‘Oh, I forgot.’
‘Scarlett, it’s been in the diary for an age. We haven’t seen Luke properly in forever.’
Luke Davenport, my university ex and now a good friend.
‘Erm, yep, we’re still on.’
She practically skips back to her own office as it dawns on me that the ballistics report could be back before our night out. It might never happen. Shrugging off the thought, I bury my head in documents for Mr Ghurair. It’s been a week since our brunch and I know I have to give Neil my decision about Dubai. I am, without question, avoiding him. I wouldn’t leave Gregory with the case looming over us and I won’t leave him whilst there’s any chance he’s falling for me as deeply as I’ve fallen for him. But telling Neil that I’m willing to disappoint a potentially huge client on a whim… Well, best-case scenario is he’s unhappy but understanding. The worst-case scenario is he’sreallypissed. Either option is likely to be career-limiting.
I’ve done half of what I intended to do by the time Amanda grabs me for lunch and my newfound reluctance to work, coupled with Amanda’s never-present desire to work, means wetalk our way through two hours before making it back to the office.
I open my office door, unbuttoning my coat, and jump back when I raise my head to see Gregory standing in the window, tall and broad, his hands in the pockets of his perfectly cut trousers.
‘What’re you doing here? How did you get into my office?’
His expression gives nothing away. ‘Your secretary let me in.’
‘You can’t be here, Gregory; I have confidential files everywhere.’
‘I told her it was an emergency.’ His tone is flat.
My stomach sinks and my heart stops beating in my chest. I can hear my own heavy breaths in my ears. ‘What is it?’
‘Sit down.’
I close my office door. ‘Just tell me, Gregory. What’s happened?’
‘I wanted to tell you so you didn’t hear it from someone else, that’s all.’
‘Tell me what?’ My voice is louder than intended.
‘My mother and Sandy have been taken in for questioning. Well, asked to go to the station.’
‘Sandy! Why? What do they want with Sandy? Oh God, she’ll be beside herself. It’s me, isn’t it? They suspect the truth.’
He moves towards my frozen body and encourages me to sit on my desk. ‘It’s routine. That’s why I wanted to come here. I knew you’d panic. You heard John Harrison. Going against the ballistics report was going to lead to another dig by forensics and more questioning. Barnes has to investigate, that’s all. Sandy knows all of us and it’s obvious why they’d want to question my mother. It means nothing.’
I slap his hands away. ‘How can you say that? Pulling Sandy in isnotroutine. She doesn’t know you, not really, and you’re thesuspect. She knows me and she knows Jackson.’ I lift my hand to my mouth, shaking my head. ‘I’ve got to get to the station. I need to see her.’
‘Jackson’s with her. He took her down there and he’s waiting to bring her back. She’ll be fine, Scarlett.’ He rests against the edge of the desk beside me. ‘They know. They know or they suspect.’ He inhales deeply, his broad chest expanding. ‘They found a partial print on the gun. John Harrison called to tell me. He told me about Sandy and my mother too. They’re struggling to identify the print but they will.’
‘Okay.’ I feel sick but eerily resolute. This is going to force his hand. They’ll identify my print and Gregory won’t be able to protect me any longer. We’ll have to tell the truth.
I’ll be charged and they’ll find out. I didn’t just kill for love; I killed for vengeful love. Me, my dad’s daughter and the unrequited love of the little boy who haunts my sleep.
‘I think you should go.’
He rears, frown lines wrinkling his face.
‘I’ve got work to do, Gregory, and you can’t be in my office with all these files.’ I gesture to the rows of shelves lined with ring binders and correspondence files.
Standing, I walk with confidence to my desk chair. He eventually rises from his perch, watching me. I slide on my glasses as if they might hide the feelings I’m so desperately trying not to show, then click New and feign typing an email, conscious as I do that he’s scrutinising my every move.
‘Let’s go home. Together. I don’t want to leave you alone.’
I bite down on the inside of my gums and take off my glasses, dangling one tortoiseshell arm between my fingers. ‘I’m fine, Gregory. Like you say, it’s routine. Jackson’s waiting for Sandy. It’s all just… dandy.’
‘Dandy?’
