Page 61 of A Poisonous Plot

“You need to help me,” he hissed as he shot across the shop floor and slid into the back room to disappear around the corner.

“What’s going on?” She stepped back there. “Where’s my coffee?”

“I’ll get you a coffee if you hide me.”

“If I dowhat?”

“You heard.” He slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.

“Hide you from who?” She’d only just got the words out when the bell jingled again, back to its sedate tinkle.

“Fromher,” Flynn mouthed, pointing towards the door.

Lily looked through the shop at a tall blond woman stepping inside. “You have got to be kidding me?” she muttered under her breath. Her eyes slid to Flynn, who pressed his palms together in a prayer like gesture.

“Please,” he mouthed, his eyes widening to a pathetic puppy dog expression.

“Hi,” the blonde said, drawing Lily’s attention. “Sorry to bother you.”

“I’m not open yet,” Lily said, stepping into the doorway but keeping Flynn in her peripheral vision.

“I know.” She pushed her long glossy locks behind her shoulders. “I was just looking for Flynn.”

Lily tugged on her earlobe while attempting a puzzled expression. “Who?”

“Flynn.” She rested a hand on her hip. “The tall, dark-haired guy who just ran in here.”

“You mean PC Grainger?” Lily glanced behind her as though looking for him and caught the pathetic look on his face as she did. “Yep. He just ran through here. Went straight out the back door. I think he was chasing a criminal.”

Her stomach clenched with annoyance – at herself for covering for him, and at Flynn for being a horrible womaniser who ran away from his problems instead of stopping to face the consequences.

“Sure he did,” the blonde said, a hint of a smile piquing Lily’s interest. She certainly didn’t seem like someone who’d been taken in by Flynn’s charms and left heartbroken.

“Sorry for whatever he did,” Lily said, suddenly furious with Flynn. “He’s kind of awful.”

The woman waved a dismissive hand in front of her face, then reached into her handbag. “Can you do me a favour and give him this?” She held out a watch. “He left it at my place. I thought it looked expensive.”

Lily knew nothing about watches, but the weight of it surprised her. “I think I’d have kept it if I were you,” she remarked. “Or sold it.”

“I considered it, but I was concerned it might be sentimental, and these things tend to play on my mind.”

“Nice of you to get it back to him,” Lily said.

The woman cocked her head. “Friends with him, are you?”

“Yeah.” Lily automatically glanced behind her. “But I don’t always like him very much,” she added, loud enough for him to hear.

“Can I give you some advice?” Her eyes flicked over Lily’s shoulder and when she spoke again, it was with significantly more volume. “Don’t sleep with him. The guy’s all charm and not a lot of substance, if you know what I mean?” She winked at Lily and turned on her heel, striding out with her head held high.

After staring after her in awe, Lily stifled a laugh and walked back to find Flynn sitting with his back against the wall.

“That was weirdly fun,” Lily said, dangling his watch over him. “I think you met your match with her.”

He rolled his eyes. “She knew I was here. She only said that because she knew I was here.”

“Or maybe she just thought you were rubbish in bed.” Lily grinned and offered him the watch. “Does it have sentimental value?” she asked when he took it.

He frowned at the watch face. “I suppose it might have, for the guy who owns it.”

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