Page 7

“Well, I don’t make the rules, but every society needs laws against murder, and every murder has to be accounted for, regardless of circumstance.

If the killer has a good reason for committing the crime, then that’s up to the courts to decide, not me.

Solving the case and sending it to trial is my job – nothing more or less. ”

Alexander nodded slowly. “Thank you. Now, let’s change the subject. Your friend Liz – did she also make those funny little objects up there?” He waved a hand at the sideboard, which displayed half a dozen little jugs, cups, and bowls of varying degrees of wobbliness.

Josiah glanced up at them with a smile. He dusted the little knick-knacks carefully every month, but it had been a long time since he’d actually taken any pleasure in them. “Yeah.”

“They aren’t so good, but this one – the one she made for the wedding – is flawless.” Alexander ran his fingers gently over the vase on the table again.

“She’d had time to practise by then.”

“She has a good eye for design – once her skill caught up with her creativity,” Alexander pronounced, studying the vase on the table critically.

“You’re an expert? ”

“In design? Not exactly an expert, but I’ve studied it and had some ambitions in that area once. Your friend is artistic. I had a friend like her once, too – very sweet, very kind, very pretty.”

He glanced up, wondering if he was going to learn something important. “What happened to her?”

“That’s a story for another time,” Alexander dismissed softly.

Josiah gazed at him searchingly. “You don’t trust me.”

“I don’t know yet – I’m still trying to decide – but you don’t trust me, either.”

“I don’t know yet – I’m still trying to decide.”

Alexander gave an amused grunt.

Finishing his breakfast, Josiah stirred his tea thoughtfully. Alexander had quickly learned of his sweet tooth, and he knew there would be a teaspoon of sugar in it, just the way he liked it.

“So, are you still going to take my life apart, piece by piece, like you said yesterday?” Alexander queried.

“Yes,” Josiah said flatly. “Any suggestions as to where I should start?”

Alexander’s mask sprang back into place in an instant, his eyes emptying of all emotion. “Well, you’ve already done my family, so the next logical place to investigate would be my first houder,” he said. His tone was offhand, but Josiah noticed the tight lines of tension in his body.

“George Tyler?”

Alexander’s mask barely stayed in place. “It seems like you’ve already made some progress in taking my life apart,” he commented neutrally.

“Yup. What can you tell me about him?”

“Nothing.” Alexander shrugged. “You’ll have to form your own opinion.”

“Okay, but I’m not here to run around doing your bidding. I’m here to solve a murder and bring a killer to justice.”

“I want that, too.” Leaning across the table, his mask slipped – his eyes were blisteringly intense. “You have no idea how much.”

“Then help me with my investigation.”

“I am! ”

At that moment, Josiah’s holopad buzzed, Esther’s face flashing up in the room. “We’re not finished,” he told his indie as he picked up the call.

“No, we’ve barely begun,” Alexander replied, standing up to clear the table.

Josiah didn’t have time to wonder what he meant as Esther started speaking hurriedly.

“Joe – sorry, but the media have found out that you’ve taken Lytton as your temporary IS, and they’re all over it. You can expect some fireworks.”

“Any idea how they found out?” Moving into the living room at the front of the house, he flicked the curtain open an inch and was immediately blinded by camera flashes.

“No idea, but they’re on their way over.”

“They’re already here.”

“Do you need me to send Reed to escort you in?”

“No. I’m not coming into the office today. I have another line of inquiry.”

“A lead?” she asked hopefully.

“Not exactly, but it could turn into one. I’ll speak to you later.”

He returned to the kitchen, where Alexander was stacking their breakfast crockery into the dishwasher. “Grab a sweater. You’re coming with me today,” he ordered.

“I am? How exciting. Any reason why?”

“Yeah, there’s a horde of reporters outside the door trying to get pictures of you. There’s no way I’m leaving you here alone with that mob outside.”

“Where are we going?” Alexander grabbed his sweater from the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

“I’m taking you up on your suggestion; we’re going to pay George Tyler a visit.”

He took a certain grim satisfaction from the way the blood drained from the indie’s face. Alexander took a deep breath and then squared his shoulders in a determined way.

“Okay,” he said .

Josiah was thankful he’d parked his duck in the garage the previous night, instead of leaving it on the driveway as he sometimes did. It meant he could get Alexander into it without being seen.

“There’s a blanket on the back seat,” he threw over his shoulder, striding towards the duck.

“You can put it over your head so they don’t get a picture.

I’ll tell you when the coast is clear…” He stopped in the process of opening the duck door when he realised Alexander wasn’t behind him.

Turning, he found his IS standing in front of Peter’s red car, a stunned look on his face.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who loves these useless lumps of old metal? ” he sighed.

Alexander blinked, his eyes bright and wet. “She’s beautiful,” he said. “Anyone with an eye for design can see that.” He reached out a finger almost reverently towards the vehicle. “May I?”

“Go ahead.”

He left the IS to it, mystified by how anyone could be so deeply affected by the sight of an old car.

He put through a call to Reed to ascertain Tyler’s current whereabouts, watching out of the corner of his eye as Alexander gently caressed the car.

He stiffened when Alexander walked around to the driver’s side and peered in through the window. “Nosy?” he growled, striding over.

Alexander jumped. “A little,” he admitted, shamefaced. “This is where it happened, isn’t it?”

“Yes. There’s no blood, if that’s what you’re thinking.

I had the seats replaced, and I cleaned every single inch of the interior with the specialist equipment Mel gave me.

” He opened the driver’s door to illustrate that point, and they stood there in silence until he suddenly became aware that Alexander wasn’t looking inside the car anymore – but at him. “What?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Alexander said, but there was a quizzical expression in his eyes, as though he was expecting something. He shook his head. “Just… I’m surprised you kept her, after what happened. Doesn’t she bring back memories of that night?”

“No.” Josiah slammed the car door shut.

“Thank you for showing her to me,” Alexander said softly. “She really is very beautiful. ”

Josiah grunted. Peter’s car was sacrosanct – he never showed her to anyone, and he was keen to move Alexander away.

Escorting Alexander over to his AV, he settled him in the footwell of the passenger seat with a blanket over his head.

Then he clicked open the garage door and backed the duck out onto the driveway and then onto the street at top speed.

The media scattered as the duck thundered into the road.

Dozens of cameras flashed, but they didn’t get what they’d come for.

They were in too much disarray to organise a pursuit, and he soon left them far behind.

When he was sure they weren’t being followed, he pulled the blanket off the indie and threw it onto the back seat.

“You do know what they’ll write about you now that you’ve taken me as your IS, don’t you?” Alexander said, sliding up into his seat.

Josiah tensed. “Yeah, I know, but I don’t care what they think.”

“You’re their hero – they’ve built you up, and now they’ll tear you down. That’s what they do.”

Josiah gripped the steering wheel tightly and increased his speed.

“I think you care a bit,” Alexander murmured.

“The press have been telling lies about me for years. Why should I care about another one?”

“Then why haven’t you ever sued them?”

“What’s the point? I do my job, and I don’t bloody well answer to them.”

“They could make your life difficult. So far, the lies they’ve told about you haven’t made your job any harder – the opposite, probably – but this one might.”

“I’ll deal with that if it happens.”

“I believe you will.” Alexander settled back. “But now you’re in a bad mood, and we were doing so well over breakfast.”

“Do you want to play twenty questions again?” Josiah growled.

“No, I want you to tell me about your wedding day.”

That took the wind out of Josiah’s sails. “Why the hell do you want to know about that?”

“The vase – I’m intrigued. I’m wondering how the aloof Josiah Raine ever got so far as making vows to spend the rest of his life with someone. ”

“It wasn’t like that.” Josiah slammed his foot on the accelerator.

“Then what was it like?”

He had no intention of sharing something so private with Alexander, but he retreated back into the easy comfort of the memories as he drove.

It had taken them a week to return to the convoy after leaving Geneva.

Big Jen had been left in temporary charge of restocking the trucks and getting things on the road again.

She looked rather pleased with herself as she sauntered over to greet them.

The rest of the unit followed, delighted that their popular commanding officer had returned.

“Remember,” Josiah warned Peter, “we’re telling them about us. I’m not skulking around your tent at night.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. I’ll tell them when I go through our orders later.”

“We’ll tell them,” Josiah said firmly. “Both of us. Together.”

They jumped out of the jeep, Hattie keening in excitement behind them. Big Jen greeted Peter with a salute, and he returned it.