Flipp looked up with a rueful grimace. “I think he thought that too. I had ideas of my own, though.”
“You and Rocky—I suppose he didn’t know about that?”
“God, no. Though now…”
“Perhaps he thinks we’ve both run off with Rocky.” Michelle laughed, more genuinely this time, and gave Rocky the ghost of a batted eyelash.
“I should be so lucky,” said Rocky gallantly, but he took Flipp’s hand and squeezed it, making it quite clear that he was happy with his one woman, just in case.
“He’ll kill us if he finds us,” said Flipp. “I wonder if he’s looking for us right now.”
“As soon as we’re done here, we’ll?” Rocky hesitated. Michelle looked interested, but he lowered his voice as he spoke to Flipp alone. “Do what we were planning to do. Go and see that guy. You know.”
“Right.” Idly, Flipp turned the page of the Gazette, wanting Cordwainer’s beady newsprint eyes off her while she tried to tackle her breakfast. She sucked in a breath and spilled coffee over the Formica at the unwelcome sight that met her eyes. Her own face in a corner of the page, underneath the headline Womanhunt.
“What the…?”
Rocky snatched the paper and read it with gathering consternation.
“Fucking hell, Flipp. Now they’ve got the police after you as well.”
Flipp, pale and nauseated, could only sit and shake.
“Somebody must have seen me. One of his officers. Maybe on holiday or something. Oh God. Let’s go now, Rocky. Can we go? Can we just get away? Never mind packing the tent and all that. Can we just go?”
She carried on repeating the plea, mindlessly, over and over, while Rocky made his apologies to Michelle and escorted Flipp out of the cafeteria.
How many of these tourists had seen the paper? How many people might be calling the police helpline number even now? Yes, they had to go. There was no alternative now.
Rounding the corner of the entertainment complex, Rocky and Flipp dodged back again, flattening themselves against the wall and peering round at Reception, in front of which stood a pair of black-and-white uniformed police.
“Oh no.” Flipp could barely breathe, her vision disintegrating into blur. “Rocky.” She jerked his name out. It was hard to speak with lips paralysed by fear.
“We’ll go along the beach. It’s less than a mile to town. Come on.”
He ran, dragging her along after him, down the hill to the shingle beach, not stopping until they were behind the cliff, beyond sight of any official eyes.
“Not the easiest stuff to walk on,” Rocky conceded as their feet sank into the tiny pebbles. “At least we’ve got good boots on.”
“Rocky, if he finds me…”
“He won’t find you.”
“He’s got everyone believing that I’ve escaped from a mental hospital. That’s what it said in the Gazette. It’s not true, though. You don’t believe it, do you?”
> “Flipp, you told me what happened. I believe you. I know you’re sane, love.”
“He can make people believe anything. He made me believe I was bad and dangerous. Rocky, I’m so scared.”
“We’ll be in France tonight, sweetheart. It won’t matter what he can do. And one day we’ll be able to set the record straight. We’ll be able to clear your name.”
“He made everyone believe I was a madwoman. Just because I didn’t want him anymore.”
“He’s a bastard, Flipp. There’s a lot of them about. And you weren’t his girlfriend anyway. You were his victim. He took advantage of a sixteen-year-old girl. He should be charged with rape, in my book.”
“He’s the bloody chief of police. There’s no chance of that.”
“No, I suppose not. All we can do is run. And that’s what we’re doing now. Come on, Flipp, keep up.”