Death on the Lake by Jo Allen (early reader books TXT) 📗

She jumped, more than she should have done given she was expecting him, and scrambled to her feet in unusual confusion. ‘There you are.’

‘Obviously.’ Scott swooped in on her, swallowed her up in a bear hug and kissed her.

Familiarity overwhelmed her. It was funny how, after so long apart, she remembered the good things better than the bad; but the bad things were still there. Even if she’d wanted to forget them she couldn’t, with Lisa carping on at her in the evenings and Jude’s thoughtful but silent appraisal whenever the mention of Scott came up between them. ‘You’re late. I thought you weren’t coming.’

‘The interviews were running late. Thank God, because the taxi driver took me all round the houses on the way.’

‘The road’s closed up at Tirril. That’s why.’

‘Wherever that is. But the person before me got held up behind a hearse. That’s what made me think of death. And when I was done, the funeral party was passing. There would be something weird about tagging along with someone else’s funeral, so I waited and chatted with the guy on the desk.’

‘Was she pretty?’ Ashleigh could read him like a book, and was pleased to see that he coloured slightly in response.

‘Yeah, she was okay. A bit old for me, but you know.’

She saved that bit up as reassurance for when Lisa challenged her on every twist and turn their meeting had taken. ‘Never mind. You’re here now. But I can’t stay long. I need to get back to the office.’

‘I thought you were on a day off.’

‘Supposedly. But we’re investigating a nasty homicide. I only just managed to sneak out to see you.’ She’d felt guilty about clinging onto those few hours of her supposed rest day when there was work to be done, but Scott was an obligation she couldn’t shake off. Anyway, it was important for the two of them to meet without expectation and without rancour, another step on the road to friendship. Jude had lifted an eyebrow when she’d told him, but he hadn’t said anything. ‘You’re lucky to get me at all.’

‘Right. But you can run me into town on your way back, at least. And I’m going to have some lunch. How quickly do you think they can rustle me up a sandwich?’ And he turned his charm on the waitress.

While he was cajoling her into prioritising him over the customer who’d been in before them, Ashleigh looked out of the window. George’s funeral must be over: a collection of people dressed in black were parking their cars on the street and ambling towards the pub where the wake was being held. The solemnity had been broken, now, as always happened after the tears of a funeral, and they were laughing and chatting as they walked. Becca was among them, but her face bore a stormy expression and she was walking alone.

In a moment, as Ashleigh had expected, Jude drove past. Skipping the wake to get straight back to the office and try and work out who’d killed Luke Helmsley, no doubt, and cursing the traffic delay that would add ten minutes each way to the journey.

‘You’re such a star,’ Scott said to the waitress as she whisked away with every sign of urgency, and then he turned back to her. ‘How’s it going?’

She tore her eyes from Jude, who was sitting in his car at the lights, fingers drumming on the steering wheel as he waited for them to change. He was looking particularly moody today, but maybe wearing black, or attending funerals, did that to people. Or maybe, knowing Jude, he was turning over the list of things to do, people who could be killers, who had means, motive and opportunity.

Scott saw the look. ‘Is that the new boyfriend?’

‘Yes.’ Already on the defensive, she nevertheless gave him the chance to offer his blessing.

‘Everything you’re looking for in a man?’

Scott was a reminder that the down side of a dream was a nightmare. ‘There’s no such thing as a perfect man, Scotty. But to answer your first question, it’s going really well. I’m settling in nicely.’

‘Do you miss me?’

‘No.’ She’d promised Lisa she’d be robust in the face of his inevitable attempts to sweet-talk her. ‘In one way, of course. You’re good company. And that’s how we’ll keep it.’

‘Did I suggest anything else?’

His whole demeanour suggested something a lot more intense than friendship, but it always did. That was how he kept getting himself in trouble. Women heard promises of fidelity he swore he’d never made. She’d fallen for it herself. ‘I’m just warning you.’

‘I hope you aren’t going to cut me adrift. If I get this job, I’ll be relying on you to help me settle in.’

The nightmare of having Scott permanently around was one she didn’t want to think about, but it was by no means a done deal. ‘If you get it, you’ll have plenty of other people to see you right. They’re a friendly bunch up at the watersports centre.’

‘You know them?’

‘I came across them through work recently.’

‘Oh, of course. They were talking about the girl who drowned. Fate, eh? It’s meant to be.’ His sandwich arrived, alongside pint-sized mugs of coffee for each of them, and he spared a moment to thank the waitress before he tucked in.

Meant to be had been his favourite chat up line, and he’d delivered it so convincingly Ashleigh had overlooked the warning signs that flashed up as they’d approached the crossing point from lovers to marriage. ‘I can’t see you fitting in up here.’

‘That’s hurtful.’ He winked across a slab of bread and cheese. ‘You know I’m outdoorsy.’

‘I meant it in a good way. Of course you’re outdoorsy.’ He was lean and fit and had the right amount of muscle in the places where muscles looked good, and he liked to show them off. ‘But in a Mediterranean way, not a Cumbrian one.’

‘Cold water,’ he agreed with his mouth full, sending