Page 11 of Savage Obsession

Lily: [Thumbs up emoji.

There have been no messages since.

I stalk back downstairs, the tablet under my arm and my small grey shadow at my heels. Julia is in the kitchen.

“Who’s Monika,” I demand from the doorway.

She swirls around, startled. “Monika? I don’t know…”

“One of Lily’s friends?”

“Maybe? I’m not sure.”

“Okay, let’s try another approach. Who the fuck walked in on my daughter while she was in the bath?”

She blanches. “How do you…?”

“I want to know who this guy is. Now.”

“No one. Just… someone who stayed here…”

“Lily didn’t trust him.”

“She hardly knew him.”

“He scared her. She told you that.”

“Not scared, exactly. It’s true she didn’t like him much. She was… jealous.”

I thrust the iPad at her. “Read the WhatsApp messages and tell me that’s a kid being jealous. She was shit-scared of him and she told you that. You ignored her. Took his fucking side.”

She tries and fails to open the device.

“Henry one two three,” I tell her, by way of being helpful.

She fires up the tablet and navigates to WhatsApp. I wait in seething silence. I know the precise moment the penny drops.

“Oh God…” She collapses onto a chair.

“Yes. Oh God,” I mimic. “Are you seriously trying to tell me you had no idea?”

“She must have got it wrong. If she’d spoken to me, I could have?—”

“Could have what? Told her she was imagining it? Seems to me she tried that.”

“This is a mistake. It must be. If I can just see her, explain…”

“Bollocks!” I’ve heard enough. It’s perfectly clear what’s been going on, and I’ll be putting a stop to it even if she won’t. “Where is he?” I snarl.

“He… he’s gone.”

“Gone where?”

“It doesn’t matter. He won’t be back.”

“No, he fucking won’t.” I harden my gaze. “Where. Is. He?”

“Baz, there’s no need for you to?—”

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