No Going Back by Casey Kelleher (black male authors TXT) 📗

how we roll. We should be used to that by now,’ Holder said with a smile, trying to make light of the situation as he recognised the ashen look on Lucy’s face. ‘You look as shattered as I feel.’

‘It’s been a long day!’

‘Hasn’t it just. And I see your mate’s back…’ DC Holder said with a chuckle. They both watched as DS Morgan stepped into his office to where Zack Lownrey was waiting. ‘He’s been sitting in there waiting patiently for the press conference to finish. Doubt he has anything more to add to the case yet though? Anyway, I’m starving, and you must be hungry too? Do you fancy going to grab a quick bite to eat, seeing as they’re clearly busy?’

‘I can’t.’

‘Course you can. I mean, all right, it’s almost three o’clock so, it’s not technically lunch, but we do have to eat at some point. And you look like you could do with a break.’

‘I’ve already made arrangements.’ Lucy shifted awkwardly on her feet, diverting her gaze from Holder’s, before covertly glancing over to where DS Morgan and Zack Lownrey were standing in the office, both men looking over in her direction now. Lucy waved in acknowledgement, letting Zack know that she would be with him shortly. Turning and following Lucy’s gaze, Holder laughed as he realised the score.

‘He’s waiting for you?’ Holder said, shaking his head, unable to feign his surprise as Lucy’s cheeks flushed red in answer. ‘Man, that bloke works fast!’

‘It’s not like that,’ Lucy said, trying to explain, only she knew exactly how it looked. Which was purposely why she hadn’t mentioned her meeting with Zack to Holder in the first place. Especially as Holder had done nothing but wind her up, by saying that he thought Zack had the hots for her. ‘It’s strictly work. I just wanted to talk to him about the case. Get more of a handle on the attacker’s profile,’ Lucy lied, trying to play down the meeting, because the last thing she needed right now was to confess to Holder what this was really about. Though she could see by Holder’s expression that he wasn’t buying it. And after the day that she’d had, she really didn’t have the energy to go into it all with her friend. Because she knew that it wouldn’t be an easy conversation to have. It was bad enough that she was going to have to speak to Zack Lownrey about it, but Lucy knew that she didn’t have much choice now.

DS Morgan would be filling him in on the situation right at this very moment. And Lucy had already come this far. She’d spoken to the specialist cognitive interviewer and done an E-fit with the Facial Imaging Officer. Now she just wanted to speak with Zack and find out his thoughts on her mother’s attacker and get this over and done with.

‘Look, you don’t need to play it down to me. I mean, if you and Zack are starting a thing or whatever. Well, it’s none of my business… Clearly!’

‘Oh, don’t be like that, Holder,’ Lucy said, picking up on the man’s annoyance that she was keeping things from him.

‘It’s cool. We can grab something to eat another time. I hope you have a nice time. Don’t let him be a cheapskate though, yeah? Make sure he foots the bill,’ Holder said, winking at Lucy before grabbing his keys and making for the door, to show Lucy that there were no hard feelings.

Though Lucy could tell that Holder was upset with her now. And she felt bad then, keeping things from him. Because as unlikely as it had seemed when they’d first met, she and Holder had become a close-knit team while working together the past few months. And Lucy had actually grown to really like the man. Despite his blunt, sarcastic ways, Lucy classed him as a good friend. A friend she could trust. Only right now, it wasn’t a case of not trusting him. It was more a case of having to work out what she wanted to do next. Because right now Lucy didn’t have a clue where to start with any of it.

20

‘Well, this is a little bit fancy just for a bit of lunch, isn’t it?’ Lucy said, feeling a little out of place and very much underdressed in her workwear as the waiter guided them over to the table of the fancy brasserie on the corner of King’s Road, which Zack had suggested they go to for their late lunch meeting.

‘I just figured it would be quiet here at this time of day. And trust me, the food here is the best. Do you like French food?’ Zack asked, pulling the chair out for Lucy and trying to make her feel comfortable now that they were away from the station and away from prying eyes or ears.

‘I guess…’ Lucy said, scanning the fancy à la carte menu for something vaguely familiar, unable to make heads nor tails of the dishes that were listed there.

But Zack was right about one thing, the place was quiet and for that she was grateful. Eyeing the only two other occupied tables in the restaurant, Lucy guessed that the place would normally be heaving if it was lunch or dinner service. They were here in between both main services and almost had the place to themselves.

‘It’s very pretty in here,’ Lucy said, hoping the distraction would be her best attempt at not looking so ungrateful. She took in the sight of the rich decor, the vibrant purple fabrics that stood out boldly against walls which were awash with an elegant emerald green. Her gaze was drawn then to sparkling gold edging that lined the dark polished timbers of the feature bar which stood prominently in the middle of the restaurant. A large crystal chandelier twinkled above a cluster of staff as they milled around, trying to look busy beneath it.

Only she just couldn’t relax no matter how quiet and lovely