Installment number 10

Weeks passed this way. Each day, I would go walking, or I would go into the pub and talk to the man, Errol. I never had anything new to tell him, but we passed the time in pleasant enough conversation. I never found out, nor felt the need to ask, where Janet went during the day. One day, I wandered into the shop and looked at all the old toys. The woman behind the counter eyed me suspiciously, but I decided I didn't care. I wasn't going to steal anything, and if she wanted to watch me, let her do so.

In among the old teddy bears and the notebooks with pictures of beefeaters on the front and the Welsh lovespoons, I found a pendant that caught my eye. I picked it up and watched as the stone seemed to change colour as it span round, from black to purple, to green, to blue, and I wanted it. More than any material thing I had ever encountered, I wanted it.

"How much is this?" I asked.
"The pendant? It's not for sale."
"Not for sale?" my heart sank.
"It's special."
"I can see that. That's why I wanted to buy it."
"It's not for everyone."
"Who is it for?"
"Only special people."
"Special how?" I was getting more and more frustrated with what I saw as her deliberately taunting me. I couldn't say why, but I really wanted the pendant.
"Just special."
I considered stealing it. I'd never stolen anything in my life. In fact, up until the accidental murder thing, I'd been a thoroughly model citizen, but that was how badly I wanted it. I decided to try bartering, "How much money would it take to make me special?"
She laughed, "You're offering *me* money for that pendant? Goodness, woman, you really don't understand at all, do you?"
"No," I was so frustrated, I thought I was going to cry, "I don't understand at all."
She leaned close and whispered, "It's not for the likes of me to say who can wear the pendant. I'm mortal. I just work here."
"Mortal? What? What else would you be?"
"Well," she said, clearly taken aback by the question, "One of them. Y'know, THEM."
I didn't know, and I just wanted to get away from the woman, but I also wanted the pendant.
"Is there no way that I can buy the pendant?"
"No, love. It's not for sale."

I sighed and wandered back onto the street. There appeared to be a bit of a commotion outside the pub. I was too far away to see exactly what was going on, but more people that I had ever seen in Ogmore-by-Sea were gathered around. I moved closer to see if I could find out what was going on. Errol appeared to be in some kind of argument with someone. As I moved closer, I realised it was Elena. I didn't stick around to find out what the argument was about. I really didn't want Elena here to spoil my paradise. I ran back to the guesthouse and to the counter, where Tim was idly strumming on an old acoustic guitar.

“Tim! Where's Janet?”
“Huh?” he put the guitar down and stood up. I don't think I'd seen him stand before. He towered over me and suddenly seemed slightly intimidating.
“Um... Janet... Do you know where she is?”
He shrugged, “She went out.”
“I need to find her. Can you help me?”
He laughed slightly, “Not me, hon, no. I can't help you.”
“But... Elena's here.”
“I know.”
“You know?!”
“Yeah, room 19,” and he handed me a key.

I grabbed the key and ran back to my room and curled up on the bed, hoping that he wouldn't be so quick to hand out my room key, but the longer I held the key, the more I wanted to use it. The key was taunting me; daring me to go there; to confront her; to tell her to get out.
I walked quickly through the maze of corridors which, by now, I knew all too well. I arrived at room 19 and rapped loudly on the door. There was no response, and I realised that she must still be outside the pub, arguing with Errol. I slid the key into the lock and gently opened the room. I'm not sure what I expected, but it must have been spectacular, because I was disappointed when the room looked much the same as my own.
I looked around it for a short while, imagining I was in one of the many spy shows I had seen on TV, then realising that I couldn't really tell much from a room, because I had no spy training. Then I wandered back to my own room and curled up on the bed again.

***

I started when I heard the door handle move.
"Hello?" I said, noticing my voice waivering.
"Hey, babe," Janet responded cheerily.
"Oh, thank god it's you."
"Who else would it be?"
"I saw Elena earlier."
"Oh..."
"You don't sound surprised."
"I'm not really."
"She's come for me, hasn't she? Because of what I did?"
"I don't know, Fi. I really don't know."
"She's staying here."
"It's the only place in town, Fi. Where else would she stay?"

I didn't tell Janet about the room key. It just didn't occur to me to do so. We went for dinner as we did every other night, but she seemed a little uneasy; looking around, presumably for Elena, despite her apparent nonchalance. After a glass of wine, I stopped caring and the evening went on as pleasant as ever.