Page 12 of A Poisonous Plot

Lily’s smile stretched wider and she didn’t have a chance to respond before he messaged again.

How’s everything in the ice cream world? Any new flavours I need to test?

Not today,she told him.I’m ill.

All she got back was a couple of question marks.

Was up half the night with stomach cramps and vomiting,she wrote.

A sad face emoji came through.How are you feeling now?

A bit pathetic, but physically much better.

Do you need me to bring you anything?

No, I’m okay, thanks. Just lazing on the couch and feeling sorry for myself.

I can call over later if the sergeant feels capable of dealing with the stray cat alone.

She chuckled and it made her stomach hurt.I might be contagious,she typed.

I’ll take my chances. Let me know if you think of anything you need. I can call at the shop.

Thank you,she typed, then flopped back onto the couch, feeling infinitely better.

It was an hour later when she heard from him again, messaging to say he was downstairs and she should throw her keys down. That was definitely better than trudging all the way down there in her pyjamas.

“How are you feeling?” he asked when he wandered in wearing his uniform and holding a shopping bag in his hand.

“Okay.” She kept her head on the cushion and couldn’t even muster the energy to sit up. “My stomach feels as though someone used it as a punchbag, but other than that, I’m all right.”

He held up the shopping bag. “I brought you chamomile tea, a couple of tins of soup and a hot water bottle. I assumed you probably wouldn’t have one.”

Warmth spread through her chest, and it took her a moment to find her voice. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“I’ll make you a tea. Are you hungry?”

“I don’t know,” she said weakly.

“If you’re not up to soup, I also brought bread. I can make you a slice of toast and see how it goes down.”

“That would be good.” She was glad he immediately went to the kitchen, so she had a moment to get her emotions under control.

They were friends and she’d absolutely do the same for him, so she shouldn’t be surprised by him looking after her. Really, that was why she’d messaged him. She’d wanted someone to take care of her, but she’d only expected a bit of sympathy.

“Is it okay for you to go shopping while on duty?” she asked when he came back with a cup of tea and the hot water bottle.

He placed the steaming mug on the coffee table and raised an eyebrow. “I spent a good portion of the morning chasing a cat out of the station and had a half hour meeting with the sergeant about whether we should just let the cat have free rein of the place. I don’t think you need to worry about me wasting taxpayers’ money. This is probably the most useful thing I’ll do all day.” He perched on the couch beside her thigh. “You know what I was thinking while I was in the supermarket?”

“What?”

“I kept glancing around, hoping I might catch someone shoplifting. Someone in good physical shape who’d give me a run for my money while I chased them down. I miss the feeling of tackling shoplifters to the ground. That’s sad, isn’t it?”

“A bit,” she agreed at the same time that the toaster popped in the kitchen.

Flynn handed over the hot water bottle. “Put that against your stomach. When I was a kid my mum used to give me a hot water bottle when I was ill and it was always very soothing.”

She pushed it under her blanket and held it against her stomach.

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