The Kiss Goodnight by Solomon Carter

Author:Solomon Carter [Carter, Solomon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

Nine

“Stop. This is close enough,” said Simon, but the flat blue water of the estuary continued to streak past on their right. Joanna kept driving. They had passed the Halfway House pub, heading for the showier, well-to-do end of the seafront. A few miles further on was his home. Safety. Rest. A chance to recover and to subdue the pain before it overcame him altogether. But going home now wasn’t an option. From the very moment he took up the mask, from the moment he took to facing the trouble on the streets, Simon had always known it would come down to something like this. From the very beginning he’d understood that one day he would come face to face with the devil. And as Simon’s chest bled and his ribs burned, he knew. Here it was. Today was the day he would have to say goodbye. If so, it was time to make it count.

“Joanna,” said Simon. He stared out of the window, stealing a glimpse at the distant estuary beyond the roofline of the beach huts. The golden sand was so close he could almost touch it. But he wouldn’t give in. He grimaced and faced Joanna. She ignored him, her knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.

“Joanna, you must stop now.” Simon’s words were an order. This time his voice was firm enough to draw a look from the driver.

He saw she was upset again, tears in her eyes, already grieving for him even though he wasn’t yet dead.

“Look at you, Simon. I can’t let you face another fight like that.”

“Joanna, you don’t get to choose.”

“They’ll kill you,”

“And it’s still not your call,” said Simon. He yanked the passenger door latch open, letting in a rush of sea air as the car hurtled on. Joanna looked aghast at the open gap as the outside world passed by in a blur. Simon laid his hands on the seat belt fastener, and Joanna’s foot hit the brake

“Okay, okay! Wait! I’ll stop for you…”

Simon clicked the seatbelt and it slid away. Even the strap had made his chest burn. The car’s electronics started to ding with a warning about his lack of seatbelt. She pulled over beside the high neat-cut hedges of Thorpe Bay Tennis Club. The Rokely Hotel was a way behind them, but not too far. Joanna yanked the handbrake up and looked at him.

“You’re going to do this no matter what I say…”

Simon pulled his balaclava out of his pocket and laid it on his knee.

“I haven’t got any choice,” he said. “And neither do you.”

“Yes, you have. You always had the choice. Like you chose to save me all those years ago. Like you saved me again the other day. You were always trying to save me, Simon. I wanted to return the favour, that’s all,” she said.

Joanna reached for him, her fingers slowly moving towards his face. Simon didn’t flinch, but neither did he respond. Simon’s world felt out of kilter, the pain clouded his head but the genie was out of the bottle, and it couldn’t go back in.

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