clotted and whipped before you can say pass the cream.’
He wasn’t amused.
‘That’s not saying I won’t come,’ she assured him hastily, ‘I just want to make sure we’re both aware of the obstacles I’m facing.’
‘I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, but you’re not likely to run into either one of them.’
‘Unless Jacqueline comes back. What about Vivienne?’
‘What about her?’
Justine was trying to read his expression, but it wasn’t possible. Judging it wiser not to go any further with that, at least for the time being, she merely shrugged and smiled and said, ‘Sounds like we have ourselves a deal.’
‘In that case, why don’t you refill our glasses and take them through?’
Several minutes later they were seated either side of the table, with two candles burning between them, and several dishes of exotically scented food spread out around their plates. As they served themselves and ate he talked in some detail about the statements he’d given the police concerning the weeks leading up to Jacqueline’s disappearance, and how very little had happened during that time that could be termed unusual, or out of the ordinary. Though Justine asked an occasional question, on the whole she listened intently to his words, while keeping a close watch on his eyes. He’d know she was assessing him, of course, so he was undoubtedly being careful not to reveal any more than he intended, but she felt reasonably certain that what she was hearing wasn’t too far from the truth. What was intriguing her, however, was his consistent failure to mention Vivienne. She couldn’t yet figure out whether this confirmed the startling information she’d learned only yesterday, that he and Vivienne had a child together, or proved the equally startling claim that he knew nothing about it.
The trouble with Miles was that it was almost impossible to tell what was going on in his head, particularly when he didn’t want someone to know. However, if her source was to be believed, and she had little reason to doubt him, it was highly probable that Miles
didn’t
know he had a son. Vivienne would have been afraid to tell him, because of the effect it might have on Jacqueline should she ever find out.
Heaving a gentle sigh, Justine sat back in her chair to drink the rest of her wine as he went into the kitchen to start making coffee. She could see him through the conservatory window, tall and stern, deeply thoughtful and as intractable as ever. Yet for all the armour that protected his emotions, she knew very well that after all he’d been through, finding out he had a son could as easily break him apart as it could push his poor wife right over the edge. It was why she wouldn’t go to print with anything until she had incontrovertible proof that the boy existed. Knowing Miles as she did, if she managed to get one word, or even a single innuendo wrong about something so important to him, it would spell a very abrupt and permanent end to a once glittering career.
‘Ah, sir, there you are,’ DC Joy said, looking up as Detective Inspector Sadler came into CID with one of the sergeants. ‘How did it go in court?’
‘Don’t ask,’ he responded grumpily. ‘Just tell me something to brighten my day.’
‘Well, I don’t think I can do that exactly, sir, but I do have something—’
‘The Avery case,’ he interrupted. ‘Any sightings after the news broadcast?’
‘Uniform are following up on a couple of possibles,’ she answered, ‘and we’ve been inundated with calls from the press …’
He waved a hand irritably. ‘Has anyone seen her, that’s what we want to know? There’s nothing on those darned CCTV cameras, so we have to assume she never got on the train.’
Joy picked up a file and followed him into his office. ‘I’ve spoken to the psychiatrist,’ she told him, ‘and this arrived from the Met a couple of hours ago. It’s a bit surprising … I’m not sure why he never told
He wasn’t amused.
‘That’s not saying I won’t come,’ she assured him hastily, ‘I just want to make sure we’re both aware of the obstacles I’m facing.’
‘I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, but you’re not likely to run into either one of them.’
‘Unless Jacqueline comes back. What about Vivienne?’
‘What about her?’
Justine was trying to read his expression, but it wasn’t possible. Judging it wiser not to go any further with that, at least for the time being, she merely shrugged and smiled and said, ‘Sounds like we have ourselves a deal.’
‘In that case, why don’t you refill our glasses and take them through?’
Several minutes later they were seated either side of the table, with two candles burning between them, and several dishes of exotically scented food spread out around their plates. As they served themselves and ate he talked in some detail about the statements he’d given the police concerning the weeks leading up to Jacqueline’s disappearance, and how very little had happened during that time that could be termed unusual, or out of the ordinary. Though Justine asked an occasional question, on the whole she listened intently to his words, while keeping a close watch on his eyes. He’d know she was assessing him, of course, so he was undoubtedly being careful not to reveal any more than he intended, but she felt reasonably certain that what she was hearing wasn’t too far from the truth. What was intriguing her, however, was his consistent failure to mention Vivienne. She couldn’t yet figure out whether this confirmed the startling information she’d learned only yesterday, that he and Vivienne had a child together, or proved the equally startling claim that he knew nothing about it.
The trouble with Miles was that it was almost impossible to tell what was going on in his head, particularly when he didn’t want someone to know. However, if her source was to be believed, and she had little reason to doubt him, it was highly probable that Miles
didn’t
know he had a son. Vivienne would have been afraid to tell him, because of the effect it might have on Jacqueline should she ever find out.
Heaving a gentle sigh, Justine sat back in her chair to drink the rest of her wine as he went into the kitchen to start making coffee. She could see him through the conservatory window, tall and stern, deeply thoughtful and as intractable as ever. Yet for all the armour that protected his emotions, she knew very well that after all he’d been through, finding out he had a son could as easily break him apart as it could push his poor wife right over the edge. It was why she wouldn’t go to print with anything until she had incontrovertible proof that the boy existed. Knowing Miles as she did, if she managed to get one word, or even a single innuendo wrong about something so important to him, it would spell a very abrupt and permanent end to a once glittering career.
‘Ah, sir, there you are,’ DC Joy said, looking up as Detective Inspector Sadler came into CID with one of the sergeants. ‘How did it go in court?’
‘Don’t ask,’ he responded grumpily. ‘Just tell me something to brighten my day.’
‘Well, I don’t think I can do that exactly, sir, but I do have something—’
‘The Avery case,’ he interrupted. ‘Any sightings after the news broadcast?’
‘Uniform are following up on a couple of possibles,’ she answered, ‘and we’ve been inundated with calls from the press …’
He waved a hand irritably. ‘Has anyone seen her, that’s what we want to know? There’s nothing on those darned CCTV cameras, so we have to assume she never got on the train.’
Joy picked up a file and followed him into his office. ‘I’ve spoken to the psychiatrist,’ she told him, ‘and this arrived from the Met a couple of hours ago. It’s a bit surprising … I’m not sure why he never told
Similar Books
