Page 97 of Three Widows

He wasn’t letting her get away with it. ‘I have arrangements made for his care and I’m in the process of enrolling him into a school for September. You can’t upset all that.’

‘I can and I will.’ She picked up her bag. ‘Seven a.m. Be here, or you won’t like the consequences.’

Boyd sat on the couch for a long time after she’d left. He picked up the bottle she’d been drinking from. He wanted to hurl it at the wall, but instead he drained the alcohol and got himself another.

DAY THREE

63

Boyd had showered and dressed and Sergio was eating a bowl of cereal at the breakfast bar when Jackie returned. Seven on the dot. She rushed in and swamped the boy in a hug. It was a side of her that hadn’t surfaced during their marriage. Then, she’d been cold and calculating. Had Sergio softened her? It could all be an act, so he was on his guard.

When Sergio dragged himself out from her arms, she glanced at Boyd as if to say, see, he missed me. She looked tired, and he wondered if she’d sat outside on his step all night. Not that he cared.

‘Go to work,’ she said. ‘We have things to do, don’t we, Sergio?’

The boy nodded, and his smile widened.

Boyd hugged his son tightly.

‘Can we talk for a minute?’ He directed Jackie out to the hall and slipped his jacket on nervously.

She said, ‘I know what you’re thinking, and you have nothing to worry about.’

That tone. The one that put him on high alert. The one that gave him every reason to worry.

‘You can’t take him away from me, Jackie. Not now that I know about him and love him.’

‘I have no intention of taking him anywhere.’ She turned to look back at Sergio. ‘We have loads to catch up on, so you need to finish your breakfast.’ She moved towards Boyd and walked him to the front door.

He dragged his feet, reluctant to leave his son behind, knowing he might never see him again. But what choice did he have?

‘I’m warning you, Jackie. If you so much as—’

‘I promise he will be here when you get home.’

Was she messing with him? Back to her old ways, mind games. He wasn’t falling for it.

‘Yeah, and I know how much to trust your promises.’

‘When did you turn into such a cynic?’

He caught the sneer in her words, and the tiny hairs on his neck spiked in warning. She was definitely up to something.

‘Listen,’ he said, pulling off his jacket, ‘I’ll take the day off and we can discuss everything.’

‘Really?’ She raised one eyebrow. ‘I doubt your favourite inspector will agree to you taking time off, with two gruesome murders to investigate.’

She was right about that. Was this the kind of daily dilemma Lottie had to face? Having to weigh up her commitment and loyalty to her family against her job? In that instant, his admiration for her grew exponentially.

‘Okay,’ he conceded, against his better judgement. ‘You have my number. Ring me if you need anything. And Jackie?’

‘What?’

‘Don’t do anything stupid, because I’ll hunt you down.’

‘I don’t doubt that for a minute. I’ve a proposition to put to you. I’m here to talk, that’s all.’

With alarm bells ringing a cacophony in his head, he left.