Page 198 of The Hallmarked Man
‘Quod si non aliud potest, ruborem ferreo canis exprimamus ore.’
‘You’ll have to translate, I’m afraid. I never did Latin.’
‘Ask your fucking boyfriend to do it.’
‘My boyfriend doesn’t speak Latin, either.’
‘He’ll understand that.’
‘Cormoran Strike isn’t my—’
‘Oh,’ said Valentine. ‘Got bored already, has he? That was quick.’
‘We’re not together, and we never have been,’ said Robin. ‘I’m here—’
Her phone rang again. It was Linda, a second time. Robin refused the call.
‘You two were fucking as soon as he left Charlotte,’ said Valentine.
‘You’ve been misinformed,’ said Robin.
‘It’syouwho’s been misinformed, dear.’
‘I think I’m more likely to know who I’m sleeping—’
‘Did you know he knocked her around?’
‘Mr Longcaster, I—’
‘Rather not hear hard facts about your hero?’
‘Cormoran Strike isn’t my hero, he’s my business partner,’ said Robin.
‘Charlotte told me you were pretty fucking starry-eyed whenever he walked in the room.’
‘She saw us together for about a minute and a half, tops,’ said Robin, starting to lose her cool against her will. ‘And as I recall, I was looking at her the whole—’
‘I’ll bet you were. Like what you see?’
‘What’s that supposed—?’
‘Eyeing up the competition? You werenofucking competition, not to her.’
‘As I wasn’t competing, that’s neither—’
‘D’you know what she called you?’
‘I really couldn’t care le—’
‘“PP”,’ said Valentine. ‘Want to know what that stands for?’
‘I think we’re done here,’ said Robin, but with execrable timing, the waitress now returned and put a plate of spaghetti in front of her.
‘Thank you,’ muttered Robin.
‘Parmesan?’
‘No, thank you.’
