Book One First encounter

Part 6

I spent the rest of the evening frantically searching the harbour, and the few shops that were round the area. Driven on by feelings of desperation, and helplessness that I didn't understand, and which threatened to drown me.

Time seemed to stop dead in its tracks, and then run on again in slow motion, and standing there in the middle of the harbour I felt alone, and vulnerable, a victim to the feelings coursing through me. Everything felt as if it was spiralling out of control, and nothing made sense to me anymore, save one thought which stood out against all others, like a bright beacon at sea against a dark night sky. I had to find Bella.

Everything else paled into shadowy insignificance, and the only thing that I could focus on was finding her, like a figure carved from stone, I stood still, and silent, my mind racing as I tried to think of where to look next. Numb to the raging elements around me, my heart a lead weight in my chest. I needed some kind of explanation for what happened between us in the coffee shop, but more than that I needed to understand her overreaction from me merely mentioning Hager's name in her presence. I hated to admit it but it was just like Dauvit all over again, and the phrase 'walking over someone's grave' suddenly sprang to mind when I thought of how her face had become suddenly pale, and frightened, as though an invisible shadow had passed over her; the fear that had been in her eyes, and the slight tremor that had been evident in her voice when she had turned and spoke those last few words to me, before disappearing into the dark night.

"It's better for you, if you just forget you ever saw me."

Was that what she wanted?....I asked myself ...if it was than I knew I should respect her wishes, and just simply leave things as they were...but when I pictured the moment again, there had been something in the way that she had looked at me, that cast a cloud of doubt in my mind, and convinced me otherwise. A brief flicker of an emotion that lay hidden behind those eyes, that begged me to stay, and help her, and I was powerless to refuse.

But you hardly know her...my mind rationalised. In many Ways she's still a stranger to you...but that doesn't matter my heart argued back...those few hours that I had spent with her at the pub, and later at the café had been the happiest of my life, and I was unwilling, and unable to simply forget about her, or the time we had spent together.

Somehow I had to find her to let her know that if she wanted me to than I would offer her any help I could. Well you can't very well help her, or anyone else for that matter if you freeze to death...I thought, pulling my coat tighter around my frozen body, in an effort to keep out the cold wind rushing round me.

Pushing up the left sleeve of my leather jacket just a fraction, I glanced at my watch, wiping the glass clear in a circular motion with the back of my right hand. It was five minutes away from eight' o'clock. Hours had passed without me even noticing, and the weather was becoming increasingly worse with each passing second.

The loud rumble of thunder overhead signalling another storm; having already searched every nook, and cranny of the harbour, I was finally forced to give up; beaten back by the terrible conditions and the fact that it was so dark that I couldn't see so much as a hand span in front of me in any direction.

Heading over to the nearest payphone, which was just across the road from me, I punched in the number of a local taxi firm determined that I would continue my search in the morning, after a warm bath, a hot cup of coco, and a decent night's sleep. I could stop off at Charlak's café, and grab some breakfast, find out if there was a regular bus service that went into the main village; I could then pay the antique bookshop another visit.

Partly because I'd promised to pass Dauvit the shopkeeper a copy of my first novel, and partly to see if I could uncover anything further about this illusive Hager character, and why he had been so afraid of him. He was after all just a man, made of mere flesh and blood, and as vulnerable to injury or death as any other man, although from way Dauvit had reacted when faced with him...it was hard to not think otherwise.