Page 27 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

The interior reminded him of a much fancier version of Jason’s office. There was a large poster of the MP in the hallway. Marc studied the image. A bit like the premises, there was nothing wrong with the man. Fairly good-looking by most standards, a solid ten out ten compared to most other politicians. He was a blue-eyed silver fox who always looked a little uncomfortable in his fancy suits, like he couldn’t wait to remove the jacket and roll his sleeves up.

Had Theo genuinely fancied him? Despite the big age difference, it was possible. Soloman was smooth-talking and handsome enough to convince the people of his constituency to vote for him, so no reason Theo wouldn’t have fallen for him too. But was a boring, middle-aged bloke really Theo’s type? The boy who loved a good time and to show off at every opportunity. It seemed unlikely. A business transaction then? Soloman was wealthy enough to pay whatever price for the services he required.

And murder?

Marc struggled to connect the dots that far.

He took a deep breath and went up the stairs.

There were two women in the reception area. He remembered what Jason had told him about them guarding their boss like lionesses.

The elder of the women sat at the desk. She was prim and efficient looking, in a sensible grey cardigan and huge glasses. The other woman looked like a former model turned political aide. Her honey blonde hair was salon blown. She wore sharply pressed grey trousers and a silk blouse which accentuated her athletic figure. Head to toe glamour.

“Hello,” Ms Glamour-puss said. Her smile was dynamite, but her eyes were focused, taking him all in.

“Hi,” he said. “I’d like to make an appoint to see Mr Archer when he’s next available.”

“Certainly. Trish, can you bring up the diary for the next surgery?”

The older woman screwed up her face and jabbed at her keyboard.

“My name is Marc Glass.”

“Yes,” said Glamour-puss. “I recognise you. Something of a celebrity in Blyham. There was no needfor you to come into the office. You could have called and made an appointment. Mr Archer will be delighted to see you.”

This was not the response he’d expected, given what Jason had told him about his efforts to get to the big man. “I was in the area,” Marc said lightly. “Thought I might as well drop by.”

“I’m delighted you did. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Chantelle. I’m Mr Archer’s personal assistant.” Her jolly tone seemed completely sincere.

Trish looked up from her screen. “The next surgery is fully booked, I’m afraid.”

Chantelle tossed her hair and leaned over Trish’s shoulder. “I’m sure we can do something. How does three-thirty sound? On the twentieth.”

“Perfect.”

Chantelle tapped the screen. “Reschedule that appointment for next month and put Mr Glass in there instead.”

“Can I add a note about the purpose of the appointment?”

He watched them both closely. “I want to talk about the unsolved death of my brother. Theo Glass. He was killed by a hit-and-run driver last December.”

Chantelle’s cheerful smile turned to sympathy. “Yes, of course. That was a tragedy. Mr Soloman will be most interested in your concerns. And I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

Marc didn’t know what to say. A few days ago, Jason had been met with a hard wall of resistance when he came here. Now they were offering compassion. Something had altered and he wished he knew what it was.

Chapter Eleven

Night Life

“Something must have changed since I saw them,” Jason said, shaking his head with a grin. “Do you think they spoke to Archer after my visit the other day and he’s trying a fresh approach?”

“I have no idea,” Marc said.

They were in the back room of The New Inn. Jason had suggested meeting there after work when Marc had called to tell him what had gone down at Archer’s office. It was the first time they’d seen each other since Marc had left in the early hours, two days ago. Jason suspected it might have been awkward when they came face to face again and thought it would be easier over a drink.

“When I spoke to them, Chantelle claimed she’d never heard of Theo. Today, she’s acting like your biggest fan and bending over backwards to keep you happy. That’s a huge difference.”

Marc seemed uncertain. “Maybe she has spoken to Soloman, and he reminded her of Theo’s case. I was thinking on the way over here, if he cares anythingabout his constituents, he’d know all about the unsolved hit-and-run. He must have told her to be more accommodating the next time they heard from us.”

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