Page 24 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

“I want those things too,” she said, trying a softer line. “I’m not your enemy, Marc. Instead of getting some backstreet investigator to root out the case, you could work with me. I’m onto something already. I’m this close to uncovering it.” She held her thumb and index finger millimetres apart.

Marc might have been convinced, if his mind didn’t flash on the lurid headlines she’d written about his husband and his brother. This was the woman who’dhad a photographer follow him during a national pandemic in order to get pictures of him visiting his dying husband. If that wasn’t enough, she’d intruded on his grief again when she’d trailed him at the restricted funeral he’d been forced to arrange. She was interested in sensationalism and nothing more meaningful than that.

“If you’re so close to the truth, then you really don’t need me.”

Seeming to realise she was getting nowhere, she pushed on anyway. “You found the body last night. That fact alone makes you a person of interest. I have a duty to write that up.”

He finally managed to walk around her. “Write what the hell you want.” He sighed. “We both know you’ll do that anyway. Your credibility as a journalist is in the sewer. Try having a sliver of respect and compassion for the victim’s family this time.”

“Get down off your bloody high horse,” she snapped. “I’m trying to find out what happened to your brother. You could show a little gratitude.”

Marc laughed. With that final comment she had lost the tiny fragment of credibility she might have had left.

He got into the car. Nadine was still talking when he shut the door in her face. He started the engine and drove away. She could follow him if she liked, the chances were high that she would, though she always knew where to find him anyway.

Nadine’s ambush had helped him in a way she would never know. She’d made him remember the reason he’d gone to see Jason in the first place. He wanted to get to the truth before she did. He had a much greater chance of doing that with Jason on hisside. Until twenty minutes ago, he’d been close to terminating their agreement.

Nadine had made him realise that he needed Jason Durham more than ever.

Chapter Ten

The Ex-boyfriend

Blyham Castle sat in the oldest quarter of the city, on a small peninsula jutting into the river Bly. It dated back to 1272 and had been designated a cultural World Heritage Site since 1985. Like many local people, Jason realised that he failed to appreciate the importance of such a historic building right on his doorstep. He’d first visited the castle on a school trip when he was thirteen years old and had been bored out of his mind. Then later, when he’d attended a wedding reception in the main hall, he’d been too drunk to grasp the importance of the location.

Whenever he went to other cities such as Edinburgh or Cardiff, their castles were always top of his places to visit, but because this had been there his entire life, he scarcely gave it a thought.

It wasn’t tourism that brought him to the castle on a dull afternoon in March.

He pulled into the visitor’s car park and paid the extortionate fees for an hour. Though it was dry when he got out of the car, a cutting wind came up the riverfrom the North Sea. He fastened his jacket to the neck. He had no intention of paying the entry fee to enter the castle walls and bided his time at the entrance, getting a takeaway cup of tea to warm his hands.

His investigation had taken a surprising turn late last night when he’d been contacted by an old friend of Theo’s. More than just a friend, Theo’s ex. Roaul Bhatt had heard he’d been reaching out to Theo’s acquaintances and had made the first move. Jason doubted he would have found Roaul on his own. Theo’s social media profile were strictly Hart Stone business accounts, and he hadn’t posted anything personal about his real life. Roaul hadn’t featured anywhere. Roaul told Jason that the news of Dan Blumel’s death had shocked him into coming forward.

Jason loitered around the entrance until two-thirty, when a man of Indian heritage walked out. He didn’t know what Roaul looked like, but this man was around thirty and wearing the polo shirt and hoodie of the castle guides. This had to be him.

“Hi.” Jason stepped towards him. “Roaul?”

The man nodded. His was very handsome in a wholesome, boy-next-door kind of way. Not at all like the sex-fantasy boys he’d seen in most of Theo’s videos. He carried a lunch box and a Thermos flask.

Another nod. “We can go over there.” He pointed to an empty picnic table on the other side of the car park. It was hardly picnicking weather, but Roaul said, “I’ve only got twenty-five minutes for lunch today, so I’ll have to eat while we talk.”

“Whatever is best for you,” Jason said, falling into step beside him.

Roaul wasn’t tall, five-seven at most. He knew Theo had been slightly built too and could easily picturethem as a couple. They would have made an attractive pair.

“Thanks for getting in touch and meeting me,” he said.

Roaul looked at him, before his eyes darted away. “I thought people had stopped caring about what happened to Theo.”

“The police, maybe. Theo’s family still care a lot.”

Roaul seemed unconvinced. They sat and he poured a steaming cup of coffee from his flask. Jason took the lid off his tea and blew on the hot contents.

“I take it you never met his family?”

Roaul took a sandwich from his lunch box. It looked like tuna mayo. “No. He never met mine either. We were kind of in our own little bubble.”

“How long were you together?” he spoke softly, not wanting to say anything that would freak Roaul out and cause him to clam up.

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