Page 60 of Gone in the Night
‘Thank you, when the shit hits the fan, I won’t mention you, okay? And don’t go and drag yourself into it because that’s not what I want. I’m happy to take the fallout. If it means we get to save someone’s life, it’s worth everything.’
‘Including your career? You’ll get suspended at best.’
‘I really don’t care. I can’t stand by and watch them blame Jack when they’re guessing and not focusing on the cold, hard facts.’
Morgan leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Cain who hugged her back even harder. ‘You’re my fearless leader, Brookes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Should I come see Palmer with you?’
She squeezed him, grinning. ‘No, I better go alone. I don’t want you involved any more than you already are, and besides, I doubt he’ll talk in front of you after earlier. Thank you, Cain.’
Cain put his hand on the doorknob then turned to her. ‘Are you doing this so you don’t have to work with Amber?’
Morgan shrugged, and he shook his head, a smile on his lips. ‘You’re a chancer, Brookes.’
Then he stepped out into the corridor and straight to the lift, to go back down to custody to get Palmer’s contact details for her.
FORTY-ONE
Cain met Morgan in the corridor and slipped her a pale-yellow Post-it note that she pushed into her pocket. They looked as if they’d just done some kind of illegal drug deal, but she didn’t care. She ran down the stairs to the rear yard, grabbing a set of keys to a car off the whiteboard. Once she was out of the car park she drove to The Coffee Pot, her favourite café. It was sandwiched on the main street between a Thai restaurant and a newsagent. The outside had been painted sage green and a new sign put up; it looked good after its refresh.
Inside, Jade, the owner, on the other hand, looked as if she could do with a refresh, bless her. She had dark roots that made her usual honey blonde hair look messy, and it was tied back in a low ponytail. Jade’s pretty blue eyes had lost all their sparkle. Even though she was wearing a new apron that matched the outside of the shop and the new logo, she looked exhausted. It made Morgan’s heart ache so bad for her. Jade had lost her daughter to another maniac a year ago.
‘Hey, Jade, how are things?’
She smiled at Morgan. ‘I’m muddling along, how are you?’
‘Busy and in desperate need of caffeine.’
‘Then you came to the right place. Are you sitting down for five because if you are I’ll bring it over to you.’
‘I am.’ Morgan double clicked her phone to use Apple Pay, and Jade waved her away.
‘Shoo, go take a seat.’
She felt her cheeks burn a little at Jade’s kindness, but didn’t argue with her. Jade always insisted on giving her free coffee as a thank you for finding her daughter’s killer, even though Morgan would never dream of expecting her to.
She sat down and checked her phone to see if Palmer had replied to her message.
Be there in ten minutes.
She sucked in a breath and exhaled deeply, wondering what on earth she was doing meeting the guy she despised the most on the entire planet.
Jade placed a latte and a cheese savoury baguette on the table in front of her.
‘No arguments, I bet you haven’t been eating properly. I saw the news, those poor women. What is the world coming to?’
‘It’s getting scarier every day. I bet it brought it all back to you, you must miss Melody so much.’
Jade nodded. ‘I just feel as if there is something permanently missing, which there is, but you know what I mean. The flat is so quiet. I miss her mess, her make-up all over the bathroom; I miss her blaring Taylor Swift at full volume all hours of the day and night. I can’t bear to listen to her music now because I just cry.’
‘Oh, bless you, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it is for you.’
‘It’s just she was so young, she had her whole life ahead of her. I wish it had been me; I would give anything to swap places with her.’
Morgan stood up and pulled Jade in for a hug, rocking her back and forth to soothe her. Jade hugged her back ferociously. The bell above the door jangled and in walked Fin Palmer, who looked at the two women and arched an eyebrow, which made Morgan want to punch him and he hadn’t even spoken yet.
Jade pulled away. ‘Thanks, Morgan, I needed that more than you know.’
She turned to Fin. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
