Part 18 (1/2)

Sebastien relaxed his grip on her shoulder, his face long with distress Nate slid off the sofa to his knees He reached out to her

When the voice returned, it had lost all resemblance to her father's 'You know, that's what I call so to talk to you, and we get off on the wrong foot straight away' Jakab paused 'I hold ise It's probably nerves on ht, if you like Easier to hide behind a persona than to bare one's soul I'm really not the monster you think I am I just wanted to talk to you unencumbered by all these complications, all thishistory'

She realised she was still kneeling on the floor, and jue She needed to stand, to fight 'Where is he?'

Jakab laughed 'Hannah, please Give me some credit Your father is fine It would be a rather unusual strategy, would it not, to atte your father harm before we even met'

'It hasn't stopped you before'

A sigh 'Myths, Hannah Untruths You weren't there and you can't know I've been taking good care of Charles He's sitting in front of me even as I talk to you now'

'Put him on'

'With pleasure'

A pause, and then her father's voice on the line 'Hannah?'

'Dad?' If this really was her father, he sounded broken

'I love you,' he said 'Always OK? Be brave We know this is the end Don't do it Don't ask me You won't knoho talks next I'll always be with you Now, go'

He was saying goodbye He had decided this was the last tinified

She clutched a hand to herwhy she did it Such a pointless gesture

Jakab's voice now 'Hannah, please Listen to me I was serious in what I said I'ive youI'm tired I want to see you, yes I want to talk to you But I don't want to take anyone's place It's too late for that, and it never would have worked for long anyway I'll keep your father safe All I ask is this: meet me Just you, and just me Anywhere you want Out in the open You name the place Just let me see you once Talk Explain There have been soconfused'

'You attacked Nate Where's the untruth in that?'

'He shot me What did you want me to do? Stand there and let hi myself I never intended to kill him Is he OK? Did he survive?'

'Put my father back on'

'Can we talk? Meet?'

'Put my father back on Let me talk to him, talk freely to him Grant me that, and then we'll see Prove to me that I can trust you'

'I can't ask for ain 'Hannah, I told you Please don't do this'

'Dad, I knohat I'ht to contain her emotions 'Do you remember the Christet'

'Do you remember what happened?'

'The paint hadn't dried and we ruined your dress, the carpet, my trousers, and your mother's vase in the hall'

'Do you reh He already sounded so far away So unattainable now

She strove to rerief 'Dad, do you remember what I told you?'

'Yes'

'That you were the best dad in the world, and howespecially for me'

'I remember'

Now that she had accepted that this was the last time they would ever talk, Hannah wanted to share a final ive the snapshot of a perfect ether

'I meant it then and I mean it now,' she told hi I'm so sorry'

'Don't be sorry Never sorry Don't you dare apologise What you did, what you've done You've saved us All of us It's down to you We're here because of you I love you For that, for everything'

'Tioodbye, love'

'I know' She cried out 'Oh, Dad'

'Say it, Hannah'

'I love you Goodbye'

Hannah hurled the phone across the roo arary 1874

The sun was dissolving into liquid fire over the hills behind Keszthely as Jakab left his hotel room and walked down to the shore of Lake Balaton to , and the day had been hot and hu at Jakab's sweat-da the perspiration on his forehead

Coh Keszthely's streets, he stared out across Balaton's water Its vastness still awed hi it To the south-east he could faintly see the far shore; to the north-east the lake stretched virtually to the horizon

He had spent e frorateful for the breeze that blew in off the water and chased the curtains around his sill From his balcony vieith the sun overhead, the lake had reflected a shade of turquoise so vivid it lifted Jakab's soul Now, as that same sun drew blood from the clouds and sank towards the horizon, the water shed its colour and became instead a fatho in anticipation of the girl's arrival The lightof the crickets intensified, filling the air with their chitter He fancied he could s on the hills to the west Their scentof his cologne, and the underlying sourness of his sweat

Could it have really been two months since he had arrived in Keszthely? Much of his fondness for the place was doubtless due to the girl But even discounting her influence he was sure he had never experienced such peace in his surroundings, such co Godollo, he had taken a steah Serbia and between Ro the river he made pursuit needlessly easy for anyone ished to do so Abandoning a Duna altogether, he travelled north to Bucharest and crossed theat the natural spectacle of Lake Balaton in time for summer, and Erna Novak

As the last red sliver of sun disappeared behind the hills, the waters of the lake darkened and a colder breeze seemed to break around him

'Jakab?'