Page 50 of Deep Blue Sea

‘I need help,’ she added. ‘Help to find out what was going on in Julian’s life. Money is no object. Diana will pay a generous fee, plus any expenses . . .’

‘Well, it’s not as if my diary’s full.’

Rachel grinned.

‘Tell me what you know,’ he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

‘Aren’t you going to ask how much I’m paying you?’

‘It’ll be more than my pub shifts, believe me.’

She ran her finger down the foil of her chocolate bar and began to tell him about the past forty-eight hours, finishing her story at around the same time as he had drained his Scotch.

‘So you’ve not got much then,’ he said flatly.

She frowned. ‘I thought the woman in Washington was interesting.’

‘Most likely a hooker. Especially if he wasn’t getting much sex at home. A leopard doesn’t change his spots and all that.’

‘Even if it was a hooker, it would show there were cracks in the marriage.’

Ross scoffed. ‘Men like Julian don’t have affairs because there’s something wrong with their marriages. They have sex with other women because they can.’

There was a few seconds’ silence as Ross seemed to turn things over in his mind.

‘So what do you think, Rach? Your instincts were always pretty sound.’

‘I think he was weak, for a start. He had an eye for the ladies. Plus I think that the CEO role at Denver Group was a big, stressful job and maybe he just buckled under the pressure. He’d been groomed all his life for it – what if he couldn’t handle it?’

‘I’m no rich guy, but I’ve spent enough time following them around and I’ve never seen much mental weakness. They all think they’re God’s gift.’

‘He did suffer from depression when he was at university,’ said Rachel.

‘Twenty-odd years ago?’ Ross pulled a face. ‘No disrespect to your sister, but that sounds like someone trying to find a convenient reason, not the real one.’

Rachel looked at her friend, heard the passion in his voice. There was more colour in his face, and his hands were moving around excitedly. It was as if he was coming alive before her eyes.

‘So what is the real one?’ she asked.

‘That their marriage was horrible? Maybe she was screwing around on him?’

‘Ross!’

‘If you’re going to do this properly, you need to examine all the possibilities, not just the ones that you feel comfortable with. It’s the only way to get to the truth. Then all you have to work out is what to tell your sister.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Diana wants resolution, not the truth,’ said Ross plainly. ‘Don’t put her through any more pain.’

‘I think you’ve missed this,’ she said finally.

‘No, I’ve missed you, Rachel Miller. Even if you do drive me round the bend.’

‘I’ve missed you too, you old goat.’

‘What do the family think?’

‘I haven’t talked to them yet, but Diana seems to think they are blaming the depression. She doesn’t really believe it, but secretly I think that’s the answer she wants to hear.’