Page 83 of Her Lips Are Sealed

Morgan sat down next to her, leaning back against the kitchen cupboard, relieved. It was as if a week of tension left her body. They’d done it. Sian, who was small but strong, dragged Jaxon into the hall, quickly handcuffing him to the radiator.

‘Yeah, your tea isn’t the best though,’ Morgan replied.

Wendy smiled and shuffled next to her. They sat next to each other, shoulder to shoulder for a few minutes until Wendy coughed, reached out for a mug that had cold tea inside of it, took a couple of gulps then turned to Morgan, who asked, ‘Are you good?’

Wendy nodded. ‘Yeah, I’m good, but what the hell, Morgan? I thought he was too good to be true. My nan was right, when something is too good to be true it normally is, she always used to say that.’

Morgan looked at her through eyes blurry from the tears streaming down her face from the close proximity to the CS gas that had blinded Jaxon, who was still howling and protesting loudly in the hall. She knew not to rub her eyes so was blinking continuously.

‘Good job I have a double chin and a fat neck. The slimy bastard couldn’t grip it properly.’

Sian had walked in to check on them both and she snorted with laughter. ‘You’re funny, I like you.’

Morgan was laughing too. ‘Thank God for double chins. Wendy, meet Sian, I think you two will like each other. We all seem to have the same sense of humour.’

‘Thank you, Sian, I needed a new front door. That old wooden one was draughty as hell and thank you for the window, Morgan. I guess I can finally justify getting the double glazing I’d been putting off.’

All three of them were giggling when Ben, Lucy, Josh and Cain ran inside looking confused.

‘What’s so funny?’ Ben asked.

‘Life in general,’ Wendy replied.

‘And the fact that she’s still alive because of her double chin,’ added Sian.

Ben stared at Sian. ‘Who are you?’

‘It’s my first week out on my own, I’m Sian Cooper.’

Ben groaned. ‘Oh my God, this is like déjà vu.’

‘Is everyone okay though?’ Lucy asked.

Morgan gave her a thumbs-up, Wendy did the same and Sian nodded.

‘I think I’m going to like working with you guys, you’re all a little bit mad, my kind of people.’ Sian was smiling at them all. ‘Oh, crap I forgot the dead woman next door, I better get back. Nice meeting you all.’ And she turned and left them all.

‘I think she’s got huge potential,’ Morgan said.

‘Huge potential to be a pain in the backside,’ said Cain. ‘Right then, I’m going to book our guy Jaxon in. Does he need to go to the hospital about his eyes?’

Lucy shook her head. ‘No, he’s too much of a flight risk. Get him to custody and get the nurse to come bathe them, and if he still needs to go, we’ll reassess him. Is the body next door anything to do with him?’

Morgan looked up. ‘No, poor woman died of natural causes. Did you think so too, Wendy?’

Wendy nodded. ‘Yes, looks like she had a stroke the way she’s slumped in her chair. What was he doing in this street? Why was he here?’

‘Good question, sorry to break this to you, Wendy, but he’d either pegged you as a potential victim or he may have been visiting someone else.’

‘He said he lived a few doors down and was a vet.’

‘Bollocks,’ Cain said. ‘He’s a veterinary nurse and a good liar too, it rolls off his tongue.’

‘Yes, he’s also very charming with it. He was so lovely, and even though I knew not to let a stranger into my home, I did anyway because he was so good-looking and friendly.’

‘No wonder Ash, Rachel and Lisa let him in.’ Morgan stood up. ‘Wendy, you should let the paramedics check you out.’

Ben laughed. ‘Yes, you should, but not sure she’s the right one to take advice off after her little drama earlier.’