Page 40 of The Truth Will Out
He followed her and found her watching Tilly, who was attacking a shrub in the garden, clearly uninterested in the treat she’d just been given.
“No, Tilly,” he shouted from behind her, scaring Sam half to death. “You shouldn’t let her get away with that.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologised for the second time in as many minutes.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
Tilly ran past them and sat down by her bowl.
“I’ll feed the dogs and then tell you.”
“Okay. Am I cooking for two tonight, or are you going to give my food a miss, too?” he asked. Hurt swam in his eyes even though he still managed a hint of a smile.
Sam avoided looking at him, her heart hurting the most it had in years. She’d had a lot to deal with of late, still feeling the loss of Sonny, and now coping with Claire’s death. The meeting with Scott had left her feeling distraught. She’d needed her time at the park with Tilly, hoping it would help her put life back into perspective, and it probably would have, if only Rhys hadn’t turned up. It was the secrets and lies she was struggling with. However, Rhys hadn’t got aclue about what had taken place during the day, and she didn’t have it in her to tell him what Bob had discovered. Not yet, not without them digging deeper into that file. Breaking the news to Scott had almost broken her. She hadn’t expected him to react so vehemently. Although his anger was understandable, Sam couldn’t wait to get away from him.
“How much do you want?” Rhys said.
“The usual, maybe a little less than normal.” Sam fed the dogs and filled up their water bowls, then set the table.
Rhys put the plate in front of her.
“Thank you,” she whispered, then tucked into her meal, which smelt delicious.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now? Is this about Claire’s death?”
She stared at her plate. “Yes, but that’s not all. Sorry, I’m not ready to discuss what else has come to light; it’s too raw right now.”
“I’m not sure what that means. We don’t have to talk about it. In your own time. I’m not going to push you, sweetheart. Just know that I’m here for you.”
“Thank you.”
She didn’t look up from her plate, and they continued to eat in silence. She had a hell of a lot of soul searching to do before she could summon up the courage to ask him about his involvement with Pendle House. It was obvious there was more to that establishment than they had discovered so far, and she felt that if she asked him outright what he knew about it, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to tell whether he was being truthful or not. To say she was confused would be wrong. However, she was on the fence, with a pointy bit sticking up her backside, causing her major discomfort.
“What would you like to do this evening?” Rhys asked as he pushed his empty plate aside.
“I need to make some notes. Your day might be over, but when a copper is murdered, my part in the investigation multiplies tenfold.”
“I can imagine. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this shit, Sam. A gentle reminder that I’m here if you need to run anything past me.”
“I won’t. I got to be an inspector years ago, without you or anyone else to assist me,” Sam snapped back, leaving the table. She ran upstairs and closed the bedroom door behind her, leaving him to clear up the kitchen and to occupy the dogs for the rest of the evening. A tinge of guilt crept in, but she quickly suppressed it.
Why should I feel guilty? If he’s involved in what went on at that school… well, I’m appalled and feel grossly let down by him.
And if he’s not?Her second inner voice asked the other important question that had been prodding her all day.
5
Sam received the call that another body had been found at a building site on the edge of Workington. She had no hesitation in jumping in the car with Bob in tow and travelling to the scene.
“I can see how worked up you’re getting about this by the colour of your knuckles. Just a reminder, we don’t yet know if this murder is connected to the investigation.”
“I’m well aware of that fact. But here’s the thing: I stopped believing in coincidences not long after I graduated from training school.”
“All right, that was uncalled for. There’s no need to be sarcastic just because I state the obvious now and again.”
“I wouldn’t mind if that were the case. ‘Now and again’ means something entirely different in your book than it does in mine.”
Bob crossed his arms and glanced out of the side window until they were much closer to the location. “I’m sorry for stating the obvious.”
