“I know you two are close.”
“Not that close,” Christine said quietly, but immediately felt disloyal. “Craig is a friend, but we don't talk about everything. At all.” She tried to choose her words carefully. “I didn't know anything was going on. Well, I suspected something when I saw Marcus in the office last week, but Craig said nothing.” She tried to read the blank expression on Mark's face. “I'm sorry. I'm sure this is all a large pain in the ass for you.” Stupid Craig. What was he thinking? She felt very let down. Then another thought struck her. “What about Shay ? Is he in trouble over this?” She shook her head . “Idiots.”
Mark shook his head. “ Shay is blameless.” He took another swig from his drink.
Wow, he can really put them away, Christine thought as she saw he was almost finished his second while she was still sipping her first.
“But you're right. They've put him in a very difficult position. Allegedly,” he added. “We have to conduct a full investigation yet.”
Christine eyeballed him. “But Craig admitted doing something wrong ?” She knew Craig could be an idiot, well obviously he could be an idiot, but she doubted he would be stupid enough to deny something if he had been found out. Mark just shrugged his shoulders and crunched some ice from his otherwise empty glass. They were silent for a moment.
“Look, let's not discuss it anymore. I'm sure it's awkward for you. And you've had enough of it all day, I've no doubt. Let's talk about something else.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Ready for another?”
Before she could answer, her phone started to ring in her bag. A second later, Mark's started to ring in his pocket. They laughed. He looked at his, and then looked apologetically at Christine.
“ Shay .” He motioned to the phone. She shooed him off, and took the opportunity to look at her own. The screen read Dad Calling. Her heart sank, just a little.
“Hey Dad.”
“Well, how's the birthday girl? Are you out celebrating?”
“Sort of.” She lowered her voice and turned in her seat so that there was less chance of Mark over-hearing her. “I'm just out for a drink with a colleague. How are things there?”
“All good. Just ringing to wish you a happy birthday.” He paused. “I was up at the grave earlier.”
The phone went quiet. Christine said nothing.
“Were you there at the weekend , lovie?”
Christine clenched her teeth . Of course she had been there at the weekend. She went there every weekend. “Yeah. I popped over, eh, Saturday I think.” Mark was pacing the floor some distance from her, his phone to his ear, talking animatedly and gesticulating with his right hand. She sank further down into her chair.
“Right.” Her father spoke gently.
She really didn't want to hear this. Not right now.
“Christine, are you okay?”
“Yes Dad,” she hissed. Immediately she felt sorry for snapping. She closed her eyes. “Dad, I'm fine.” When she opened them again, Mark was sitting quietly back down on the chair opposite her. “Dad, I have to go.”
“Okay. Sure.”
She knew he'd have to call him later and reassure him, but she couldn't get into it now. “I'm back tomorrow. I'll talk to you then. Okay?”
“Okay. Enjoy your evening anyway. Happy birthday, lovie. I popped something in the post for you. Sure you'll get it when you get back.”
Christine looked at Mark who seemed to be trying not to eavesdrop. “You shouldn't have Dad. Thanks though. I'll talk to you tomorrow.” She pressed the end call button and took a deep breath. Before she had a chance to put her phone back in her bag, it rang again.
“My, but we're very popular this evening.” Mark raised an eyebrow at her.
“Well actually,” Christine glanced at the phone to see Emily's name illuminated. She
“Not that close,” Christine said quietly, but immediately felt disloyal. “Craig is a friend, but we don't talk about everything. At all.” She tried to choose her words carefully. “I didn't know anything was going on. Well, I suspected something when I saw Marcus in the office last week, but Craig said nothing.” She tried to read the blank expression on Mark's face. “I'm sorry. I'm sure this is all a large pain in the ass for you.” Stupid Craig. What was he thinking? She felt very let down. Then another thought struck her. “What about Shay ? Is he in trouble over this?” She shook her head . “Idiots.”
Mark shook his head. “ Shay is blameless.” He took another swig from his drink.
Wow, he can really put them away, Christine thought as she saw he was almost finished his second while she was still sipping her first.
“But you're right. They've put him in a very difficult position. Allegedly,” he added. “We have to conduct a full investigation yet.”
Christine eyeballed him. “But Craig admitted doing something wrong ?” She knew Craig could be an idiot, well obviously he could be an idiot, but she doubted he would be stupid enough to deny something if he had been found out. Mark just shrugged his shoulders and crunched some ice from his otherwise empty glass. They were silent for a moment.
“Look, let's not discuss it anymore. I'm sure it's awkward for you. And you've had enough of it all day, I've no doubt. Let's talk about something else.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Ready for another?”
Before she could answer, her phone started to ring in her bag. A second later, Mark's started to ring in his pocket. They laughed. He looked at his, and then looked apologetically at Christine.
“ Shay .” He motioned to the phone. She shooed him off, and took the opportunity to look at her own. The screen read Dad Calling. Her heart sank, just a little.
“Hey Dad.”
“Well, how's the birthday girl? Are you out celebrating?”
“Sort of.” She lowered her voice and turned in her seat so that there was less chance of Mark over-hearing her. “I'm just out for a drink with a colleague. How are things there?”
“All good. Just ringing to wish you a happy birthday.” He paused. “I was up at the grave earlier.”
The phone went quiet. Christine said nothing.
“Were you there at the weekend , lovie?”
Christine clenched her teeth . Of course she had been there at the weekend. She went there every weekend. “Yeah. I popped over, eh, Saturday I think.” Mark was pacing the floor some distance from her, his phone to his ear, talking animatedly and gesticulating with his right hand. She sank further down into her chair.
“Right.” Her father spoke gently.
She really didn't want to hear this. Not right now.
“Christine, are you okay?”
“Yes Dad,” she hissed. Immediately she felt sorry for snapping. She closed her eyes. “Dad, I'm fine.” When she opened them again, Mark was sitting quietly back down on the chair opposite her. “Dad, I have to go.”
“Okay. Sure.”
She knew he'd have to call him later and reassure him, but she couldn't get into it now. “I'm back tomorrow. I'll talk to you then. Okay?”
“Okay. Enjoy your evening anyway. Happy birthday, lovie. I popped something in the post for you. Sure you'll get it when you get back.”
Christine looked at Mark who seemed to be trying not to eavesdrop. “You shouldn't have Dad. Thanks though. I'll talk to you tomorrow.” She pressed the end call button and took a deep breath. Before she had a chance to put her phone back in her bag, it rang again.
“My, but we're very popular this evening.” Mark raised an eyebrow at her.
“Well actually,” Christine glanced at the phone to see Emily's name illuminated. She
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