figure that spoke of hours at the gym. She wore skin-tight white jeans, a skimpy emerald-green blouse, which showed off her impressive cleavage to its advantage, and caramel-coloured peep-toe ankle boots giving her at least five extra inches. Gold rings on eight of her ten fingers glinted as she waved him inside, and a heavy gold pendant with Queen Nefertiti dangled to below her bosom, drawing the eye to where she no doubt wanted it.
Jason gulped. Lucy was, as always, just a little overwhelming.
Attracted by the commotion, Lucy’s Rottweiler came up behind her, growling. His aunt was another dog lover, and although Rottweilers weren’t Jason’s favourite breed, he preferred them to his mother’s dogs. You got more dog for your money.
‘Don’t growl at Jason, you silly girl!’ Lucy dragged the enormous dog away by the collar so she could close the door.
‘It’s okay.’ Jason dropped to his haunches. ‘Come, Jessie. Come, girl.’
Tentatively, the dog stopped growling and stepped forward to sniff Jason’s hand which he held out palm facing upwards to show he wasn’t a threat. After a moment or two, Jessie began licking his hand then rolled onto the floor to have her tummy rubbed.
Crossing her arms, Lucy shook her head. ‘I don’t know who’s the craziest of the two of you. She’s supposed to be a guard dog and you’ve got more balls than sense sitting down in front of a Rottweiler like that. She could rip your throat out.’
‘But you’re not going to do that, Jessie, are you? No, no, we’re not going to do that at all.’ He continued talking baby-talk to the dog while it groaned with pleasure, then he rose with a grin.
‘Dogs like me,’ he smirked. ‘Besides, you know how I like to live dangerously.’
‘Lunatic,’ she said. ‘I was just getting the roast out of the oven. Come and have some dinner. Trevor is carving once the footie’s finished.’
‘I didn’t stop by for you to feed me.’
‘ That is a barefaced lie, but I’m prepared to let it go. Anyway, who says I can’t invite my favourite nephew for dinner now and again?’
‘Your only nephew.’
‘Who’s counting? You’re still my favourite.’
Jason followed her to the back of the house and commented on her tan.
‘We’re just back from Dubai.’
Lucy went on to talk about their holiday to a destination which had never held much fascination for Jason, then handed him a G & T and told him to get out from under her feet. He joined Lucy’s husband, Trevor, who was slurping gin and shouting at their massive flat-screen TV in the den just off the kitchen.
Trevor turned away from the screen. ‘Well, if it isn’t Master Moody! What brings you here?’
‘Very funny. Like I haven’t heard that one before.’ Jason perched on the armrest. ‘Thought I might watch the game with you. How’s it going by the way?’
‘They’re a couple of clowns short of a full circus, that’s what. And you, young sir, are a terrible liar. What can I do for you?’
‘It’s complicated.’
‘I’m good at complicated.’
‘Okay, then, what would you do if you knew someone was lying to you?’ Jason sat down on the sofa properly.
Trevor raised his eyebrows. ‘I dunno. Try to get the truth out of them?’
‘What if you knew they’d either disappear or feed you another line?’ A sudden roar from Trevor caused him to nearly spill his drink.
‘Oh, you complete fucker! You’re depriving a village of an idiot somewhere!’ Trevor continued hurling abuse at the TV, then turned to Jason with a sheepish grin. ‘Sorry. Tell you what I’d do. I’d drop them like a hot potato. Life’s too fucking short.’ He swirled the ice cubes in his drink with a pained expression. ‘You know, you’re not making a lot of sense.’
‘What if you couldn’t bring yourself to do that?’
‘A girl, is it? Does your loving father know?’
Jason hesitated. Trevor had once worked for his father as a chauffeur and general fixer, and had
Jason gulped. Lucy was, as always, just a little overwhelming.
Attracted by the commotion, Lucy’s Rottweiler came up behind her, growling. His aunt was another dog lover, and although Rottweilers weren’t Jason’s favourite breed, he preferred them to his mother’s dogs. You got more dog for your money.
‘Don’t growl at Jason, you silly girl!’ Lucy dragged the enormous dog away by the collar so she could close the door.
‘It’s okay.’ Jason dropped to his haunches. ‘Come, Jessie. Come, girl.’
Tentatively, the dog stopped growling and stepped forward to sniff Jason’s hand which he held out palm facing upwards to show he wasn’t a threat. After a moment or two, Jessie began licking his hand then rolled onto the floor to have her tummy rubbed.
Crossing her arms, Lucy shook her head. ‘I don’t know who’s the craziest of the two of you. She’s supposed to be a guard dog and you’ve got more balls than sense sitting down in front of a Rottweiler like that. She could rip your throat out.’
‘But you’re not going to do that, Jessie, are you? No, no, we’re not going to do that at all.’ He continued talking baby-talk to the dog while it groaned with pleasure, then he rose with a grin.
‘Dogs like me,’ he smirked. ‘Besides, you know how I like to live dangerously.’
‘Lunatic,’ she said. ‘I was just getting the roast out of the oven. Come and have some dinner. Trevor is carving once the footie’s finished.’
‘I didn’t stop by for you to feed me.’
‘ That is a barefaced lie, but I’m prepared to let it go. Anyway, who says I can’t invite my favourite nephew for dinner now and again?’
‘Your only nephew.’
‘Who’s counting? You’re still my favourite.’
Jason followed her to the back of the house and commented on her tan.
‘We’re just back from Dubai.’
Lucy went on to talk about their holiday to a destination which had never held much fascination for Jason, then handed him a G & T and told him to get out from under her feet. He joined Lucy’s husband, Trevor, who was slurping gin and shouting at their massive flat-screen TV in the den just off the kitchen.
Trevor turned away from the screen. ‘Well, if it isn’t Master Moody! What brings you here?’
‘Very funny. Like I haven’t heard that one before.’ Jason perched on the armrest. ‘Thought I might watch the game with you. How’s it going by the way?’
‘They’re a couple of clowns short of a full circus, that’s what. And you, young sir, are a terrible liar. What can I do for you?’
‘It’s complicated.’
‘I’m good at complicated.’
‘Okay, then, what would you do if you knew someone was lying to you?’ Jason sat down on the sofa properly.
Trevor raised his eyebrows. ‘I dunno. Try to get the truth out of them?’
‘What if you knew they’d either disappear or feed you another line?’ A sudden roar from Trevor caused him to nearly spill his drink.
‘Oh, you complete fucker! You’re depriving a village of an idiot somewhere!’ Trevor continued hurling abuse at the TV, then turned to Jason with a sheepish grin. ‘Sorry. Tell you what I’d do. I’d drop them like a hot potato. Life’s too fucking short.’ He swirled the ice cubes in his drink with a pained expression. ‘You know, you’re not making a lot of sense.’
‘What if you couldn’t bring yourself to do that?’
‘A girl, is it? Does your loving father know?’
Jason hesitated. Trevor had once worked for his father as a chauffeur and general fixer, and had
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