“I’ll go,” said Amy, and hopped out of the car before Harper could protest. She skipped jauntily down the road in her huge sunglasses, curls bouncing, and for a long moment Harper took her eyes off the couple and watched the journalist. By the time Harper returned her attention to Patrick and the mystery woman, they were on the move too: he had her by the arm, and was escorting her along the road, towards where Harper was sitting in her car. They passed Amy without so much as a glance, but a split second later Patrick’s head snapped up sharply as he recognised Harper’s car. She turned her face away but it was too late; she’d been seen.

She closed her eyes for a second and swore under her breath, hoping that Patrick wasn’t the kind of man who would report her to the boss.

*   *   *

“He says you were harassing him,” said Thrupp.

“That’s a bit strong,” said Harper. “I was just sitting in my car. What evidence does he have?”

“He says he saw you drive by his house yesterday, and then today you were watching him at his place of work. Is it true?”

“No. Well, yes. I did drive by, yesterday and today. But I wouldn’t call it harassment. It doesn’t meet the criteria. I was doing police work, general investigation, information gathering. He’s a person of interest.”

“A person of interest? To a case I have already told you is not a case?”

“He was behaving suspiciously.”

“Fortunately for you, Mr Tranter isn’t interested in pressing charges or making a formal complaint.”

Harper pulled a face. Of course he wouldn’t press charges—there wasn’t nearly enough to make a case that would stand up in court.

“But I think, for you, an internal disciplinary is now in order. You were warned.”

Harper was silent, awaiting her fate. She felt surly, like a kid in the headmaster’s office.

“You’re desk bound, Joanna. No going out, not even to get lunch. You can go to the canteen like everyone else.”

This was the perfect punishment for Harper, and he knew it. She tried to appear unbothered, but couldn’t help but ask, “For how long?”

“Until I say so. From now on, if you’re not in the office every day from eight until five, you better be at home with an impressive illness and a doctor’s note. Now get on with those bloody reports.”

After Thrupp left the office, Harper turned unwillingly to her task. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to stay nice, no matter how much Thrupp wanted her to be sorry about her past mistakes, and to be grateful for the risks he’d taken on her behalf.

Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN