Free Lucas by Kevin Brooks Page B

ripped denim shorts that were more rip than short. Her face was done up in goth lipstick and a ton of black eye-liner, and she was standing with her back arched and her hands hooked behind her head to show off her belly.
    â€˜Nice,’ I said.
    Bill shrugged.
    â€˜So what are you doing in here?’ I asked.
    â€˜I saw you come in. I thought I’d say hello.’
    I nodded, staring at the computer screen. I didn’t know what to say.
    â€˜Look,’ she said. ‘About the other day—’
    â€˜Don’t worry about it.’
    â€˜We’re still friends, aren’t we?’
    I shrugged. ‘I suppose.’
    â€˜It was only a bit of fun.’
    â€˜Right.’
    â€˜Come on, Cait …’
    She’d dyed her hair black and was wearing a short leather jacket and tight black leggings. With her mascara’d eyes and a cupid’s bow of dark red lipstick, she looked like a 1950s motorcycle-slut. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, in fact I thought she looked pretty cool. It just wasn’t the Bill I knew .
    She flicked at her hair and said, ‘Hey, did you hear about the gyppo?’
    â€˜The what ?’
    â€˜The kid we saw at the Stand.’
    â€˜He’s not a gypsy , for God’s sake. And you didn’t see him anyway, you were puking your guts up at the side of the road—’
    â€˜ Sshhh !’ the librarian hissed, giving me a filthy look.
    â€˜Sorry,’ I whispered.
    Bill grinned. ‘Old fart.’
    I lowered my voice. ‘What about him?’
    â€˜Who?’
    â€˜The boy … the boy at the Stand.’
    Bill smiled. ‘Have you seen him? Sheesh! I wouldn’t say no, even if he is—’
    â€˜What about him?’ I interrupted. ‘When did you see him?’
    She leaned closer. ‘Lee’s got a friend with a powerboat. We were out on it last night, round the other side of the Point.’
    â€˜Who’s we ?’
    â€˜Lee, Angel, Robbie, a couple others—’
    â€˜What were you doing out at the Point?’
    â€˜Well, you know …’ She winked and touched the side of her nose. ‘Anyway, we were drifting along with the engine off when Lee spots this naked guy in a pool at the edge of the woods across from the mud flats.’ She laughed. ‘It was him, the gyppo. Having a bath.’
    â€˜How do you know it was him?’
    â€˜Lee had a pair of binoculars. Angel recognised him from the Stand.’
    â€˜You watched him through binoculars? ’
    â€˜You bet.’
    I shook my head. It couldn’t have been the Boy. The only way out to the woods is across the mud flats, and the only people who know the flats well enough to even think of crossing them are local. If you don’t know what you’re doing out there, you’re dead in seconds.
    â€˜It must have been someone from the island,’ I said.
    â€˜No way,’ said Bill. ‘If there was anyone round here who looked like that, I’d know about it.’ She smirked. ‘And if I didn’t, Angel certainly would.’
    I sighed. ‘What happened? Did he see you?’
    â€˜Don’t you want to know what I saw?’
    â€˜Just tell me what happened,’ I said coldly. ‘Did he see you?’
    A look of annoyance crossed her face, and for a moment I thought she was going to tell me to stuff it. I wouldn’t have blamed her. I was speaking to her as if she was dirt. But she’s never been the sort of person to let annoyance get the better of her. And, anyway, the temptation to tell me about it was too great.
    She squatted down beside me. ‘It was really weird, Cait. I was watching him through these binoculars – I couldn’t see much because the pool was sort of half-hidden behind some bushes.’ She gave me a leery look. ‘I could seeenough, though, if you know what I mean.’
    I ignored her nudging arm.
    She went on. ‘He was just