Page 31 of The Path to the Last House Before the Sea

‘In fact,’ Jack continued, ‘did you know that, when it comes to visible light, the longest wavelength belongs to red, which means—’ He glanced at Alyssa, who had folded her arms. ‘What?’

‘Can’t you simply appreciate the beauty of the sunset?’

Jack shrugged. ‘I guess, but I find what causes it more interesting. Don’t you?’

‘Yes, I’m interested in the science behind what I can see. But I’d rather feel the sunset right now than analyse it.’

‘Feel it?’ Jack frowned. ‘You’re not about to start meditating or chanting, are you?’

Alyssa resisted the urge to drop to her knees, raise her hands to the heavens and start bellowing ‘om’. It would serve him right. But she hadn’t invited him for a walk on the clifftop to goad him.

She was curious to know why sadness was emanating from him in waves.

Was Stan all right? she wondered. He’d returned from hospital with nothing to show for his visit other than a compression bandage on his knee. And he’d been less than forthcoming when she’d been working in the shop and had asked about his health.

‘I’m fit as a flea. There’s no need to worry,’ he’d insisted, though the ticcing muscle near his mouth and the hint of fear in his eyes had screamed otherwise.

She’d seen it before, that stunned, frightened expression. But she hoped that, this time, she was wrong.

‘So, why have you dragged me up here?’ Jack asked, waving his arm to take in the clifftop, scattered with spring flowers.In the distance, the windows of Driftwood House were glowing gold in the setting sun.

‘I didn’t drag you anywhere.’

‘Sorry. Wrong word.’ The corner of Jack’s mouth lifted. ‘You invited me, which was kind, but why, really?’

‘I wanted to talk to you about something.’

‘Let me guess… mysteriously vanished people? Ghouls and ghosts? Sea dragons?’

Alyssa gave him her best sardonic smile. ‘I don’t want to discuss anything you’d term “strange”. I simply wanted to ask about your dad and how he’s doing after his fall.’

The muscles in Jack’s jaw tightened and he stared at the village spread out far below them.‘And here was me thinking you wanted to show me the sunset.’

‘I wanted to show you that, too.’

‘Why?’

Alyssa shrugged. ‘Because I wasn’t sure you ever looked at it.’

‘Of course I look at it.’

‘Yes, I know you do. But there’s more to life than scientific fact. I mean, do you ever really look at a sunset, without all the science-y stuff watering down the… the… existential wonderment?’

‘The existential wonderment?’

Jack’s eyebrows had disappeared into his fringe. He was looking at her as if she was totally bonkers, which made Alyssa feel foolish. He also obviously didn’t want to talk about his father, which was telling in itself.

‘Do you feel sorry for me?’ he asked suddenly.

‘No, of course not,’ Alyssa protested, thrown by the change in subject. When he shook his head, she added: ‘Well, not really. It’s just…’

‘Just what?

She took a deep breath. ‘You’re here in Heaven’s Cove on your own and I know your marriage has broken down and you must be worried about your dad but you seem a bit…’

She petered off again, wishing she’d stayed put in her caravan and hadn’t ventured out in search of Magda at all.

‘A bit what?’ demanded Jack with a frown.

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