AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She cradles the mug of coffee in two hands and looks at him.
“What are you doing today?”
He reaches for his own mug and takes a sip; it’s exactly how he likes it. He sighs. “I need to go and see Marsh. See how much trouble I’m in.”
Her face clouds. “How many women have you slept with?” she asks. She shakes her head. “I know I’m in no position to ask, but I want to know. What you’ve been up to since we’ve been apart.”
“A few.”
“A few?”
“Some.” He frowns. “Look, I don’t know. Not exactly. The last few years have been a bit of a blur.” He glances at her to see how she’s taking it, but her face is impassive. “It’s not something I’m proud of, but I was a single man, trying to sort some things out in my head.”
“And did you?”
“Probably not, no.”
They drink their coffee in silence, the loving moment gone. He wonders if she’s reconsidering what they did last night. Their future.
Then she speaks: “We weren’t together. That doesn’t matter. What does matter is you’re here now, and I’m hoping you’ll stay.”
She holds her hand out to him. He smiles, and presses his palm against hers, their fingers winding together. In the light of day, his concerns from the early hours of the morning feel insignificant. It doesn’t matter what happened back then. What matters is her, here. Now. He squeezes her hand tight, then puts his coffee down, reaching across the bed, pulling her to him. “As long as you want me to?”
She leans up and kisses him. “Yes. But—”
“When does Phil get back?”
“Tomorrow. I’ll tell him then.”
Adam nods. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“For you having to do that. For us splitting up. For … all of it.”
“I’m sorry too.”
He’s not sure what she’s apologizing for. For the affair, for getting on with her life? But he doesn’t ask any more, just gets up from the bed and walks naked to the door of the bathroom. He turns; she’s watching him.
“Are you joining me?” he asks.
* * *
They shower together, him on his knees as the hot water pummels his back, her hands splayed on the tiles as she comes. He stands up, turns her around, entering her quickly from behind, holding her hips firm as he kisses her neck, her back, her skin slippery and hot.
After, they dress, eat breakfast together. Adam tries to ignore the porridge oats, the breakfast of choice of another man. He cleans his teeth with her toothbrush, then they stand together at the open front door.
Outside, the day is cold. Wind whips furiously into the house, making Romilly wrap her arms around herself. It reminds Adam of the wasteland a week ago, the dead bodies discarded like rubbish, starting this whole case off.
“Milly,” he starts. He wants to ask her about what she saw, about what her father was doing. Demand the truth, the honesty. Instead, he says, “Where would your father’s patient records be?”
He’s been thinking about Cole’s words, the other three victims. If the women at the house weren’t his first, who else might they have been?
“Don’t the police already have them?” She frowns. “Why do you want to know?”
“No, we don’t. Just a line of inquiry. They’d be useful to the investigation.”
“At his old surgery, then. I know they were packed up. Probably never went anywhere after that.” She pauses. “I still have a key.”
