Page 3 of A Poisonous Plot

“Good to know.” He brushed crumbs from his lips with the back of his hand. “I should go and see if I can find some crime to deal with. Wish me luck!”

Glynis clicked her tongue. “Most people find the lack of crime on these islands a positive thing.”

“Not me,” Flynn said. “Do me a favour, Glynis, and set up a crime ring of some sort. Give me something to do.”

“Don’t tempt me, PC Grainger. I have a lot of free time on my hands.”

He snorted a laugh, then caught Lily’s eye. “Pub tonight?”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

“Let’s try the Old Town Inn again. I’ll pick you up after my shift.”

The bell rang as he left.

“I don’t know why he doesn’t ask you out on a proper date,” Glynis said through a mouthful of ice cream.

Lily wrinkled her nose. “What?”

“All these casual invitations to the pub. It’s a ruse.”

“He’s helping me find the owner of this place,” Lily said.

Admittedly, discreetly questioning residents in the local pubs hadn’t got them anywhere yet, but since they’d decided going door to door was too intrusive, it at least felt as though she was doing something.

Glynis knew what their pub evenings were all about. As a long-time resident and self-proclaimed busybody Lily had hoped Glynis might have some information about the owner of the ice cream shop, but she hadn’t been able to tell her anythingother than the owner’s name – Gail Greenway – which Lily had already known.

“You make a cute couple,” Glynis said flatly.

“We’re not a couple,” Lily said, pressing hard on the lid of the ice cream to reseal it.

“You should be. He clearly fancies you.” Mischief twinkled in Glynis’s eyes. “I should get going too. Thank you for the ice cream. Enjoy your date tonight.”

“It’s not a date,” Lily muttered. A complete waste of her breath.

Chapter Two

Lily was waitingdown in the shop when Flynn arrived early in the evening, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, which seemed to be his off-duty uniform.

“You didn’t eat yet, did you?” he asked, stepping inside.

“No, I assumed we’d get dinner at the pub.” It had become a bit of a routine. They’d take turns to pay.

“Good. I’m starving.”

“You always are,” Lily said, picking up her jacket and bag.

They both turned at a faint sound from outside. A tall, dark-haired man peered through the window. After raising his hand to wave, he pushed at the door, making the bell jingle. His white trainers squeaked on the vinyl floor, drawing Lily’s gaze to his bright red socks which peeked out from his turned-up chinos. His navy polo shirt looked brand new. If you kept your eyes away from his feet, he looked like a stylish middle-aged guy.

“I need help,” he said in a thick Italian accent. “There has been a crime and I need your help.”

“What’s happened?” Flynn asked, straightening up as his eyes flashed with something between hope and excitement.

“Not you.” The man kept his eyes on Lily and extended his hand. “My name is Dante Accardi. It’s nice to meet you. I need your help.”

“Me?” Lily asked, glancing from Dante to Flynn. “This is PC Grainger…”

“Yes, I know. But I heard you are an investigator. I need an investigator. Police can’t help me.”

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