The Passenger by Daniel Hurst (great book club books TXT) 📕

begin the tidying up of my bedroom, throwing the duvet back over the bed and making a quick check on the carpet for any items of clothing that my boyfriend might have left behind. But I think he’s got everything besides his trainers, which he left by the front door. There’s no T-shirt, trousers, or socks in here belonging to a male that could be discovered and lead to a massive argument. A quick spray of my perfume bottle around the flat should also be enough to mask any masculine scent that she could detect when she walks in. The first time James visited me here, I was so paranoid that I used almost a full bottle of scented spray around the flat after he left, and I know I overdid it because me and Mum could barely breathe for the rest of the night. But at least she couldn’t pick up the scent of his aftershave.

Everything looks good.

The only thing that I need to do now is get James out of here.

I wish he’d hurry up in that bathroom.

14

JAMES

Where the hell is this code?

I’m pacing around the bathroom with my mobile phone in my hand, waiting to see the text message come through with the numbers on that I will be able to use to access the safe in this flat. But as of yet, there has been no message since the last one half an hour ago in which my partner told me the new time of arrival for that train. But thirty minutes is a long time. He must have been able to get the code from her by now.

So why hasn’t he sent it to me?

Feeling frustrated, I type out a quick message on my phone.

“What is taking so long?’’

I hit Send and shake my head. I’d hoped to have been out of this flat already, but I’m still stuck here, and I can’t go anywhere until I get that code.

‘James! Hurry up!’

I almost jump at the sound of Louise’s call from the other side of the bathroom door.

‘I’m coming!’ I call back, and I decide to flush the toilet just to make it sound as if I am actually doing something in here.

It’s getting increasingly difficult to keep delaying my exit, and while I am prepared to be more forceful with Louise if necessary, it would be much easier if I didn’t have to be. But that will only be possible if I get the message I need. With that in mind, I write another text, and this one is more forceful.

“Louise wants me out. Hurry up!”

I press Send and hope that will be enough to get things moving on that train. I’m annoyed at my partner because he hasn’t fulfilled his end of the agreement. All he had to do was tell Amanda that her daughter is in trouble and then ask for the code. A mother can hardly say no to that. But the longer it goes without any sign of it, the more I am worrying that something has gone wrong.

The only real risk to this plan not working is if Amanda doesn’t give us the information we need. That would be unexpected because, after all, isn’t it the job of every parent to protect their child at any cost? I know Louise and her mum don’t have the best relationship, but still, it’s not that bad that Amanda will sacrifice her daughter to keep her hands on a few quid.

Is it?

The prospect of the money in the safe only a few yards away from where I stand right now is a delicious one, and it’s also the reason why I’m growing more impatient by the minute. In my mind, that £20,000 is already mine. It should be in my rucksack now, and I should be long gone from here. But another minute ticks by and there is still no word from that train.

‘James!’

Louise calls out to me again, but this time she also tries the handle to the bathroom. Of course, I locked the door behind me just after I entered, but that isn’t going to be enough to keep me in here until I get that code, especially if Louise keeps hammering on the door like she is now. I can’t have her making too much noise in case it draws the attention of the neighbours in these flats. The last thing I need is them poking their heads out of their doors or, worse, knocking on this front door to see what is going on. I need to keep Louise quiet, but that is easier said than done.

‘What are you doing in there?’ Louise asks me, and the sound of her raised voice is grating on me more and more.

She is really starting to get on my nerves. I understand that she wants me gone before her mum comes back, but I can’t listen to her making that racket any longer, so I rush to the door and unlock it. It flies open immediately, almost hitting me in the face.

‘For god’s sake. What took so long?’ she asks.

‘Can’t a guy get a little privacy,’ I say, shrugging my shoulders and heading back to the bedroom.

‘Where are you going? Your trainers are here.’

‘I’m just checking I haven’t left anything in the bedroom,’ I say, stalling as best I can.

But then I feel my phone vibrate, and maybe I won’t have to stall any longer. I check the notification on the screen and see it is a message from my partner.

“She made a run for it, but she’s back on the train. Code any second now.”

Well, that explains the delay. Amanda tried to get away. I guess he has his hands full there just as much as I do here. But both mother and daughter are going to have to be kept in line, and while I can’t do anything about Amanda from here, I can certainly do something about her daughter.

“I’m going to have to get physical with