Part 6

The trip was soothing to my soul. I was determined, I had a plan to follow and I’d always liked planning everything. The solitude and the roar of my bike’s engine kept me going. It felt almost exhilarating, knowing that soon I’d have the justice I’d been craving.

I arrived in Sonoma just after nine p.m. and I stopped at the first diner I saw. It was partially full and I sat down at a table and called Thalia to tell her that I was still alive and she cried again. I had to hide my chuckle as she sniffed.

“I’m just glad you’re alive,” Thalia said.

“Why wouldn’t I be alive, Mom?”

“You race around on that damn bike. Damn Levi,” she said and I chuckled.

“Stop worrying so much. I’m fine and I’m really hungry. I might die of starvation if you keep on crying because I’m not hanging up until you stop,” I said and that earned me a chuckle from her.

“Look after yourself and don’t have too much fun if you know what I mean,” she said and my ears reddened.

“Now I’m really hanging up on you, crying or not. Love you, Mom,” I said.

“I love you, Alex,” she said and I ended the call.

I was tired but I hadn’t lied when I told Thalia that I was starving. I hadn’t eaten all day and I knew that I would crash soon. I had booked into a small bed and breakfast earlier and specified that I would be a late arrival.

A young girl came over and handed me a menu and she waited as I looked through it at the options available. Her soul was clean and I smiled because she was staring at my arm. I gave her my order and she took the menu again as she walked to the window behind the counter and gave it through to the kitchen.

I got quite a few stares from other customers as “Jules” according to her name tag put the glass of soda down in front of me. I smiled my thanks and she left again. My phone rang and I looked at the name and sighed. I probably had to talk to her at some point.

“Hello,” I answered the phone.

“Hey, it’s me,” she said. The “me” was Linda Johnson. She had been my girlfriend until graduation night when I saw her making out with Charles Stephens at the bonfire party we all attended. I hadn’t said anything, just turned around and left. I was too hurt to fight with her or him. I also hadn’t told her that according to me we weren’t an item anymore.

“Sorry, who is this?” I asked.

“Me, Linda, what the hell,” she said and I smiled to myself.

“Oh, Linda, hey,” I said casually. I could picture the confusion on her face and it made me smile.

“So you leave town and you don’t even tell me,” she said, sounding angry.

“I didn’t think you were interested to know that I left, since you were sucking on Charles’ tonsils last week,” I said to her and Jules tried to hide her smile as she waited at the counter. She was clearly listening in on my call.

“You’re an asshole, Alex,” she said to me.

“I’ve been called worse,” I said.

“Yeah, like what?” she asked.

“Your boyfriend,” I said and she put the phone down abruptly. I chuckled softly to myself and put the phone down on the table. Jules turned away as she laughed and brought my food over a few minutes later.

“Bad breakup?” She asked me and I laughed.

“Not really,” I said to her as she put the plate down. “Thanks.”

“I’m Jules, what’s your name?” she asked me.

“Alex, nice to meet you, Jules,” I said as I moved the plate closer.

“What’s that on your arm?” She asked me. I could see the fascination in her eyes but it seemed different coming from her.

“I got hit by lightning,” I said to her.

“Wow, did it hurt?” she asked me and then laughed. “What a dumb question, of course it hurt.”

“Yeah, it hurt,” I said and laughed. People just didn’t understand when I said that it hadn’t hurt, so I had started to say that it did.

“Enjoy,” she said and turned away to help other customers.

I put my earphones in and selected the playlist on my phone. I ate as I listened to one of my favourite songs and Jules brought the bill over a while later. Her number was scribbled on the bottom. I paid in cash and took the receipt with me as I left.

I phoned the number of the bed and breakfast that the woman had sent to me via email and she smiled as she unlocked the front door for me. I got the feeling that she treated everyone like her grandchildren and the front room that acted as reception was warm and inviting.

She made me feel at ease and I liked her. I thought that maybe that’s what my own grandmother might have been like if I had one. It had always just been me and Thalia so I never knew what I was missing out on, I did now.

“Gray, room four, let me show you your room,” she said with a smile. I had booked the room under Alex Gray because I did follow Levi’s advice, I wasn’t going to get caught.

“Thank you, Mrs. Walker,” I said to her and followed her upstairs to my room.

“Breakfast starts at seven until eight thirty, sleep tight,” she said and closed the door behind her which I locked after I heard her descend the stairs again. I took a long shower, I was tired and excited at the same time. Tomorrow I would go look for Anthony Campbell’s house and find out everything about him.

The following morning I went downstairs for breakfast and I was greeted warmly by Mary Walker, talking to me like she’d known me for a hundred years and she winked as she brought a plate over to me and whispered that she’d given me extra bacon. As I took the last bite Mary Walker sat down at the table next to me.