything. So just talk to him, he's worried.

Alex picks up the phone, sits down on the sofa and starts talking. I want to pour her a sedative, but her whole medicine cabinet is in Russian, as luck would have it. I can't understand anything.

Then I get the idea of finding some alcohol in her house, but there isn't any either. As I rummage through the kitchen drawers, the doorbell rings. Alex reacts with lightning speed and shrinks into the sofa, looking at me in fright.

- Who are you? - I ask, staring at the man on the threshold. His face looks familiar to me. I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't remember where.

The man crosses the threshold and holds out his hand to me:

- Nice to meet you, Anton, - he says.