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‘What the hell?’ Stacey asked. ‘You’re on holiday.’
‘Not any more,’ she said, putting her bag on the desk. ‘Apparently I’m needed.’
Stacey couldn’t believe the boss had managed to get Alison back there so quickly. ‘What happened?’
‘She found me, harassed me, bullied me and then followed me up a cliff face.’
‘She did w-what?’ Stacey spluttered.
‘Yeah, wish I’d got photos now,’ Alison said, removing her cardigan.
Despite the boss’s anger with her, the image of it was funny, and that persistence was one of the reasons she’d always valued having the boss in her corner. She knew that was no longer the case.
‘Jeez, Penn. I sure could use a drink,’ Alison said, taking a seat.
Penn looked pointedly towards the almost-full coffee machine.
‘Tea. I’m absolutely gasping for a cup of tea, and if you can make that happen, I’m going to owe you big time.’
Penn rolled his eyes as he pushed back his chair.
He looked from one to the other. ‘I’m guessing you don’t want me to rush back.’
‘I swear to God, Penn. I might just be a little bit in love with you,’ Alison said.
He laughed before leaving the office.
‘So, wassup, buddy?’
Stacey groaned. ‘She told you?’
Alison shook her head. ‘She didn’t tell me what was wrong, only that you could do with a friend.’
Stacey felt tears prick at her eyes. ‘And that’s why you left your holiday?’
‘Err…obvs.’
She didn’t mind if the boss had used her current situation as a tool to get Alison’s help on the case. It was true that she really could do with a friend, even if it was a friend she’d already lied to.
She took a breath. ‘Remember when I called you a couple of months ago for your advice on stalkers?’
‘Sure do,’ Alison said, taking a KitKat from her bag.
‘Well, the advice was for me. I was being stalked by a man who I’d interviewed as a witness. I kept it secret from you, Devon and my colleagues – and the man concerned was killed in a hit and run on Monday night. Got it?’
Alison put the KitKat down. ‘Not even close, matey. Do you wanna take it again, from the top?’
FORTY-FIVE
‘Hey, Alison, what a surprise to see you here,’ Kim said, entering the squad room.
‘Oh yeah, shocker.’
Kim hid her smile as she removed her jacket and put it over the back of her chair.
By her reckoning, Alison would have arrived about forty minutes ago, giving Stacey plenty of time to explain the situation with Terence Birch.
‘Okay, folks. Penn, stop whatever it is you’re doing and get straight onto a warrant for the records at Welton. Ms Josephine Kirk is beyond unhelpful and refuses to co-operate one little bit.’
