Fangtooth

Chapter 13

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Bruce asked.

“Chill, dad. It’s not as if I could have gone far.” Jack patted Shazam on the head, and the dog reciprocated by licking his hand.

“That’s not the point.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“There was an accident earlier. A man was attacked in the sea. Some people think it was a shark.”

“Cool.”

“Cool? Jack, someone’s died.”

“Did you know him? Did I know him? No, then what’s it matter? People die all the time.” He could tell by his dad’s face that he wasn’t happy, but he didn’t care. At least they were now both of the same frame of mind. He’d only come home because he was hungry, and now he had to listen to this.

“If your mother heard you speak like that, she’d—”

“She’d what? Turn in her grave?”

The slap came without warning, knocking his head back with the force. Jack rubbed his smarting cheek. Shazam barked and then turned and padded away into the corner where she slumped to the ground, watching with puzzlement.

“Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Jack fought to keep the tears from flowing. “Tell it to someone who cares. I wish it was you that had died. I hate you.” He didn’t mean it, but he could see that his words had hurt his dad more than any physical blow.

Bruce bowed his head, turned and started to walk out of the room. “I’m really sorry, Jack. I’m doing my best.” Then he was gone.

Jack stood rubbing his cheek for a while longer. It was typical of his dad to make him feel guilty. This was shit with a capital S.

Well fuck him.

Jack picked up his jacket. “Come on Shazam, let’s go.”

Shazam barked eagerly and followed Jack out of the house. In a village where nothing much happened, Jack assumed a shark attack was probably big news.

There was a crowd of people on the beach, looking out to sea. Jack couldn’t see much from where he was, but there didn’t seem to be anything happening, so he continued towards the harbour.

Shazam ran on ahead. Before the high street, she sat down and waited, looking back with her tongue lolling as though saying hurry up.

Jack took his cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one. When he reached Shazam, he indicated she could cross, and then followed behind.

There were a couple of boats in the harbour. On board Storm Bringer, men were busy mopping down the deck. Jack sat on the harbour wall and watched them. At his side, Shazam sniffed the air, muzzle pointed towards the boat and her hackles slightly raised.

“What’s the matter, girl?”

Shazam barked once, then sat down and used her hind leg to scratch behind her ear before settling on the pavement. She looked up at Jack with big, sad eyes. Jack wished he knew what she was thinking.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke and stared at the trawler. Rusty streaks ran down the sides of the pilothouse, above which antennas protruded like sea anemone tentacles. Large booms protruded from the deck.

“Hey, you haven’t disappeared yet then?”

Jack turned to see Jen standing behind him on the road. A hot flush spread across his cheeks. Dressed in a pink crop top with the words Sexy Beast emblazoned across her chest, and three-quarter length green pants,she looked cuter than ever. Even the way she chewed her gum looked sensual.

“No, I’m still here. The house hasn’t gobbled me up yet. No boyfriend around today?” he asked, peering surreptitiously along the road to see if he could spot him.

“Nah. I’m a free agent today. So what are you doing?”

“Heard something about someone being attacked in the sea, so thought I’d come see what’s going on.”

“Yeah, I heard about that. Someone on their holiday. News travels fast in the village. One whiff of scandal and the local gossips spring into action faster than the Marines. You’ve never lived till you’ve seen eighty-six year old Mavis Bench with a bee in her bonnet. Quicker than a fuel-injected rocket. Something about a shark, I heard. It’s the first time I’ve heard of one attacking anyone in this country, never mind around here before.” She shrugged, and Jack couldn’t help staring at her chest which jiggled slightly. “So you’re a voyeur?”

“What, sorry, I didn’t mean…” He looked up and blushed.

Jen grinned. “I mean about the attack. You know, like one of them people that slow down to look at car crashes on the motorway. What did you think I meant?”

“Nothing. That’s what I thought you meant.”

“Sure.” She giggled.

Jack felt stupid. “So what are you up to?”

“Same as you. Thought I’d see what was going on.”

Jack nodded. “Smoke?” He offered her the packet.

Jen shook her head. “Nah, them things’ll kill ya.”

“If the house or the sharks don’t get me first you mean.”

Jen laughed. “The shark would probably give you a miss for someone with more meat on their bones.”

Jack tried not to show it, but her comment hurt, drilling home the insecurity about his weight.

“I don’t mean you’re skinny,” Jen said as though she had read his mind. “I just mean there’s probably plenty more people they would like to eat first.”

“Like Rocky, you mean?”

Jen wrinkled her nose. “That’s not very nice.”

“I’m sorry. Just don’t know what you see in him.”

“I should hope you wouldn’t, not unless you were, you know.”

“Hey, I’m straight as a gun barrel.”

“I don’t doubt it. You want to get something to eat?”

Jack cocked his head to the side. “That a dig at my size again?”

“Nah, I’m just hungry. But if you don’t want to…”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested.”

“Good. Come on then.”

“Is it okay if my dog comes too?”

Jen peered over the harbour wall. “Sure. At least then there’ll be someone intelligent to talk to.”

As if in agreement, Shazam barked.

“See what I mean.” She leaned over the wall to stroke Shazam’s head. Jack reluctantly looked away, embarrassed that he might get more of an eyeful.

“So where we going?”

“Well, you might have noticed the village isn’t awash with McDonalds or Burger King, so we can grab a bite at my house.”

Jack nodded. “Sounds great.” As they started to walk away, he said, “That boat, Storm Bringer. You know much about it?”

“That’s Trent Zander’s boat. Local nutcase. Every town and village has one, but I think we’ve got more than our fair share.”

“Nutcase. How?”

“He’s just someone you wouldn’t want to mess with.”

Jen lived in a house just off the high street. Her parents were both at work and her grandmother was out, for which Jack was grateful. He hated meeting people’s parents. Especially a girl’s parents. A girl’s father had that way of looking at you as if to say, ‘if you hurt my princess, I’ll cut you into little pieces’.

They sat at a small rectangular wooden table in the kitchen cum dining room. The large front window looked out to sea.

“Nice house,” Jack said.

Jen shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess. What would you like to eat?” She opened the fridge and pulled out a plate. “Ham sandwich?”

“Ah, I didn’t tell you did I?”

“Tell me what?”

“I’m vegetarian. Sorry.”

“No problem. You eat cheese?”

Jack nodded.

“Cheese and onion sandwiches okay then?”

“That would be great.” Shazam whined softly from under the kitchen table and licked her lips. “I don’t suppose you could give my dog some of that meat. Unlike me, she’s a carnivore.”

“No problem.” She started to place some of the ham onto a separate plate. “Oh sod it. You can have the lot.” She piled the ham back on the original plate and placed it on the floor. “There you go. Enjoy.”

Shazam slinked out from under the table and stood over the food, her tongue lolling from the corner of her mouth. She looked up at Jen and then back at Jack.

“It’s okay, you can eat it,” Jack said.

Without further encouragement, Shazam started to gobble down the meal.

“She’s well trained,” Jen said as she sliced the cheese.

“House trained, just like me.”

Jen giggled.

To accompany the sandwiches, Jen poured two glasses of Coke and filled a bowl of water for Shazam, who noisily lapped it up. They ate the sandwiches in silence. Knowing she had a boyfriend made Jack feel awkward, and whenever he looked at Jen, his eyes inadvertently strayed to her bosom. He couldn’t see what the hell she saw in Rocky, but he sure saw what he saw in Jen.

The sound of a siren filled the silence. Jack and Jen looked at each other across the table. Then they turned and stared out the window. Jack could see a small boat speeding towards the harbour, where an ambulance was just pulling in.

“Looks like it’s all go today. You want to see what’s going on?” Jen asked.

Jack swallowed the bite of sandwich he had been chewing. “And to think I thought this was a sleepy village.”

They left the house and quickly made their way back down to the harbour. The ambulance waited with its lights flashing, the paramedics standing beside it looking out to sea. A small crowd had already gathered, and among them, Jack noticed Rocky. When Rocky saw Jen approaching he waved and grinned. Then he saw Jack at her side, and his grin became a scowl.

“What the hell you doin’ with him?” Rocky growled.

“We were just talking,” Jen said, stepping between them and kissing Rocky on the cheek.

Shazam stood at Jack’s side. A low growl emanated from her and she bared her teeth.

“You better hope that mutt don’t come near me, otherwise it’ll be dog meat.”

“It’s okay, girl,” Jack said, patting the dog on the head. He stared at Rocky. “I know there’s a bad smell around here, but I’m sure it’ll be gone soon.”

Rocky clenched his fists. He looked ready to start trouble.

“Cut it out you two,” Jen said. “So what’s going on here?” she asked Rocky, pointing towards the fast approaching boat.

Rocky held eye contact with Jack for a moment longer then turned to Jen. “I dunno. Did you hear about that man this morning?”

Jen nodded. “Yeah, it’s awful.”

“You can say that again. It got the wrong person.” He glared at Jack.

For Jen’s sake, Jack decided not to rise to the bait. He watched the boat as it sped into the harbour. There were two men in it from what he could see. When they reached the quay, one of them jumped out and moored the vessel up, while the other crouched down in the back.

The paramedics rushed down to meet the boat, carrying a stretcher. They boarded the boat, and moments later, they hurried back to the ambulance carrying someone between them. Jack peered through the crowd. He caught sight of the person on the stretcher; recognised her as the girl that he had given a light to in the bar. She wasn’t moving.

“Do you think she’s dead?” Jen whispered.

Jack bit his lip. If she wasn’t dead, then she was sure as hell as close as she was going to get.

“Well I’m out of here,” Jack said.

Jen turned and looked at him. “You don’t have to leave. Stay.” Rocky’s expression said otherwise.

“Nah, guess it’s time to head home.”

Jen lowered her gaze. She kicked at the floor and then nodded. As he walked away, Jack couldn’t help thinking that he had seen something in her expression. Something that said she really wanted him to stay. He smiled. Perhaps there was hope yet.