Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
The message from Lily was odd. Flynn contemplated calling to ask why exactly she was inviting him to a party at the local window cleaner’s house, then decided not to bother. There’d be some convoluted reason, he was sure. Better just to go along with it.
He arrived at the address she sent and was subjected to some good-natured banter about the arrival of the police officer at the party.
It was almost an hour before he got Lily alone. Wedged together on a small bench at the corner of the garden, he took a swig of his beer and spoke quietly.
“Why exactly are we at a party with a bunch of old men?”
“Long story,” she whispered. “But essentially because Len cleans my windows, and it felt rude to decline the invitation.”
“Keep talking,” he said, amused. “That’s definitely not the real reason. I know you, remember?”
She made some attempt at looking innocent, then huffed in defeat. “Fine. I thought maybe Len was the person committing the thefts.”
“Len Marrack? The window cleaner?”
“Yes. Think about it. He knows everyone’s routines and everyone’s security measures. Or lack of security measures. People trust him.”
“That’s all you’re basing your theory on?”
“No. I heard him on the phone talking about transporting goods to the mainland. He sounded agitated. Also, he cleans Hilary Phillips’s windows.”
“How on earth did you come by that information?” A trickle of discomfort stirred in his stomach. Not that he was surprised at her looking into the thefts. Usually, she wasn’t secretive about her investigations, though. “Have you been looking into this?”
“Not exactly. Hilary came to me and asked if I was investigating. I think she assumed I would be. So she gave me her account of the burglary, and it came up that Len Marrack cleans their windows.”
“That just came into the conversation?”
“Why are you nitpicking? Do you want a blow-by-blow account of the conversation with everything word for word?”
He rolled his eyes, happy that she at least seemed to have her usual spark back. “So you got suspicious about Len and came over here to suss him out?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose I’m supposed to say I need the loo, then rummage around for evidence.”
“No. The toilet’s upstairs, and I already looked there. You need to check the downstairs.”
He laughed lightly. “I can’t do that. Also, your theory is pretty flimsy.
The fact that people trust him might make it easy for him to commit crimes, but don’t you think it also means he’s the type of person who wouldn’t rob people blind?
He’s been working for these people for years.
Why would he suddenly start stealing from them? ”
“I don’t know.” She gave a dramatic shrug.
“He was complaining about some people not properly compensating him for his work and expecting him to work for cheap. Also, he’s getting on a bit.
He mentioned having arthritis in his hands.
Maybe he’s thinking of retirement and now seems like the perfect time to top up his pension. ”
“I can’t snoop around his house.”
“You don’t really need to. Just think of an excuse and ask if you can go inside. I want to see how he reacts to having a police officer in his home.”
He really should have argued, but he hardly hesitated at all before heading for the patio table and scooping up salsa with a tortilla chip. Tilting his hand at the last minute sent salsa dripping down his hand.
“Got any napkins, Len?” he said, shoving the tortilla in his mouth and raising his sticky palm to their host. “Don’t get up. Just point me in the right direction.”
“I’m not that posh,” Len called over the noise of his friends chatting loudly. “I doubt you’ll find napkins, but there’ll be kitchen roll. Kitchen’s at the front.”
He wandered inside, thinking that Len didn’t seem like someone who had something to hide.
In the kitchen he washed his hands, then dried them on his jeans and stood looking around the messy kitchen. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, so his reaction to Lily creeping up behind him and digging her fingers in either side of his waist was slightly dramatic.
“Why are you so jumpy?” she asked as he turned. “Up to no good?”
“You get me into some really dubious situations, you know?”
“Yeah, but I keep life interesting.”
“Can’t argue with that,” he said, circling his arms around her and pulling her close.
Forgetting the search, he kissed her eagerly. “Can we leave soon?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Her eyes darted around the room. “If Len’s hiding something, he clearly isn’t concerned about us finding it. So it’s not in a place we’d just stumble over it.”
“I think you’re wrong about Len,” he whispered. “He seems like a decent guy. And it definitely doesn’t appear he has anything to hide.”
“Or he’s hidden it well.”
“Let’s just go home,” he said.
He kissed her again, and that was all the convincing she needed.
“Yes,” she agreed. “Let’s go.”
Sadly, it wasn’t that easy to get away. Len insisted they stay and drink shots, which Flynn wriggled out of due to being on call, but Lily had no such excuse and got swept up in knocking back ouzo with the group of men.
They got dragged into card games after that, and since it was all actually pretty entertaining, they ended up staying for another hour.
Finally, it was Len who got everyone moving.
“Kicking out time, I’m afraid,” he said at half ten. “It’s past my bedtime. Us old people can’t stay up into the early hours. Off you go, the lot of you.”
He waved away offers to help tidy up, and Flynn was amused by Lily’s alcohol-fuelled smile by the time the two of them ambled away down the road.
“Do you want to stay at my place?” he asked hopefully.
“I prefer my place,” she said, bumping against him.
“I don’t have my uniform at your place,” he pointed out. “So either we need to go to mine and get it, then go to yours. Or we just go to mine.”
“I get the impression you’re hinting it will be easier just to go to yours.”
“My bed is also comfier than yours.”
“True,” she agreed. “But your place doesn’t have ice cream.”
“Funnily enough, it’s not something I keep in stock these days.”
“Strange, that. Are you on some kind of health kick?”
He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer. “Are you drunk?”
“Tipsy,” she said.
“Let’s swing by the pub.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to drink any more.”
“Not to drink. I just want to check it’s all quiet down there.
With Sergeant Proctor under the weather, and PC Hill away, there’ll be no one doing the usual patrol down there.
I don’t want to get settled at home and then get called out to a bar brawl.
” This time when he got Lily alone, he didn’t want any interruptions.
“How many bar brawls have you seen while you’ve been here?”
“I believe there’ve been two calls to the pub, but PC Hill went to deal with it both times and it was all sorted by the time he arrived on the scene.”
“Not very likely then.”
“When I absolutely don’t want to get a call, you can guarantee that’ll be the time I do. Like the other night.”
“Pub it is then, if you insist.”
“Just to clarify, you’re not drinking any more alcohol.”
“Really? Since when are you the boss of me?”
“Since I don’t want you passing out on me when I get you home.”
A smile curled her lips. “Fair call. I won’t drink any more.”
Instead, they sat at the bar with glasses of water, chatting with Seren and Noah while they cleaned up the pub.
Once Flynn was satisfied there wouldn’t be any trouble, they wandered back outside, and he followed Lily’s lead when she turned the corner to the harbour.
When she stopped to watch the moonlight dance on the gentle waves, he slipped his arms around her waist, and she leaned contentedly with her back propped against his chest.
A surge of sentimentality hit him. “I’m going to miss the quiet,” he said against her hair. “It’s so peaceful here.”
She let out a hum of acknowledgement, but said nothing.
“I was thinking about what we’ll do when I’m back in London,” he said, eyes fixed on the hypnotic twinkle of moonlight on waves.
She tensed in his arms. “Don’t talk about that now.”
“We should make a plan, though, for when we’ll see each other next. I’ll need some time to settle back into my routines, so I thought you could visit me first…”
“Flynn,” she sighed. “You’re ruining the moment.”
“I just think it’ll be easier if we have a solid plan.”
“Maybe. But let’s talk about it nearer the time.”
“There isn’t that much time…” His words trailed off when she turned and kissed him.
“Let’s go home,” she said, taking his hand and leading the way.
He bit his tongue to stop himself from pushing the conversation. Obviously, now wasn’t the time to discuss it.
It was after midnight when he closed the door to his flat behind them and caught her mouth in a kiss that was needy and insistent.
They made it to the bedroom without their lips parting, but she broke the intensity of the moment by giggling as soon as he had her on her back.
“I’m not sure what you find funny,” he said, smiling down at her. “This is a serious moment.”
“I know, but I keep thinking your phone is going to ring.”
“The entire island is asleep in bed. No one is out getting up to no good now. Which means we’re safe to get up to no good in my bed.”
“Okay then. Carry on.”
He didn’t even kiss her again before his phone erupted with its obnoxiously loud ringtone.
“What did you do?” he complained, jumping off her.
She laughed. “What do you mean, what did I do?”
“You jinxed it! Why did you have to mention the phone?”
“I’m not sure you have any grounds to blame me here.”
He glared at her before swiping a finger over his phone screen. “PC Flynn Grainger,” he stated in his police officer voice.