Lucy frowned at him. ‘No, of course not here. On duty in Kingston upon Thames. When was it, exactly, Erin?’
I waved my arm in the air. ‘A couple of weeks or so ago. Look. Here’s the scar. You can hardly see it.’ I pulled up the hem of my blouse and pushed down the waistband of my skirt so that they could both see the small line on my right side. ‘You can hardly see it. You see. So there’s nothing to worry about.’
Seeing the small scar made Lucy less worried. I think she was expecting to see a large, red wound or something. But it was Sam who seemed concerned now.
‘You were lucky this time, Erin. Do you really want to risk this happening again? Is your job worth that?’
‘Someone has to do it,’ I said. ‘But I don’t know. I think if I felt I was truly making a difference, then yes. It would be worth it. But the police get such a bad deal and all the politics and everything have taken a lot of the shine off the job for me. I wanted to climb the career ladder when I joined up. Now all I want to do is get through the day and go home. I’ve taken this time off to think about my future.’
‘If there’s anything we can do to help, we’re here,’ Sam said. ‘You know that, don’t you?’
‘I do.’ I smiled at him and I squeezed Lucy’s hand. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Lucy. But I needed time to think. And I still do. Can we put this conversation to one side for now and pretend it didn’t happen? We’ll talk about it during these two weeks, I promise.’
‘Fine,’ she said, looking anything but happy about it. ‘But promise me you won’t keep secrets from me in future.’
‘Cross my heart,’ I said. ‘Now. May I have one more cocktail, please, and then I’ll drink lots of water.’
‘Okay. But I’m coming back to Far Cottage with you after dinner and I’m staying the night. Don’t argue. It’s happening. Take it or leave it.’
I thought Sam might try to dissuade her. Instead he nodded in agreement.
‘I think that’s a good idea. You two have some serious catching up to do.’
I thought dinner would be a sombre affair after all that, but it wasn’t.
In addition to the meal I had, being one of the best Chicken Tikka Masalas I’d ever tasted, the staff at the restaurant were friendly and their smiles were far more genuine than those of the staff at Freddie’s Fish and Chips.
Lucy, Sam, and I had a really good evening, and as I drank nothing but water with my meal, I had sobered up considerably by the time we left the restaurant.
We even got to witness the remnants of what must have been a glorious sunset. The sky was awash with streaks of purple, red, pink, and gold, and the cobalt sea shimmered in the dying glow of the sun, which was little more than a sliver on the West of the horizon as we strolled along the promenade.
Sam had booked a taxi and insisted on coming with us to ensure we got back safely. He even walked us to the door of Far Cottage, just in case, so I said that he should join us.
‘Not in a weird threesome or anything,’ I said, laughing, ‘so don’t get any ideas. But I feel as if we’re good friends too, now, Sam and let’s face it. Lucy’s probably told you all my secrets anyway.’
‘I have,’ she said. ‘That’s true.’
‘Don’t you need some girl time?’
‘Ooh,’ I said. ‘Get you. Not only handsome and kind but also thoughtful and considerate. Okay, Lucy. You can keep him.’
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘I thought I might.’
‘It’s your choice,’ I told him. ‘You can either come in with us, spend half the night talking, most of which will be Lucy lecturing me, and then spend the rest of the night in bed with your girlfriend. Or you can go home alone in the taxi.’
‘I know which one I’d prefer,’ Lucy said.
‘Well,’ he replied, running a hand through his hair. ‘When you put it like that there really isn’t an option, is there? Bye, Lucy. See you tomorrow. No! I was joking. If you genuinely don’t mind me joining you, I’d love to be part of this conversation. I can give you a man’s point of view. Which you’re free to ignore, obviously. But honestly, if you’d rather it was just the two of you, I won’t be offended.’
Lucy and I exchanged glances. ‘We want you to stay.’
‘Partly,’ Lucy added, linking her arm through his, ‘because although you showed me how to work that space-age coffee machine in the kitchen, when I stayed here, I’m not sure I remember. And I know for a fact that Erin won’t have a clue.’
‘Hey!’ I said. ‘Detective here. But you’re right. Coffee machines and I have never been the best of friends. That settles it, Sam. You’re staying.’
