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Chapter 23
My heart stopped for a moment.
Jet-black hair. Equally black eyes. A familiar face. I could not forget his face. He appeared in my dreams whenever he was meant to be forgotten.
I always dreamed that night.
The dream of the night he grabbed my hair…
Giles Hessen was staring at me. Wearing the same face, the same uniform as then.
I backed away slowly without taking my eyes off him.
What did I do the last time I met him in a dream?
“Anna.”
He called me. Giles even knew my name. It was clear he had been watching me all along.
Shamelessly, he put on a concerned voice, pretending to care.
“Let me see. Are you hurt anywhere—”
I remembered what I did in the dream. The moment Giles stepped toward me, I hugged my bag to my chest, spun around, and ran.
“Anna!”
He shouted my name. The dull sound of military boots chased after me. I deliberately headed for a crowd. I planned to use my large bag to push through the people and shake him off.
People shot annoyed looks at me, but that didn’t matter. I turned to look behind me and realized my plan was awful. People made way more readily for a soldier than for some civilian woman.
When Giles in uniform appeared, people parted as if by agreement.
Breaking through the crowd, I ran blindly. I knew I couldn’t outrun him. Even while fleeing, a hot sense of injustice rose in my throat. Why should I have to run? What did I do wrong? What on earth did I—
Then I saw a tram just about to leave. I screamed like a madwoman.
“Wait! Wait!”
Startled, people moved aside. I threw myself into the tram with all my strength. The bell rang and the doors closed. I collapsed inside, clutching my bag and sweating, and the other passengers stared at me like I was a strange animal.
Giles pounded on the outside of the tram, but it had already pulled away. His footsteps slowed, then stopped. The figure standing there grew distant and finally disappeared.
The first thing I did after getting home was call Albert.
I had barely taken off my shoes and was lying on the sofa, clinging to a blanket. I had run so desperately in the chase that I was completely exhausted. The groceries I’d bought had spilled and rolled around the floor.
Of course, Albert had already tidied them up. He was in the small kitchen, making soup. Maybe to cheer me up, he turned on the radio. A bright jazz song was playing on the radio channel.
“It’s ready.”
Albert’s voice sounded a little languid but slow and soothing. He had a somewhat gentle voice. He brought the pot of soup over and set it neatly on the table. The clink of dishes tickled my ears.
“Anna.”
I rose slowly from the sofa. Albert was beckoning to me.
“Come on. You should eat.”
I had no appetite, but I couldn’t just lie there like someone who’d lost everything. My world was still intact, in fact. I sat at the table and watched him ladle out my portion.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I ate something else. I made plenty, so eat a lot. Better to have a full stomach, right?”
I dipped a piece of bread he’d sliced into the soup. I thought I wasn’t hungry, but the moment I put the food in my mouth I realized I was wrong. I ate the soup like someone who hadn’t eaten in days; Albert watched me with pity.
“Is it good?”
“That madman chased me.”
Even though my answer was irrelevant, he just smiled.
“At least you’re gaining your strength back.”
“He suddenly appeared and chased me! I almost collapsed from my legs giving out several times.”
“Are you sure it was him?”
I nodded. No one else’s face could be confused with his. It was Giles Hessen.
“He hasn’t changed at all. I’ve changed so much, but he’s the same.”
“Was he with anyone?”
“No. He was alone. Except for the first time I met him, Giles never goes around with others.”
Something came to mind as I scooped another spoonful of soup, and I slammed my hand down on the table.
“Ow.”
“Albert, come to think of it—that man—”
“Yeah. Tell me slowly.”
“He said my name. He called me Anna. Not Lily—Anna.”
Anna. The commonplace new name sounded in his voice and the room tilted for a moment. I had thought I was the only one hiding.
“He knew my name. He’s been watching me for a very long time. I thought I was safe, but I wasn’t. I don’t even know how much he knows now. Maybe he knows where I live. No—maybe he’s listening to this conversation right now.”
“Anna, calm down. Tell me what you want me to do.”
I needed a companion, not because Giles needed one, but because I did.
“Stay here with me until I catch the train. I don’t want to be alone.”
“All right. Got it. Don’t worry.”
“And could you pick up some liquor too?”
“The usual?”
“…Yes.”
I hastily added as I raised my spoon again.
“Go quickly.”
“I’ll remember.”
Albert put on his coat and passed by me, heading out the front door. Click. I heard the door lock.
Alone, I mechanically scooped at the cooling soup and thought about why Giles was so obsessed with me.
I wasn’t a great beauty. At least, I didn’t think so. There were surely many women more attractive than me around him, yet Giles hadn’t forgotten me and kept following persistently.
Was it revenge? Was he angry because I’d betrayed him? He had shown me kindness, even saved my life, and I ran away without saying thank you.
No—that wasn’t it. I had said “thank you” hundreds of times. Would he hold a grudge just because I didn’t say goodbye?
Maybe “thank you” wasn’t enough. Maybe he had helped me expecting some kind of repayment, and I had disappointed him. But what could he possibly take from me? There was nothing of mine he could take.
I truly did not understand why I was being pursued.
Anyway, leaving for Vitelsden was the solution. Only a few days left. If I could hold on for just a few more days, I would be abroad and he wouldn’t be able to touch me anymore.
Then the quiet house was filled with the ringing of the telephone.
Startled, I froze with my spoon raised. The phone was ringing. Who could it be? There was no one who would call. I glanced toward the hallway. Albert hadn’t returned yet.
I got up and walked slowly to the phone. It kept ringing loudly and insistently.
I looked down at the red telephone and reached out.
I put the receiver to my ear.
Giles stepped into the red phone box, closed the door, dropped a coin into the slot, and turned the dial. He listened to the ringing tone.
His goal was to meet Anna in person and talk. But Anna had fled like someone who’d seen a ghost. He couldn’t understand it, but telling her about her situation was more important right now.
Anna didn’t immediately pick up the phone. Giles waited calmly. By now she should be home.
After a bit of waiting, the ringing abruptly stopped.
There was no sound. Anna was waiting to hear whatever he would say.
“Anna.”
She did not answer. Giles hurriedly added,
“Please, don’t hang up. Listen. I have something to tell you.”
“…….”
“Let me start from what happened recently… I didn’t mean to startle you. Actually, I should have told you this in person. It’s about Albert Shaw.”
“Why….”
Anna’s voice trembled.
“Why are you doing this to me…?”
“Anna, listen. That man—”
“Why should I listen to what you have to say?”
She asked abruptly. Suddenly Giles was at a loss for words. He did not know why Anna treated him so antagonistically.
“Giles, tell me. Why are you doing this to me? What did I do so wrong to you?”
“Anna.”
“Yes, I left without a word. But what else could I do? I wanted to live freely. What crime did I commit to deserve you following me? Tell me—have you been watching me all this time?”
“Anna, you’re mistaken about something.”
“How did you know my name?”
“That—”
“You’ve been tailing me since that day. How much do you know about me? Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’m just an ordinary pianist. If you think I was ungrateful, I’ll say thank you as many times as it takes. Please leave me alone. Please…”
“Anna. You’re in danger right now.”
Anna let out a hollow laugh through the receiver.
“I know that well. Thanks to you!”
“Please, just listen to me for one minute. Your patron, Albert Shaw, is a man of unclear identity. He may have a plausible background, but there’s no information on him beyond what you know. I don’t think you should trust him. And the train he wants to put you on—”
“You really do know everything, don’t you.”
“Sorry. It’s true I investigated around you. But I had to. You disappeared suddenly—”
“Yes, I was wrong. I left without a word. That was my mistake… can’t you forgive me now?”
Giles couldn’t answer. He didn’t understand why she said such things.
“I will remember your name until I die. So—”
“Anna, what are you saying?”
“If you have any shred of pity left, let me go.”
“Wait—”
The call ended.
