Page 18 of Glow

It was all so romantic. Of course, he was pleased for both of them. Yet, an evening alone in the flat nursing the remnants of his hangover didn’t appeal either. It appeared that he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Come with us,” Eddie offered.

“No thanks,” Scott replied. “I’ll find something to do. Right, I’m going to reception. If I don’t get a lead on this, Carla is going to eat me alive.”

He got up. Eddie squeezed him on the shoulder. “You’ll sort this. I have every faith in you.”

“Thanks. You’re not a bad friend, you know.”

“You say the nicest things.”

Scott left him and wandered over to the main door. Every colleague that he walked past might be the perpetrator. He didn’t like to feel like that. It might be an overused cliché but they were like a family at Pleasure Seekers. One person turning on the company was like an attack on them all.

I’ve been watching far too many movies with Eddie. This is hardlyDunkirk.

He walked into reception. Charlotte glanced up from the magazine she was reading.

“You gave me a start,” she said, folding her arms. “Now let me guess. You’ve come on the hunt for sympathy. I’ve already had Tyler begging for painkillers and kind words. What are you two like?”

Scott perched on the edge of her desk.

“He’s a wimp,” Scott replied. “It’s a little hangover. Nothing to get upset about. No, I came for another reason actually.”

She looked interested. “Oh yes? You’ve got my attention. How may I help?”

“You must have heard.”

Her face grew serious. “The theft?”

Scott nodded. He ignored the pain from his head. He refused to show weakness now. Although two painkillers would be nice.

“It’s all anyone can talk about,” Charlotte said. “Everyone has a different theory. Olive even suspected it might be Barry. As if. What would he spend the cash on even if he did know how to offload stolen dildos?”

A smile crept onto Scott’s face. “Can you keep a secret?”

“You know I can.”

“Our Bazza might have a love interest.”

Charlotte’s jaw almost hit the desk. “No way. How did you find out?”

“We all saw them at the cinema.”

“Shit,” Charlotte said, clapping her hands with glee. “What’s she like?”

Scott might be half dead from the actions of the night before. However, he still knew how to present bombshell information. He leant forward conspiratorially.

“She’s Amanda,” he whispered.

Charlotte reared back as though he’d slapped her across the face. “You are shitting me.”

“Nope.”

Scott had done some prior investigations of his own and rumbled the two lovebirds. Eddie had told him off. Scott conceded that it could be seen as slightly unethical so he kept that bit to himself.

“Not a word,” he continued “Now one good turn deserves another. If you hear anything whatsoever about the robbery, let me know. I don’t care who it is.”

“I presume you’re in charge of the investigation then.”