Wild Fiction

‘Leave him,’ the author said. ‘I have his wallet and all his details. If he tries something like this again we’ll go straight to the police. He’s an amateur; he’s never going to make big time fiction. You should feel sorry for him, especially for the characters he creates.’ The author put his arm around Genevieve and led her back to the cars. Rebecca and James followed.
Conrad hung back. His eyes vacillated between the truncheon that he was now hitting into his hand and the exposed ribs on Retir’s back. He brought the truncheon down hard on the bonnet of the car for a final time leaving a large dent. Retir whimpered again and pulled himself into a tighter ball. Conrad turned and headed across the field to where the others were waiting.

Chapter 54

Rebecca got into bed before Conrad. They were sleeping in one of the guestrooms, no longer banished to the basement now that Genevieve was one of them.
‘What’s with the nightie and underwear?’ Conrad asked when he slid naked into bed next to her.
‘Nothing, I felt like wearing it that’s all,’ Rebecca replied. She rolled over and faced away from him.
Conrad leant over her and kissed her on the neck and the cheek. She made no move to respond or reciprocate.
‘What’s wrong darling,’ he said.
‘Nothing’s wrong, I just don’t feel like doing anything right now.’
‘Don’t I turn you on anymore?’
‘It isn’t that,’ she said. ‘I’m just not sure about what I want. I’m confused. I need time to work out for myself what I’m about and what I need.’
Conrad fell silent but continued to stroke Rebecca’s arm.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said rolling over. ‘It isn’t you. Please don’t take this personally. It’s something to do with me. I feel as if something’s changed and my body doesn’t feel the same anymore. I think it’s just men in general that I have a problem with at the moment.’
Rebecca could see Conrad’s eyes glistening in the light that was coming through the crack in the curtains. She leant over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said and rolled over again and faced away from him.