Two for Joy - Louise Collins Page 0,72

he’d seen Chad. Seven days since his apparent suicide at the jumping hotspot.

Romeo had moved.

Hitchhiking, and the small change from strangers had moved him across the country, back to the county of his crime.

“You done with that?”

He looked to his left, a man limping towards him, sleeping bag wrapped around his shoulders, gesturing to the paper on the floor next to him. The man wore gloves like Romeo, worn down clothes like him, too. He had a piece of cardboard asking for any spare change.

Romeo opened the paper, took out the center puzzle page, then stretched out his arm to hand the rest over. “Nothing interesting, still on about Marc Wilson, and that countdown killer bloke.”

The man huffed. “I couldn’t give a shit about either.”

Romeo laughed, and turned away. He tugged his own sleeping bag—found in a dumpster, up to his neck. It was stained, smelled terrible, but it all added to his disguise. He’d found a new set of clothes by searching through bins, sheds, even tearing open charity bags left on people’s doorsteps. He bought food and water with the coins tossed his way, and his own cardboard sign asked for a second chance.

Anyone looking for him would go by his mug shot. His stylish stubble, neat hair, big green eyes, and clear complexion. He looked the opposite.

He hadn’t shaved in weeks, his hair was weighted down by sweat and grease. His skin was dirty, his face had a nasty slice through it, and although the swelling had gone down significantly, he could feel his cheek wasn’t quite right.

Anyone who thought he was still alive, would never suspect he sat in a bus stop outside the place he’d escaped from.

The hospital was popular with the homeless, and those he spoke to didn’t care for the news. They worried about getting through each day. Keeping warm at night, and cool in the day. Never knowing when they would eat or drink, or when someone might hurl abuse their way. That was their lives, and serial killers and detectives didn’t feature at all.

Chad never revealed Romeo pretended to be homeless to spy on the DI after his heart attack. They had no idea he’d used the disguise before to his advantage.

Romeo turned at the sound of a car door slamming. He recognized the car, and the people that climbed out of it. Police privileges apparently meant detectives didn’t have to park their cars in the designated zones. They turned up, mounted the curb, then flashed their ID badges if anyone asked.

Romeo lowered his head, half hiding in his sleeping bag. They walked along the path towards him, not sparing him a glance, not even noticing he was there.

“The footprints further up from the car. They’re proof.” Gareth said.

The DI stopped, huffed, then spun around to face Gareth.

“We know Romeo’s shoe size was 10.”

They were only two meters away from Romeo, discussing him.

“But the weight distribution, as if someone was wearing shoes that were too small. The prints sunk in deeper. They lead away from the cliff.”

“He told Holly when he was done, he’d kill himself. We found the car he’d stolen at the edge of a cliff, the clothes we know he was wearing laid out on the seat, and a suicide note.”

“All very clever, but bullshit.”

“What are you saying then?”

“He planned it. He must’ve had clothes in the car, and shoes. He made his getaway.”

“Then went where?”

Gareth hissed. “No idea.”

“Exactly … look, the footprints are suspicious, but they could be anyone’s. He was counting down, he must’ve been counting down to something, there must’ve been some end in his head. It all hints at suicide. Holly supports this, and even Chad admitted in the farmhouse Romeo talked about killing himself once he got all five.”

Romeo frowned, then resisted the urge to snort.

Clever magpie.

“I still think he’s alive.”

The DI took a deep breath. “Don’t go saying that to Chad. He’s happy thinking Romeo’s dead, knowing it’s all over. That he can move on—start again.”

“I know.”

“You can’t go in there and mess with his head anymore, not now that animal’s influence has finally lifted.”

Monster, Romeo inwardly thought, rolling his eyes.

Gareth lowered his head. “I’m not going to mention it.”

“The most important thing now is Chad getting better.”

The DI started walking toward the hospital doors. Gareth sighed, then went after him.

Romeo lifted his face out of his sleeping bag and stared after them. Chad was happy thinking he was dead. Romeo shook his head. It had to be a lie. His magpie