Fangtooth

Chapter 23

Although she searched around the harbour and looked in the bar, Jen couldn’t find Zander anywhere. His vessel was moored up, and she shouted out his name, but no one answered, and the boat looked deserted.

It was hopeless trying to look by herself. Zander and Jack could be anywhere. She took out her mobile phone and called her best friend, Sara to help with the search.

When Sara arrived, she was chomping bubble gum. “Hey, what’s up? Have you seen this weather? It’s thicker than custard,” she said as she jumped up on the harbour wall to sit next to Jen

“Yes, it’s no wonder someone’s gone missing in this.”

Sara blew a pink bubble and nodded. When the bubble popped, she dragged the gum back into her mouth with her tongue. “Yeah, he’s cute. ‘Bout time we had some decent talent around here.”

“He’s all right.”

“All right! I saw the way you looked at him. Eyes almost popped out of your head. You’d better not let Rocky see you looking at another guy like that.”

“Rocky and me are finished.”

Sara’s nose twitched and she flicked her brown ponytail through the air in disbelief. “No way. So what about this new boy? Are you, you know…”

Jen blushed and shook her head. “No, nothing like that.”

Sara grinned and blew another bubble.

“Honest, there’s nothing going on.”

“Whatever.”

”There’s not. But we’ve got to find him. He found some cannabis on Zander’s boat—”

“No way,” Sara said, almost dropping her gum.

“Listen, will you. Rocky heard Jack talking to me about it outside my house—”

“So Jack’s been to your house. And I thought you said there was nothing going on,” Sara said. “You dirty dog.” She winked.

“Look, will you let me finish. Rocky heard Jack mention the drugs, and he went and told Zander.”

“Oh shit. Do you think Zander’s done something to him?” Sara asked.

“I don’t know, but you know what Zander’s like. Remember that man the other year, that tourist they said spilt a bit of beer on Zander. He ended up in the hospital with his ear bitten off.”

“That was just a rumour,” Sara said.

“So explain why after Rocky told Zander what Jack had done, Jack goes missing?”

Sara shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps he’s gone back to the city. Who in their right mind would want to stay here?”

“If that was the case, he would have told his dad. But he hasn’t. He’s looking for him.”

“Have you looked in the bar for Zander? That’s where he usually is.”

Jen nodded. “I already checked there. And at his boat, and at his shed at the end of the harbour.”

“Well how are we going to find him in this weather?”

Zander’s boat creaked against the harbour wall, the sound like a groan. Jen took a deep breath, shivered as the fog chilled her nostrils. “We can check around the village for a start. Anywhere you think they might be. It’s better than doing nothing.”

“And what about Rocky?” Sara asked. “Does he know where they might be?”

“He says not, but then he’s not likely to tell me. Can you go and look around the village, ask anyone you meet?”

“On my own? You’ve got to be joking.”

“It’s better if we split up. We can cover more ground.”

Sara shook her head. “I’m not going in search of an ear-chomping madman on my own. No way!”

Jen sighed. “Okay, then come with me. Hurry, we’ve wasted enough time.”

She jumped down from the wall and headed into the fog with Sara at her side. Although she didn’t say it out loud, she was glad Sara was going with her. Whether the ear-biting story was true or not, the thought of tracking down Zander by herself wasn’t appealing.