Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
Ben had gone outside to get some air and was currently leaning against a side wall around the corner from the entrance to the mortuary doing some deep breathing.
In through his nose and out through his mouth.
He needed to try and calm his nervous system down a bit.
He couldn’t cope with Declan’s humour when he was so tired, and the inside of his head was aching with the tension of everything that had happened today.
‘Hey, are you okay?’
He turned to see Amber walking towards him and swore under his breath. She was all he needed right at this moment.
‘Good, thanks. You?’
She shrugged. ‘You don’t look good, you look exhausted. No, sorry I didn’t mean that to sound so bad. You do look good, I mean you always look good. I just meant you look tired. It’s been a rough day.’
He straightened up, cheeks burning a little, was she being extra nice to him or was she after something?
‘I look and feel like crap.’
She reached out and touched his jaw with her fingertips, gently stroking the bruise that ran along it.
‘Ouch, that looks painful. Do you want me to get you some ice or something, it’s quite swollen.’
‘No, I’m good.’ He jerked his face away from her fingers. ‘What are you still doing here? We’ve been in the post-mortem for a couple of hours, I thought you would have gone back to the station by now.’
‘Tori has been released now and gone home with her dad. I thought I’d come and update you in case you went looking for her.’
‘She has? That’s good, the poor kid, what an awful time she’s having.’
‘Yeah, I don’t envy her one little bit.’
Amber’s perfume was potent and it filled his nostrils.
He realised she was standing a little too close for his liking, and he wondered if she was flirting with him, or was he being delusional?
He wasn’t very good at reading signs, but he hoped to God that she wasn’t because he was not interested in her at all.
‘I was thinking, and forgive me if this is a little bit too forward, but you know you don’t get if you don’t ask.’
He stepped away from her, straightening his spine to make him look taller than her, trying to look a little bit off-putting; he was terrified of what was about to come out of her mouth.
‘About what?’
‘About how you can’t do this on your own. There aren’t enough of you to run with two murders and two missing people. I could help, I helped before and I think I’d be an asset to the team.’
Ben almost said, Thank God out loud, but managed not to.
‘Oh, I’d have to ask the boss and see what he says.
I’ll speak to him about it. Thanks for offering.
’ He smiled at her and thought about how he’d rather shit in his hands and clap than have Amber hanging around the office again, especially if she was acting this weird and causing all sorts of friction between him and Morgan.
She was smiling at him, and it was really unsettling him.
‘Oh, yes. I forgot you’d have to run it past Marc; he’ll probably say no.
’ She pouted, and he wished he had never come out here on his own.
‘Can you not just tell him you asked me to help, then he can’t?
Please, Ben, I’ll do anything to make you happy.
’ Her fingers were gently squeezing his arm, and he felt an icy chill envelop him.
‘Hey, Ben. I need to talk to you ASAP.’ Declan appeared, and Amber snatched her hand off Ben’s arm, and his skin felt hot as if he’d been burned by her touch.
‘I’ll let you get on, but please will you think about it and let me know.’
She smiled at Declan then walked away from the pair of them. Declan didn’t speak until she was out of view.
‘Think about what?’
‘Christ, don’t tell Morgan about that.’
‘About what?’
‘I think she was flirting with me.’
Declan threw his head back and laughed loudly. ‘You’re having a day, my friend.’ He clapped Ben on the back. ‘What would Morgan do?’
‘Probably kick seven bells of crap out of her.’
‘You flatter yourself, you know that, right?’ Declan was grinning at him.
‘I do.’
Declan nodded. ‘Look, I’m sorry, I wanted to apologise about the humour before. I get a little carried away with myself; dark humour is my coping mechanism.’
Ben smiled at him. ‘I know it is and you don’t need to apologise. It’s usually mine too. I was being a little touchy. I am so fed up of this level of serious crimes that we have to deal with, and kids, well you know how hard it is, you don’t need me to remind you.’
‘I know, boy do I know. I will go home tonight and sit and brood for hours over it, and poor Theo will be wondering what he’s done, and it’s never him it’s always me. But enough of that. What are you going to do about her?’
‘Avoid her like the plague. She wants to help out with the case. I’d tell Marc we don’t need her help, but I’d be lying because we are desperately understaffed.’
‘Then tell him you need help, but just not from her. You know it wasn’t Morgan’s fault before, it was mine; I’m a bad influence on her.’
Ben smiled. ‘I know you are. You’re a bad influence on me sometimes.’
‘But you love me dearly.’
‘Yes, I do love you. You’re my best friend.’
Declan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Ben, hugging him tightly. Ben hugged him back fiercely. When Declan pulled away, he sighed.
‘If you weren’t straight.’
‘Now you’re pushing your luck, Declan.’
‘Got you, you’re not really my type, but alas I fear you are Amber’s and she is going to cause some problems if you’re not careful. My advice to you is to steer well clear and don’t get yourself in a situation where you’re alone with her until she realises what an arsehole you really are.’
Ben laughed. ‘Why me?’
Declan shrugged. ‘Why indeed? Come on, let’s go and discuss the findings like adults so you and Morgan know what you’re looking for.’
Ben didn’t argue with him and would be keeping a safe distance from Amber. He didn’t need the added stress in his life.
He would do everything he could to try and find whoever did this to Dawson, and he wouldn’t settle until they were in custody and everyone could breathe again.