Page 45 of Deep Waters

Harry shook a good amount of salt and vinegar over his food. “I don’t know. Doubt it really matters much. Loads of people sell videos on those sites now. It’s not that unusual. He was a good-looking lad. I don’t see the harm if he wanted to make money like that.”

“I met his girlfriend today.”

Harry’s smile stiffened. “You did? How? Why?”

Christian had just put a chip in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. “These are good. I met her as part of my investigation. I wanted to know more about Niko.”

“I thought you intend to write this as fiction.”

“I do, but I’m curious. It comes with the job. And I always do thorough research.”

Harry softened and tucked into his meal. “Okay. What did she say?” He thought about when he’d seen her yesterday, when he’d been with Antoni—how tense and unhappy she had looked.

“She told me the reason they broke up was because he’d cheated on her. She found videos on his phone of him shagging other girls. But as I was walking back just now, it made me wonder. What if he wasn’t cheating in the usual sense? What if the girls in his videos were other content creators, and they’d filmed themselves purely for business purposes? He might not have had any emotional connection with those girls at all. It might have been nothing but a business transaction.”

“I don’t think that would make Gemma feel any better. Whichever way you look at it, he still fucked other women behind her back…allegedly.” Harry caught Christian giving him the side-eye. “What? Oh, hang on. Now you think Gemma killed him because she was jealous of these videos?”

Christian gave him an amused, lopsided grin, raising his eyebrows. “Just an idea.”

“For one of your stories, maybe. I don’t think Gemma is the murdering type. From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t have it in her.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised what people are capable of. Don’t underestimate anyone when it comes to murder. Jealousy can bring out the worst in the mildest of personalities—the very worst.”

“No.” Harry gave him a playful nudge. “You’re wrong about that. I’m sure of it. We’ve had some crazy things happen in this town, but I don’t buy the idea of Gemma murdering her boyfriend.”

“You know her then?”

“Yeah, but not well,” he admitted. “I know her from the café. She’s a nice girl. I can just about accept the fact she dumped Niko over what she found on his phone. I don’t blame her for that. But the other stuff? No way. She’s not a killer.”

“Maybe,” Christian said. “Maybe not. I’m just doing research and haven’t drawn any conclusions. But everyone, including you, has told me this is a strange town with some unlikely goings on. I wouldn’t rule anyone out yet.”

Harry displayed a wide grin. “I see. Does that include me?”

Christian gave him a wicked grin. “Well, there are three people I know for certain who are in the clear—those of us who were on the boat…you, me and Tom. Apart from us, I’d say everyone else in this town is a suspect.”

* * * *

Antoni Nowak clenched his fists and tried to quell the heavy feeling in his belly. He paced the quayside, drawing in deep breaths of sea air, hoping to ease the tightness in his chest. The temperature was dropping as the evening drew on, but he was oblivious to the cold.

What the hell is happening?

The lights were on in Harry’s ground-floor flat, and though the blinds remained open, he couldn’t see anyone inside. Antoni knew the layout of the place well enough, and the kitchen was at the rear of the house. He wouldn’t see anything unless he went around the back and climbed over the six-foot wall to the yard.

Antoni had been on his way to Harry’s when he’d spotted Christian leaving the fish-and-chip shop. He’d wanted to talk to Harry about what had gone down with the Bewicks that afternoon. Roger had gone out for the evening, and Antoni had felt the four walls closing in on him. He’d needed someone to talk to.

It had been a surprise to see their rescuer step out onto the pavement ahead of him. Antoni had been on the verge of calling out to him when something made him hold his tongue, some kind of sixth sense that proved to be accurate. He followed Christian around the harbour, and it was no surprise when he arrived at Harry’s open door.

The kiss he’d witnessed on the doorstep had hit him like a truck.

Harry and Christian were seeing each other. There was no other explanation. The tenderness of their lips as they met made their feelings evidently clear.

Why hadn’t Harry mentioned this to him yesterday?

Antoni hunched over and pressed his fist to his mouth. He wanted to heave, but there was nothing there—nothing physical. The hardening ball of pain was something he would not be able to throw up.

How did they even know each other? Christian had told them he was here on holiday, staying at Quay House. How was it possible for him to get together with Harry at that time?

Unless they knew each other before? Unless Harry is the reason Christian is here in the first place.

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