Page 25 of Dead in the Water

A heaviness settled on her chest. “That’s what I thought.”

“Can we talk about this in private?”

“Hello!” Jessica said cheerfully, walking out of the back room.

Flynn smiled a greeting at her, then tipped his head in the direction she’d come from and walked back there.

Clenching her jaw, Lily followed him. “We don’t need to talk about it,” she said when they were away from prying ears. “It’s fine.”

“I’d like to explain.”

“You don’t need to. I know what happened – you decided you didn’t want to meet me after all. Which is fine. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got stuff to get on with.”

“Just let me explain. You don’t have anything so urgent that you can’t hear me out.”

“How do you know?” she snapped. “For all you know I might be off to have drinks with Jago Treneary… Or something equally important.”

Flynn’s frustrated growl was all the confirmation she needed.

“So youwerewith him? Was it an important police matter he wanted to discuss?”

“I’m sorry, okay. I panicked and lied about having to work.”

“It doesn’t even matter. Let’s just forget it.”

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off.

“Please, don’t. I know what you’re going to say - that you’re leaving soon and there’s no point in us starting something, but I don’t want to hear it because I think the truth of it is that you’rea coward.” She hated how hurt she sounded - and even more, she hated the sympathy in his eyes. “Please, let’s just forget it,” she said after a strained silence.

He rubbed at his forehead. “Are we still friends?”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.”

“Lily…”

“There is something I wanted to ask you,” she said, cutting him off and waiting for him to give her the nod before she continued. “Are you treating Joseph’s death as an accident?”

He screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. “I thought we were talking about last night.”

“We talked about it. It’s all good. But I’d like to know about Joseph… what’s his last name?”

He stared at her for a moment, then seemed to resign himself to the subject change. “Joseph Whittaker.”

“Was there anything suspicious about his death?”

“No. Why?”

“I just wondered.” She paused, pondering what Rhys had said. “Where were his friends when he fell? Were they on the boat or still in the pub?”

“On the boat. Except for one of them who was staying in the hotel.”

“And the ones on the boat didn’t hear anything? He didn’t call out as he fell, or they didn’t hear a splash when he landed in the water?”

Flynn shook his head. “No.”

“Isn’t that strange?”

“They were asleep already.”

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