Page 76 of The Gloaming

Oh, okay. We’re going there.

“It isn’t something he talks of often. But on occasion, enough whisky has loosened his tongue to confessions.” He adjusted the seams of his trousers, shifting in his seat. “His crimes are undeniable, but his conviction has been almost unwavering. I guarantee his affection is equally as unshakeable.”

I gripped the steering wheel, processing. I already knew bits and pieces, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted more than that. But I couldn’t deny the small feeling of relief Adam’s words evoked.

A blast of trombones from the speakers saved me from replying. Adam had switched back to his previous excited state, singing along to the Frank Sinatra cover, the conversation seemingly forgotten as quickly as it had begun.

???

Whitby looked exactly as miserable as you’d expect in December – empty streets, grey skies, and the last of the rain giving way to an even nastier wind.

Adam gazed up at the Abbey ruins silhouetted against the grey sky. “I read Stoker’s novel when it was first published,” he mused. “He captured the atmosphere perfectly, though I confess the weather was better then.”

Even with the awful weather, I was glad we’d come. I showed Adam the amusement arcades along the seafront – open rain or shine – and he lost several games of air hockey quite spectacularly. My hands smelled of copper from the old machines by the time we’d thrown almost a day’s wages at the slots and claws. The tinny music and electronic beeps echoed off rain-streaked windows, mixing with the permanent scent of damp carpets and candy floss that clung to every seaside arcade. Exactly as it should.

Stepping out toward the pier after emptying our pockets of change, Adam declined my offer of a greasy burger from a tiny café, which was probably for the best. Instead, we took advantage of the brief minutes when the clouds parted, buying ice creams that made my teeth ache from the sweetness.

We wandered back along the beach for the remaining hours before we lost the light, the sea dark and uninviting. As the neon glow of the carousel lured us back towards the area where we’d parked, Adam stopped abruptly, a curious smile playing about his face. Behind us, the sea roared its soft music.

“What is it?” I asked, the wind whipping at my escaped hair, scraps of orange splashing across my vision.

He shook his head, still grinning. “Could we take a photograph?”

I didn’t understand his reasoning, but I agreed. Standing alone against the backdrop of the brightly lit, empty carousel, Adam seemed like a real Victorian gentleman for the firsttime. Or at least what I imagined they looked like – my knowledge mostly came from period dramas. With his hands in the pockets of his smart grey coat, he stood unsmiling and stiff. I took the photograph, and he immediately snapped out of it, beckoning me over.

“Now for both of us?” He took my phone from my hand, adeptly angling the camera so he could press the button. Beaming and huddled together, the blurry glow of the carousel behind us threw our faces into sharp relief. We looked exhausted, but happy. It was a great picture.

Adam didn’t doze in the car as we drove home in the dark. I’d expected him to, but then I remembered he wasn’t entirely as he appeared – for all I knew, he didn’t sleep. When I pulled up outside my house, he insisted he would make his own way home, and I was too exhausted to argue.

I wondered whether he’d tell Nicholas where we’d been. For all his aristocratic airs and immortal mystery, Adam had managed something no one else had, lately – he’d made me feel normal for a day. Even if nothing else about my life was.

23: To Sleep Like the Dead

That night, I slept better than I had in weeks. But the following day I was determined to grill Adam for everything he’d failed to catch me up on – because while our trip out had been just what I needed, we’d never even touched on the research he, Nicholas and Isabel had done.

After a quick shower, I multitasked and called him while spooning cereal into my mouth and contemplating whether it would be more efficient to just pour my coffee directly onto the sugary flakes. There was no answer, but it was still early enough to be dark outside. He might be asleep – if that was something he still did.

I paced the house for a while, trying to decide if it was too early to head over there. Ihadto get to Jolt today – I couldn’t get away with being so irresponsible two days in a row. Plus, the shop had overheads; I had rent and just as importantly, Jolt was all there was left to show of Jon’s legacy.

By the time I’d downed my third cup of coffee, I decided it was worth driving over. The sun still wasn’t quite up, so I’d probably be too late to catch Nicholas or Isabel, but Adam couldfill me in on everything.

I rummaged around in my drawers for my favourite grey hoodie, but it was nowhere to be found, so I went all black in jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt instead. The scoop neckline did nothing for my bruises, but my wardrobe options seemed to be shrinking at an alarming rate. Dr Martens improved every outfit, anyway.

Crunching up the gravel driveway of the manor, I noticed that all the curtains at the front of the house were closed tight. Maybe the others were up, then. My stomach did a little flip, but I tried not to get my hopes up that Nicholas would still be awake – I hated that I’d gone a whole night without seeing him, wasting precious time on sleeping instead.

A dark stain still marred the doorstep despite the heavy rain the day before – another reminder of what was at stake if our research failed. Adam answered the door almost immediately.

“What a singular surprise,” he said as he stood aside to let me in. “I dare say I thought you’d have tired of my company yesterday.”

I pulled off my boots as he closed the door. “I can’t stay long, but I need an update. You didn’t answer your phone.”

“You must have caught me indisposed. My apologies.” He shot me a curious look.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Despite our ease the day before, we stood there for a moment, awkward. I felt suddenly guilty for turning up unannounced.

Adam smoothed the front of the heavy black dressing gownhe wore and raised his eyebrows. “Join me for a few minutes. We can discuss the news, and the coffee is rather good, I must say.”

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