Chapter Five

After Alma had calmed down Boris looked at her grimey face through which her tears had made marks like streams and decided that she needed a relaxing bath. He went into the bathroom and ran Alma a bath, liberally pouring in the bubble-bath, courtesy of the hotel. Alma lowered herself into the bath, the smooth hot water being of comfort as she lay back and tried to put together the events of the past twenty-four hours.

Her house was a pile of ashes, Lonnie had taken Selwyn away from her to her mother-in-law's in the States, Mr Pyre was in possession of Alma's "precious thing" and here was Alma, chasing after the man that had ruined her life by hiding in a suitcase bound for Portugal and ending up in a hotel room with a large Russian man called Boris.

Slowly, things started to fit together like an ill-made jigsaw puzzle.

Boris knew of George and his antiques shop and was very interested in "something" that George said that he could get hold of easily. It would be too much of a coincidence to be Alma's "precious thing", but Alma wondered if she had ever told George about it.

She blew through the bubbles, wracking her brain for clues, thinking hard over the past years when she had known George.

There was a knock at the bathroom door, startling Alma.

- "Are you alright ?" asked Boris.

- "Yes, yes, I was just thinking about the past few hours," replied Alma. "This bath is so relaxing that I'm getting sleepy. What time is it ?"

- "It's ten-thirty. I'll make up a bed for you on the couch."

- "That's very kind," Alma mumbled as she heard Boris' 'phone ring again.

Alma wrapped herself up in the large dressing-gown provided by the hotel and came out.

- "That's much better," she said, eyeing the couch that had a few blankets thrown on it. Boris was in deep conversation and appeared to be almost jubilent as he paced the hotel room.

- "Alma, I have to go out, something very, very good has happened. Don't try any of your tricks as I'll be leaving my dog to look after you. You may need some form of a body-guard. Do not answer the 'phone if it rings, nor open the door to anyone. Do you understand ?"

- "What's happening, Boris, tell me," pleaded Alma.

- "I cannot. But I believe I may have found the Pyre man - I have been making investigations while you were in the bath. Stay here and don't make a sound."

Alma nodded, a bit phased by what was going on.

- "Boris ..." said Alma, just as he was about to leave, "please don't hurt him." Boris looked at Alma and almost laughed.

- "Pyre deserves whatever comes to him." And Boris left.

Alma felt guilt flooding through her body as she sat on the large bed, sobbing gently to herself. Mr Pyre, the object of her desire, must not come to any harm, she whispered. But why ? He'd burnt her house, almost killed her beautiful son, Selwyn, taken Lonnie away and was now in possession of the only thing in the world that could bring back anything into Alma's life: her "precious thing". If Boris found Pyre, he would undoubdetly find Alma's "precious thing", most certainly bring it back to Alma and then Alma could start all over again. From the beginning.

Unless ... unless .... Boris was after the same beautiful, heirloom which rightfully belonged to Alma had she not, in a moment of lust given it away to Mr Pyre. Alma turned over and stared at the lamp almost as if it was there to answer all of Alma's questions. She closed her eyes and thought that there was only one way to retrieve her "precious thing" from Boris. She returned to the bathroom and tried patting down her puffed up eyes by splashing cold water on them. She dried her hair and went back to the bed letting the dressing gown slip from her shoulders. Puffing up the pillows, Alma got into the large bed, arranging her hair around her face and lay there, waiting for Boris to return.




by Zoe

Illustration by bonojerry