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I munched away happily and demolished half of my sandwich in mere seconds. As I rarely ate until lunchtime, my stomach wasn’t quite ready for so much food this early in the day, and I took my time eating the rest.
Neither spoke until both our plates were clear. Perry sat waiting patiently for any scraps.
“Not today, buddy.” I cleared the table and placed everything neatly in the dishwasher. Did I have OCD? Not exactly, although I had a few quirks.
Light switches needed to be in the ‘correct’ position. Strange, maybe, but it was something I couldn’t overlook. The towels in the bathroom needed to be folded ‘just so’, the labels tucked away from sight. Don’t even get me started on all my other foibles. I had far too many to mention.
The clock read eight thirty, so I needed to head to work soon.
I checked the calendar on my phone. My first appointment was at nine forty-five, followed by a few more, but nothing that would stretch me. We had the occasional walk-in, much as John had done the other day, so we needed to be there for nine.
As usual, I was waiting for Drew when the doorbell rang. The unmistakable form of Detective John Palmer was visible through the glass, along with Detective Woods.
My stomach lurched, the sandwich threatening to make an appearance.
If both of them were here, it didn’t bode well. How could this be anything but bad news?
I blew out a shaky breath, trying to calm the fuck down.
I took another, steadier than before, and opened the door. Whatever news they had, I could deal with it.
John clenched his jaw, not meeting my gaze.
“Liam, it’s good to see you again. May we come in?” Detective Woods’ quiet voice washed over me, and memories flooded in.
Resigned to the fact that things were once again going to change, I stepped back, allowing them in.
“Straight ahead into the kitchen.” I gestured as I stepped back, allowing them in.
“What the fuck is going on?” Drew came down the stairs. “What are they doing here?”
“Not bringing good news. Look, go to work, and I’ll come in when I’m done here.”
“Yeah, of course.” Perry ran to him, and he scooped him up. “If you need anything, let me know. You gonna be okay?”
I shook my head, digging my nails into my palms. “It’s something I need to deal with, but you should go.”
I ushered him out of the door and closed it behind him. I leant back against the cold glass and shivered.
I’d known this was coming. Yesterday John had insinuated something was up. So, why was I surprised?
It was time to face up to the fact that my past might be coming back to haunt me. How I dealt with the news was up to me. Hopefully, the new me was stronger than the old me.
CHAPTER SEVEN
JOHN
He’d changed his hair. Gone was the blond, replaced by the brown I remembered from our first meeting.
It suited him. The blond had made him look drawn and, quite frankly, ill. This colour at least fitted his complexion, giving him a warmer look.
I took notice, especially of those who held my interest. And Liam held my interest.
We sat at the kitchen table. Liam nibbled on his nails, and I fought the urge to stop him from doing it. I itched to hold his hand, tell him it was all going to be okay, even though I didn’t know what the future held for him and Ziggy.
There was no telling what was going to happen. The evidence had been clear-cut. Ziggy’s testimony alone had been sufficient to put Stuart and Damian away for twenty years. What had changed for the court to consider this…this travesty?
Sam and I had agreed he’d do the talking, just like in the initial interview. In the past week, I’d seen a different side to Liam, and I had an inkling of what this could do to him. My stomach churned, unsure of how he would react.
