security.
“Damn knee acts up when it rains,” he said gruffly, trying to mask his pain.
“So, every day, then?” Quinn joked.
“If I had the sense I was born with, I’d move to a warmer, sunnier climate, like your folks,” Drew said.
“Marbella has its charms,” Quinn agreed. “But I think you’d be bored out of your mind.”
“You’re probably right. I need to keep busy.”
Quinn handed him the mac, and he shrugged it on. “I’ll be in touch.”
As Quinn returned to the kitchen, Drew’s warning echoed in her head. How she wished Daisy had never come to her. Sometimes ignorance really was bliss.
Chapter 37
For the next few days, Quinn tried valiantly to concentrate on the case Rhys had tasked her with, but all she could think of was Brett, imagining him attending classes, hanging out with his friends, visiting his parents and talking about his life as if he were any normal college kid, not a coldblooded killer. She avoided speaking to Seth for fear of giving something away, letting his calls go to voicemail. Seth was a perceptive man, and he’d hear something in her voice and question her. How could she lie to him and pretend all was well?
She went about in a haze, checking her phone several times every hour to see if there might be a message from Drew. There was none, but Daisy had called, anxious to know if Quinn had acted on the information she’d shared with her. Quinn promised to keep her updated, but that would be the extent of Daisy’s involvement. She meant to do everything in her power to keep Daisy safe. Daisy wasn’t on Brett’s radar, and Quinn would make sure he never learned of her connection to Jo.
“Can you get Alex and Mia to bed?” Quinn asked Gabe a week after she’d met with Drew. “I want to speak to Emma.” Emma had just gone upstairs, having eaten little at dinner.
“Sure,” Gabe said, and lifted Mia out of her highchair. “Come on, guys. Time for your bath.”
Quinn loaded the dishwasher, then headed upstairs, having given Emma enough time to take a shower and change into her pajamas. She found Emma curled up on her bed, her arm around Rufus. The pup whoofed happily when he saw Quinn.
“Get off, Rufus,” Quinn told him, and sat down in the spot he’d reluctantly vacated. She reached out and smoothed Emma’s damp hair away from her face. Emma looked tired and worried. “Em, are you okay?” Quinn asked. “Is everything all right at school?”
Emma nodded.
“Getting along with your friends?” Quinn asked carefully. She knew how quickly kids could go from being the best of friends to not speaking to each other and refusing to sit together at lunch.
“Everything’s fine, Mum,” Emma replied warily.
“Then what’s bothering you? You’ve been awfully quiet these past few days, and you’ve barely touched your dinner.”
“I wasn’t in the mood for chicken.”
“Is there something you’d like me to make for dinner tomorrow?” Quinn asked.
Emma shrugged. “Whatever you want. It doesn’t matter.” Her eyes filled with tears as she met Quinn’s gaze. “Mum, are you ill?” she blurted out.
“What? No. Why would you think that?” Quinn asked, taken by surprise.
“Because I see the way Dad watches you. He’s scared. I can tell,” Emma said quietly. “I’ve seen that look before.”
“You have? When?”
“When we took you to the hospital the night Alex was born, and then when you were pregnant with Mia. When you had high blood pressure,” Emma said, watching Quinn intently.
Quinn sighed. She knew Emma was observant, but she hadn’t realized how much she was internalizing.
“Em, I am absolutely fine. I promise,” Quinn said, stroking Emma’s hair.
Emma’s eyes widened as some thought popped into her head. “Are you going to have another baby?” she demanded.
“No. Were you hoping I was?”
“No. I don’t want you to have any more babies.”
“Really? Why?” Quinn asked. Emma adored Alex and Mia, so her answer was surprising.
“Because you’re always busy. Every time I ask you to help me with something or to take me somewhere, you tell me that Alex has a playdate or it’s time for Mia’s nap, or someone has a doctor’s appointment. If you have another baby, you’ll never have time for me.”
“I’ll always have time for you.”
Emma gave her an accusing look, and Quinn realized, quite guiltily, that she hadn’t spent much one-on-one time with Emma in weeks.
“How about we do something this Saturday? Just you and me. We can go to the cinema or go shopping, if you like.”
“I want to go