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“I was sht he was cool… He wore good clothes”
“As do lots of er”
I drain my espresso
“Argh… Moving back to London, it’sso complicated”
“At least, now you see it as it really is”
“Yeah… That he’s a married man and I’m his booty call, you mean?”
I can’t begin to tell her hoard it is working with him every day
I hide my head in my hands
“Stace, I need to end it Before someone finds out”
“They won’t Trust me, babe Go call him”
“What? Right now?”
“If not noill you?”
Blowing out a deep breath, I realise she’s right
“Crap! My phone’s on five percent battery”
“Just do it, alright?”
“Okay!”
I rollso pushy
“I’ outside so you can’t eavesdrop or pull faces at me”
“Don’t worry, I’ll actually be doing soot our et back”
I squeeze out fro
“We can add it to this enda”
I push past queuing customers to the pavement outside, where I make the call
“Annie?”
Seb’s got a phone especially for me And I can tell immediately, from the curt way he says my name, that he’s irritated that I’ve called him
“Is this i into the boardroom in ten”
“It is actually, Seb”
I’ not to lose my nerve
“I’m sorry, but it’s over between us”
The phone line is silent for a second or two
“Just like that? Look, Annie, let’s discuss this later, after work? We could go for a drink? Or, how about we ain?”
Very classy
I shudder with the realisation that I’m not even worth a hotel room, these days
I steel myself
“No, Seb We’re through”
Stace studies my face as I squeeze to sit down at our table
“It’s over”
CHAPTER 2
---------?---------
Diane was on the faret fahter a visit This Annie wasn’t answering her mobile
The body had been reone She’d stay another hour and then go too, she decided, as she returned to the kitchen
The as doing fine; considering As a nurse, she'd no doubt seen a dead body or two But still, she couldn’t i like that
She was still ghostly pale
“Do you have anyone who can stay with you tonight?”
“Annie’ll be co home soon”
“Hmm… D’you have a sister, or a friend who could stay?”
“I’ll be fine”
The hard edge in her voice told Diane not to push it
“Alright But, I’ht”
The officer handed her a business card
“Maureen?”
Diane watched as Mrs Evans got up fro
“Sion”
“Jac told me I’m sorry for your loss”
He e on to her when she let out a loud sob
“Sorry”
“Hey, it’s okay”
She dabbed at her face with her tatty tissue, recovering her composure
“He’d been threatening to do it for years But still, I’ there, it was still a terrible shock, it was”
She had told the detective all about her husband’s manic depression Apparently, she’d talked him out of it before Ellis had taken down the details of his condition andthat now, back at the station
Maureen startedtowards the kettle
“Cup of tea?”
Sion stepped around her and guided her back towards the chairs
“No No You go sit down I’ll do it”
He pointed to her , “Wanna fresh one?”
“Oh, yes please, love”
Who was this other young man to Mrs Evans, Diane wondered?
He was about the sae as the other fellow, Jac, and had a similar confident air about him
He waved aat Diane and she nodded back
“Bet you get through some tea, in your job?” he said casually
“Occupational hazard But I’ve made a pact with myself never to touch the biscuits”
“You still haven’t got hold of Annie yet?” Maureen cut in
“No The officers are going over to her workplace and her flat There’s no answer on her mobile”
“I’m not sure I can tell her”
Maureen’s voice cracked
Diane went over, sat beside her and held her hand as Maureen whi back her tears
“Hey, that’s perfectly understandable Would you like anyone else from the family to call her?”
Sion handed Maureen a box of tissues
She took a fresh one and blew her nose
“What about Jac?”
“What about me?”
Jac stood in the kitchen door jamb with a casserole dish in his hand
“For your tea,” he said, placing it on the worktop near the stove “It’s still frozen”
Maureen stared uncertainly at him
“Jac, would youAnnie for me? The police haven’t had any luck so far”
“She’s not answering her phone,” Diane chipped in “Can you keep trying through the day? Or try social media? Or text?”
“I dunno if she’ll speak to me”
It had been twelve years She hated his guts But, who else was there?
He rubbed his hand across his stubbled chin and exhaled
“Give me her number”
Maureen rose and shuffled over to the antique dresser drawer Opening it, she took out a large address book and wrote Annie’s mobile number carefully on a scrap of recycled envelope
Her eyes teared up again as she handed it to him
“Tell her to come home, Jac”
He nodded solemnly and stored the number safely in his shirt pocket
Diane looked puzzled as she struggled to work things out
“So, how exactly do you two lads know each other?”
It was a thinly disguised cop question
“From our army days,” Sion answered “I’m a contractor now”
“Where?”
“All over the place”
“Doin’ what?”
“Computer networks IT security, mainly”
Sion gave her a disar smile
“Jac lets , and this part of the world is heaven for adrenaline junkies like me”
“Really? What kinda sports d’ya do?”
“Kayaking, ”
He took in her blank expression
“Y’know? Ju off cliffs into the sea for the fun of it”
Diane pulled a face
“Not sure that’s erous to me”
“He’s a handytools, too”
Maureen pushed a plate of biscuits towards Sion, urging him to take one