Page 141 of Don't Believe A Word

‘So what’s he saying?’ Clove immediately wanted to know.

‘It’s your typical scumbag fantasy stuff,’ Connor replied dismissively. ‘Nothing to worry about, but I’ve got to admit, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of it. Let’s run him to ground asap, Jacks, and then do whatever it takes to make him rethink his career choice.’

‘Could be a woman?’ Clove suggested tentatively.

‘Doubtful,’ Connor told her, ‘but you won’t want to see the proof unless dick-pics are your thing.’

With a moue of distaste, Clove said, ‘Could still be a woman, hiding behind someone’s dick.’

‘It’s notthatbig,’ Connor quipped and even Cristy had to laugh. It turned to a shudder of revulsion as the thought of it made her feel as though she’d been contaminated, violated even, in an actual physical way.

‘We need to keep this in mind for a future series,’ Clove told her gravely. ‘There’s so much of it now and some people, kids, are getting seriously damaged by it.’

Agreeing that it was worth looking into, Cristy glanced over at her phone as another text arrived.

‘Shall I?’ Jacks asked.

She nodded, and as he opened the message she became so tense it actually hurt.

‘It’s Matthew,’ he told her, holding the phone out, ‘wanting to know if you’re free for a bite to eat later.’

Holding up her hands to block it, she said, ‘Text back to say you have the phone, but you’ll pass the message on and you’re sure I’ll be in touch.’

Going to take a spare phone from the store they kept, Connor passed it to Jacks for set-up and said, ‘If you’re worried this creep is actually following you, why don’t you come and stay at ours tonight?’

Cristy gave a laugh, without quite knowing why. ‘Thanks, but Aiden’s going to be with me, and now it looks as though a family dinner is in store. Does that mean you think there is someone following me?’

Jacks was shaking his head while staring at the phone. ‘No way of telling at the moment,’ he said, ‘but whatever he’s got inmind it’ll be me he’s coming home with tonight. Wonder how much he’s gonna like that.’

*

‘You’re kidding me,’ Cristy groaned, looking from Matthew to Aiden and back again. ‘Please tell me that’s not what she said.’

Matthew regarded her helplessly, while Aiden only shrugged as if to say, ‘nothing to do with me,’ when it hadeverythingto do with him. They were in a tapas bar they used to come to regularly as a family, with an assortment of small plates between them and three portions ofpatatas bravasjust for Aiden. Cristy, unable to face food right now, refilled her glass with wine as Matthew said,

‘It’s not that long to wait …’

‘We shouldn’t have to wait at all,’ she snapped. ‘We want to knownowif he’s the father, not after the baby’s born. Andthat,’ she added forcefully, ‘is still three months away, but OK, if you don’t think that’s long—’

‘I’m just saying,’ Matthew interrupted, ‘that we don’t get to call any shots here. She’s the one carrying the child so if she doesn’t want to subject it to a DNA test before the birth, there’s not much we can do about it.’

‘What do her parents say? Surely they want to know who the father is.’

‘If they do, it’s a conversation they’re having with her, not me.’

‘Have you actually spoken to them?’

Sighing, he said, ‘I’ve had an email saying they’re aware of the situation and, as regrettable as it is, they don’t feel any questions can be answered until Pearl is ready to do so.’

‘Jesus Christ. Who are these people?’ She glared at Aiden. ‘Have you met them?’

He shook his head, picked up anotherpatatabut clearly thought better of eating it when he caught his mother’s expression.

‘What about the other boys?’ she asked. ‘Surely they want to know if they’re going to be landed with a child they don’t want.’

‘Course,’ he agreed. ‘But like Dad said, we don’t get much of a say in it.’

Looking at Matthew again, Cristy snapped, ‘This is starting to feel like a game of Russian roulette.’