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DO YOU REMEMBER Nigel and the barmaid in the local pub? The ones I’d gotten inebriated with me? Yes? Well, I was back there again, this time with Trin who had flat out threatened me that if I didn’t meet her there, she would never speak to me again.
Nigel was chatting up the barmaid or attempting to but she didn’t really look that interested by the way she chewed her gum and flicked through a magazine all while eyeing Trin and me like she wanted to listen in.
Even I’d take chatting Nigel up over the one-sided glaring competition Trin was having with me.
“Did you like the steak?” I mumbled, finishing off my chips. I vaguely remembered having cheese and chips before and stifled a smile.
“I want honesty,” Trin said like she was close to tears. “Are you sleeping with her?”
I rolled my eyes. “Who?”
“You know full well who.” Trin threw her steak knife down . . . thankfully. “The woman you could barely touch without shaking.”
“Ever thought I was trying to deal with my anger?” I did match her glare this time. “If I’d known how terrible you two would have been as partners, I’d have called Derek and told him to retire early.”
“I’m sorry our conduct is not what you’d expect.” Trin sucked in her chin. I hadn’t warranted the makeup, heels, skirt combination tonight from her. No, she had on jeans and a baggy t-shirt which usually meant I was in the dog house. I didn’t really know why, because she looked lovely in jeans.
“Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is when I have to dress down my own fiancé and the woman I taught?” I was going for offense being the best defence because otherwise I’d linger on the fact that Wood, tactless or not, was more than likely right . . . and I’d concealed a possible murder weapon.
“Honey, do have any idea how embarrassing it is for me to watch my own fiancé drool over another woman?” Trin cleared her throat and held up her hand.
“Says you who had Ruth, of all people, take you to family get togethers.” I sat back and folded my arms.
“I said I was sorry for that.” She tucked her brown hair behind her ears.
“But I don’t believe you aren’t cheating on me.” I chewed on my lip. It felt like a mess between us. It had been a mess before I got to the manor. “You are cheating on me.”
“I . . . was.” Trin let out a shuddery sigh. “Before you got hurt. It wasn’t with Ruth. I stopped it when I had the crash.”
I leaned on my left fist and played with the scar on my forehead. For some reason, the metal soothed the smooth ridge of the scar. “Who was it with?”
“My ex. We met up again on a night out. She wanted me back and you were . . .” Trin’s lip wobbled. “I felt like I was dating your answering machine.”
“You were.” Oddly, I wasn’t as angry over her ex-girlfriend. She’d left her for me years ago so it was like payback. “And yet you have the cheek to get mad at me when I haven’t had an affair.”
And I know what you’re thinking, “Morgan, you’re pushing it there. You have been drooling over Sophie Haye,” but even though I did have feelings for her, I hadn’t acted on them . . . and I’d challenge anyone to stare up into her charcoal eyes and not have a wobble.
“Yes, because she is a killer.” Trin slapped her hands to her face, exasperation in her eyes. “You tell me, you don’t think she killed anyone. Right now. You look me square in the eyes and tell me that you don’t want her and you don’t think she is capable of murdering someone.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. She was working me. I studied her and she flinched. Yeah. The dinner wasn’t about fixing things or even fighting to keep me. No, I’d even go as far as saying she was recording everything.
Right. Oh, I’d have her.
“You know, when you were taking Ruth, your superior officer, to family get togethers, I bet your mother must have thought how suspicious that was. I mean . . .” I held my tone as neutral, police-like. If she was recording anything, she’d have to disclose the whole conversation. “Imagine the disciplinary if you had been together and you were targeting a woman you thought I was sleeping with.” I laughed, knowing I sounded exactly like Sophie. “Imagine the implications to a high-profile murder case if two of its officers, including the SIO, were found to have been unprofessional?”
“Well we’re not, so it’s fine,” Trin muttered but she wasn’t as good at breaking suspects.
“I dunno. I mean. As Sophie’s legal representative, using me to get information on her wouldn’t be looked at favourably in any court.” I flexed my prosthesis and there it was, she flinched. Yeah. She didn’t fancy me. She could barely stand me.
“I’m not using you,” Trin blurted, emotional, confusion in her eyes. “Why are you saying all this?”
“Because . . .” I grabbed her and yanked her t-shirt collar to the side. And there was the microphone. “Directed surveillance needs to take into account collateral intrusion. Let’s hope you’re better with that law than you are with the others.”
Trin shut her eyes.
“Anything else you have to say to me will be through a lawyer.” I let go of her collar, half wanting to throw my remaining water over her to fry the microphone. “Best you left.”
Tears fell down her cheeks. She mouthed “I didn’t want to,” then left.
“Morgan,” Nigel chimed, strolling over. His paper, on the racing pages, was tucked up under his arm as he wiped over his receding hair. “You need another stiff drink or two, huh?”
“I’ll stick to water, thanks,” I managed, trying to steady my voice.
“Never.” Nigel chuckled and dragged me by the hand to the bar. “Was that the gorgeous woman who you go home to?”
I smiled at the barmaid who poured a stout. “No, I . . .” Hadn’t he asked for my phone number before? “My boyfriend isn’t bad looking either though.”
Nigel sighed to the barmaid who rolled her eyes. “Knew she must have been taken.” He held up his paper. “I will happily fight him for you.”
The barmaid handed over my stout and had drawn a heart in the foam. “Shame you go for men.”
I blurted out a laugh, an over emotional one and took the stout. What a day.