Page 10 of Murder in Shades of Fire and Ash

Dylan folded himself gracefully into a chair, and Charlie sat opposite him, feeling like a lumbering fool in comparison.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” he said for the second time that day.

8

Sunday morning

Unlike the senior Unwins, Dylan didn’t express disbelief at the news of Josh Unwin’s death, just shock and sorrow.

“I was falling in love with him,” Dylan told Charlie. “It was only supposed to be friends with benefits, but he was special, you know … most men don’t talk about feelings, but he did. Communication is essential in a polyamorous relationship … “

Charlie watched Dylan’s face as he talked. Explaining about their relationship was a distraction from the awfulness, Charlie thought. But it couldn’t last.

“Oh, God, how’s Patsy?”

“As you’d expect,” Charlie said. “They’d been together a long time.”

“I must go and see her,” Dylan said, and then he pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his shorts and let himself cry. Charlie went over to the kitchen end of the room and poured a glass of water which he put on the table in front of Dylan.

When Dylan’s crying eased, he looked at the glass.

“I think gin would be better, don’t you think?” he asked, but he drank the water anyway.

“I’d like to ask a few questions,” Charlie said.

Dylan nodded. “Go ahead. It’s not like I have anything else to do. I almost want to get called in to work.”

“What do you do?” Charlie asked.

“I’m training to be a paramedic. But when I met Unwin, I was a trolley dolly on a budget airline. He picked me up when I was working, the shameless hussy.”

“That’s quite a career change,” Charlie said.

“It takes some people longer to find their vocation. I was a model for a while, too.”

Charlie had no problem believing it. “You knew about … that Unwin had another partner?”

“Of course. I told you; it was only supposed to be a fling. Now I’ve found what I want to do as a career, I’m making it my priority. There’s a lot of studying. I don’t havetimefor a relationship, but the connection was real, you know? Not just a quick fuck. We did other stuff too. Clubs, hikes, theatre trips. All sorts of things. Sometimes with Patsy, sometimes just us.”

“You weren’t jealous?” Because Charlie couldn’t imagine not being jealous. Hell, he was jealous of Tom’s relationship with … Not going there.

Dylan shook his head. “I don’t like being tied to one person. Nor did Unwin.”

“It has been suggested that Unwin had relationships with women other than Patsy,” Charlie said. He planned to ask Patsy the same thing, though in truth he wondered how Unwin could have found the time.

Dylan shook his head again. “Don’t think so. Maybe a one-night stand, but he loves Patsy and he says he loves me. I mean, helovedus. I think that was enough, don’t you? I think I want to be on my own now, please.”

Charlie saw the tears threatening again.

“One last question. Can you tell me where you were yesterday and last night?”

The storm broke. “I was here. With Unwin. He took the afternoon off to spend it with me.” Dylan sobbed. “I made him leave after dinner, because I wanted to work on my assignments. I should have made him stay. Sorry, but please, just go.”

Charlie stood up. He left his card on the table. He wanted to ask what time Unwin had left the little house, but there would be no point. Dylan had his arms on the table and his face buried in them, sobbing. He hated to leave Dylan, and vowed to check back later, and not just to find out about Unwin’s movements. But it was time he got back to Llanfair.

“Can I call someone to sit with you?” Charlie asked.

Dylan shook his head. “I’m fine,” he said, though it obviously wasn’t true.

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