wine on the worktop that morning.
‘Ok,’ he said, pouring himself a large whisky and topping it up with water before going to sit down.
‘You alright?’ asked Tess.
‘Fine.’
‘Fine. Oh Ok’
She kept glancing at him whilst pretending to watch the TV. In the end Dan found it irritating.
‘What?’ he said.
‘Nothing,’ she said, then, when she saw that he wasn’t going to accept just this added, ‘You’ve got some lipstick on your cheek.’
Angrily he wiped it off.
‘Is that why you’re in a bad mood?’
‘What?’
‘Some girl turn you down?’ Her tone was light, jokey even.
‘No,’ said Dan, taking a big swig of his drink, ‘the reverse actually.’
Tess starred at him, then her mouth opened in shock. ‘Oh no,’ she said, ‘You didn’t? Tell me that you didn’t?’
‘Tell you that I didn’t do what?’
‘Jenny. You turned her down didn’t you?’
‘What if I did?’
‘Because…' Dan saw Tess pause as if she was considering something. 'Dan?' she said haltingly, 'You didn't....hurt her did you?'
'Well, I'm not going to be on her Christmas card list, let's put it like that.'
'I didn't mean that....I..er'
Dan frowned. 'What did you...?' Then realisation hit him. 'What? Hit her you mean? Be violent? What do you think I am?'
'I...don't know,' she frowned. 'Look Dan, last night, I saw stuff on your computer, the things that you had been searching about. Murders, assaults. I just...well...'
Dan's mouth dropped open.
'You think it was me? Me that attacked you. That I'm into that sort of stuff?'
'No, I didn't think that, well not really.'
'Not really? Oh thanks.'
'Oh Dan, you've said yourself that you've been worried about yourself at times...'
'I know but that? Do you honestly think that I'm capable of that? Do you think it was me who attacked you?'
Tess met Dan's gaze steadily. In spite of his anger he saw her looking carefully at his eyes and guessed what she was doing. He was pleased to see he sigh with relief.
'I'm sorry,' she said. 'It could never have been you. I do know what you're like inside.'
'It's OK,' he said. 'I've wondered myself actually...well, you know, about my mind. But no, I know I could never do that, even unconsciously. And about the pages...'
'You don't need to explain,' said Tess.
'Yes I do. I was looking to see if there were any clues about what happened to you, like you asked me to.'
'Oh,' she said. 'Sorry. Did you...'
'No. Not really. There are rumours – twitter rumours really and you know how reliable they can be – that there is someone out there, in this City who says he is killing because he wants to, because he has the right to, who boasts about him. I was trying to find him. I couldn't though.'
'Oh right. Sorry.'
'That's OK.'
'But Jenny...'
'What about her.' Dan felt his anger rising again.
'Well I hope you were nice about how you turned her down.’
Dan’s silence was eloquent.
Tess jumped to her feet and threw her hands in air in exasperation, ‘Dan! You bloody idiot! What did you do that for?’
‘Don’t you bloody start,’ he muttered, ‘don’t you bloody start on that, I’ve had enough tonight.’ He took another drink, ‘This is your fault anyway.’
‘Mine? Mine? How is this my fault?’ she said, palms outstretched.
‘Because I…Because I lo –‘
‘No!’ she shouted, ‘Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare say that. That’s it, I’m going. Take me back to my flat.’
Dan just sat, staring into space, quite deliberately ignoring her.
‘Now!’ she yelled.
‘No,’ he said quietly.
‘No?’ She looked surprised.
‘You heard me,’ he stood, drained his glass and threw it into the kitchen where it shattered against the units. ‘I’m pissed now anyway, can’t drive but I wouldn’t do it anyway. I’m sick of being pushed around, pushed into doing things I’ve not wanted to do. Well this is it, no more.’
He headed for the door.
‘Tomorrow I’m going up to Scotland camping. You’ll have the place to yourself for a week. I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.’
He slammed the door behind him, leaving Tess standing in the lounge open-mouthed.
*
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Chapter Fifteen
Saturday morning
Dan was still angry when he woke up.
He showered, dressed and packed what he could into the car before he even opened the door to the lounge. He expected her not to be there but there she was, sitting quietly on the sofa.
‘Morning,’ he said.
‘Morning,’ she said, ‘look, about last night, I’m really s -.’
‘Ok,’ he said abruptly, cutting