‘It always has to be a last resort.’
‘Yes.’
‘But you’re my wife, and that little shit was hurting you. I couldn’t allow that.’
‘No. That’s very logical.’
‘I think so, too.’
‘But you also enjoyed it, right?’
‘Hell, yeah. It was a blast. In fact, I’m thinking of joining the police so I can beat up more people.’
Hannah pulled away. ‘First of all, that’s not exactly a great summary of what we do in the police. In fact, it’s downright insulting. And secondly, you’d make a terrible copper.’
‘That’s also insulting.’
‘But true.’
‘Well, yeah, probably. I make great tea, though. You want some tea?’
‘I’d love one.’
When he went out to the kitchen, Hannah sat down on the seat he had occupied. She glanced at the book he’d been reading. Harnessing Your Chi: Strategies for Focusing Your Internal Energy. She smiled. Copper, indeed.
But that was why she loved him. Because he was all the things she wasn’t. His yin to her yang. Or vice versa. He’d know the answer to that one.
He came back into the room a few minutes later. ‘One cup of builder’s brew extra strength and one cup of lapsang souchong. You can take your pick.’
‘Hmm, that’s a difficult choice. I’ll have the one I can spell.’
‘You’re not making it easy. I’ve seen your police reports.’ He handed her a mug and sat next to her. ‘How’d it go at the interview?’
She quickly summarised, her mind already racing ahead to the next topic of conversation.
‘Ben,’ she said.
‘Hannah.’
‘I need to talk to you about something.’
‘Shit, I knew it. I’m in trouble, aren’t I? I did go too far, and now you’re going to arrest me or put me in a choke hold or something.’
‘It’s serious, Ben.’
He paused. ‘Okay.’
‘It’s about Tilly.’
‘All right.’
‘If you don’t want to talk about her, then I’ll stop right now.’
‘No. Go ahead. You obviously need to get it off your chest. You’re still seeing her, aren’t you?’
She nodded. ‘More than ever. Only . . .’
‘What?’
‘Now it’s starting to worry me.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s happening at the weirdest of times.’
‘Weird in what way?’
‘I told you how I saw her just before the thing with Suzy Carling, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘What I didn’t tell you is that I also saw her just before both attacks by her son.’
‘You saw her tonight, in the pub?’
‘Yes. She was standing in the doorway when you were paying the bill. I followed her upstairs.’
‘You didn’t say anything.’
