Page 43 of Between the Lies

Robert’s finger moved to the nightclub on the ground floor. Here, the plywood that had once boarded up the windows had also been chewed up in the fire.

‘It’s fire damage,’ she whispered back, still unsure why they were here.

‘See what’s not been damaged?’

Nina frowned. ‘Er, the building next to it?’

‘Aye. The fire was reported at half four when someone noticed it.’ Once again, Robert reached for her and led her to the other side of the building, the one facing the adjacent street. ‘Now Now, what do you see?’

A gasp escaped Nina’s lips. She hadn’t actually been back here, loitering in the other alley instead. From there, she hadn’t been able to see this side of the building, but from here… Though the top floor showed extensive damage by fire, that wasn’t the case for the ground floor. ‘It’s almost like it was before the fire.’

Robert snapped his fingers. ‘And the middle two floors aren’t damaged at all. If a gas leak caused the fire, why is there no damage to the middle two floors or, like you pointed out, to the adjoining buildings?’

Before Nina could piece together an explanation, Robert was gone. She saw his dark silhouette slinking towards the building, almost like a cat burglar. How the man could be so buff and still sneak around, she couldn’t fathom.

When she made to follow him, Nina’s footsteps rang out like a horse’s hooves. She almost tripped over the pavement, yelped and fell onto Robert’s back.

Despite his focus on the door in front of them, he reached back with one hand and pressed her to him – her front to his delicious, hard backside.

Nina bit back a moan. ‘R-Robert! What are you doing?’

Still cocooning her against him, he led them towards the door, then crouched. Metal tinkled against metal as he worked with a set of lock picks. ‘Anne died in there.’

‘But—’

He paused and shot her a glare. ‘And I need answers, Nina. I’m done with this fucking mess.’

The desperation in his voice hurt her heart. She couldn’t imagine what he must be going through. But now wasn’t the time to lose patience. She touched his shoulder and tugged. ‘You getting us arrested for breaking in isn’t going to give you those answers.’

With a click, the lock turned. Robert looked over his shoulder and smirked. ‘Do you honestly think I care?’

A shuffle sounded behind Nina. She jumped, her eyes darting around. ‘What was?—?’

Robert leaped into action, spotting the danger before she did. He shoved Nina to the floor and lay on her. And just in time too because something metallic clanged against the door at her back and smacked to the ground. Even in the dark, it’s serrated edge gleamed. A knife.

Had someone just thrown a knife at her, aimed directly at her head? ‘I-I…’ Nina sputtered, too shocked to actually scream.

But Robert wasn’t by her side anymore. He’d sprinted into the alley, ordering her to stay low.

If she wanted her head intact, she would! Nina crouched and ran behind him.

Their footsteps clapped on the road now, loud in the silence. But whoever had attacked them with a knife didn’t care either. A third set of footsteps joined them, gaining fast.

‘Robert!’ Nina wanted to urge him to go on, to leave her.

Instead, he stopped with a curse. Nina smacked straight into his chest, then found herself once again protected behind him. ‘No, don’t!’

The next thing she knew, Robert was on the ground, wrestling with someone. This other person wore an all-black outfit. He was lean and short, legs flying in all directions, and he was clearly trained in some form of martial arts.

Robert, despite his years as a cop, could fight, but not with a lithe, trained fighter.

They rolled on the ground, Robert trying to find purchase, then their attacker twisted and wrapped his legs around Robert’s neck.

Oh hell!

Billy’s words came to Nina’s mind – he’d called Robertone of the good ones. Aye, he was. She’d interviewed enough people to know a genuine one when she met them. And he didn’t deserve to die trying to protect her.

She wouldn’t have his blood on her hands.

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