‘That’s it, that’s it. He’s here!’
‘What?’ Amanda forgot about the pasta and moved over next to Simon.
‘Here.’ Simon clicked through to an article and made it larger.
‘The side panel translates the article. This appeared in a newspaper called theWeiner Zeitungaround that time.’ He started to read: ‘A man has died on the Black Forest High Road, after losing control of his motorbike. No next of kin has been found but the man had his passport on him and a gold ring inscribed:For Diana. If anyone knows anything please contact the police at Baden-Baden.’
Amanda gasped. ‘That’s him!’
‘No way,’ said Simon.
‘Oh my God,’ she said. ‘This is insane. How the hell did we find that? I can’t even call myself a detective anymore – it’s like I’m being guided to the clues.’ She looked up at the ceiling. ‘Mom? Is it you? Knock once if it’s you. Douglas, knock twice if it’s you.’
Simon burst out laughing. ‘You can’t be serious?’
‘No, but also, why not?’ Amanda said, taking a large gulp of wine. ‘Nothing has been normal since I came here, so you have to wonder if sometimes there aren’t special things happening that you can’t see.’
Simon was looking at her with an amused expression on his face. ‘You really are remarkable. I don’t know anyone like you,’ he said.
Amanda smiled. ‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?’
‘It’s a good thing,’ he said. ‘Being with you is like being on a big adventure.’
Amanda shook her head. ‘See? It’s crazy. That’s what Helen said to me today. Life is a big adventure and when you treat it like that then it’s easy to get through.’
‘I think life would be very easy to do with you in it.’
Amanda swallowed. ‘Then you shouldn’t leave at the end of summer.’
Simon leaned back in his chair. ‘Amanda,’ he said, but she put her hand up.
‘Don’t. I don’t want to be rejected. I had that in New York. I don’t want it here.’ She moved back to her seat and stabbed at her pasta.
‘I’m not rejecting you,’ said Simon. ‘I just need to settle a few things with Anika and Charlie first.’
Amanda waved her fork at him. ‘It is settled. She’s with your ex best friend – not sure how much more finished it can be.’
As she spoke, she was shocked at her own bitterness. Why was Simon wasting time with Anika?
‘Don’t you think we have something more than friendship here? Or we might have?’ she asked.
Simon paused and Amanda felt her face redden.
‘Oh you don’t think that way? God, how embarrassing.’
Simon closed the laptop. ‘It’s not that, Amanda. It’s complicated.’
‘What is? Your feelings towards Anika, or me?’
‘No, it’s just that I have things to sort out, and I have nothing to bring to us right now. I’m hiding from the world. I need to face up to what happened and try and find a path to what’s happening next.’
‘But not with me,’ she said.
‘I didn’t say that,’ he insisted
‘But you also didn’t say you could see something between us.’
‘Stop twisting things, Amanda. I think I’m going to go,’ he said.
