The kitchen door opened. Gideon managed not to jump out of his tingling skin. Standing in the doorway was the cause of all this coming and chaos: freshly showered, clean and prosaic in the change of clotheshe’d brought with him from the B and B. He’d also put on the sweater Gideon had offered him. It was a little big for him, but he’d rolled up the sleeves and the grey-green matched his eyes. He looked fucking delicious. “Christ,” Gideon said helplessly. “I could just about eat you alive.”
Lee grinned. “Reckon you already did that, copper. Better give me some breakfast, or there won’t be anything left.”
It should have been awkward, but they ate companionably, toast washed down with strong tea, Isolde’s happy bustling taking the edge off their silences. Gideon reminded himself sternly, watching his guest feed the dog a well buttered crust, that he couldn’t expect such domestic scenes often. One night might have been no more than that. “I’m going to check in on Sarah Kemp this morning,” he said. “Bill Prowse too, like I said. If you’d like to see her again – and I can ask Bill too, if you want to look around his place...”
“No.” Lee looked up from scratching Isolde’s head. “I think this is in your hands now. I’m sorry I couldn’t put a face to the monster for you. Do you mind if I stay here for a couple of hours? I’ll take your dog for a walk.”
Gideon examined him. Yes, he was lovely, carrying his sexuality with an easy flair Gideon could never have managed, not if he’d been raised by the most liberal of parents. He also looked weary, ragged at the edges in the way that talk of his dreams or his visions always seemed to bring on. Gideon put out a hand. “Come here for a minute.”
He drew Lee onto his lap. It was a gesture he’d struggled to make to a child, or even the damn dog. To offer it to an adult – no, he and James had both been too chained up for that. But Lee whispered his name, transforming the moment to solid grown-up gold by straddling him, taking him hard into his arms. “I can’t believe you thought this might have been only for one night.”
“Stop that, you freak,” Gideon chuckled. “I don’t want you pulling thoughts out of my head.”
“Not unless they’re clever ones, eh?”
“Yes. You can grab hold of those. I don’t even think I want you trying to put faces to monsters, not if it hurts you so much – gives you such bad dreams.”
“It’s how I work.” Lee rubbed his brow against Gideon’s. “And... it wasn’t so bad with you near me, somehow. It’s like you’re granite I can anchor into. Try and remember – windows, and blue and green roses, and the garden. I don’t know what it all means, but – ”
A rap at the back door paralysed them both. Gideon’s heart lurched, but he disentangled slowly. He was changing: would probably have catapulted poor James halfway across the room. He and Lee were barely on their feet when Mrs Trask, his parents’ housekeeper, let herself in. She stood in the doorway, the key still in her hand. She raked Lee over with her gaze. “I’m here for the laundry, Constable Frayne.”
It sounded like a declaration of war. It would take a lot to get under Gideon’s skin this morning, though, and he only smiled. “Why don’t you skip it today? The pastor’s room doesn’t need doing, and mine can wait.”
“I always take Pastor Frayne’s laundry on Friday. Yours too.”
She was an unpleasant old girl, wasn’t she, her faith soured long ago to obsessive worship of her minister. Why had this never occurred to Gideon before? He didn’t have to like her. He certainly didn’t have to worry about what she thought. There was nothing for it. He leaned his backside against the cupboard and folded his arms. “Fact is, Mrs Trask, I’ve just spent the night with my friend here. And there are some mornings when a man should launder his own sheets. Don’t you agree?”
“GideonFrayne!Your father would turn in his...” She seemed to remember at the last second that Pastor Frayne wasn’t dead. Pausing only to shoot Lee one last toxic glance, she turned on her heel and slammed out.
Lee watched her go. Then he turned to Gideon, his face a mask of astonishment. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Fuck! Nor can I!” Instantly Gideon was struck by the fear that he’d rebounded too far, compromised Lee’s privacy in his new desire for freedom. “Did you mind?” he asked anxiously. “I should have checked with you, before I – ”
Lee strode across the room and silenced him with a kiss. “You’d better get out of here,” he said, after a shuddering, impassioned halfminute, “before I show you how much I minded that.”
“I was just afraid...”
“Well, you don’t do things by halves, do you? What next – down the high street in a carnival float?”
“I don’t think so,” Gideon said, with enough doubt in his voice to make Lee laugh. “I could maybe tie a ribbon on the Rover.”
“Look, if I wasn’t out anyway, I’d be proud to be outed by a man like you. Seriously, go. I’ll wash up the dishes and stuff. You come home at lunchtime, don’t you?”
“Yes, about one.”
“Okay. I’ll be here, if that’s all right with you. I’ll see you then.”
Chapter Eight
Sarah Kemp’s living room was a bright island on a morning like this. She welcomed Gideon in from the rain. Something had spurred her to make an effort – the room was tidy, lamps lit, Halloween decorations strung everywhere. “Oh, hello, Gideon.” She followed his gaze. “Not me, I’m afraid. Joe did all this for the kids – Jenny and Shaun love Halloween. So did Lorna, for that matter. He wanted to make it nice for them, in spite of...”
She tailed off, and Gideon watched her realising that she’d referred to her daughter in the past tense. Gideon’s walk here today had been less painful. His mind had been crowded with new thoughts, his body aching warmly with the imprint of strong hands.It all came crashing back in on him now. God, yes, the power of the psychic –I really think she’s still alive.No wonder Lee kept his mouth shut around the relatives. “Sit down,” he said gently, taking Sarah by the arm. He pulled a tissue from a near-empty box on the table and handed it to her. “There you go.”
“Thanks. Joe’s just in the back making tea. Joe!” she called through the half-open door to the kitchen. “Fix one for Gideon, would you?” She blew her nose. “He’s been a bloody angel, that man. I... wasn’t sure we’d see you today.”
“Why not?”
“Well, I went off on one with you a bit yesterday, didn’t I? I wanted to apologise.”
