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It was as if they both knew they were going to meet there.
Kim took a seat beside him.
‘Oh, Josh, we know you’re lying to us. Whatever you’re not saying is eating you alive. You ready to get it off your chest yet?’
‘I don’t think I can hold it in much longer.’
She stood. ‘I think this is a chat we’d be better off having at the station.’
SIXTY-EIGHT
‘It’s making me hungry watching this,’ Penn said as he witnessed another brunch plate being brought to one of the tables.
The CCTV sent over by the Harvester restaurant in Stourbridge was made up of three different camera angles, and he had a two-hour slot before the time of the bill being paid.
‘Finally,’ he said as Sandra Deakin came into view.
He paused for a second and glanced at his colleague.
‘Hey, you’re not telling me off for talking to myself out loud. What’s wrong?’
‘Did you say something?’ she asked without taking her eyes from the screen.
‘You got something at the theatre?’ he asked.
‘Not sure, I’ll tell you in a minute.’
Penn returned to his own task and continued to watch the recording.
Sandra Deakin ordered a coffee and some kind of fruit pastry. She was halfway through it when her companion arrived. The person who sat at the table opposite her was none other than Monty Dunhill, the man who had lied about meeting her.
Penn was about to share this information with his colleague when he saw she was giving her screen a hard, pensive stare. It could wait.
He turned back to the screen and watched the interaction between Sandra and Monty.
Monty took a seat but sat side saddle with his legs crossed so that he was side on to the table. There was something nonchalant, distracted about his demeanour, as though he wasn’t giving her his full attention.
A waiter placed a small cup before him which Penn assumed to be an espresso. He neither acknowledged nor thanked the waiter.
Sandra pushed away her half-eaten pastry and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands. The difference in posture was striking, and even without hearing the conversation, it was clear where the power lay.
Sandra appeared to be doing all the talking with an occasional shrug from Monty as the response. At times Monty was looking around the restaurant while Sandy was speaking, showing her the ultimate level of disrespect.
Sandy’s posture became more animated. She was shifting in her seat, using her hands as she spoke. Monty recrossed his legs and calmly sipped his drink.
Penn wanted to reach into the screen and slap some manners into him.
There was no doubt she was asking for something that he wasn’t prepared to give.
After what looked like a final plea, Monty drained his cup, shook his head and stood.
As he passed, he leaned down and whispered something in her ear, after which Sandra dropped her head into her hands.
Two minutes later, she paid the bill and left the building.
Penn sat back in his chair. Stacey did the same.
‘I got him,’ he said, now he had her attention. ‘I got Monty on CCTV.’
