Paparazzi by Jo Fenton (best free e reader .txt) 📕

Matt reaches across the table and takes my hand. “You know I’d tell you if I could. I’ve not had an affair or anything so sordid. It’s complicated though.”

“You’re making no sense. What’s going on?” But I leave my hand in his, enjoying for a brief moment the comfort of physical contact.

He looks thoughtful, then speaks. “Joanna and I got involved in a government project to do with some pharmaceuticals. It was, and still is, very secret, and I can’t tell you about it. Seeing her here that day, I thought something had gone wrong. There could be very serious implications if it had, and that was why I was so distressed.”

Now I pull my hand away and stare at him. I can’t believe he’s told me as much as this. I guess he cares that I suspected him of infidelity.

“How the hell could you get involved in a top secret project?”

“I got approached, Becky. It was two years ago. Your job in the police made a difference because they could vet you properly. It got complicated after… Well, you know when I mean. With you not in the force anymore, they wanted me to stop working on it. I think they were a bit suspicious of the circumstances in which you left.” He pauses. “They’re not always decent people. In fact, they rarely are. I regret having got involved, and I’ve already said far too much. Forget it, love, please.”

“How can I forget something like that?” I decide to make a confession. “Also, when you were asleep the other day, I noticed a message come in on your phone. It said something about a ‘drop’. What was that about? And who are RT and KL?” I get a suspicious look for my pains. “I only glanced at it because it pinged, and that message popped up on the home screen.” Even to my own ears I sound ridiculously defensive now, but he relaxes.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about. I was supposed to help with a new job, but they got someone else on to it. KL is just another operative. RT is the guy in charge. Put it out of your mind and focus on your new case. You’ve got a client coming today. Prepare yourself for that.”

His expression is set again. I’ve already learned much more than I expected, and I need time to take it all in.

***

I get to Joanna’s at 11am. It’s earlier than planned, but even after an hour’s walk in the woods to clear my head, I don’t feel ready to return home and pretend nothing has happened.

Joanna welcomes me in.

“Thanks for coming so early. I had a bit of a lie-in this morning and have just had breakfast. Do you want some coffee? The delivery men will be here shortly.”

I accept the offer, and we sit in the kitchen sipping our drinks in silence for a few minutes.

“Something’s up? What is it?” she asks me, as the quietness becomes heavy.

“Matt told me you and he had got involved in some government project, top secret thing. I kind of dragged it out of him.”

“Wow, well done. I suppose he didn’t really have a choice. It was that or let you continue to think we’d had a fling.” She narrows her gaze at me. “What exactly did he tell you?”

I repeat the conversation as accurately as I can.

“Okay. Well, I’m glad that’s out of the way. I’m sure you want to know more details, but it’s not safe right now. Believe me, we’ll let you know as soon as we can.”

“So, are you and Matt still working together?”

“Not really. The project finished about six months ago. At least, Matt was taken off it then, and I resigned last month, as I needed to move, and leave my job. It closed my avenues of research, and therefore of usefulness. But I wanted to continue to use those skills, hence the detective agency. I’m pleased we can be open about it now, but only between ourselves. I’m still highly bound to secrecy, and I’ve probably endangered us all by telling you as much. Except I don’t think they know yet where I am. I hope not. My married name isn’t really Knight, but I chose it because I thought ‘the White Knight’ agency sounded cool.”

“It does sound cool. But surely, if these are professionals they’ll have been able to track you down by now. And how did you set up bank accounts and get a job with a changed name?”

“It may have been foolish, but I changed it by deed poll as soon as I left the project. So yeah, I had to tell people like the HMRC, and get my driving licence and passport amended, but I don’t think they’d think anyone would be so stupid as to do it officially.”

I take a deep breath and try not to show impatience. I can see she’s done everything in good faith, but I reckon Matt would have a fit if he knew.

“Okay. When I was in the police, I would always do the basic checks first. Mostly nothing would show up, but every so often, a criminal would be very daring or perhaps a bit naïve, not realising what we could access. In those cases, it made it really easy to catch them.”

“You’re saying I’m naïve?” She looks hurt. Shit.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to offend you. But I think any operative worth their salt will have tracked you down by now. On the other hand, if you’ve nothing to hide, why worry?”

“I’ve not really got anything to hide. It’s just that I don’t like people keeping tabs on me, and once you’ve worked with them at all, they kind of never let you go.”

“I can see that, but changing your name and stuff makes it looks as though you’re hiding from them. Why don’t you make contact? You can say that you’re trying to avoid your ex, who’s being