Two Violins, One Love, BAE

Chapter 18 Run, Brett, run!... 哈!

"Xiang!... Xiang!!!... Have you seen Eddy?"

"What?"

The music was so loud on the dance floor. Brett took Xiang by the arm and dragged him to the side. "Eddy! Have you seen Eddy?!"

"No. Why?"

"I can't find him. He left our drinks on a table. But I can't see him anywhere."

"Have you tried calling him?"

"I have. He's not answering."

"And the top floor, have you checked there?" Xiang asked.

"Just been. He's not there either. Listen... can you tell Yanis, the others, if they see him, to give me a call, straight away. Don't... don't need to tell him anything. Just call me, okay?"

"All right, dude. I will. Hey, we may go to another club soon. On Longjiang, you know, round the corner. See you guys there?" Xiang asked. Brett wasn't answering so Xiang carried on. "Come on, it's your birthday. Party all night!"

"Okay. After I find Eddy."

Brett knew he wasn't telling everything. But what could he tell? He wasn't sure himself. Did Eddy not realise he was being harassed by the American? Could he really have disappeared because of that? This was madness. Complete madness. Brett didn't have time to think. He needed to find Eddy first. He rushed to the entrance of the club and spotted a bouncer.

"Hey, have you seen who's left in the last 10, 15 minutes?"

The bouncer turned towards him. "Maybe. Why?" he asked.

Brett gave a short description of his friend. The night air coming through the half-open door was fresh, inviting. Eddy would have stepped out, that's what he would have done.

"As a matter of fact..." the bouncer was as slow as he was bored, "...I did see a guy... just like you describe about 10 minutes ago."

Brett stepped onto the threshold of the club. People were walking passed him, trying to get in.

"Did you see which way he went?"

"I don't snoop, mate. It's not in my job's description," the bouncer replied.

"Okay, thanks," Brett said.

"... but he did cross the road. Just there."

Brett stood on the pavement. On the other side of the road, behind a row of bikes, there was a green space with some trees. He dashed across the street. There was a small play area and Brett scooted around it. Some people walked in groups, talking, laughing. It was still early for the Taipei night life. But no one on their own, or sitting down on the low walls.

Brett sighed. Which way? This was crazy. Eddy wouldn't walk around a neighbourhood like this by himself for very long. And if Eddy didn't want to hang around, after a while, he would just head home.

Brett could either jump in a taxi, or follow the most direct route to the MRT. In fact, there was only one direct road, and if he hurried, there was a chance he might still catch him. Brett turned into Bade and sprinted down the narrow street. The place was empty. The run-down little shops under their patchy awnings were closed now, and the place was full of shadows. Brett grabbed his phone as he ran and dialled Eddy.

"Come on, pick up your phone, man." But it rang five times and went into voicemail.

He emerged into an avenue and didn't even bother with zebra crossings. He weaved his way round the traffic, without slowing down.

When he reached the other side, he pelted down Andong. There were still some stalls selling food here, under yellow lanterns and a few lit signs. He was running alongside a green space with some trees and some benches, when he noticed something. He squeezed between parked scooters and leaped onto the lawn.

Further to his left was a solitary figure sitting in the shadow on a concrete bench. Brett slowed down to a jog. What would he tell Eddy? What mood was he in? And why did he leave so abruptly? Damn, he felt so angry. Not answering his phone. What was that about? Brett, puffing and sweating ran all the way to the stooped figure. Just as he was reaching him, he heard a scream.

Brett leapt backwards. "Sorry, uncle, so sorry!" he shouted. The old man he had just startled shook a fist at him. "Nǐ zhè chǔn zhū! Xiǎo bái liǎn! 哈 哈 哈 哈!" Brett could still hear him cackling to himself as he curved away and sprinted across the green, back to the street.

Brett ran and ran. He zoomed across Civic boulevard, and under the fly over. He ran down the next section of Andong. He looked right and left, he checked all the green spaces, he checked under the red and green pagoda, he even went round the absurd metal giraffe with the blue and red eyes. He snarled "fuck you" through greeted teeth at the Pizza Coffee "So Happy" when he ran past it, and at last he was within sight of Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT. And he knew it'd been all in vain.

The short train journey on the Taipei MRT didn't calm him at all. When he got out at their stop, he started running again, in the hope it would help get rid of all the adrenaline that was pumping wildly round his body, and made his head swim.

He phoned Eddy one last time, and listened to the line go into voicemail. He reached the block of flats and climbed the stairs four by four. As soon as he opened the door of the flat, he knew Eddy was home. He knew even before he'd spotted Eddy's phone on the table. He could feel it, smell it, with every jittery sinew of his body. He marched over to their bedroom door.