Page 202 of Under Her Skin

‘Not sure that’sgoing to do anything but make matters worse. If he is mistreating Jess, Theo might rush in. Things could get very nasty and that girl could be caught in thecrosshairs.’

But Max had done as he asked and now, burning hot in his bag – well, that’s what it felt like – was the investigator’s preliminary report. Max had glanced at it quickly and had not liked what he’dread.

The investigator had talked to people from where Jules had gone to school, his college tutors. All of them were reticent to speak about Jules – no-one had a bad word to say about him – but neither did they say anything good. They were scared, the investigator had surmised. Frustrated, he’d finally been put in contact with a local police chief, Bud Clermont, who’d had plenty to say on the subject of JulienGachet.

‘Ishe in trouble with thelaw?’

The investigator assured him hewasn’t.

Clermont gave a frustrated hiss. ‘Damn, I was hoping you were gonna tell me he fucked up. Finally got what was coming to him. Well, I can’t tell you anything that’ll hold up in a court of law, just that he’s a piece ofwork. ‘

‘I can tell you what I saw, what I think. Knew it from the second I met him, something wrong in that kid’s eyes. They were dead, blank. First and only time a kid scared the shit out of me. Kept an eye on him as he got older, seems to me, someone like that, they’re gonna escalate from petty crime. Of course, his family’s money made that all go away. Something big happened too, only it was all hushed up and grunts like me never got to know what. Something to do with the step-sister. He was obsessed with her. Pretty disgusting – she was only twelve, I believe. Julien liked to play with knives, loved the sight of blood. I believe he was kept away from home as much as possible. I kept my eye on him. There were complaints from some of the female students – girls who looked just like the sister. Like I said –obsessed.’

Max felt another wave of nausea flood through him. He hadn’t told Theo anything yet and he thought again about Josh’s words of caution. The last thing he wanted was to put Jess in more danger – if that was what she wasin.

Josh headed back thenand started to talk to him but Max barely listened. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was coming, something very badindeed…

Theo hookeda leg around Jess’s hips and pulled her back down onto the bed. She protested, giggling, but as soon as he started to kiss her stomach, she gaveup.

‘I have to go soon,’ she said gently, stroking her fingers through his dark curls. Theo, his lips against her belly, shook her head and she laughed. ‘Thattickles.’

He lifted his head and grinned. ‘Why is this dinner soimportant?’

Jess sighed and sat up. ‘It’s to do with the estate. If it were just me that was affected by the changes in the estate, I’d tell Jules to go to hellbut…’

‘But?’

She rubbed her face roughly. ‘When I was younger – and so freaking naive that I believed Jules – he set up several trusts for projects I cared about. Called it an eighteenth birthday present. He’s managed to make it so that if he withdraws that funding – like from my art department – the project will suffer, or even have toclose.’

Theo was appalled. ‘Jess… that’sblackmail.’

She nodded. ‘I know. But what can I do? Tell him to screw it, I don’t want his money anymore so screw everyone else? Not anoption.’

She climbed off the bed and started to dress. ‘It’s not as if he’s…’ and she swallowed hard before looking away from him ‘…using it to do anything untoward to me. He just wants me to be a part of hisfamily.’

‘Paying you to be his sister?’ Theo’s voice was harsh and shewinced.

‘If you want to put it like that. Makes him sound pathetic when you say it like that.’ She considered and a small smile played around her mouth. ‘Actually, he is pathetic.’ She turned and leaning over, kiss Theo on the mouth. ‘And he’s not yourproblem.’

Theo caught her face between his hands. ‘Let me come withyou.’

Jess shook her head. ‘It’s an hour, or two, and it’s not even as if it’s at the house. It’s a restaurant with people, he can’t…’ She broke off, realising she’d said too much. She grabbed her clothes as Theo stood, tugging his jeanson.

‘He can’t what, Jessica?’ Theo’s voice washard.

She could look at him. ‘I have to getdressed.’

‘Jess…’

‘No. No, Theo. I have to get dressed.’ She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Theo to stare afterher.

Jess walkedinto the restaurant at precisely eight-twenty-nine to find Malcolm, Jules’s bodyguard and driver waiting for her. He said nothing but handed her a cell-phone.

‘Jessica, change of plan. William has come to the house instead. Malcolm will bring youhere.’

Son-of-a-bitch.Jess handed Malcolm the phone, and he guided her out to the car. She couldn’t believe she’d been conned by Jules again. Asshole asshole asshole. She couldn’t protest, not without making a scene and she wouldn’t put it past Malcolm to drag her by the hair to the waiting limo. He’d always scared her, his smug expression, the way he looked he looked at her make her feel sick. He was perfect for Jules, she thought, grimly, settling in the back seat, as far away from the driver aspossible.

They drovethrough the rain-slicked streets and out of the city, towards the place she dreaded. Jess pulled her cell phone from her bag and flicked to Theo’s number – and stopped. No. She wasn’t the little princess in need of a white knight. She would handle this herself. She glanced up to find Malcolm smirking at her in the rear view mirror. She narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled darkly and looked away. Why must everything in her life be filled with dread and menace? Jess sighed and leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the carwindow.