Page 26 of Kiss Me Ever After
“Sure.”
The two of them went out to the back room.
The male officer, PC Raines, came and settled himself down at the table. I vaguely recognised him as a police officer I’d had a few dealings with in the past. He’d never been very friendly, and it didn’t look as if that were about to change. After curtly telling us the procedure, he got straight to the point.
“What were you doing here yesterday afternoon?”
“I fancied a coffee. It’s a nice cafe.” I nodded in Bryony and Si’s direction.
“You came in close to closing time, why?”
I didn’t particularly like his accusatory tone. Part of me didn’t want to play nice, but for Lennon’s sake I thought I should. “It’s on my way home.”
PC Raines sniffed. “Long way from the hotel, Justin.”
“Look, I came in, I clocked something wasn’t right and I went to help.” I showed them my arm. “Even got the scars to prove it.” The three of them stared at the cut on my forearm.
Bryony gasped. “I hadn’t realised you were hurt.”
“It’s nothing.” I shrugged.
PC Raines, flipped through his notes, then looked up at me through narrowed eyes. “No one mentioned any kind of weapon.”
“The kid had a penknife.”
Bryony gasped again, clutching at Si’s hand. “Lennon never said anything about that.”
The officer pursed his lips. “Why didn’t you tell us about this yesterday? We would have sent someone out straight away.”
I bit my lip against the comment I wanted to make. By the time they’d have got here, the lads would have been long gone. “I think Lennon was so shaken up by the situation she forgot.”
“I’ll need to get PC Collins to ask further questions once we’re done here.” PC Raines jotted something in his notebook then turned his attention back to me. “Any idea who these lads were? Can you give me a description?”
In all honesty, I hadn’t taken a good look at any of the boys, I’d been more interested in Lennon. “Sorry, no. Don’t think they were from around here though. You know what teenagers look like, same hair, same t-shirts and jeans.”
“I know what you looked like when you were a teenager.”
It was a casual comment. One that shouldn’t have hit home as much as it did. But here I was, trying to make a good impression in front of Lennon’s bosses and the local plod were reminiscing about my wayward teenage years. I’d had a few run-ins with them when I was younger. Mostly for stupid stuff, disturbing the peace, graffiti, anti-social behaviour, that sort of thing. The kind of antics bored teenage boys in a seaside tourist town got up to out of season.
I swallowed. If I’d been less worried about Lennon, I probably could have had a shot at identifying the kids. Especially the lad with the knife.
“Seems awfully convenient they still got away with the takings, even though you’d turned up to stop them.” PC Raines looked down at his notebook again, avoiding any kind of eye contact. “Yet you maintain you didn’t know them?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Si and Bryony exchange a glance. They’d already got the measure of what PC Raines was insinuating. Because I had history, because I hadform,he’d made an assumption, and now so had they.
Crossing my arms, I slouched back in my chair, my lip curling. I may as well play the part. “No idea who they were at all. Don’t really have anything else to say on the matter.” And I shut down. Despite PC Raines repeated attempts to get me to answer the questions he threw at me; I simply shrugged or shook my head.
The initial warmth shown by Si and Bryony seemed to wane the more closed off I became. They both encouraged me to be more forthcoming with my answers, but I refused, using one or two words to respond. By the time PC Raines had finished, I sensed they were ready for me to leave. Lennon was still talking to the female officer. Not knowing how much longer she’d be, I pushed my chair back and stood up.
“If we’re all done here?” My gaze swept across the three of them. “I’ll head off now.”
“Aren’t you going to wait for Lennon?” asked Bryony. “I’m sure she won’t be too long.”
More than anything, I wanted to. More than anything, I wanted to make sure she was okay, that she’d told her side of the story. But sitting in uncomfortable silence with three people who had formed an opinion of me wasn’t something I relished. If I wanted that kind of judgement, all I had to do was go home and sit down with Ted.
“Tell her I’ll be in touch.” Without a backward glance, I left the cafe.
Once out on the street, I didn’t know what to do or where to go. The rest of the afternoon stretched out in front of me. It was too early to go home. Alex and Curtis would still be at work, so I couldn’t meet them for a beer. Sure, I could go to the pub on my own, but nursing a pint at three thirty seemed just a little bit sad.
