Page 25 of The Reaper

“Yes, you see, we just need to trace his movements for a month or so before the accident,” Roper added.

“I see,” she said, aiming for politely curious. “Well, I’d be happy to help, I mean, as much as I can…”

“So where did you first meet Jack?”

“In a bar.”

“Which bar?”

“Do you know, I can’t actually remember? Ha…” She stalled for time, she could do perky and innocent but they were asking her a direct question. She didn’t think they would do that. She didn’t have anything to say. CCTV? They’d see that Jack and herself weren’t anywhere together. She felt herself panicking. “It was in Shrewsbury, definitely…”

“When?”

“A few months ago-”

“What date, exactly?”

“Oh, well… it was August time, it was a warm day…”

“It was the 21st of August, we met in Raphi.” Jack’s voice cut through the room. All eyes turned to him. She felt relief bubble up inside her. He was saving her.

He strode up to his bed, holding a wet towel and leaned his back against it, looking like the furthest thing from a sick prisoner patient as it was possible to look. He looked fully recovered and dangerous. And so good looking it hurt.

Morris and Roper glanced at each other, shifted, straightened up, and cleared their throats.

“Jack, good evening,” Roper mumbled.

“Raphi Bar in Shrewsbury? You are remembering?” Morris asked, eyebrows drawn together.

“Only some snippets, bits and pieces, you know, mainly everyday things, like driving down the motorway, making a cup of coffee, evenings with Hannah, that sort of thing,” he said. He threw her a glance, a loving glance of familiarity.

He was good. Oh, he was good. She was shocked and appalled by how good a liar he was.

“You know, nights on the sofa watching a movie, conversations we had… moments we had…”

Roper cleared his throat again, barely hiding the sneer, clearly not interested in romantic moments. Moments that had never actually happened.

She looked to Roper, who looked to her, testing her. She arranged her face into the most nonchalant neutral face she could muster. Yes, these moments had happened, she told herself.

“Raphi, the night of the 21st August then, we’ll check the CCTV.”

“Great.” Jack shrugged, and leaned against the bed, tossing the towel casually onto the footboard, too.

“So, you remember much else, then?” Roper asked, matching Jack’s casual tones.

“Not really.” Jack shrugged. He paused, then added, off-handedly. “Those finger prints you took show anything?”

“Not really,” Roper replied, the same off-handed tone. They both stared at each other, long and hard. Like they were sizing each other up. Morris’ gaze flicked between them, over at her, back to Jack.

Then a nurse came into the room.

“Your medicine, Jack-”

“Here.” Roper, who was nearest the door, took the little paper cup of pills from the nurse. “We’re just asking some questions for our formal investigation, if you don’t mind, we’ll continue,” Roper added, turning his back on the confused nurse. He turned back, passing the cup of pills over to Jack.

Hannah narrowed her eyes. That was not how this worked. Jack took the cup, glancing down to look. She did, too. There were a few pills they gave him every night, pain medicine, something to help thin his blood, bring down his swelling. But she thought for a second. No, he’d stopped taking the strong painkillers the other day, he was just on paracetamol now. There were two large, navy blue pills that weren't normally in there. What was that? Where had they come from? Jack didn’t even blink, he tipped them into his mouth. She opened her mouth to say something.

Jack’s eyes flashed to her and there was something there that made her pause. A warning flash. A heavy look. She heard. She obeyed.

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