Page 12 of Just Like in the Movies

Luke Devlin was taller than Falcone and leaner, his rangy build that of an athlete rather than a boxer. And his features were unmarked. He didn’t have the bump on the bridge of his nose Falcone had gotten in a barroom brawl in Burbank, or the famous crescent shaped scar next to his left eye which legend had it the star had acquired during a knife fight in his native Bronx. But the look in Devlin’s sky blue eyes, the dark rim around the irises the only thing he appeared to have inherited from the Devlin side of his bloodline, was just as moody.

‘Would you like a quick cup of tea before you go?’ she said, forced to break the stony silence. ‘We should probably wait a few minutes before you make your getaway, so Jacie can distract everyone from your disappearance.’

‘No tea,’ he murmured. ‘But thanks for the getaway plan.’ His gratitude seemed grudging at best, but Ruby decided to take it at face value.

‘They mean well. They’re just a bit—’

He raised an eyebrow as if daring her to state the obvious.

‘Overawed by your resemblance to Falcone,’ she finished.

The awkward silence which followed made her wonder if she had made another major faux pas by commenting on the likeness.

‘Yeah, I got that,’ he said. But then he raked his fingers through his hair. And let out a weary breath.

His gaze flicked up to the oversized poster, then flicked away again. And she noticed the tint on his cheeks.

I wonder what Falcone was like as a father?

The thought popped into her head unbidden. She shoved it straight back out again. Just because she’d spent years wondering about what her own dad – aka the invisible deadbeat – might be like. And may even have fantasised on occasion about having Falcone as her father, it did not give her a connection with this man.

But weirdly, the thought calmed her down a little, regardless.

‘What did you think of the film this time around?’ she forced herself to ask, when his gaze met hers. ‘Still freaked out by the flying monkeys?’ she added, trying to push past her anxiety and smile.

‘No,’ he said. ‘It was a cute movie.’

Cute? Hadn’t he been moved at all?

‘But what did you think of the message behind the movie?’ she asked.

‘Cute, too. I guess. What do you think happened to the yappy dog, because I’m guessing the bitchy neighbour was still gonna get it destroyed?’

Huh? That was his takeaway? That Toto was doomed? ‘I’m sure Toto would have been fine,’ she said.

He didn’t look convinced.

‘Auntie Em and Uncle Henry would have been so pleased to have Dorothy back, I’m sure they would have done everything they could to save Toto second time around,’ she said. At least if they were discussing the movie there was still hope to—

‘Maybe,’ he said and shrugged. ‘Have you checked out the financial report?’ he asked, cutting straight to the chase.

She swallowed the rest of her argument in defence of Toto’s continued well-being.

‘Umm, no, not yet.’ Ryker’s email with the report from the accountants attached had only arrived in her in-box yesterday and she’d been too busy with preparations for tonight. ‘Is it bad?’ she asked, her heart shrinking to the size of a ball bearing at the look he was sending her. More pitying than patronising could not be good.

‘It’s not good,’ he said.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

The ball bearing sunk into her abdomen and began to ping about as if it were stuck in a pinball machine.

‘You’re running at a loss,’ he added.

‘How much of a loss?’

‘Enough of a loss to require my uncle to borrow heavily to keep this place open over the last ten years at least,’ he said.

Oh, Matty. Why didn’t you tell me?