Page 16 of The Truth Will Out (DI Sam Cobbs #18)

And yet you weren’t concerned enough to call the station yesterday when she didn’t come home from work. Stop it! He was working away from home; give the guy a chance.

“Sorry, is it possible for us to come in, Scott?”

“If you must. You’re here to tell me bad news, aren’t you? Is she alive?”

He stepped back and allowed Sam and Bob to enter. They followed him into a spacious modern lounge.

He flopped into the armchair and gestured for them to sit on the sofa. “You haven’t answered me.”

“I’m sorry, Scott. You’re right, the news isn’t good. Bob and I were called out to an incident that had happened at the harbour in Whitehaven…”

“Get on with it,” he snarled.

“Take it easy, mate,” Bob interjected. “Sam’s doing her best here.”

“Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not your mate. I don’t really know you. You’re Claire’s colleagues, not mine. So, let’s not beat about the bush here. Tell me the truth.”

Sam sighed. “I’m sorry, but the incident involved Claire. She was found floating in the harbour.”

Scott stared at her, disbelief etched into his face. “What are you saying? That she’s dead?”

Sam gulped and swallowed down the bile that was burning her throat. “I’m so sorry. We’re all devastated by the news of her death. She was a valued member of our team.”

“I don’t need your sympathy. Is it worth me asking what happened? Why she was at the harbour? Did she go alone? Was she chasing someone? ”

“The clues are sketchy at the moment. I can’t really go into detail right now. She was working off her own bat, though, not on my instructions.”

“What are you talking about? Are you calling her bent?”

“No, not at all. Like I said, there’s more to this than we can explain. It’s a difficult one. I’m sorry, but the fact is that Claire wasn’t told to go there last night. I would never have sent a member of my team off somewhere alone, not at that time of night.”

“Get out. You’re telling me you know nothing. Why are you here?”

“I’m trying to explain it as I see it.”

“Come back when you know what you’re talking about. I’m going to put in a complaint.”

“There’s no need for that, Scott,” Bob said. “Sam and the rest of the team, we’re all doing our best to find out why Claire took it upon herself to chase up a lead we’ve yet to discover.”

He glared at Bob and rose from his seat. “I’ve told you to leave.”

With that, he threw them out of the house. It had been an upsetting experience for Sam, and Bob didn’t appear to be faring much better either.

Bob rubbed her arm as they walked towards their respective cars. “He’ll calm down, eventually.”

“He’s got every right to be upset with me. Blimey, I’m upset with myself, and I’m as angry as fuck about Claire going behind my back.”

“We don’t know what her motive was, Sam.”

“I know. I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good evening.”

“I doubt it. Take care, Sam. None of this is your fault.”

“Thanks, Bob. See you tomorrow.”

Sam went home that evening and immediately took Tilly out to the park for a long walk, more to clear her head than anything else.

Tilly was eager to run after the squirrels, but Sam felt it was far too soon to let the little one off the lead yet, especially as her recall wasn’t really showing signs of improvement.

She sat on the bench, Tilly at her feet, and reflected on how her day had panned out.

From the early morning discovery of Claire’s body in the harbour, to finding out that she had been digging into information about Pendle House behind Sam’s back.

That news might sound insignificant to some of her colleagues ranking higher than inspector, but to her, it had proved to be a kick in the teeth.

Now she had the daunting task of having the dreaded conversation with Rhys about his involvement at the notorious children’s home.

Tilly gently pawed at Sam’s leg and whined. Sam bent to kiss the tip of her cute nose and hugged her. “Sorry, sweetie, am I ignoring you? Let’s go home.”

She left the bench and spotted Rhys entering the park with Casper. “Hi, I thought I might find you here. I nipped home to prepare dinner. It’s already to go when we get home.”

“Thanks. That’ll save me a job when I get in. I’ll see you back there.” With that, she walked off.

She could imagine the shock on his face at her departure. To be fair, she couldn’t give a toss and was determined not to look back, despite him calling out her name. Tears bulged and trickled onto her cheeks. Right now, she felt as miserable as sin.

“Come on, Tilly. Let’s go home. I’ll give you one of your special treats to make up for letting you down on your walk.”

Tilly trotted along beside her without a care in the world, the way it should be for a dog.

It got Sam wondering what horrors her little rescue dog had dealt with back in Romania before she was swooped off the streets and put into the care of the sanctuary.

Dogs deserved a better life than most were given.

Sonny had had the best life ever, or had he?

He should have spent his days with me, not Doreen, but work commitments prevented that from happening.

Now Tilly’s in the same boat. Stop it! No regrets, remember?

I’ve saved Tilly from a life of hell. She loves and appreciates all that I’ve done for her ever since.

She adores Doreen as well, so it’s a win-win situation.

Sam approached the row of cottages and summoned up a lacklustre smile as she waved at Doreen, who was watching out for them to return. They gave each other a thumbs-up and blew kisses .

“See you in the morning,” Sam mouthed.

Inside the cottage, Sam removed Tilly’s new harness before taking off her own shoes and jacket.

Then Tilly followed her into the kitchen to the treat cupboard.

Sam withdrew the packet of sausage-shaped morsels.

She cut off a link and gave it to Tilly to eat in the garden.

Sam had a mooch around the kitchen to see what preparation Rhys had made for dinner.

Chicken stir-fry. At any other time, she would have been thrilled with the menu.

Not so much today, though. Her appetite had been absent all day.

She cast her mind back to what she had consumed at work.

It amounted to half a sandwich that Bob had picked up from the baker’s.

He’d eaten the rest after she pushed it aside.

Leaving the kitchen door open for Tilly to come and find her once she’d finished the treat, she went upstairs to get changed.

She was surprised to hear the front door open and slam ten minutes later and prepared herself for a tongue-lashing from Rhys. His footsteps sounded on the stairs. Sam slipped her velour top over her head and was brushing her hair when he appeared in the doorway.

“Do you mind telling me what I’ve done wrong?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“Why? You really need to ask that question after the way you’ve just blanked me at the park, as if I were a complete stranger, I might add?”

“I didn’t.”

He crossed the room and spun her around to face him. “Don’t lie. What the hell is going on?”

Sam wriggled out of his grip and tripped over Casper in her attempt to get away from him. She landed on her backside on the floor. “Leave me alone. I need time to think.”

Rhys shooed Casper out of the way and held out a hand to help her to her feet. Sam grudgingly accepted it and brushed herself down.

“Why am I in the doghouse? I barely saw you this morning and, as far as I can remember, everything was all right between us when we went to bed last night. Forgive me if I’m confused, but I need to know what’s happened to make you turn against me since then.”

“We’ll discuss it after dinner. I haven’t eaten much today, and I’m feeling light-headed.”

“Is that why you fell? Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor? Is there something medically wrong with you, and you’re too scared to tell me in case I dump you? Is that it, Sam?”

“No. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m fit and healthy. A lot has happened today, and I need to get my head around it before I tell you what’s going on.”

“And yet, you can treat me like shit while we’re out. How in the world do I deserve that? After all we’ve been through together, I never, ever, thought you would turn your back on me, literally, and refuse to speak to me.”

“I’m sorry.” She ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

He followed her and found her watching Tilly, who was attacking a shrub in the garden, clearly uninterested in the treat she’d just been given.

“No, Tilly,” he shouted from behind her, scaring Sam half to death. “You shouldn’t let her get away with that.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologised for the second time in as many minutes.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

Tilly ran past them and sat down by her bowl.

“I’ll feed the dogs and then tell you.”

“Okay. Am I cooking for two tonight, or are you going to give my food a miss, too?” he asked. Hurt swam in his eyes even though he still managed a hint of a smile.

Sam avoided looking at him, her heart hurting the most it had in years.

She’d had a lot to deal with of late, still feeling the loss of Sonny, and now coping with Claire’s death.

The meeting with Scott had left her feeling distraught.

She’d needed her time at the park with Tilly, hoping it would help her put life back into perspective, and it probably would have, if only Rhys hadn’t turned up.

It was the secrets and lies she was struggling with.

However, Rhys hadn’t got a clue about what had taken place during the day, and she didn’t have it in her to tell him what Bob had discovered.

Not yet, not without them digging deeper into that file.

Breaking the news to Scott had almost broken her.

She hadn’t expected him to react so vehemently.

Although his anger was understandable, Sam couldn’t wait to get away from him.

“How much do you want?” Rhys said.

“The usual, maybe a little less than normal.” Sam fed the dogs and filled up their water bowls, then set the table.

Rhys put the plate in front of her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, then tucked into her meal, which smelt delicious.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now? Is this about Claire’s death?”

She stared at her plate. “Yes, but that’s not all. Sorry, I’m not ready to discuss what else has come to light; it’s too raw right now.”

“I’m not sure what that means. We don’t have to talk about it. In your own time. I’m not going to push you, sweetheart. Just know that I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t look up from her plate, and they continued to eat in silence.

She had a hell of a lot of soul searching to do before she could summon up the courage to ask him about his involvement with Pendle House.

It was obvious there was more to that establishment than they had discovered so far, and she felt that if she asked him outright what he knew about it, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to tell whether he was being truthful or not.

To say she was confused would be wrong. However, she was on the fence, with a pointy bit sticking up her backside, causing her major discomfort.

“What would you like to do this evening?” Rhys asked as he pushed his empty plate aside.

“I need to make some notes. Your day might be over, but when a copper is murdered, my part in the investigation multiplies tenfold.”

“I can imagine. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this shit, Sam. A gentle reminder that I’m here if you need to run anything past me. ”

“I won’t. I got to be an inspector years ago, without you or anyone else to assist me,” Sam snapped back, leaving the table.

She ran upstairs and closed the bedroom door behind her, leaving him to clear up the kitchen and to occupy the dogs for the rest of the evening.

A tinge of guilt crept in, but she quickly suppressed it.

Why should I feel guilty? If he’s involved in what went on at that school… well, I’m appalled and feel grossly let down by him.

And if he’s not? Her second inner voice asked the other important question that had been prodding her all day.