Bet Your Life Read Free Page A

him?”
    “Nothing. Keeping warm.” I rubbed my arms, trying to generate some heat. “Have you seen my coat?”
    He unwound his scarf and handed it to me. “Never mind about your coat.”
    “I do mind. Obviously. But thanks.” I wrapped the scarf around my neck, watching him curiously. “Where were you during the show, anyway?”
    For Hugo, he was oddly slow to respond. “Looking for you. Then looking at you.”
    “How fascinating for you. I’m surprised I was enough to distract you from the fireworks. You can stare at me anytime.”
    “ I can. Will can’t.”
    I was knotting the scarf but I stopped dead. “What did you say?”
    “Will can’t.” Two syllables. Perfect enunciation. Nothing confusing about it. Except …
    “He was here?” My voice was very small.
    “Yeah.”
    “And he saw me.”
    “With Ryan.”
    “Where is he?”
    “He just left.”
    “Just now?”
    “A minute ago.” After Ryan had kissed me. He didn’t have to say it. I knew.
    “Which way did he go? Hugo!” I grabbed his arm and held onto it. “Tell me.”
    “When he got to the gate he turned left, so into town, I assume.” He dragged himself free. “I wouldn’t bother, Jess. Leave it for now. You can explain the next time you see him.”
    He was talking to cold, thin air. I was already sprinting for the gate. I dodged through the stragglers who were leaving, the mud clinging to my boots as I ran. I cut between two cars and snagged my tights on the front wing of one of them, where an accident had left it buckled and bent. I lost valuable seconds freeing myself, but once I hit the road I was able to go faster and I flew down the hill in the direction Hugo had indicated, keeping to the center of the streets because the pavements were wonky and narrow, and I would definitely, certainly trip. I liked my front teeth enough to want to keep them intact, but I wasn’t going to slow down until I had to.
    There was no sign of Will down any side street or round any corner—just little groups of costumed revellers and the occasional pumpkin grinning in a window or on a doorstep, eyes flickering as the candle inside guttered. I took a chance on him heading for the city center and did likewise, hoping I’d find him there, or near where I lived. His house backed on to my family’s home, Sandhayes, so if I headed in that general direction I had a chance of finding him.
    What I would say when and if I did find him was another question.
    It was a long way to the center of town from the recreation ground and I started to feel it in my legs just around the time a wicked stitch skewered my side. I slowed and then stopped, my breathing ragged, one hand gripping my waist where the pain was worst. The chill in the air was nothing to the cold horror that was sending shivers over my skin.
    Will had been there.
    Will had seen me with Ryan.
    Will had seen Ryan kiss me.
    Will would have the wrong idea.
    Will might even care.
    The very thought jolted me back into action. I moved forward at a pace that was a long way from a sprint, limping and wincing, so wrapped up in my own misery that I turned down a narrow lane and saw a flashing blue light irradiating the side of some buildings in the distance and didn’t even think that it might be something to concern me. I was closer to it when I started to hear the radio squawking, and another joining it, and a low throaty roar that was an engine turning over. I hurried round the corner into St. Laurence Square, a tiny paved space in the heart of town in front of an old church. There was an oak tree in the center with a bench circling its trunk. In the summer it was a nice place to sit. Now, on a cold dark autumn night, the tree was shedding leaves with every breath of wind. An ambulance was parked beside it. Beside that, there were two police cars. Beside that, another car I recognized. It had a blue light on the top that swung and swirled and caught me in the eyes, but not before I’d noticed the figure on