Killing Kate. Alex Lake
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too.’ May held out a hand. ‘Can I have some?’
‘There’s not much.’
‘Just a sip. I’m feeling a bit delicate.’
Kate swallowed half the contents and handed the bottle to her friend. ‘Finish it.’
‘So,’ May said. ‘You arranged your own accommodation last night?’
‘I suppose so,’ Kate said. ‘I wasn’t sure where I was this morning.’
‘Did you guys – you know?’
‘No.’ Kate shook her head. ‘I tried to, but he told me I was too drunk.’
‘Nice guy. Most would have taken advantage.’
‘I guess.’ Kate paused. ‘But nothing about last night feels good. What I remember of it, that is.’
‘It’s not like you.’
‘I know. I feel awful. I can’t believe it. I had way too much to drink. Don’t let me do that again.’
‘We would have stopped you, but you disappeared with that guy.’ She sipped the orange juice. ‘We were worried, Kate, in case he turned out to be some crazy weirdo, but then you texted to say you were OK, so we left you to it.’
‘He was fine. He didn’t do anything, thank God. In fact, it was me who suggested we have sex.’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t quite believe it.’
‘Are you going to see him again?’
‘No,’ Kate said. ‘He wanted to, but I can’t face it. He was nice enough, but I’d rather forget it happened.’
‘We’ll have to avoid that club, then. In case he’s in there. And if we’re in other places I suppose we’ll have to keep an eye out for him.’
Kate raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s not the only place we’ll have to keep an eye out for him. Guess where he lives.’
‘Where?’
‘Guess.’
May shrugged. ‘London?’
‘No. Guess again.’
‘Manchester?’
‘Warmer.’
May raised her eyebrows. ‘Somewhere close to us?’
‘Very close.’ Kate sat on the end of the bed. ‘He lives in none other than Moore.’
May leaned forwards, propping herself up on her elbows. ‘You mean Moore? The Moore down the road?’
‘The same.’
‘You are fucking kidding me.’
‘I wish I was.’
‘You’re saying he’s from the same pokey part of the world as us? Did you know him?’
Kate shook her head. ‘No, although he did seem familiar once I knew. I suppose I might have seen him around. He’s older, though, so he wouldn’t necessarily hang out in the places we do.’
‘How much older?’
‘Late thirties. Something like that. I didn’t ask.’
‘Got yourself a sugar daddy,’ May said. ‘Lucky you.’
‘Don’t even joke about it,’ Kate replied. ‘This is not funny. Maybe I’ll be able to laugh about it later, but not now.’
‘What’s he doing here?’
‘Holiday. He’s been here a couple of weeks already, hanging out with some friends.’
‘And you’re not going to see him again?’
‘No,’ Kate said. ‘Definitely not.’
The hotel phone started to ring. May looked up at Kate. ‘Do you think that’s him?’ she said.
‘I hope not,’ Kate replied. ‘I didn’t give him the name of the hotel. Shit, I hope he didn’t follow me here.’
‘I’ll get it,’ May said. ‘If it’s him, I’ll tell him I don’t know you and he’s got the wrong number. OK?’
Kate nodded. ‘OK.’
May reached out and picked up the phone.
‘Hello?’ she said. There was a long pause, then she held out the receiver to Kate. ‘It’s for you,’ she said.
‘Is it him?’
‘No,’ May said, and rolled her eyes. ‘It’s Phil.’
Kate took the receiver from May and put it to her ear.
‘Phil?’ she said. ‘What are you doing? Is something wrong?’
His voice was tense, a note or two higher than usual. ‘I wanted to talk to you. You haven’t been answering your phone. I thought maybe you don’t have reception.’
‘It’s pretty patchy,’ she lied. ‘I saw some missed calls’ – some, she thought, didn’t cover it. There’d been dozens of them – ‘but I haven’t been able to call back.’
‘Oh,’ he said. ‘I understand.’
‘So,’ Kate said. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘No. I just – I just wanted to talk to you. Check you’re OK.’
‘I’m fine,’ Kate said, her mouth tightening. ‘I’m a big girl, Phil. I can look after myself.’
‘I know, but—’
‘And how did you get this number?’ Kate said.
‘I asked your mum and dad where you’re staying.’
The answer was too quick; she knew Phil and she could tell it was a lie he’d prepared earlier. She wasn’t even sure she’d told her parents where she was staying. It pissed her off; this whole phone call pissed her off. She decided not to let him off the hook.
‘Are you sure?’ she said. ‘I don’t recall telling them the hotel name. In fact, I’m pretty sure I didn’t, now I think about it. So how did you get the number?’
He paused. ‘I called around,’ he said finally.
‘Called around what?’
‘The hotels.’
Kate stared at her reflection in the mirror opposite the bed. ‘You called every hotel in the resort?’
‘No!’ he said, a hint of outrage in his voice that she would suggest he was that desperate. ‘I knew you were staying near the harbour, so I called those hotels and asked to be put through to your room.’
‘Right,’ Kate said. ‘So you called every hotel near the harbour.’ She shook her head, exasperated. Why couldn’t he leave her alone, even for one week? One week, so she could enjoy her holiday.
‘Well, it’s nice to talk, but I’m kind of busy right now,’ Kate said. ‘We’re getting ready to go out for breakfast.’ She looked at Gemma, spread out in a star shape, her cheek pressed against the pillow, her mouth half-open as she snored lightly. ‘May and Gem are by the door.’
May suppressed a snort of laughter. Kate glared at her.
‘I only wanted to chat. I miss you.’
‘Can we talk later?’ she said. ‘I’ve got to go. They’re waiting. And we’re hungry.’
‘Will you