Free Double Exposure by Brian Caswell Page B

ever seen him before?’ Cesar cuts in, serious as usual.
    â€˜What d’you mean?’ Leonie turns to face him.
    â€˜What do I mean? For freak’s sake, Lee. You work at a movie theatre – don’t you ever watch the movies? Silence of the Lambs, Fatal Attraction, Copycat, One Hour Photo –’
    â€˜Finding Nemo …’ Cain interrupts the flow, watching Leonie’s face for a reaction to Cesar’s line of argument. ‘What Cesar is suggesting, kid, is that the guy could be a deviant. A stalker who spends his waking hours cutting up photos of the girls he can’t have because he keeps his mother’s corpse strapped to a rocking chair in the master bedroom. In which case, Ces, Fatal Attraction doesn’t apply. The stalker in that one’s a woman and Leonie doesn’t have a pet rabbit. Do you?’
    Leonie looks down at the bracelet on the table in front of her.
    â€˜He didn’t look like a stalker,’ she says, to no one in particular. ‘He just …’
    â€˜No one looks like a stalker!’ Cesar is uncharacteristically animated. He picks up the bracelet. ‘And besides, giving something like this to a total stranger doesn’t exactly qualify as normal behaviour.’
    Sara takes the offending jewellery from his hand and slips it onto her wrist, holding it up for appraisal.
    â€˜Unless he’s a secret admirer. Look at it, Lee. It’s beautiful. Why do you guys always have to look on the dark side?’
    Leaning back on the other lounge, Dave shakes his head slowly, pushes his hair back from his face and sighs knowingly.
    â€˜Because, Sara my love, the line between “secret admirer” and “totally deviant freako” is just a bit too thin to call. By the way, if you’re going to put that thing on, I’d be washing it first. Just in case …’
    Sara looks at the bracelet, then removes it, dropping it on the table.
    â€˜You guys,’ she says and moves towards the counter. ‘Anyone for a coffee?’
    A couple of responses, but T.J. is watching Leonie’s face. The excitement has disappeared and she looks scared. Leaning forward, she takes the girl’s hand and motions her away from the table with a movement of her head.
    When they are out of earshot, near the entry doors, she pushes a lock of hair away from Leonie’s face and attempts an encouraging smile.
    â€˜Don’t let them get to you, Lee. They all watch too many MAs. It’s a shitty world when someone can’t make a nice gesture without everyone assuming the worst. They wouldn’t have a clue about what a real stalker is all about …’
    The words trail off, as she forces down a sudden fear.
    Then Cain is beside them. He slides an arm around her, but his words are for Leonie.
    â€˜Hey, kid. Look, I’m sorry about that, it was just a bit of fun. Still, if you want a lift home, we could –’
    â€˜No, it’s okay. My dad’s picking me up in half an hour. What do you think I should do? About the bracelet, I mean.’
    Cain pulls T.J. close and kisses her hair almost unconsciously.
    â€˜The way I see it, ninety-nine point nine percent of the population are basically okay. Which means you have to assume it’s just a harmless gesture. So it’s not going to do any harm to wear it. Hell, it’s only a ten-dollar trinket. Maybe he works for someone who imports them and he gives them out to anyone he thinks need a lift in the middle of a long shift. Maybe it’s just a desperate attempt to gain your attention. If so, it seems to have worked. At least until Cesar got in on the act.’
    He turns to T.J., winking.
    â€˜Hey, you don’t think Cesar’s got a thing for her, do you? I mean, he did come on pretty strong back there.’
    Taking his lead, T.J. smiles, then shakes her head.
    â€˜Cesar? Nah. I think he has the hots for Amy.’
    Finally, Leonie