Page 59 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

“Then it’s a good job we’re all friends now, isn’t it?” Her eyes rolled from Marc to Jason. “Because I’m an excellent investigative journalist and now is the time that you need my help.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Alone in the House

When everyone had left and the house was quiet, Jason fell asleep on the sofa. It was dark outside when he woke up. Marc had switched on the lamps around the room and drawn the curtains. The local news played on TV. The volume was turned down low and the subtitles were running.

“Hey,” Jason said. “What’s up?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” Marc said. He was sitting on the sofa beside him, his broken arm resting on the edge.

“How long have I been out?”

“A couple of hours.” Marc glanced at the clock. “No, more like three.”

“Shit. I never sleep during the day.”

“You needed it. That’s why I didn’t wake you.”

Nadine had left around four. He must have fallen asleep straight after. “I wanted to make a start on the case. Call Blake Remar.”

“Not today,” Marc said kindly. “You can do that tomorrow. If you’re up to it.”

Jason was about to argue, then realised he barely had the energy to sit up straight. He was exhausted, in his body and mind. The painkillers must have made him drowsy, but they were wearing off. The hurt in his ribs and ankle was returning. He would resist taking another dose until bedtime. He didn’t like the way they made him feel, and he couldn’t afford to get hooked on them.

“Anything?” he asked, gesturing to the news report.

“Tyrone’s death was mentioned as the fourth feature on the local news. Nothing on the national bulletin.”

“Shit. This has overtaken our entire world and it’s like nobody else even cares.”

“Maybe now we’ve got Nadine on our side, it will improve.”

“Do you trust her?” Jason groaned as he pushed himself into a more upright position.

“Absolutely not,” Marc laughed. “But I think she was genuine today. She might be able to open doors that we haven’t. And when it’s all over, she’ll definitely hold Blyham police to account, I have no doubt on that. She’ll crucify them in print.”

Jason nodded. “No one else is offering to help, so she’s our best bet.”

Marc switched off the TV. Though he’d spent the day fussing over Jason, Marc did not look in the best condition himself. His face was drawn, and his eyes were dull and dark. He looked like he needed a decent meal and a full eight hours’ sleep.

Jason realised he was starving himself.

“How about something to eat?” he suggested.

“I’ll order us a takeaway.” Marc picked up his phone and tapped the screen.

“Not a good idea.” When Marc gave him a puzzled look, he continued. “In case we find ourselves openingthe door to our masked friend instead of the delivery. Unless your fridge and cupboards are completely bare, we should leave that as a last resort.”

With a sigh, Marc tipped his head back to gaze at the ceiling. “Will this ever end?” he muttered.

“Yes.” Jason patted his thigh. “It will. And we’ll be able to do all of those normal things again. But until then, we need to take precautions.”

They went into the kitchen and rifled through the options. Most of Marc’s meat was frozen and Jason was too hungry to wait for anything to defrost. He found a dozen eggs in the fridge.

“How about I poach these? Quick, easy and delicious.”

Marc protested, but Jason insisted he sit down and leave the cooking to him. He put a large pan of water on the hob to boil with a splash of vinegar.

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