Page 9 of The Unforgiven

“Can I pay the bill?”

The waiter gave me a cute nod. “Sure. By the way, whoever he is, he missed out.”

“Thanks. Good detective skills.” I flashed my phone at the machine, hearing the beep.

“I always wanted to join the police. Be a murder detective. Ended up here instead.”

I thought of my day, reviewing lives that were on pause or possibly over. “I think you made the right choice.”

There was an embarrassing round of applause when I walked into the bar, followed by a chat forshots, shots, shots.Vinny helda pint up to his face, not trying too hard to hide his grin. “Lover boy stand you up?”

“Got held up at work.”

Vinny frowned. “Thought he was a teacher. Don’t they only work part time?”

I wondered what Lucy’s reaction would be if Vinny said that to her face, but she’d have been too busy trying to charm him. He was just her type.

“Bit like us. Easy life, isn’t it?” I eyed the bar, which was at least three deep. “What’s everyone on?”

He put his pint glass down. “I’ll come with you. Half the blokes there look like complete tossers.”

“I can look after myself, you know.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

He followed me to the bar, paying no attention to where what looked like karaoke was being set up. “Is he a bit of a prick this bloke you’re seeing?”

“No. He’s an assistant head at Moorbridge High.”

“That doesn’t mean he's not a prick.”

“Leave it, Vin. I don’t need a row with you tonight. Save it for Monday.” We’d worked together for years now and knew what buttons to press to wind each other up.

He gave me a quick look up and down, nothing sexual in it. There never had been. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Takes more than that to bother me. What are you having?” I caught the bartender’s eye.

Vinny shook his head, watching me for longer than he needed. “I’ll get these. Help you get over the disappointment of being stood up.”

“He did let me know he wasn’t going to get there.” I wasn’t sure if I was defending Cavan to Vinny or me. I could suppress it all I liked, but I was pissed off that Cavan hadn’t let me know he couldn’t make it before we were supposed to meet.

“So why did you still turn up?”

“I was already there. Because I was hungry and wanted to try the restaurant. I don’t always need a man with me, Vinny.” The last part wasn’t a lie. I’d learned to be self-sufficient, reliant on only myself.

My foster parents had been idyllic. They’d considered me as their own, and they were my family. But that didn’t stop the nagging voice in my head that they could choose at any time to cut their ties me with, if I gave them reason to.

Then again, my own mother had chosen something else as more important than her daughter, so blood was arguably weaker than the ties that you chose to form.

“I’m well aware that you think you don’t need anybody else, Mia. You prove it on a daily basis. What do you want to drink? I’m still allowed to buy you a drink, aren’t it?” Vinny didn’t look at me when he spoke, focusing on the bartender. “Three pints of Dizzy Blonde, a double gin and tonic, four shots of whatever’s cheapest and whatever she’s having.” He elbowed me in the side.

I elbowed him back, forgetting I was quite accurate until he winced.

“Jesus, Mac.” He rubbed where I’d knocked him.

“I’ll have the most expensive cocktail you’ve got.” I knew Vinny was smiling when he heard me, expecting nothing less, just like I knew he knew that I’d been properly stood up.

“The Honey Monster?” The bar tender peered at me. “It’s nineteen quid.”