Page 21 of Ace My Heart

“I know,” he muttered over the phone. “I’m down in the foyer, and there’s a TV with the news going – it’s all they’re talking about. There are cameras outside. The police asked me to stay until they can sit down and get a statement from me. Have they spoken to you yet?”

“Yeah, they wanted to know what happened since the last time I saw Steve. I told them that you’d been over and that you saw Steve when you left about midnight.”

“They don’t think you had anything to do with it, do they?”

“I don’t think so … hey, when they come to get your statement, can you ask them if I can have my stuff back from the apartment? I’m catching the nine forty flight home tonight. D’you reckon you could ask them to bring it over to the hospital?”

“Sure thing, Mel. Is that the Leopard flight?”

“Yep.”

“I’m on that one too. I guess I’ll see you at the airport. D’you want me to come and pick you up from the hospital?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll find my own way. Just tell the police that I really need my stuff – I don’t even have my phone and wallet, so it’ll be hard to get on the plane.”

“Okay, Mel. I’m so glad you’re alright. I’ll talk to you again as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, Brad. Bye.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, exhaustion creeping over me.

Bulging eyes.

Gaping mouth.

Blood.

I sat bolt upright, swallowing back a scream.

The nurse popped her head in. “You’ve got a visitor.”

Joel slumped in, pale under his tan. He collapsed into the chair beside the bed and looked down at his hands. I hid my own shaking ones under the blanket.

“Joel, I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

He looked up and a ghost of his usual smile flitted across his face. My heart lurched, my throat constricting.

I coughed. “Are the police done with you? Did they say you could leave?”

He nodded. “Yeah, they’re done.”

“I booked us tickets home tonight,” I said quietly.

“Thanks, Mel. I just got off the phone with Mum. I have to get home.”

I watched him trace the bloodstain on his shorts with his index finger. I couldn’t think of anything to say that would make him feel better. I don’t think that therewasanything I could say.

“The bastard butchered him,” Joel blurted out, the words echoing in the little curtained room.

My breath caught in my throat. “What?” I managed to ask, then wished I hadn’t. I didn’t want to hear in any detail what Joel meant.

“His chest looked like it had been put through a meat grinder.” Joel choked on the words.

I retched, but there was nothing in my stomach to vomit up. It felt like there was nothing left inside of me at all. I was just a big hollow shell. I was lost.

God, please look after Steve, and tell him I’m sorry, and I love him.

CHAPTER SIX

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