Page 68 of Final Betrayal

‘Why what?’

‘Why do you have to tell him? Can’t you just ignore the fact that you found the body, do the job that has to be done in the tunnel and close it up again? That’s what I’d do.’

Cleary scratched his head vigorously but said nothing.

Conor decided to go for it. ‘If you report it, the job will be shut down. It could be months before we’re allowed back on site. The boss won’t like that. It’s already behind schedule, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, it is,’ Cleary conceded.

‘The tunnel hasn’t caved in in the last two hundred years and who’s to say there aren’t more bodies down there. Reporting your find will affect the job.’

‘The weight of the new lift shaft that has to be constructed might cause subsidence. The whole thing needs to be supported. That tunnel is make or break on this job.’ Cleary looked around wildly. ‘Oh, I don’t know what to think.’

‘Can I go down and have a look, and then we can decide?’

‘Since when did you become the decision-maker around here?’ Cleary said.

‘Since no one else can make a decision.’ Conor held his breath, waiting for the onslaught, but it didn’t come.

‘Okay. We’ll have another look.’ Cleary walked off towards the tunnel.

Conor looked at Tony, who shrugged his shoulders, and they both followed the foreman.

Kirby opened the door for Megan Price and followed her into Cafferty’s. It was quiet. And very dark. They ordered sandwiches at the counter and sat down in a corner of the lounge.

‘It’s never too busy at this time of day,’ he said.

‘I’m delighted you asked me to have lunch with you, even though it’s way past lunchtime. You need someone to talk your grief through with.’

‘I was just hungry,’ Kirby said, ‘and didn’t feel like eating alone.’

‘You’re full of charm.’ Her big eyes drank him in.

‘It’s been said before.’

He tried to relax, but every nerve in his body was sprung tightly. This was a mistake. What had he been thinking? Megan wasn’t Gilly. She wasn’t even his friend. Before Gilly, impulsive behaviour had been one of his traits. She had been so good for him. And now she was gone. He shook his head.

‘What is it?’

‘Look, Megan. I don’t think this is a good idea.’ He would take his sandwich and eat it back at his desk. Like he’d been doing for the last two months.

He felt her hand on his and squirmed. This was wrong. But she was only trying to be friendly. He had to calm down.

‘You need to eat,’ she said. ‘I need to eat. Let’s just wait for our food. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.’

She had hung her coat on the back of her chair, and he noticed that the top button of her dress was undone. Had it been like that earlier, when he’d called into the pharmacy? He couldn’t remember. Surely she didn’t think he fancied her? God, no, he thought.

‘Okay so,’ he said, pulling his hand out from beneath hers. He consciously tried to unwind his body before the springs shot out of it, causing him to run out the door.

‘Tell me about Gilly,’ she said.

Ah, no. Not Gilly. He couldn’t talk about her.

‘How about you tell me about yourself?’ he said.

‘Not a lot to tell,’ she said, leaning into the chair’s upholstery. ‘You wouldn’t be interested.’

The change was instantaneous. He knew the signs off by heart. Because he did the same thing every single day. Withdrawal. He tried again.

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