A Body in the Lakes by Graham Smith (great books of all time .TXT) 📕

They’d had a couple of dates: drinks in a bar where they chatted and got to know one another, but other than goodbye kisses, things hadn’t exactly got physical. Beth had assumed that Ethan had respected that she wasn’t the kind of person who would be rushed and so had behaved like a gentleman. But she couldn’t stop herself worrying that he was losing interest in her.

The cushion beside her received two solid slaps. Was it the same old tired story? Women held off from sleeping with someone too soon in the relationship in case they were thought of as sluts, thus denying their own libido, all the while wondering whether the man in question would tire of waiting and dump them for a girl who wouldn’t make them wait so long.

Ethan wasn’t like that though. Was he? He was the first person she’d found herself attracted to for quite some time, and from where she was standing, he was everything she wanted in a boyfriend. Besides, there really should be no stigma in this day and age.

She was about to pour herself a glass of wine when her phone beeped. She lifted it wondering if the message was Ethan telling her he didn’t like the idea of her having dinner with the mayor.

All at once she realised the contradiction to her thinking: she didn’t want to be with someone who didn’t trust her. If she did stop working on the charity at Ethan’s request, maybe she’d be giving him control over her life, subjugating herself instead sharing an equal role?

The smile she gave to the phone was instinctive.

Ethan had asked about her date with Forster. Hoped that she was home safe and that she’d had a nice meal.

Beth got all the subtext that lay behind the message. He was asking because he cared, and maybe was a little worried she was dining out with another man so soon into their relationship.

She liked that. It was why she was still smiling to herself as she tapped out a reply. It was good that he cared; she would have cared if he’d been having dinner with another woman. Even if it was a platonic meeting like hers had been.

Except the meeting hadn’t been entirely platonic. It had been a game that both parties were playing. As well as involving her in the charity, Forster was trying to seduce her, and Beth knew, deep down, if Ethan wasn’t on the scene, she might have let Forster succeed.

Beth was putting clothes out ready for the next day when her phone started to ring. Her first thought was that it was Ethan, but when she saw ‘Dad’ on the screen her first instinct was to worry something had happened to one of the family.

‘Dad, is everyone okay?’

‘Of course they are.’ Her father’s voice was filled with calmness and tinged with something else. ‘Why would you think owt else?’

‘Oh right. You don’t usually call me at this time of night.’

‘Yes, well, I have a good reason for calling tonight. I’ve just seen the late Border News and Lookaround.’

Beth felt her heart sink. Her father was a quiet man who believed in causing neither offence nor spectacle. Now that he’d seen her ranting on Border Craic and Deeksabout, as the news show was often called by locals, he’d be sure to have a few words of admonishment for her.

‘I can explain, Dad.’

‘You have nothing to explain. The reason I’m calling is to let you know that your mother and I are very proud of you. Our little girl has grown up to become a force to be reckoned with. You’re a warrior in the war against injustice, and your brains as well as your tenacity will see you catch this killer. Like I said, we just wanted to say we’re very proud of you.’ He paused. ‘Well, that was all. I’ll say good night now. Let you get some rest.’

‘Good night, Dad.’ Beth had to cut the call before her father heard the catch in her throat.

She knew her parents loved her; they just didn’t express it very often. For her father to call her like this was unprecedented, although very welcome.

As Beth laid her head on the pillow she wore a big goofy grin. The combination of Ethan’s texts, her parents’ pride in her, the idea of helping Forster establish the charity for rape victims, as well as her potential breakthrough in the case, had made this day – which had started off so badly – a lot better than she’d ever imagined it could be.

Forty

Both O’Dowd and Thompson arrived in the office ten minutes after Unthank. To Beth, Unthank was the only one who looked as though he’d slept. Thompson’s lack of sleep was no mystery due to what was going on with his wife, but she wasn’t sure about O’Dowd.

The DI’s teenage daughter, Neve, was filled with an independent spirit and Beth knew that O’Dowd was increasingly concerned about her daughter’s behaviour, worrying about her on a daily basis. Even when she was having a few calm days, the DI was always wondering about what was to come when the girl had her next adventure. She knew O’Dowd also feared that the way her daughter was going, it wouldn’t be long before she would be dabbling in one kind of drug or another.

The scowl O’Dowd tossed at Beth told her that she still hadn’t been forgiven for the scene she’d made during the press conference.

‘Ma’am, I’ve something to tell you.’

‘It had better be good. You needn’t think coming in early will get you off my shit list.’

‘Would the name of a solid suspect be classed as good?’

Beth knew she’d been a little too glib, but the news she had to share ought to be more than good enough to get her off O’Dowd’s list, therefore she didn’t worry about it as much as she might usually.

‘If you