We’re alive and we’re here and there are no other people I’d rather be with or any place I would rather be.
Alex looked around the quiet group gathered in the snug. Tony beside her, probably feeling as dirty as she did. Hugh studying his untouched coffee but managing frequent sips of his brandy. Lily and Doc James sat on the banquette, but Alex felt Lily hovering, barely able to hold back from the questions she wanted to ask – again.
‘Anyone else expect to be questioned again at any moment?’ Tony asked. He let Bogie nuzzle his fingers. ‘Intuition tells me Bill Lamb will come back to us, and soon. Questions and more questions. But he gave us more information than I expected.’
Hugh emptied his glass and reached for the bottle. ‘I’m the fool here. Charges will probably come my way. Fortunately, I don’t know enough to work out how many or exactly what they’ll be for. It’s easier this way.’
‘Don’t get ahead of yourself,’ Doc said. ‘None of you took bullets. That’s what counts.’
Hugh offered the open bottle around and poured for everyone. ‘True, Doc, but I’m going down as an obstructionist and a liar.’
‘You didn’t hurt anyone, and you tried to help,’ Alex said. ‘You were trying to protect other people. And you haven’t been arrested yet.’ She slapped her hands over her face.
Laughing with the others, Tony said, ‘That was a reassuring thing to say, love. Very kind.’
She took her hands from her glowing cheeks and laughed, too.
‘You’re not going down for anything,’ Lily said. ‘Don’t think about prison.’
More chuckles followed.
Tony muttered, ‘Gallows humor.’
All they had left for that were smiles.
‘They won’t let Saul out on bail, will they?’ Lily asked.
‘No,’ Doc said at once. ‘He’s never getting out. Neve Rhys won’t see daylight for a long time, either. She’s in for some surgery first and from what I’ve been told, Saul did a lot of damage to her clavicle and the shoulder is a mess.’
‘And Perry’s a mess,’ Hugh said. ‘He was almost in a coma when they found him in that farmhouse. He was quiet and getting quieter while he was here after they arrived, then I didn’t see him at all. I should have tried to find out why but I think he was being systematically drugged. I believe Neve was only keeping him alive so he could take over Birnam Bricht – in name anyway – after I took the fall for her. I don’t see how she would pull off selling, but I don’t have her mind.’
Alex thought about, but didn’t mention aloud, Hugh being engaged to marry Neve. It was unimaginable.
‘You all need food,’ Lily said. She went to the bar window and leaned through. Liz Hadley was working tonight, with curate Juste Vidal.
The hum of noise from the saloon bar was noticeably tamped down – a sign that people knew who was in the snug. How they would love to hear what was being said!
‘Neve must have given those two photographs to Sonia to make some point,’ Hugh said quietly. ‘Neve took the one of me – in another lifetime. So true that love and hate are close neighbors. I didn’t guess how close. What she did for hate …’ He picked up his glass and watched the brandy swirl slowly.
What Alex felt for him wasn’t pity, it was closer to grief for the loss of his youthful optimism.
They were avoiding talking about Annie. First, she would have to get well and nothing had been said about what charges she might face if and when that happened.
With a large plate of golden chips and serviettes in hand, Lily came back to the table. ‘Sausage rolls being heated,’ she said. ‘I’d rather not discuss Annie tonight if that’s all right.’
Alex blew her a kiss. ‘Sonia’s puzzle will have to wait, too. The poor woman has been through so much and I don’t think she intended anyone harm.’
Hugh grunted. He was making a sizeable dent in the chips.
‘I want to ask Tony and Alex to do something for me,’ Lily said. ‘Today was horrible. Worse than almost anything I can imagine.’
‘I was terrified,’ Alex said quietly, and reached for her brandy.
‘Ditto,’ was Tony’s response.
Alex turned to him. ‘I’ve never been so scared.’
‘Yes, that too.’
Lily put her elbows on the table and said, ‘So will you promise me nothing like this will happen again?’
Placing a hand firmly on top of Alex’s, Tony said, ‘Alex and I—’
Scoot tapped the door and came in. ‘You’re not answering your phones,’ he said. ‘Inspector Lamb says for you to stay here until he comes and he’ll soon be on his way from Gloucester.’
Tony turned to Alex and shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. If he was planning an announcement, it had been thwarted, at least for now.
Bill waited while Dan finished putting on his coat. ‘You on your way home now?’
‘Unless I get a better offer.’ Dan cocked his head toward the door of his office. ‘I’ll walk you out and you can fill me in on any grisly details I’ve missed. Don’t let me forget to tell you the latest on Dr Leon Wolf.’
‘Tell me now. That man gives me hives.’
‘Yeah?’ Dan said. ‘I think he’d like to give me worse than that. He’s working hard on proving I’m incompetent, while suggesting my ongoing cases might be saved with a lot of help from him. He’s scuttling back and forth to the chief constable. The walls have ears around here and the doctor doesn’t realize the old guard, and some of the not so old, stick together. I hear things.’
‘Rat,’ Bill said and when Dan raised his eyebrows in question explained, ‘I’m cleaning up my language for Radhika.’
‘Oh, well Wolf hasn’t allowed for Balls and Dan, intrepid investigators. It may take time to blow him out of the water and if we fail … we won’t fail. And we’re watching him, and listening. We have the Force on our side.’
Bill grinned. ‘Heaven help him.’ He hoped he was right. They pushed open the door to the car park. ‘I’m going to Folly to make sure there isn’t anything the Black Dog crew have forgotten to tell us.’
‘Be kind if you can,’ Dan said. He rubbed at his jaw where the old scar still irritated him, and pulled his ever-present bag of sticky sherbet lemons from a pocket. ‘Will you have one.’
‘I’ll pass, thanks. I’ve saved the best for last tonight and I’ll be giving them a shortened version of this. You know Molly confirmed that Percy Quillam was dead before he went into the water?’
‘Right,’ Dan nodded.
‘It’s now certain he died from cardiac arrest and was most probably dead when Saul Wilson got to the scene. Saul didn’t know that and still doesn’t. He will. He’s running his mouth, by the way. Can’t tell enough tales fast enough.
‘The irony is that if Percy hadn’t come along, Wilson – if he kept with the plan he and Neve Rhys hatched – would have murdered Sonia. By falling and dying on top of her, Percy saved Sonia’s life.’