Page 61 of Gone in the Night
‘Tap water, please.’
Jade left them to it, and Morgan watched as he sat down opposite her, staring into her eyes.
‘What’s this about? A public apology for getting me arrested? Because I know fine well it was your fault.’
‘Nothing to do with me, but thanks for coming.’
Jade placed the glass of water on the table.
‘You got yourself into that mess. Why were you on the radio in the first place? That was your doing, so don’t blame me.’
‘How are you, Morgan? It’s been a long time, and I miss you.’
She doubted he was being sincere, but she was willing to play along with him to get what she wanted. ‘I’m tired of chasing killers, if you want to know the truth.’
‘I imagine you are, maybe if you weren’t so good at it every person with the desire to murder wouldn’t take it as a direct challenge for you to catch them.’ He was smiling, thinking he was being amusing.
How had she fallen for this guy? Actually, she knew exactly how – he could turn on the charm when he needed to. He had done that with her, turning it all the way up. When she’d first met him, she was knee-deep in a murder case and feeling out of her depth, overwhelmed and just needed someone to talk to.He had swept into her life when she was at her lowest. She’d let him until she realised exactly what kind of a man he was when he’d printed that bullcrap story about her biological family and exposed every dark secret she hadn’t known she’d had before she’d even had the time to process it. Morgan was so thankful that Ben was nothing like him.
‘I just do my job, that’s all.’
‘It’s more than just doing your job, how about an exclusive interview with you? The whole world would love to know more about the elusive, super detective, Morgan Brookes.’
She shook her head. ‘And bring even more lunatics to Rydal Falls and into my life, it would be like an open invitation. No, thank you.’
‘Then why am I here?’
She took a long sip of her latte, debating if she should say what she was going to because there was no going back once she did.
‘I need a favour from you.’
Fin sat back, a genuine look of surprise on his face.
‘What kind of favour?’
‘I need your word that all of this I’m going to tell you is off the record, except for what I want you to write.’
‘That’s quite some demand.’
‘If you don’t keep it off the record then this conversation is over, Fin. I haven’t got time to waste with you. I’ll find someone else who will keep it off the record.’
She knew she had thrown him because he looked thoroughly confused. He took a sip of the tap water and grimaced, making her smile. Jade was as perceptive as Morgan and had given him warm water and no ice.
‘I will keep your name out of it, I can say a trusted source, but tell me, is this going to get me arrested again? Because I’ve had quite enough of your police station for one day.’
‘I don’t think so, I mean I can’t guarantee it, but you have freedom of speech, you’re making a public safety announcement.’
‘Then why did they arrest me before?’
‘You were talking about a live investigation; this is going to be an assumption on the case that the police may be making or have overlooked.’
She had him, his eyes were wide, glazed with excitement and anticipation at what she was about to tell him.
‘Misconduct? The public love that, they think the police are inept anyway. Well, most of them, maybe not you.’
‘Not intentionally, more an overlooking of things that could compromise the safety of women, but none of it is malicious, there is no ulterior motive, no hate crime against women. It’s more the fact that they’re pushed to their limits and possibly not thinking straight.’
‘Your department?’
