"What's that?"
Alice handed her the card.
"Take my number, and if you ever need anything, give me a call."
Abbie was reticent. Alice forced the card into her hand and closed her fingers into a fist around it.
"Now, I know a lot of people throw out the 'if you ever need anything' line, so I want to clarify my meaning. If you need someone to talk to, pick up the phone. If you need a boatload of money to escape a tricky fix, you give me a call. If you decide you want to get a couple of cats, then get it in your head that you need a holiday and need someone to catsit, what do you do?"
Abbie held up the card.
"Right, you buzz me, and I'll send Alex because she loves cats, and I'm allergic."
Abbie laughed.
Alice said, "I think you get the point."
"I reckon I do," said Abbie, meeting Alice's eye and trying not to cry. "And you know, I'm not sure what to say."
"That's okay," said Alice. "Now you know how I feel. I'm glad I met you, Abagail, and not only because you saved my life."
"I'm glad I met you too," said Abbie, and before she knew what she was doing, she leaned forward and gave Alice a hug. "I'm sorry you had such a shit birthday."
"Ah, whatever," said Alice. "There's always seventy."
The women laughed. After a while, the hug broke, and Abbie rose, drying tears from her eyes. She looked back towards the house; tried to decide how to say what she needed to say.
"He'll be disappointed," Alice said in response to the unasked question. "But he'll understand. Our Tone, he's good like that."
Abbie smiled. "Thank you."
Alice nodded, also rose from the car. "Goodbye, Abbie. I hope to see you again."
Finding herself unable to speak, Abbie raised her hand, turned, and walked away.
No one had stolen Abbie's car, which was handy. It remained parked on the lot above the beach, not far from where she'd found the dying embers of the party. Where she'd intervened to save Jacob from Ariana and her despicable plan.
There was a ticket on the windshield. Abbie scrunched it up and binned the paper. Mission complete, she would replace the car in the next couple of days. The ticketed vehicle would be crushed and sold for scrap. It was protocol.
On her way from Alice's house, Abbie had called Ben. Had dodged the debrief. Told him to deal with Angel, Jacob and Pedro's boys. She would talk to him tomorrow, which was now today, given it was almost half midnight. He hadn't been happy. That was okay; he rarely was.
Abbie dropped into the car. She was tired. No chance she’d get home tonight. Once she was an hour beyond this coastal town, she'd find a hotel and bed down for a few hours.
She was ready to leave. There was just one more thing she had to do before she set off.
It couldn't wait a moment longer.
Dialling the number, Abbie placed the phone to her ear and felt her heart rate rise with each ring.
After seven, someone answered. The voice on the end of the line was groggy. Until Abbie revealed her identity.
"Abbie? I didn't think I'd hear from you again."
"Funny," she said. “Neither did I.”
There was a silence. Abbie stared at the dark sea and listened to his nervous breathing. Eventually, she found the nerve to speak.
"Problem is, I can't get your smile out of my head."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's goofy and stupid and annoying."
"Right."
"Might also be the sweetest, cutest thing I've ever seen. It's all very confusing."
“Sounds it."
Abbie closed her eyes as though hiding from him, though he couldn't see her. She took a silent breath.
"I like you, Bobby."
"I like you too."
"I'd like to give us a go."
This time, he took the breath.
"You've no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that."
"I feel pretty good about it too," said Abbie. "But also scared. Because it's not so simple as just giving it a go. We can't just jump into it."
"No?" he asked.
"No. Something has to happen first."
"Yeah? What's that?"
One last deep breath.
"Bobby... I have to tell you everything."
Abbie King returns in
MISS NO ONE
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The Abbie King Thrillers
Have you read them all?
The Stranger
When Abbie tells Eddie Dean he has 48 hours to live, he’s already struggling to believe a total stranger - and then Eddie’s brother, Danny, turns up dead in Abbie’s hotel room…
Buy the Stranger
Deep Water
On the cusp of her sixtieth birthday, ex-gunrunner Alice Rayner wants nothing more than to put her life of crime behind her. But multiple criminal factions will go to any lengths to acquire Alice’s remaining cache of weapons.
Can the mysterious Abbie King help Alice vanquish her enemies and ensure the peaceful retirement she so craves?
Buy Deep Water
Miss No One
A young girl is missing. She has two days to live. Abbie King is confident she
