Page 111 of Worse Than Murder

I take the phone from her and hold down the on button. The screen lights up and I see James’s face smiling out at me. I quickly hand it back to Adele while it boots up.

‘Shall we go back to the restaurant?’ she asks.

‘That’s a good idea. I think I’m going to need one of Sally’s strong coffees before I go through my phone.’

‘She was telling me it was broken into last night. You and Philip were attacked by an intruder. Are you actively looking for trouble now?’ Adele asks with a smile in her voice as we get up and dust ourselves down.

‘It does seem to follow me, doesn’t it?’

‘There’s more trouble coming your way, too.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What the hell have you done to my car?’ she asks. She walks around it, looking at the splatters of mud, the dulled body work, the dried rain drops, and the twigs stuck in the rear wiper.

‘Ah. Well, you see, if I’d known you were coming, I’d have washed it.’

Adele opens the front passenger door and recoils in horror. ‘Has a dog been in here?’

‘Possibly more than one.’

‘I expect a full valet within twenty-four hours,’ she says, a twinkle in her eye.

We get into the car and close the doors. I put the key in the ignition. Before setting off, I turn to Adele.

‘Thank you.’

‘What for?’

‘For coming back.’

‘You didn’t think I’d leave you to go through all this on your own, did you?’

‘Are you staying?’

‘Yes.’

‘Permanently?’

She thinks for a moment. ‘I’m not sure about that. However, I’ll promise you one thing: wherever you go, I go. Got that?’

Why are my tears so quick to race to the surface? I bite my bottom lip hard to keep them at bay.

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome. Now, let’s see how you’ve been treating my car while I’ve been away.’

Imanage to distract Adele from going through my phone with me by taking her on a tour of the restaurant and telling her Carl’s idea of the picture window in the basement and my idea to put money into the venture.

While we’re making pizzas– all four of us choosing different toppings, Sally getting to grips with the pizza oven, Carl stealing toppings to give to the dogs, then the hassle with the triple-cooked chips– the conversation is light and there’s even laughter in the air as Sally manages, perfectly, to cook each individual pizza, except for her own, which she drops on the floor. Her own fault for putting pineapple on it. We all donate slices from our own and she fills up on chips.

When I hear the sound of theCoronation Streettheme tune coming from the TV, I make my excuses and say I’m off to shower and have an early night.

I stand by the window in my bedroom and look out over the lake and countryside. Darkness has fallen. The moonlight is dulled by the thin whisper of cloud sweeping in front of it. I hear the bedroom door open and turn back from the window.

Adele walks in. She looked exhausted. ‘Bloody hell, that boy can talk. All evening he’s been asking me about what it’s like to be a pathologist. What’s the most disturbing thing I’ve seen? How do I open a rib cage? Is the brain pink or grey? Which organ is the squishiest?’ She flops down on the bed.

‘That’s a good question, actually. Which organisthe squishiest?’ I ask as I climb into bed.