Page 90 of Reinventing Cato
“Maybe just leaving it in your room, switched off, would be better.”
“I’ve done a check for spyware. Twice. Found nothing. But it struck me that if Ihadfound something and removed it, I’d have given away that I know. There’s no increased battery use or excess data usage. The phone’s not behaving any differently, but none of that means it’s safe. I need to keep using it normally just so I don’t alarm whoever is behind this.”
“You’re doing the right thing in reporting it.”
“I hope that’s true. I won’t mention you.”
“Yes, you will. Ask for me when you get here. Can you come tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I wish you were here.”
Vigge smiled. “I wish I was too.”
“I’d lick you all over.”
Vigge groaned.
“Do you have a hard on?”
“No.”
“Oh. What about if I took all my clothes off and showed you how flexible I am?”
“Bye, Cato.”
“I can lick my—”
It was Cato who ended the call and Vigge laughed.
Chapter Fourteen
Cato was insanely busy on Monday, but he did what Vigge had suggested he do, left his iPhone switched off in his room then drove to Huntingdon with his new one. The police would want to take his iPhone and Cato wasn’t prepared to risk giving it up. He’d sent screenshots of the texts to the pay-as-you-go, so he hoped that would be enough.
He hated feeling so anxious, so distrusting. He even fretted about being followed, though if there was someone tailing him, he didn’t spot them. The one instruction he didn’t stick to when he got to the station was to ask to see Vigge. If Vigge wanted to come out as gay then it was up to him to do it.Not let it happen through me.There was no need to get a detective inspector involved in this.
The policeman Cato spoke to, while he took all the details and did no visible eye-rolling, didn’t seem to feel there was much they could do. His suggestion, that maybe it was one of Cato’s mates playing a prank, and that his mother’s accident was just a coincidence, was disappointing but not surprising. Cato really hoped he never had to sayI told you so.After he’d finished giving his statement, Cato considered mentioning Vigge, but he could just imagine the can of worms that would open and he stayed quiet.
On his way back to his car, he called his mother from his pay-as-you-go, hoping she’d answer, even though she wouldn’t recognise the number. When she didn’t pick up, he called Devan.
“Hello?”
“It’s me,” Cato said.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you using your phone?”
“Can you chat? It’s a bit of a long story.” Cato unlocked his car and sat in the driver’s seat.
“I’m fine. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Is Jonty listening?”
“He can be.”
“Then let him. He might come up with something we don’t think of.”
“Jonty! Come over here and listen to Cato. Don’t interrupt until he’s—”
“I never interrupt.”
