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

knew it was against her principles to behave this way: she’d never had a one-night stand and had never envisaged herself having one, but ever since she’d caught her husband in the wrong bed, she’d fantasised about rebound sex.

There was a narrow alleyway a few doors along the street. She knew it led towards a path that ran along the riverbank.

Willow took the guy by the hand. ‘C’mon. This way.’

They got to the riverbank and sat on a bench, Willow astride the guy so they could keep their mouths pressed together. For Willow it was the perfect rebound scenario, fast, anonymous sex with a stranger. Her estranged husband would never know, but she would and that’s all that mattered to her.

The guy’s hands caressed her backside as her fingers grappled with the buttons of his shirt, but he was too rough for her liking. While tonight was about sating animal needs, rather than tender or gentle sex, she didn’t want to feel any pain. She moved a hand behind her back and squeezed the guy’s hand so his fingers couldn’t grip her backside as tight as they were.

Willow broke their kiss. ‘Not so rough.’

‘Whatever you say.’

When he pulled her dress down enough that he could put her breast to his mouth, Willow felt the first tinge of uncertainty.

‘Please. Not that hard.’

‘You want it, you teasing cow. Don’t think you’re changing your mind now.’

‘I am changing my mind. Please, stop.’

‘You can’t do this to me.’ The guy used the arm he had behind her back to pull her forward to his waiting mouth.

‘I think you’ll find the lady asked you to stop.’

Willow jumped at the voice. She hadn’t noticed anyone coming along the path as she was so wrapped in the moment. As she climbed off the guy, she was covering herself with one arm while trying to pull her dress up with the other.

Even as Willow grappled with her dress, she looked to see who her saviour was. His face was in half shadow, but she could see enough to recognise the man was one of her clients. A man she’d met while doling out financial advice.

Willow watched as her supposed beau squared up to the client.

‘She’s with me. Now, fuck off, or else I’ll be forced to fuck you off myself.’

The client’s arm flashed out and Willow’s erstwhile attacker went down in a heap.

‘Come on, Willow, isn’t it? I’ll take you home.’ The client offered her his arm. ‘If you turn around, I can do your zip up for you.’

‘Thank you, thank you so much.’ Willow turned around so the client could see what he was doing.

Of all the people she’d thought might appear to rescue her from the supposed beau, Andrew Cooper was pretty much at the bottom of the list. But as much as she might dislike the man, she was grateful he was riding to her rescue. The way he was averting his gaze from her semi-exposed body compelled her to trust him. He might be a flirt, but right now, he was behaving with nothing but decency, and had just saved her from potentially being raped.

‘The zip’s bust. Here, have my coat.’

As she walked to where Cooper had parked his car, Willow never questioned why he was miles away from home, walking along the riverbank so late at night, or why he was wearing a long coat when it was so warm.

Fifty-Five

Thompson was the only person in the office. He looked to Beth as if he’d had maybe two hours sleep in the last week. His wife’s deterioration was exacting a terrible price from him and, as much as she felt for the man, it was only a matter of time before his exhaustion caused him to make a serious mistake.

‘Where’s O’Dowd and Unthank?’

Thompson lifted his hand from the pile of paperwork he was sorting through. ‘She’s upstairs speaking to the DCI, and he’s gone to the loo.’

‘Has anything broke with the case?’

‘Nothing. You’ll have to wait for O’Dowd.’ Thompson huffed out a long sigh. ‘Paul’s due in court on Monday. The Felcham case. His testimony is key and it’s come down from on high that he’s to spend the weekend swotting up all of his notes so the prosecutor can’t trip him up.’ Thompson flicked his eyes at Beth and then turned them to the far wall. ‘I have to go to the care home. My Julie has caught pneumonia, the doctor says she can’t fight it and that she’s only got a few days left.’

Beth felt as though she’d been gut-punched by Thompson’s words. As disturbing as she found the news, it was utterly heart-wrenching to hear the pain in Thompson’s voice.

The sergeant had his back to her which Beth was grateful for. She didn’t know what to do or say. No words or gestures could make things better for him, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to offer him her support.

She took three steps across the office, laid a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m so sorry, Frank. Get yourself off home. We’ll cope here.’

‘I know you will.’ Thompson’s attempt to sniff developed into a snivel. ‘O’Dowd tried to chase me home as well. I know I should be with my girls, or at the care home.’ Thompson’s head dropped forward. ‘When I’m there it’s real. When I’m here…’ He paused to give a muffled sob. ‘Here, I can kid myself it isn’t.’

Beth gave Thompson’s shoulder another squeeze. ‘It is real though, isn’t it?’

‘I know. It’s real, and I have to face up to it. Have to go and say goodbye to Julie. Have to be strong and look after my daughters.’

‘That’s not what I said.’

‘Not in so many words.’ Thompson turned, gave her a wan smile and a nod. His eyes filled with unshed tears and immeasurable pain. ‘You may have only intimated it, but you’re right.’ Thompson stood and made for the door. ‘Tell O’Dowd I’ve gone and that I’ll… I’ll—’

‘I’ll tell her.’ Beth