Part 41 (2/2)

Jesse looked at the sea and counted the seconds in between the swell, then jumped, landing safely on the yacht.

'I've got you, Mickey.' He lay on the deck and grabbed Mickey's lifejacket. He got his hands under the shoulders and pulled.

'Thank G.o.d you'm a f.u.c.king skinny b.a.s.t.a.r.d,' he said as he pulled Mickey onto the deck. They lay side by side. Breathless and exhausted.

Mickey spoke first. 'I suppose this makes us even.'

'Even?' Jesse panted.

'Yeah, you saved my life and I saved yours.'

'You've lost me, mate.'

'All those years ago. Remember? The shelter on the harbour where you and Grant had your fight?'

Jesse felt the first stirrings of unease. 'It wasn't me. I found him. You saw the bloke who did it running away.'

Mickey looked at him incredulously. 'No. I didn't see anyone run away, as well you know. But I did see you kicking s.h.i.+t out of your brother. You killed him.'

'No. They never found who killed him.'

'Because I lied for you and saved your life.'

Jesse sat up. 'You've had more of a bang to the head than I thought, boy.'

'I protected you to protect Loveday,' said Mickey, staring at Jesse.

'What?'

Mickey sat up. His breath was ragged and he fought to get the words out tears mingled with salty sea water burned his eyes.

'I knew. I always knew I was second best. Grant told me once that you and Loveday had had a fling. The night before you married Greer. He told me that Hal, my Hal, was really your son.' Mickey spoke quietly. 'So you see, I'm as guilty as you. I wanted Grant dead too. To stop him spreading those lies. And when I saw you kicking and kicking and kicking him, I could have stopped you. But I didn't because I wanted him dead so I am as guilty of his murder as you are.'

Jesse edged over to Mickey and clung to him. Shaking him. 'No. No you didn't. I did it. I hated him. I didn't want him in my life.'

Mickey wiped his running nose and looked into Jesse's eyes. 'Tell me the truth. Tell me. Did you sleep with Loveday?'

From the lifeboat, Jeff appeared and shouted: 'The chopper's here.'

Jesse turned and looked into the sky. He saw the searchlight beam coming towards them and heard the thud of the rotor blades.

'Tell me, Jesse,' Mickey pleaded. 'Tell me the truth and we'll never speak of it again.'

The helicopter was directly behind Jesse now. The noise was intense. 'Tell me!' Mickey shouted.

'I'm going to do the right thing, Mickey.' He looked up to the helicopter and gave the thumbs-up to the pilot. The side door of the Sea King opened and the winch man appeared on his wire.

Jesse turned back to his best friend, his silhouette dark against the bright light. 'I love you, Mick.' He moved his hands to his life vest and started to undo its buckles, and then the zip. He took it off and chucked it down on the deck.

'What are you doing?' shouted Mickey, jumping to his feet.

'I'm sorry,' mouthed Jesse over the beat of the thundering rotor blades.

'Jesse, what the f.u.c.k are you doing?' screamed Mickey again.

Jesse moved towards Mickey and kissed him on both cheeks.

Then he walked backwards to the edge of the boat and jumped.

39.

Greer had woken with a jolt. She looked at her bedside clock. 03.27.

She put a hand out to feel Jesse's side of the bed. Empty.

Turning her sidelight on she got out of bed and went downstairs. Maybe he was in the kitchen.

He wasn't.

She saw her phone and checked for texts from Jesse or Loveday. Nothing. She wondered if she should call Loveday, then decided against it. She'd wait another hour.

She was halfway up the stairs when she realised that the candle in the window had burnt down and extinguished itself. A chill hand gripped her heart.

The buzzer from the electric gates sounded by the front door. She walked calmly back down the stairs and towards the intercom. She lifted the receiver. 'h.e.l.lo?'

'Mrs Behenna?'

'Yes.'

'Devon and Cornwall police. May we come in, please?'

The media arrived like sharks smelling blood. The survival of the two sailors on the yacht was noted, but it was the mystery of the hero c.o.xswain who had taken off his lifejacket and drowned that caught the public's imagination.

Much was written. Little of it was truth.

At the inquest Mickey gave his evidence and stuck to the facts. Yes, Jesse was his normal self that day. No, there was nothing to suggest he was suicidal. Yes, he saw Jesse take off his lifejacket. No, he no idea why he had done that.

The coroner recorded an open verdict.

Jesse was never found.

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