Riding the Devil (Harry Bauer Book 15) by Harry Bauer

Author:Harry Bauer [Bauer, Harry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

Seventeen

Over dinner at the hotel I asked her, “Is this a Cinderella kind of thing?”

“A Cinderella kind of thing?”

“Now you are this version of you. But on Monday are you going to turn into a pumpkin and start calling me Mr. Bauer again?”

She methodically removed a prawn from its shell with her fingers before answering. Then she smiled and said, “I don’t think so.” She popped the prawn in her mouth and frowned as she chewed. “But you’re a worrying man, Harry. You don’t exactly inspire a feeling of security and stability.”

“Is that important?”

She was still frowning as she peeled another prawn. “Yeah, I think it is. You shouldn’t make me feel like I’m some kind of safe, boring, stay-at-home…”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Well, what did you mean? We all want some degree of predictability, don’t we? That’s why you asked if I was going to be Cinderella.”

I hesitated a moment before answering.

“I’m going to have to go down to San Diego at some point.”

She sighed and sagged back in her chair, wiping her fingers on her napkin.

“You asked me to spend the weekend with you, and now that I’m here you spring this on me?”

“I didn’t say I was going this weekend.”

“Oh.” After a moment she nodded. “So this is about you inspiring a nice, cozy sense of security?”

I sipped my wine, watching her. “I was thinking of going Monday. When I return that will be it.”

“If you return.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “Harry, what do you hope to achieve?”

“Stop. After San Diego, if you still want to know me, I’ll find a shrink, I’ll get help, whatever it is I have to do. But first I have to go to San Diego.”

She closed her eyes again. “That is code for something so ugly.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Is there nothing I can do, Harry, to change your mind?”

“No.”

She stared unhappily at her remaining prawns.

“What will you do? How does that work? You’ll book a hotel? How long will you be there?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll book a room at a hotel. I’ll stay there two or three days…” I trailed off. “Why?”

“I don’t know, morbid curiosity I suppose. I want to think of you doing something normal, healthy, positive. I want to think of you rebuilding your life.” I waited, watching her face. She said, “Where will you stay?”

“A hotel.”

“I know, you said that, but which one?” I frowned, then laughed. “Don’t laugh at me, Harry.”

I spread my hands. “I don’t know. The Hilton, I guess. The Bayside Hilton. Why do you want to know?”

“I wish you wouldn’t go. I’m going to pray for you.”

“Really?”

“I know you probably don’t believe in that kind of thing. But my mother was a Catholic, and my grandmother before her. And I am a Catholic too. I know that Jesus is going to look after you if I ask him to. I am going to pray to Jesus and the Mother Mary, to help you walk away from this thing you want to do.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.