Page 37 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

“You’re helping me out.”

“Ah yes, but you’re my wedding date, don’t forget.”

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, Mrs Gupta asked Lucy for a favor.

“He won’t eat properly otherwise,” she said as she handed Lucy a series of metal tins stacked one on top of the other.

“Are you sure?” Lucy asked. “Arjun’s a big boy you know.”

“I’m his mother, he’ll never be a big boy to me,” Kashvi Gupta said primly. “Now please, I beg of you, take him his lunch. I would do it myself but I need to sign for the deliveries when they come.”

“Alright,” said Lucy. It was no skin off her nose. Besides, she welcomed the chance for a quick walk in the sun.

And time to think about what Cal had told her.

She wasn’t exactly planning on doing anything. In fact, as far as she was concerned, the matter was finished and none of her business. Except… except she kept seeing the look on Cal’s face when she admitted her shame and couldn’t quite forget it.

“Arjun?” she said when she got into the station.

“Mmm?” The tall policeman looked up from his computer and then he groaned. “My mother’s got you running errands, hasn’t she?”

Lucy grinned. “It’s not a big deal. She needed to sign for the deliveries, so I came. We can’t have you not eating.”

“My mother’s words, not yours. And what she really means is that she couldn’t possibly have me eating oh, a nice ploughman’sfrom the pub, or a sandwich from the cafe, or anything that hasn’t been prepared by her own two hands,” grumbled Arjun.

“Hush, she loves you and this is how she expresses it.”

Arjun rubbed a hand over his growing belly and laughed. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain.”

“You shouldn’t,” Lucy said. “And while I’m here, I’ve got a question for you.”

“Shoot,” Arjun said, lifting the dhabba up over the police station counter with a clatter.

“Alright,” said Lucy putting her elbows on the counter and leaning in. “A while ago there was a presumed robbery at the women’s club. Some money went missing. About…” She did some mental calculating in her head. “Probably fifteen years or so ago. Maybe a bit more or less.”

“Hold on,” said Arjun, turning back to his computer. He typed rapidly. “Yeah, here it is. The theft was reported, over eight hundred pounds went missing.”

“Anything else interesting in there?”

He eyed her. “This is police business, you know.”

Lucy snorted. “It happened yonks ago and anyway, I just bought you your lunch and you adore me, remember?”

“You’re a pain in the backside,” Arjun said, but he was reading the file on his screen. He shook his head. “Not much more to say though. The report was withdrawn, the money was found apparently. This is long before my time.”

“Right.” Lucy sucked air in over her teeth. “Not much use that.”

“You looking for a mystery to solve?” Arjun asked. “Because if you are, you could start with who keeps peeing in the bus shelter by the pub.”

“Everyone keeps peeing in the bus shelter,” said Lucy. “That’s what happens when you put one next to a pub.”

“Fair point.” Arjun grinned at her. “Thanks for the lunch, and tell mum thanks too.”

“Will do,” Lucy said.

As she walked back toward the newsagents she had plenty tothink about. What exactly had happened? Pen was sort of right. As much as she really did believe that Cal was innocent, it was tough to think of another explanation for what had happened to the Christmas money.

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