OF DREAMS AND CEREMONIES (16 page)

Vincent complained in surly tones, "I'm not letting Bert go off, on his own or with you. Chances are you'd dock at Mullion, and turn me in."

"If I give you my word - " Nicholas began.

"I know how much that's worth, from my lot or from yours."

"Don't trust him," Bert said to Nicholas - in a mutter that carried perfectly well to Vincent and to Dave where he was still in hiding. "Don't go with him. Not on your own."

Vincent crossed his arms and stared at the other two forbiddingly. "There's no need to fear a 'convenient accident' happening to your friend, Bert. If he fell down a ladder and died, you'd know just where to bring the cops, and who to blame. You'd be a witness, wouldn't you?"

"So you might hit me on the head, too," said Bert.

"Oh, for fuck's sake … This is a sweet game, but not sweet enough to risk two killings for."

Bert, however, refused to be reassured; he clung to Nicholas's hand as if genuinely afraid for his life. Dave figured that it was time, finally, for him to make his presence known.

When Dave stepped forward into the light cast by the lanterns, Vincent was shocked rigid but too cool to want to show it, and Bert was confounded into doing little more than gaping and blinking at Dave - though he quickly pulled his hand away from Nicholas's as if badly caught out - while Nicholas burst into the brightest happiest grin. He instinctively started to stand up and come to Dave, but Vincent gestured menacingly to indicate that Nicholas should remain where he was, so Nicholas sank back down beside Bert. He still looked blissfully happy, though.

"What the hell - ?" said Vincent.

"Thought another witness might be useful," said Dave. "It takes murder right off the agenda."

"How long - ?"

"Long enough to know what's going on. I'm with Nicholas. If you let Bert out of your arrangement, we'll turn a blind eye to your treasure hunting. But people will know how to get in touch with us once we've left Cornwall, and we'd be happy to dob you in if you do the wrong thing by Bert. I think we're all in agreement on that, aren't we?"

There were nods all round - reluctant from Vincent, eager from Bert, and accompanied by a glowing grin from Nicholas.

"So now I think you let Nicholas accompany Bert on his boat. He can have the boat trip he wanted after all. And I'll climb back up through the cliff with you, Vincent, and see you on your way. We'll all be guarantors for the others, see? I'll drive down to Cadgwith, and wait for Bert and Nicholas to come in at dawn. If you're worried, Vincent, you'll have plenty of time to hide any evidence. Though what you'd do with the Maserati, I have no clue."

Silence.

"All right?" asked Dave.

Bert was beaming by now, and he shyly slipped his hand back into Nicholas's. "Yes," he answered.

"Yes," Nicholas said, still watching Dave, though also squeezing Bert's hand in reassurance.

After a long moment, Vincent nodded again.

And so that's what they did.

Dave had few qualms about trusting Bert with Nicholas. The man seemed more besotted than ever, so surely would protect Nicholas with all but his life, and his shambolic helplessness seemed to fall away once he was dealing with his boat. Dave handed Nicholas into the dinghy, exchanging a significant look with his husband - and on a sudden flash of inspiration, he gave Nicholas his mobile phone, muttering, "Tell you why later; just take it." Nicholas did so with a nod, slipping it into his coat pocket. Then Dave helped Bert push the dinghy off into the sea. "See you in Cadgwith," Dave said for them all to hear, exuding nothing but confidence.

"See you, mate," Nicholas replied. His quiet use of the Aussie vernacular felt infinitely reassuring.

Bert nodded at Dave, solemnly conveying his sense of responsibility, before bending to take up the oars and adding a strong stroke to Dave's shove and the sea's flow.

It wasn't that Dave didn't have any misgivings over Nicholas's safety, but Dave knew that he himself was in more danger in Vincent's company, and he was content that it be so. In fact, he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Dave watched as Bert reached the
Fortune Teller
, fixed the dinghy, helped Nicholas aboard, and then weighed anchor. Nicholas waved cheerfully at Dave, before turning to talk with Bert. Soon the boat had quietly puttered away from land and then out of sight in a southerly direction.

"All right," Dave said brusquely to Vincent once he was sure that Nicholas was out of harm's way. "What do you need to do now?"

"Nothing," was the equally brusque reply. "Climb back up to the land above."

"Let's go, then."

With mocking politeness, Vincent swept his hand out to invite Dave to lead the way.

"No, thanks," Dave said, figuring that neither option was entirely safe, but keeping Vincent in his line of sight had to give Dave the advantage. "After you."

They both carried torches, and they were both fit, so the climb was a steady one, with Dave maintaining a careful couple of metres between himself and Vincent, and keeping a wary eye out for any 'accidentally' falling objects.

Soon they were making their way up the last few steps and stepping onto the level grass within the stone circle. They hadn't spoken since they'd left the beach. Dave watched Vincent unhook the bag of treasure from the top loop of rope - but then when Vincent bent to shift the huge altar stone back into place, the man said, "Turn around. I don't want you seeing the trick of this."

Dave backed away a few steps in order to keep his distance, and then obligingly turned. He stared out across the sea, and despite his intention to pay careful attention to Vincent, found himself searching … After a moment Dave spotted a faint light and then a slight wake foaming pale behind a dark shape. Bert and Nicholas would be fine, Dave figured. No doubt Bert would regale Nicholas with seafaring tales for what remained of the night, while Nicholas waxed poetical about butterflies. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Dave could have sworn he heard a faint ring of laughter from over the water.

If he did, however, it was lost a moment later in a grinding noise and then a solid thump, which indicated that the stones had been returned to their rightful places. Dave turned back around. "Well. I doubt we'll be seeing each other again. But just in case," he continued, "you should know I recorded most of that on my mobile - and the phone is now out of harm's way with Nicholas. I'm really not interested in using that unless we hear you're taking advantage of Bert again, though."

It was a bluff, but Vincent fell for it. The man looked absolutely ropeable, and muttered a curse through gritted teeth.

"I'd wish you well - " Dave offered brightly.

"Save your breath," Vincent advised. And, slinging his bag of ill-gotten gains over one shoulder, he turned and strode off in the direction of the main road. No doubt the Maserati was tucked safely away somewhere nearby. Dave couldn't wish the Maserati itself ill, so instead of an accident in these narrow Cornish lanes Dave imagined a story involving Customs or the Tax Office or whatever, and anonymous tips from concerned citizens … Surely Vincent wouldn't avoid justice for too much longer.

"And good riddance to you," Dave said under his breath. Once he was sure he was alone again, he turned and made his way down to the cottage.

Most of the night was already past, and there was only about two hours left until dawn by Dave's reckoning. He took a few moments to dress properly, and make up a thermos of strong coffee. And then he drove the Jaguar over to Cadgwith, and quietly parked down near the stony beach. After turning off the ignition, Dave got out and looked around, listening carefully. All was still and peaceful. He didn't seem to have disturbed anyone. No one came to ask difficult questions about his business there.

Dave sighed, and got back into the car, left his window cracked open for the sake of fresh air, and drank a cup of coffee. After half an hour or so he got out to wander back and forth on the asphalt in order to stretch his legs. There was no sign of Vincent having changed his mind and coming back to do away with witnesses. All in all, things seemed to be going their way.

Dave tried not to think too much, or let his imagination gear up into overdrive. He'd have brought the Kindle and read, but didn't want to attract attention with a light, nor end up too distracted to notice anything untoward. Instead Dave simply waited for the safe return of his husband. He let his mind dwell on memories of Nicholas, right from that first moment of clumsiness at the Brisbane airport when Nicholas had quite literally fallen at Dave's feet. Dave hadn't appreciated it at the time, but in retrospect he treasured Nicholas's bright smile as he lay there on the floor, already admiring what he saw. And Nicholas had been so confident in his pursuit of Dave - not due to arrogance, or having tickets on himself, Dave certainly knew that now if it had ever been in doubt. Instead Nicholas's happy confidence had been a gift from his family, so rich in unconditional love as they were.

After a while, Dave returned to the car and drank more coffee while standing there beside it. He considered the beautiful little cove in the moonlight, and lulled his anxieties with the sound of the waves crashing rhythmically in, one after the other and another one after that, endlessly.

Nicholas would be fine. No doubt he was enjoying himself out there on the sea on this magical night, with the dangers past and Bert adoring him. No doubt Bert was enjoying himself, too, and Dave had to hope that the man's crush on Nicholas would at least serve him better in the long run than his attraction to Vincent - though of course it was doomed to come to nothing. Nicholas Goring was a married man now, after all.

The time passed and Dave waited, sitting in the car again for a while, and then walking about. He drank more coffee, though he doubted he would have fallen asleep in any case. He took the time to examine the winch system and figure it out, thinking that he might have to be the one to use it once Bert's boat returned.

At last the horizon beyond the cove began lightening, and the world grew hushed with even the waves crashing calmly before running back down through the stones with a gentle sigh. The horizon glowed, and Dave's surroundings took on a cool grey clarity.

A light appeared in a cottage window behind him - he saw it in the rear view mirror - and then another. People were stirring.

And then just as the sun peeked up out of the sea and colour fled back into things, Dave heard a boat puttering near.

Someone had come down to the boats and seemed to be preparing to go out fishing for the day. "Morning," the man said to Dave, not questioning his presence.

"Morning," Dave replied.

The fisherman turned his head as the puttering drew closer. Dave thought he himself could recognise the boat by its engine noise, but he knew for sure when the man asked easily, "Old Bert been out for the night again?"

"Yes. He took my - my partner out for a trip."

"Oh, aye," the man agreed, apparently still finding nothing much to surprise him in all this.

Dave relaxed a little. And then the Fortune Teller appeared beyond the headland, and Dave could just make out Nicholas's tall slim figure beside Bert at the wheel - and Nicholas waved, which made Dave's heart thud in relief and gratitude for his safety - and Dave went to help the fisherman with the winch, silently singing a stirring song, for everything was working out just perfectly.

Bert slung a ladder over the side of the boat where it sat perched high, and then handed Nicholas over. Nicholas climbed down carefully, apparently still feeling his sea legs - and a moment later he was wound tight around Dave, deep in Dave's arms. They weren't too proud to cling to each other. "You're all right," Nicholas babbled. "David, you're all right."

"Of course I am," Dave stoutly replied. "You weren't fretting, were you?" Which was more for the benefit of the fisherman than anything else. The deal was that they wouldn't blow Vincent's cover, after all.

"Of course I was. And I bet you were fretting, too!"

"It's true, I was. But here you are, and you're all right."

They clung for a few moments longer, and then Bert was there beside them, watching Nicholas with a yearning undiminished. Nicholas played his part - detaching himself from Dave, shaking Bert's hand and saying, "Thank you, that was marvellous." He turned to Dave to add, "It was so great seeing the coast at night! So dramatic! And it was moonlit so we could see church spires and another standing stone and a ruined castle …"

Dave grinned at him. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He shook Bert's hand, too, and thanked him, then said to his husband, "Shall we head home? I think there's some coffee left in the thermos, if you want it."

"I do," Nicholas replied with surprising intensity. "I
do
want it."

"Oh," managed Dave, hoping his blush didn't show up in the early morning light. And then he and Nicholas nodded farewell to Bert and the other fisherman - and headed for the Jaguar in a kind of controlled dash.

"It's their honeymoon," Bert could be heard indulgently explaining in their wake.

Nicholas rested his hand hot on Dave's thigh during the interminable few minutes it took to drive back to the cottage. They didn't speak.

As soon as they were inside, they were kissing mouthily damply while shedding clothes - their own and each other's - haphazardly stumbling their way through to the bedroom.

"Nicholas - " Dave managed as they tumbled into the room. Nicholas pushed at him so Dave fell back onto the dishevelled bed - then Nicholas was on hands and knees across him, reaching a long arm for the bedside drawer and the lube. "Nicholas - "

"Hush. It's all right," was the confident reply.

Dave helped Nicholas wriggle out of his boxer shorts - and then they were naked but for one of Dave's socks which he just couldn't be arsed about. Dave moaned a little in fear and anticipation as Nicholas squeezed out a generous dollop of the lube. It wasn't that this act had ever really hurt Dave, but then there was an edge to Nicholas's passion that morning that felt a little alarming. "Nicholas …" Dave groaned, his thighs already opening for the man.