Page 147 of Joker in the Pack

I wasn’t entirely convinced my efforts were to blame, but when I glanced over at Emmy sitting in the corner, her expression didn’t change.

“How about me?” Warren asked from the bed next to Nye’s.

A shortage of space meant they’d ended up sharing a room, but Nye had been surprisingly accommodating about the situation once he found out what Warren’s timely interruption at Prestwold Manor had saved me from.

“Same goes for you, Mr. Hannigan.”

“Nye, if the doctor thinks it best that you stay here, you really should.” I squeezed his hand. “I’ll worry otherwise.”

He pulled me down for a kiss, and he would have moved on to tongues if the doctor hadn’t cleared his throat.

“So, that’s settled,” he said. “I’ll get the nurse to bring you the dinner menu. I believe it’s beef Wellington tonight.”

Nye caught my eye and snickered. “Look on the bright side; it can’t be as bad as Maddie’s.”

“You haven’t tried her Moroccan tagine yet.”

“I’m busy that year.”

“Speaking of Maddie, she’s offered to come round tonight and keep me company.”

I said she offered, but I didn’t exactly get a say in the matter. Still, at least I could say sorry in person for being so stupid with Tate earlier, in addition to the thousand apologies I’d given her on the phone. And if she hadn’t called Nye when she did… I shuddered. The consequences didn’t bear thinking about.

“That’s good of her, babe.”

“Mickey’s coming too. He reckons he’s been researching my family tree, and I was related to Queen Elizabeth the first about seven hundred generations ago.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.”

“Maybe we could ask him to do yours?”

Emmy had a coughing fit, and I passed her a glass of water as Nye shook his head.

“Doubt Mickey would find anything interesting there.”

A knock at the door made us look up, and everyone groaned in unison as Graham poked his head into the room.

“Evening, all. I think I need to take a statement.”

Hethought? Good heavens, didn’t he know anything about his own job?

Nye waved him inside. “How about we make it quick? I need to get some sleep.”

“Of course, of course. Oh dear. I seem to have forgotten my pen.”

Emmy rummaged in her bag and passed over a sleek-looking black ballpoint. “Here, borrow this.”

“Thanks. And you are?”

“Nobody important. Hospital quality control.”

“Ah, in that case, let’s start with you, Miss Parker.”

“Porter.”

“Sorry?”

“Miss Porter. My name’s Olivia Porter.”

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