‘You didn’t? I thought I told you.’
‘No, pretty sure you didn’t tell me.’
He shrugged as though it was of little importance.
‘When did you get here?’ she asked.
He waved a vague hand. ‘I don’t know. Half an hour ago?’
‘Were you going to call me? Or just hope to bump into me atthe pub?’
‘Babe, settle down. I’m here. It’s all good.’
Issy sighed. ‘I’ve got to get back to the team. I’ll stay for an hour or so, then we’ll go, okay?’
Hugh gave her a nod and turned back to Deano.
Issy went back to work the room. If there was one thing her mother had taught her, it was how to make small talk. This was her chance to get these guys onside. Over the next couple of hours, she had an animated conversation about the cricket, put a young sparky in touch with the right person to get his beautician wife a job at the Ashworth Park Hotel spa, listened as one of the head carpenters talked about losing custody of his kids after his ex told lies at the family court, and even tried to make rudimentary conversation with Cathy, who was just about the only person she couldn’t talk to. When she heard herself say, ‘Who’s looking after your cats while you’re away?’ she realised she’d hit a low point and managed to move on gracefully.
At around seven, she decided it was time to go.
‘You’re a lucky man, Warwick. Dani sounds delightful,’ she said, putting a hand on his forearm. He’d just told her the very romantic story about meeting his wife at their one and only meditation class. ‘You’ve just made me remember I have a fiancé in town who I’ve barely spoken to, so I’m going to head off.’
She slipped out into the main bar, but Hugh wasn’t at the table by the window. She glanced around, locating him at the bar, and slotted in beside him. ‘Are you ready to go?’
He looked up, with heavy-lidded eyes. ‘Now? I’m getting a round.’
‘Who for?’ she asked.
‘Deano and a few other guys I haven’t seen in a while.’
‘Can we go after that one?’
‘I reckon I’ll stay for a bit.’
Issy swallowed, trying to remain composed. ‘But you just got here. We haven’t seen each other.’
‘We’ve got the whole weekend, baby.’ He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and pulled her in close. ‘We’ve got our whole lives.’
‘I guess,’ she said. ‘I just … I’m tired.’
‘Go home and get some sleep, babe. I’ll head over in a little bit.’
‘You don’t even know where to go.’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Hugh laughed. ‘Where do I go?’
‘You go up the stairs on the right side of the—’ She stopped.There was no chance he’d find it. ‘Actually it might be easier if you just call me when you’re leaving and I’ll meet you outside the entrance to the jail.’
Chapter 27
Meg kicked open the door of her room, then locked it behind her and slumped onto the bed. The ceiling spun above her, the pendant light moving in a slow circle. She blinked a few times, then sat up, trying to calculate how many drinks she’d had. She’d stayed longer than she intended, watching Isobel Ashworth and Hugh Thorburn from a distance, wondering if she knew how he flirted with eighteen-year-old barmaids.
She woke with a start sometime later to a moaning sound coming from the room next door. Then another. Was that …? Oh, no. A rhythmic banging started as something—a bed?—hit the shared wall. A second voice joined in, the pace speeding up, the banging louder now. Then one last moan, longer.
After a moment of silence there was a bang and some shuffling sounds, then a voice, sharp-edged. Meg froze, sensing conflict. She strained to hear, but couldn’t make out the words.
Her heart pounded. What should she do? Lie still. That’s what her instincts said. The voices rose again. She could hear her own breathing, shallow and fast. But what if someone was in trouble? Could she really do nothing? She covered her face with her hands, took a steadying breath. She could walk past—pretend she was going to the bathroom—just to check everything was okay.
