Page 80 of Worse Than Murder

‘I don’t agree. Lies hurt more than the truth. I speak from experience. I’ll see myself out.’

I’m almost at the door when my name is called. I turn and see Lynne standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

‘Promise me,’ Lynne begins. ‘Promise me you won’t tell Alison any of this.’

‘Alison is a very intelligent woman. If she asks me a question and I tell her I don’t know, she’s going to know it’s a lie. I can’t promise she won’t find out, but I can promise that I will protect her as much as possible.’

Ihave to pass the restaurant to get to the offices ofCumbria Today, so I stop off. When I pull up outside the newspaper, Tania is parking in her spot directly opposite. I hold up a white box I’ve loaded with goodies.

‘Ooh, excellent timing,’ Tania says with a smile.

‘You have information?’

‘No. I’ve just been out buying tea bags,’ she says holding up the box.

Teas made, me and Tania sit at one of the spare desks. The cardboard box has been pulled open to reveal slices of tart and cheesecake, and muffins. Tania’s eyes are out on stalks as she tries to choose one.

‘Between the cigarettes, the naughty calories and the bottle of wine I drink a night, I’m surprised I’m not dead already,’ she says as she plumps for lemon and lime cheesecake with coconut shavings.

‘You live alone?’

‘Completely. I’m not even a crazy cat lady.’ She scoops up a forkful of dessert and her eyes roll back. ‘And with delicious things like this in the world, who needs men?’

I smile. I think of Odell. I’m being unfair to him. Our relationship had just been getting off the ground when I ran. I wonder if he’s waiting for me or has decided to move on. I wouldn’t blame him.

‘You looked all sad there for a moment,’ Tania says.

‘Just thinking about things. What might have been.’

‘I’ve had a few of those in my time. My mother was ill for years. I had to take care of her while working full-time. Suddenly, ten years go by and you haven’t shifted, yet you’re ten years older. When my mother died, I thought I’d be able to start living, maybe find myself a husband and settle down, but I wasn’t a young twenty-something anymore. I’d also built a veneer around me. People think I’m hard as nails.’

‘But you’re not.’

‘Nobody is. We’re all the same. We all have emotions and feelings. People don’t realise that. They judge you on what they see, and I’m a hard-faced feminist journalist who doesn’t need a man in her life to be happy.’

‘And in reality?’

‘I don’tneeda man. That doesn’t mean to say I don’t want one. It’s no fun spending your days alone in this shitty office and going home to a cold and empty house. Anyway, you didn’t come here to listen to the sob story of my tragic life. I’m guessing you have information.’

I tell her all about Lynne changing her police statement and her affair with Travis.

‘Lynne and Travis?’ Tania’s face takes on a look as if she’s tasting something rancid. ‘I’d heard rumours, but now that it’s confirmed, it… I don’t know. I find it a bit disgusting.’

‘Why?’

‘Because… well, I’m not being nasty to Lynne or anything, but she’s not exactly a raving beauty, is she? Even thirty years ago she was no looker. And Travis, well, he could have been posing on the box of Calvin Klein underpants. Talk about a mismatched pair. I wonder who came on to who…’ She ponders this for a moment then tries to shake the thought from her head. ‘Actually, no, I don’t want to know.’ She shudders.

‘Lynne and Iain seem suited.’

‘Oh, yes. They’re much more evenly matched. I’m pretty sure Lynne was seeing Iain first, then left him for Jack.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. They weren’t together long. When they were younger, Iain had a different woman every weekend. He was a very handsome bloke. Tall, rugged, manly, ooh…’ She shivers again.

‘It sounds like you fancied him yourself.’

‘Not really. Just a filthy fantasy about being taken roughly in a barn by a sweaty manly farmer. I think I’ve been reading too many trashy romances. Either that or I need to stop scrolling through PornHub. It’s strange, isn’t it? You never know who you’re going to end up with. Lynne and Iain dated for a few weeks, split up, Lynne married Iain’s brother, then they end up together decades later. It was obviously meant to be.’