AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Pippa scoffs. “No, she doesn’t care. She said it was tradition that the bridesmaid should sleep with the best man. Had her eye on him from the beginning.” Pippa leans forward, studying the photo. “He is a handsome bugger.”
“Oi!” Jamie complains, and she laughs.
“I mean, objectively.” She leans back, resting her head on his chest. “You’re the only man for me,” she says softly. “For as long as you want me.”
“Always,” he confirms seriously. He kisses her gently on her forehead, thinking about how lucky he is. Then his thoughts turn to other people close to him. Other relationships—the broken ones.
“Rom came into the station today,” he says. “She met with Adam. Something to do with the case.”
Pippa looks up quickly. “Really? She didn’t come to the wedding because she didn’t want a scene, yet she goes to the police station to see him. Do you know why?”
“Adam wouldn’t say.”
“And how did it go?”
“Badly.”
Pippa sinks into silence. “I’ll have to call her,” she says quietly. “Now,” she adds decisively, “are you hungry?”
He kisses her. “Starving.”
* * *
He pulls on the bare minimum of clothing and heads upstairs to get changed properly. He throws his shirt into an already teetering washing basket, and as he does so, he gets a waft of a strange smell. Not unpleasant, just … different. It makes him feel out of sorts, a moment of disquiet, like an unpleasant memory remembered. He sniffs again, moving around the room to try and find it, but it’s gone.
Jamie opens a window, then shovels a load of washing into the basket and heads downstairs.
In the kitchen, Pippa is standing next to the open fridge, staring inside.
“I went shopping yesterday,” she mumbles to the shelves, “but I don’t seem to have actually bought anything to make a meal.” She looks over at him as he switches the washing machine on. “Do you fancy pizza?”
For a fraction of a second, Jamie considers his ever-expanding tummy, his resolution to go on a diet after the honeymoon. Then he smiles.
“Excellent idea,” he says, logging onto Domino’s.
CHAPTER
16
IT’S GONE TEN before Adam makes it home.
He’d stayed late at the station, sitting in his office, wading through hastily drafted reports from the day. They haven’t got far—and the lack of progress bothers him. No leads. Just grumpy detectives sifting through rubbish at the wasteland, a lab with nothing to report, and uniforms turning in neighborhood reports of fuck all.
He knew he couldn’t stay there all night. His eyes were scratchy, body tired; he’ll get nothing useful done without some rest.
He gets home, showers, then manages a microwaved ready meal in front of the TV with a few beers. He’s already feeling his eyes closing when he hears the doorbell ring.
He glances at the clock—ten past eleven—then walks slowly to the door and opens it. His ex-wife is standing on the doorstep, folder in hand. She holds it out toward him.
“How do you know where I live?” he snaps.
“Divorce paperwork.”
“And what’s this? More feelings?”
She scowls. “Stop being a wanker, Adam. I worked it out.”
He sighs. He holds little hope that she’ll be useful to the case, but he knows from previous experience she won’t leave until he listens.
