Chapter 19
‘I don’t want to go back to the city; I love it here.’ As I say the words, I put the overnight bag Gregory packed for me into the back of the Lamborghini.
Gregory runs his hands from my shoulders down my arms and plants a kiss on the tip of my nose. ‘Work is in the city, baby.’
‘I know. I just like our farm bubble. I could actually convince myself that the case isn’t hanging over us here, that life is normal.’
‘Normal isn’t something you’re ever going to get from me, Scarlett.’
That’s becoming very clear.
He presses his lips against mine, leaving my mind to wander as they linger.
Reluctantly, I peel myself away from him and sit in the front seat.
He burns through the rush-hour traffic, weaving, speeding, generally driving like a man on the edge.
At the Shard, we both quickly change into suits and switch to the black DB9, which Gregory feels is more businesslike than the yellow Lamborghini. Probably true.
He drops me at work after waiting impatiently for me to pick up a bouquet of flowers on the way in.
He shakes his head as I hand Paul the spare bagel Amy wrapped up for me, then he heads off to a meeting in Brighton, south of the city.
As I watch Gregory swerve away from the pavement into oncoming traffic, thoughts of Dubai and the imminent CPS decision hit me with the force of an express train.
I dump my coat and take a big swig of latte, then set my laptop and screens to life and take the flowers I bought in the direction of Amanda’s office.
I get two pencil-skirt-restricted steps into the corridor before being met by an incoming Amanda.
She looks pale and not her usual vibrant self, which I put down to her choice of black dress.
Her usually flowing, auburn hair is pinned back from her face into a messy knot at the back of her head.
‘These are for you,’ we both say in unison, me holding up the bunch of white roses and lilies as she holds up a bag decorated in peanut M that’s a good thing, right?’
‘The KC thinks so. The police questioned Lara and Sandy so they’re obviously considering the strength of Gregory’s motive versus self-defence.’
‘But it was self-defence, right?’
I shoot her a warning stare. She’s still questioning Gregory’s motives. ‘Amanda.’
‘No, I know, I—’
‘Let’s leave that there, okay?’
‘Well, they obviously don’t consider him a threat to society. Otherwise they’d hold him.’
‘True. Hopefully, it’s all a good sign.’ But there’s a tightness in my chest and an increasingly heavy ache at the base of my skull.
‘Scarlett?’
I rub my breastbone. ‘Hmm, sorry, what was the question?’
‘Dubai.’
I exhale slowly, exasperated, and rub my aching temple. ‘I’ve decided not to go but I haven’t told Neil yet.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, really. Don’t look at me like that and please don’t say whatever it is that you’re thinking.’
She pulls an invisible zip across her pursed lips. ‘Neil isn’t going to take that well.’
‘Not at all. And he really hasn’t pushed me for a decision even though the proposal has to be with the client by Friday.’
‘Because he thinks you’ll go.’
I nod. ‘Precedent says I never refuse, so I guess he’s assumed I’ll drop everything for work, like I always do. Right, enough about me; did you and Williams spend the night together on Saturday?’
‘Yes. No. He stayed over at my apartment and we shared the same bed but we didn’t sleep together.’ She slips a red peanut M she deserves to have something else, someone to love her in a romantic way.’
‘How are you coping with that? Your dad, I mean. Everything else has kind of taken over, hasn’t it? But it’s still so close.’
‘Honestly, I don’t know how I feel. Everything that’s happened lately is just a massive blur.’ I killed a man and whilst saving another’s life, I don’t know how much of me killed to avenge my father’s murder.
My fate could be decided any moment now. I glance at my phone but there are no calls or messages showing on the screen.
‘I know that I miss him,’ I sigh. ‘I miss him like mad.’
Amanda darts forward in her seat and presses a hand against her chest. ‘Oh, crikey, I feel so sick.’
‘Where’s your stamina?’ I laugh. ‘At uni, you could’ve done 500 grams before you felt sick.’
She retches then and puts her other hand over her mouth.
‘Shit, you’re not playing.’ I grab the bin from under my desk and push it in front of her just before she vomits.
I pull two tissues from the box on my desk and hand them to her. She wipes her mouth and her brow, then slumps back in her chair.
‘Are you okay? Do you want me to get you some water?’
‘No, I’m fine.’ She sips her coffee. ‘I feel better now. It just came over me so quickly. This stupid bug. I’ve thrown up every day for a week. I just can’t shake it.’
‘Amanda, if you’ve been sick for seven days, you need to see a doctor. Do you have a temperature? Let me feel.’ I move to her and place the back of my hand on her forehead the way my dad used to do to me. ‘You actually feel okay.’
‘I know. It’s not constant. It comes and goes. I’ve tried taking something to settle my stomach but nothing works.’
‘Erm, I hope you don’t mind me asking but is it, erm—’
‘Coming out of the other end?’
I laugh a little. ‘Sorry, it’s not funny; you’re just so blunt. Is it?’
‘No. No diarrhoea.’ She laughs too and pops an M you know I am.’ She slumps back down in her seat and rubs her chin with the tips of her fingers. ‘I missed one or two pills but I took them the next day; I doubled up. That’s fine, right?’
‘I’m sure it is. Calm down. Let’s go to the pharmacy after work. You can come back to the Shard and take a test.’
She nods her head quickly. ‘Gregory won’t be there, will he?’
‘We’ll go at five thirty on the dot. He’ll still be working.’