The Beachcomber by Rachel Amphlett

Author:Rachel Amphlett [Amphlett, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781913498931
Publisher: Saxon Publishing

FIVE

Julie was certain now that she’d seen him before.

A lifetime ago.

She perched on the edge of the bed, staring through the window while the stranger hobbled up the slipway from the beach.

She tried to imagine him without the beard, without the worry lines that scored his brow, but her memories pushed back and refused to cooperate.

He leaned against the wall when he reached the road, turning away with a wistful glance towards the broiling sea while he rubbed at his knee.

Evidently walking on the uneven beach aggravated the injury, so why did he do it?

He suddenly straightened, rolled his shoulders and crossed the road below her window, his awkward gait swinging him left and right.

Despite his apparent injury, he walked with purpose, resolve, and Julie wondered what had happened to spur him forward in such a rush before he turned towards the centre of the small town.

Groaning, she lay back and eyed the yellowing swirls of the plasterwork ceiling, an errant cobweb tangled amongst the light fitting swaying in the warmth rising from the radiator under the window sill.

Stay away, they told her to start with.

Then, after eight months, when are you coming back?

That’s when she’d fled, packing one suitcase, ignoring the laptop gathering dust on the dining table, and only switching on her phone once a day.

At first, she’d been mortified at the number of missed calls and message notifications that peppered the screen.

Then she simply wondered when they would stop.

Give up hope of ever hearing from her again.

And now…

She ran a hand over her eyes and sat up, then blinked as a familiar figure came into view, his pace frantic.

Gerald hurried along the pavement towards the guest house, his heavy black wool coat open, flapping in the breeze. Face beetroot, his thin hair lifted in wisps as he stumbled up the short path to the front door.

Julie slid from the bed after it slammed shut, shoving her feet into canvas slip-ons and crept to the door.

Heavy footsteps took the stairs, laboured breaths echoing off the narrow landing as Gerald made his way past her room.

She opened the door a crack and heard him grunting under his breath while the sound of hangers slapping against the back of a wooden wardrobe carried to where she stood.

He emerged moments later.

Julie slipped the door back into its frame and held her breath as he walked past.

Stomping back down the stairs, he called out to Pat, then the small brass bell beside the complimentary tourist leaflets rang out.

‘Pat? You there?’ he called, his voice rasping between gasps.

Julie left her room and eased across the landing to the bannister.

Gerald was standing at the bottom of the stairs, a black canvas holdall at his feet.

He moved from one foot to the other and then spun around as Pat’s voice carried from the direction of the kitchen.

‘Everything okay?’

‘I need to check out early, I’m afraid. There’s been a sudden change of plans.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to hel––’

‘Just the bill.

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