BooksBarbecue
Back What Lies Beneath Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
  2. Get more of my books FREE!
  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘Yeah, well, I’ve been stressed a lot. And eating shit at work. I’ll try and get some time booked off and cut down on the takeaways. I’ll be fine.’

‘Are you pregnant?’

‘What?’

‘You heard me. It’s all adding up now. The morning sickness. Not wanting to drink the wine. I saw your face when you sniffed it the other night. It was like you were sniffing vinegar. The wine was fine. It was lovely, in fact.’

Caroline blinked and tried to push down the feelings that were now welling up from deep inside her. ‘Sorry, you think I’m pregnant because I didn’t like the same wine as you?’

‘Come on, Caroline. We haven’t exactly been careful, have we? It’s entirely possible, to say the least. Have you done a test?’

‘No. I haven’t. Because I don’t need to do a test, Mark. I’m not pregnant. I know I’m not pregnant. Is that good enough for you?’

‘Well, no. How can you possibly know without a test?’

‘Because I’m a woman, Mark. Women know their bodies.’

‘What, and you know it’s perfectly normal to wake up and empty your guts down the toilet on a regular basis?’

‘If I’m stressed, anxious or not eating properly, yes. That’s perfectly normal.’

‘Or pregnant.’

‘I’m not pregnant, Mark.’

‘Do a test then. If you’re that sure, do a test.’

Caroline gritted her teeth. ‘Do you realise how insulting that is? A woman knows her body, Mark. I’m not pregnant. If you want to do a test, you can shove it up your arse.’

‘Yeah, I don’t think that’s quite how they work,’ he called out to the back of her head as she headed back up the stairs. ‘Jesus fucking Christ.’

13

One of Mark’s biggest virtues was that he knew when to give up. Caroline was thankful that he was usually pretty good at respecting her need for space, especially when he never seemed to need any himself.

Shortly after the exchange with Mark, Dexter phoned her. He’d got to work early again, and had taken a message from the minister at Empingham Methodist Church, returning Caroline’s call and saying he’d be delighted to meet her. Dexter had barely disguised the disapproving tone in his voice as he’d relayed this to her, but that didn’t bother Caroline. There were too many coincidences to ignore, and she felt sure there must be a religious connection to the death of Roger Clifton — particularly since discovering his vocal atheism and his wife’s connection to the church.

Dexter told her he’d walk out to the bypass so they could drive over together. When Caroline arrived, she saw her colleague had bought her a large takeaway coffee.

‘You didn’t need to do that, Dex.’