Page 136 of Don't Believe A Word

With a laugh, he said, ‘You’ve been talking to Rosie.’

‘Guilty,’ she smiled. ‘It’s a lovely phrase. She’s a lovely girl, and I’m so glad for your sake that at leastsheisn’t pregnant. It’s just a pity Aiden didn’t learn the facts of life from Ludo.’

Laughing, a lot, he said, ‘I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have found that quite so funny, but it was good.’

Still smiling, she rolled over on the bed and closed her eyes. ‘If you knew what I was thinking now,’ she said, ‘you might blush.’

His voice was quieter, softer, as he said, ‘Why don’t we give it a try?’

Aware of the words gathering and warming her in all the right places, she said, ‘If we do I’ll make myself blush.’

‘Would that be so bad?’

‘No, I don’t suppose so, but with Matthew and Aiden still here … Maybe I can call you back when they’ve gone?’

‘Sure. Meantime I might send you a link to Amanjena to see if it really is somewhere you’d like to go.’

‘I know it will be, but I’d love to see it so I can start to imagine us there.’ She frowned as someone knocked on the door.

‘Mum? We’re sending out for pizza. Shall we get one for you?’

‘Sorry,’ she said to David, ‘I have to go, but please send that link. And if I don’t manage to call back tonight, let’s speak tomorrow.’

Ringing off, she went to open the door and for no reason she could name, seeing Aiden standing there looking sheepish, andtousled and all grown-up, but not, made her want to hold him closer than she had for a very long time.

‘Cool,’ he murmured as her arms went round him. ‘Clearly got to offer you a pizza more often.’

Smiling, she said, ‘Why don’t you guys pick one up on your way home? It’s been a long day and I’ve still got things to do before I go to bed.’

‘Actually, I was thinking of staying here, if that’s OK?’

‘Really? But you have school in the morning?’

‘Yeah, but I can Uber it if Dad lets me use his account.’ He met her eyes tentatively, a little playfully. ‘I missed you while you were gone and I don’t want to leave while we’re still kind of … like this.’

Loving him for that, she said, ‘Staying here for the night isn’t going to sort things out, you must know that. But of course, if you want to – this is your home as well as mine.’

‘Good to know. And my pizza’s yours if you only want your usual slice.’

It wasn’t until much later, after they’d eaten and somehow avoided the subject of his disgrace, and teased Matthew about being Papa Bear to Boo Boo, that Cristy was finally back in her room and ready to slip into bed. She lay quietly for a few minutes, already starting to drift into sleep, while wanting to call David back. Maybe she was too tired, but she could at least text, or leave a suggestive voice message with instructions for him to delete as soon as he’d heard it.

Reaching for her phone, she turned onto her side and found an email alert from him, presumably containing the link to a holiday in Marrakech. Wanting to see it, to fall asleep dreaming about it, she started to click through but suddenly came jarringly awake, as she noticed another text had arrived from the anonymous sender.

In spite of knowing she shouldn’t open it, especially not at this time of night, she went ahead and felt a burn of unease as she read the few short words,Aaah, Cristy, back in Bristol, safe and sound.

How did he know that? Was hephysicallystalking her, watching her every move? Could he even be outside right now?

Knowing it was much more likely that he was tracking hermobile, she quickly turned off the Find My iPhoneapp – except if he was using some other sort of spyware that wasn’t going to do it.

Deciding to let Jacks take a look in the morning, she was about to move the latest message to the folder when she realized there was an image attached. She opened it and revulsion surged through her. Not quite a dick-pic, but the closest thing to it: a man’s hand on his crotch suggesting he was about to lower the zip of his jeans.

CHAPTER THIRTY

It was after eight on Tuesday evening by the time they uploaded to the various platforms. For the past two days the entire team, along with two lawyers and four back-up technicians, had been editing, re-editing, recording and re-recording in a way that wouldn’t – or shouldn’t – end them up on the wrong side of the law.

‘And you’re certain it won’t?’ Meena asked, as Iz handed out much-needed drinks while Clover wandered around with sandwiches from a nearby deli.

‘As certain as we can be,’ Cristy replied. ‘All we’ve said is that Janina’s car went off the road while she was in Guernsey. No mention of her being on her way to meet Lottie – or Mia. Nothing about where the accident actually happened, or of the police questioning the sisters after the event.’