Page 22 of Rat

“Yeah.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Look, I’ve got to go—”

“And unblock that toilet.”

Rory snorted, and the stinging returned to his eyes. “I love you.”

Erica blew down the phone, then whistled. “Now I am worried.”

“Just say it back to me, bitch.”

She laughed, joyous and loud. “Arsehole. And I love you too,babybrother.”

Rory ended the call, and without glancing up, he held the phone out to Morris.

“How cute,” she muttered.

“Did you have to sit there the whole time?”

Morris smiled sweetly. “Yes, in case you say something you shouldn’t. You need to keep details of this case secret.”

Hamish strolled back inside the room without the governor. “Is your sister well?”

Rory nodded.

“Great.” He walked over to Rory and placed his hands on Rory’s shoulders. “Sebastian Claw is evil. I put him away all those years ago, and I need to do it again. If the three of us do this, we’ll be heroes in the community.”

“I never wanted to be a hero.”

“Erica will be proud of you.”

Rory lowered his gaze.

“And one day, you might even make inspector like your dad, like Morris has. She is one of the best officers on the entire force. I asked her specifically to help me with this case.”

Hamish gazed up at Morris, and she pouted her lips, then fluttered her overdone eyelashes. “And I came running. I’ll always come running.”

“Now think back over this last week,” Hamish said. “Has Sebastian said anything, anything at all that could hint at what he and his old friends are planning?”

Rory frowned. “He said when he gets out, he’s going to celebrate with a big bang.”

“A bang?” Morris mumbled. “Like an explosion, a bomb?”

“I don’t know, that’s all he said.”

Hamish sucked in his bottom lip. “We all know he’s done deals with terrorists before, sold devastating bombs and explosives over the dark web. What would he want to blow up? The court that sent him down? The police station he was charged in—”

“The house of the inspector who caught him?” Morris whispered. She bit her lip, eyeing Hamish.

Hamish gawped. “You don’t think…”

“He sent you that letter,” Morris whispered.

Rory looked up. “What letter?”

Morris answered before Hamish could. “Two months ago, Hamish received a letter. It was a threat on his life.” Her eyes rounded with fear. “What if you’re in danger?”

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