Chapter Thirteen
“You get the list of items from the butcher and I’ll get what we need from the supermarket. I’ll meet you back at the car, okay?”
“Can’t we just do the whole list together?”
“No, we’re already running late. Let’s split up, so it’s faster. Just the stuff on the list, Jasper.”
“Okay, got it. See you back here in fifteen minutes.”
He raced to the butcher and managed to get every item she wanted for Ruben’s barbecue. It wasn’t his fault they were late—she’d kept him in bed an extra hour doing delectable things with her mouth, practically holding him hostage.
He carried the two bags of meat back to the car, for a moment forgetting where they had parked. He looked around and spotted her mass of auburn hair and he set off to join her. She was talking to someone, but he couldn’t see who it was. As he got closer, he called out to her. Later, when he replayed the scene through his head, he could swear it was his shout that started the chain of events that followed.
“Get away! Stay back!” A teenage boy whipped her around and grabbed her shoulder. He had an enormous kitchen knife—not the type of knife you just happen to be carrying around a supermarket carpark. He waved it in Mimi’s direction and she recoiled, trying to avoid being slashed.
Jasper dropped the bags of meat, put his hands out in front of him, and slowly walked forward. “Put the knife down, kid.”
“No way. You’ll rush me—you won’t let me be!”
“I promise I won’t rush you. All I want is to make sure you’re not going to hurt Mimi.”
“Why should you care? You was just passing by.”
“No, I was coming to meet Mimi. We’re meant to go to a barbecue. Would you like to come with us? Maybe we can talk this out over lunch.”
“You can’t bribe me with lunch.”
“It’s not a bribe, I promise. If you put the knife down, we’ll happily take you to lunch with us, won’t we, Mimi?”
She nodded, still being careful to stay clear of the knife. “We will, I promise. You know we’ve always gotten along. There’s no need to do this.”
“We don’t get along, anymore, Miss. I’m not allowed to come back to the Community Centre. The police said so and me mum says so—she says I’m not welcome.”
Well, you did burn the fucking place down, kid!
“Of course you’re welcome. I never said you couldn’t come back ever. It was just a little break until things cooled down. We’re just getting the hall ready again, so we can start activities. I’m sure, once your mum sees it’s good as new, she’ll let you come back. That can’t happen if someone sees you now and calls the police, though, can it?” She glanced at Jasper. “How about you put the knife down and come with us to the barbecue?”
He looked uncertain about the best course of action. Jasper watched him grip Mimi’s arm tightly and hold the knife closer to her neck. He wanted to leap forward and grab it, but he took tiny steps forward, instead, hoping for a distraction, so he could get her clear.
“How about you go the barbecue, Mister, and leave her here with me?”
“Well, that won’t work now, will it? Lots of people are waiting for Mimi to give a speech. I need to take her with me, so they’re not disappointed.
Really, Jasper? That’s all you could think of? I have to give a speech at a barbecue?
“Why do you care if they’re disappointed? Why do you even care about her? Just leave her with me and get in your car and go. Isn’t that what men do? Just leave?”
“Oh, I care, mate. That woman is my future wife, so I want to make sure she’s okay.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Mimi glance at him, wide-eyed. Now wasn’t the time to declare himself to her, but the words he’d spoken were the truth. None of that mattered, though, if the kid did something reckless.
“What’s your name, kid?”
“Ryan.”
Jasper’s eyes flicked to Mimi and she gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head.
This is the kid who started the fire in the community hall.
“What do you want, Ryan?”
“I want to be allowed back to the Community Centre. I said I was sorry for the fire, but they said I’m banned, now. I want to hang out with my friends again. It’s boring without them, and I can’t stand being at home.”
He pulled Mimi with him as he backed away, glancing from her to Jasper. She was almost against the railing—soon, there’d be no room left for them to move back.
A siren sounded in the distance and Ryan’s head turned toward the noise, his face filled with panic. In a swift movement, he stepped in front of Mimi and drew back his arm, ready to throw the knife into the bushes twenty feet away. As his arm swung, he knocked Mimi backward. The next moments moved in slow motion for Jasper. He watched in horror as Ryan turned to look and Mimi tumbled over the railing.
“No!” his scream drew Ryan’s attention again, and instead of letting go of the knife, he held it in front of him and slashed wildly as Jasper rushed forward. He didn’t care about the knife, anymore—he had to get to Mimi! The next level housed an underground carpark, so he dodged around Ryan and sprinted for the ramp. The sirens got louder behind him and he hoped the poor kid had made a run for it—if Mimi was injured and he came face to face with him, he’d likely kill him.
“Mimi!” he called, but there was no answer. “Mimi!” He saw where she’d fallen, and for a moment, he thought the worst. She was lying at a strange angle and he almost turned back, afraid of what he would find. He rushed to her side, though, and found her breathing with her eyes open. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were dead!”
She gave a strangled giggle. “I’m definitely not dead. That little shit is going to be when I get my hands on him, though!”
“Exactly the thought I was just having. I hope he can run fast!” They laughed together as Jasper felt all over her body, scared to ask the question at the front of his mind. “Mimi, can you move?”
“Yes, I can move. Don’t worry, I have feeling everywhere. I think I’ve hurt my arm, though. I tried to get up, but I can’t put any weight on it.” He helped her to turn on her back and she cried out. The sound pierced his heart, but he was trained in first aid and emergency rescue and he needed to check that her only injury was her arm.
“Lie still. I’ll call an ambulance. That is quite a decent fall and you need to be checked out.”
“Can’t you just take me to the hospital?”
“We’ll get you to a hospital just as soon as the ambos check you out.” He pulled his phone out and made the call. The operator assured him that help was on the way; even as he hung up, he heard voices above them. A uniformed head peered over the railing, and he waved at the officer who swiftly directed others to come down to them.
“I’ve called an ambulance!” he shouted up, knowing that would be the next call they’d make, once they knew someone was injured.
“Jasper?”
“Yes, baby?” he smoothed the hair back on her forehead.
“What happened to our groceries?”
He laughed, and without warning, tears started falling as he kissed her forehead. “Well, the meat is somewhere in the carpark where I dropped it. A stray cat is probably helping itself to prime rump steak right now.” She laughed and cringed as he went on, “What happened to your bags?”
“I, at least, got mine into the car. He asked me to come back when I was done.”
“That was very polite of him.”
“That’s how he sucked me in, I think. We were actually talking normally, and then he just snapped and started screaming at you.”
“Don’t worry about it, now—the police will find him. You want to know something awful and funny?”
“Yep.” The paramedics started down the ramp as they chatted.
“When I saw a kid holding a knife to you, for a second, I thought you were pulling another prank.” She started giggling as two men knelt beside her.
Jasper moved out of the way as they asked her questions designed to show if she was concussed. They checked her for broken bones and carefully strapped her injured arm to get her ready to move to hospital. He recognised both of them from call outs to various accidents over the years and knew she was in good hands. He’d accomplished his one goal: to keep her calm while they waited. Now that she was safe, he was free to have his own nervous breakdown.
For an awful few seconds, he’d thought she was gone. He’d steeled himself for the worst, and when she was not only alive, but also conscious and only slightly injured, he’d wanted to dance with joy. Seeing her there, not knowing if she was seriously injured, had frightened him. He knew that, after this, he wasn’t likely to let her out of his sight again.