Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,101

back to her with a wry smile. ‘There’s no truth in it,’ he stated categorically. ‘I’ve never been involved with Natasha.’

Regan scanned his eyes quizzically for a second. Then: ‘There was also a suggestion that your father might have been,’ she said, watching him carefully.

Running a hand over his neck, Jake laughed cynically. ‘I really don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Maybe you should ask him.’

‘We’ve spoken to him. He says not,’ Regan informed him. ‘Just out of interest, can you confirm where you were last night, Dr Merriden?’

Her tone was devoid of any particular inflection, Jake noted. He was about to ask why she wanted to know, but guessing that would make him sound defensive, thought better of it. ‘I was here,’ he provided. ‘We’d been at Edward Simpson’s party. There was an incident there, as you’ve no doubt realised. Edward left upset, and we – Emily and I – went in search of him and took him home.’

Regan had the good grace to look sympathetic. ‘You do understand we have to ascertain people’s movements around the time of the incident?’ she asked.

‘Of course.’ Making a conscious move to show her to the door, he wished to God she’d chosen to do her ascertaining when Emily wasn’t present.

‘So you were here all night?’ Regan continued, to his dismay. He’d hoped she would just leave it there and go. He needed to check on Ben and talk to Emily, whose expression, he noted, glancing in her direction, was one of bewilderment. ‘You didn’t have any reason to go out in your car. No call-outs?’

Recalling that Ben had been using his car, Jake answered cautiously. ‘No, not until Joyce called,’ he said, willing his eyes not to stray towards the kitchen as he heard the back door open and close.

‘Right. Thank you.’ Regan turned to go at last, to Jake’s immense relief.

He opened the front door for her. ‘Do you have information regarding vehicles in the vicinity?’ he asked, trying to sound casual.

Her eyes flicked curiously to his.

‘From what you’ve just said, I’m presuming you do,’ he added.

‘Could be,’ she answered evasively. ‘I’d better get on. A police officer’s work is never done.’ She glanced back at Emily with a small smile, and then at Jake. ‘No doubt we’ll have a few more things we might need to clarify with you.’

Jake nodded. ‘Anything I can do to help,’ he offered, ‘providing it doesn’t breach client confidentiality.’

‘We’ll make sure we have the requisite paperwork should we need it,’ she said, stepping out – and almost into Tom, who was coming up the drive.

‘We meet again.’ Tom offered her a guarded smile. ‘Any further news?’

‘Nothing yet. We’ll keep everyone informed as deemed necessary,’ she replied, giving both Tom and Jake a long, searching look.

Tom shook his head. ‘Nasty business,’ he said with a despairing sigh.

‘Very.’ Regan drew her gaze away and headed onwards to her car.

Tom watched her go, then turned to Jake with a worried smile.

Jake eyed him quizzically. Tom might do the odd house call, but this wasn’t a house he was generally welcome in.

‘I came to apologise,’ Tom said, confounding him completely.

‘For?’ He furrowed his brow.

‘Pranging the front of your car,’ Tom said, running a hand sheepishly through his hair and nodding towards where it was parked on the drive. ‘Damn silly thing to have done. I was in a bit of a rush coming out of the car park the other day. Pushed my foot a bit too enthusiastically on the accelerator and went straight into yours, I’m afraid.’

It took a second for Jake to digest what he’d said. When he did, his heart skipped a beat. The police were showing an interest in his car, which was newly dented around the same time as a hit-and-run – and around the time Ben had been driving it. Christ, how was that going to look to them?

Forty-Two

Millie

Her heart banging, Millie stuffed the letter hastily into her pocket and got shakily to her feet. ‘I was looking for paracetamol,’ she improvised, walking towards him. ‘I wondered whether you might have some in your bedside cabinet.’

A frown crossing his face, Louis looked her over thoughtfully. ‘In the bathroom,’ he said, nodding in that direction, and then looking past her to the bed.

‘Thanks.’ She cursed the tremor she could hear in her voice. ‘I’ll just go and grab some.’

His eyes narrowed, he nodded again and she took her chance. Her instinct was to run, but he was much taller than her, his stride longer. He