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I stiffen. My senses are immediately on red alert. I know how deep Ethan’s mistrust of Ruth goes. I offer up a silent prayer to a God I don’t believe in that she hasn’t done anything to attract his attention. It’s been just over a year since I left her in Cambridge, and with no reason so far to think otherwise, I’d begun to relax. Not that I’ve been in touch with her or taken to following her movements. I’ve so far resisted the temptation to become a stalker.
Instead, I’d allowed myself to believe that she wouldn’t say anything about her brief stay at Caernbro Ghyll. More to the point, I hoped Ethan thought the same thing.
“What’s happened?” I ask.
“You know I asked Casey to keep an eye on her?”
I nod. We never discussed it, but I’d assumed as much. It would have felt weird if I did that, but with Ethan it’s just business.
He continues. “I asked her to let me know if Ruth did anything unusual.”
“Like what?”
“Well, in this case, like quit her job.”
I gape at him, incredulous. “She left the police?”
“Seems so.”
“When? Why?”
“As to the why, I don’t know. The when is a bit difficult to pin down as well.”
“Are you on something?” He’s not making sense.
He glowers at me. “Her last shift was almost six months ago, but her resignation went in this morning. It’s official. PC Ruth Lowison has handed in her warrant card.”
“She hasn’t been to work for six months?” All sorts of dire possibilities whirl through my head. “Is she ill? Injured?”
“She took maternity leave.” He doesn’t dress it up.
My jaw drops. “Maternity leave? She had a baby?”
“A little girl. She’s almost twelve weeks old now.”
I get to my feet and pace. “Jesus! Did she…? I mean, is it mine?”
“You tell me. I assume so.”
I swing around to face him. “How long have you known? About the baby?”
“Six months. Since Miss Lowison went on maternity leave. It flagged up in her personnel records, so Casey picked up on it and told me.”
I jab my finger at him in a rare display of insubordination. “You should have fucking told me.”
“Yes, maybe.” He acknowledges the accusation but offers no apology. “But what difference would it have made? She was still police, still off limits. I considered it and decided it would make it harder for you if you knew.”
“I don’t fucking care. How would you feel if—?”
“I get it. And for what it’s worth, Iamsorry.”
He does look genuinely remorseful, but my temper is simmering.
“Does anyone else know?”
“Just Casey.”
“What about Aaron? Or Jed?”
