“I know. I’m more interested in them finding out who set that bloody fire so I can sleep again.”
Char chews her lip, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“What do you know?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing, it’s just speculation right now.”
“That sounds like something Dom would say.” I point a finger at her face. “I know that look. You know something.”
Char rolls her eyes. “The police have a lead and it’s honestly so stupid.”
“Who?” My throat closes over, and sweat breaks out on the back of my neck. I’m expecting Char to sayhisname. The name that won’t leave my head. The worst possible outcome of all of this, because how could he do that to me?
“Paulie Hardcastle,” Char drawls, shaking her head.
Air rushes out of my lungs, catching as I clutch a hand to my mouth, and Char’s eyes widen with alarm.
“Oh my god, Mia!” She puts an arm around my shoulders. “Babes, what’s the matter?”
“I-I don’t know.” I lean into her, shaky and nauseous. “I thought you were going to say Archie.”
Char falls silent, and I know instantly that she’s had the same thought. But it can’t have been. Hardcastle makes sense. He’s anutter, he’s obsessed with me, and he’s happy to do anything for a story.
Even kill you? Are you sure?
I clench my eyes shut. Because that has to have been how it was. It just has to be.
31
DOMINIC
The sky is startingto dim by the time the lads wrap up their training session, leaving the field drenched in sweat and laughing. The kit boys start packing everything up, and I saunter towards a forgotten ball near one of the goals. I nudge it back and forth with my feet, before punting it hard and firing it straight into the net.
“Nice one,” a voice says behind me, and I turn to face Adedayo. “Haven’t lost your touch.”
“I’m old, not dead.” I chuckle. “And some things you just don’t forget.”
“No, I suppose not.” Adedayo casts a quick glance over his shoulder. “I wanted to discuss something with you, Mr Graves.”
“Please, call me Dominic, we’ve been over this.”
Adedayo smiles and nods, but he’s wringing his hands, his stance tense.
“Of course.” He takes a deep breath. “I wanted to tell you, so you’d hear it from me first, and not from the police. I know this whole situation is a sensitive matter, but I like you and I like Mia, and I couldn’t let it go.”
I frown at him. “What are you talking about?”
He squares his shoulders and looks me right in the face. “When Archie came here the other night, and confronted you, he smelled of petrol. I thought it was just alcohol first, but then his car was in the parking lot, and I went to check if he’d left his keys in it. Since he was so drunk, I expected it. It was unlocked.” Adedayo swallows hard, his throat bobbing. “The car stank of petrol as well. It… had obviously been in the car in a large quantity, and quite recently.”
My legs feel weak. I’d suspected. Of course I had. I wasn’t an idiot. Archie was raging, drunk out of his mind, and filled with hate. It had crossed my mind more than once over the past few days that it could have been him.
But hearing it said out loud is a whole other matter.
Adedayo lowers his gaze, as though respecting my obvious distress. “I’m very sorry, Dominic. I cannot imagine how hard this must be for you. And I’m sorry I did not tell you first.”
“No, no, you did the right thing.” I gaze up at the darkening sky, my breath puffing out in a bright cloud of steam. “You had to tell the police, of course.”
“I don’t know what they will do now,” Adedayo says softly. “I don’t even know where Archie is. He won’t answer anyone’s calls.”
