Page 23 of Read Between The Lines

‘Touché. Now, why don’t you concentrate on eating your lunch while I get this sorted out?’

He opened his mouth to talk back, but his stomach let out a grumble instead. He smiled and shrugged, then started polishing off his delicious-looking meal.

Meanwhile, I tapped a few buttons and took a quick bite of my disappointingly ordinary shop-bought cheese sandwich while I waited for the app to load. It was tempting to have a quick browse through Leo’s internet history while he was focused on food, but my conscience got the better of me. He’d been respectful of my boundaries when I gave him my login, after all. Besides, although he appeared to be absorbed in his lunch, I suspected he’d be quick to notice if I started nosing around things I shouldn’t.

‘Okay, first thing’s first, we need a picture of you for your profile. They don’t let anyone join without one. Smile nicely,’ I instructed.

I held his phone up and managed to capture a snap of his scowling reaction to my request.

‘Ooh, it’s definitely giving off mugshot chic,’ I said, moving the phone quickly away so he couldn’t see it to dispute my claim. Given that I’d caught him off guard, he actually looked annoyingly good in the picture, his moodiness coming across more like he was deep in important thoughts. ‘You’re in luck: some women really dig that slovenly haven’t-shaved-in-days kind of vibe.’

He rubbed his chin. ‘I shaved this morning, thank you very much.’

‘Then you have impressive hair follicles. You could light a match on that stubble.’

‘Look, I don’t have to sit here and spend my precious down time listening to you abusing me,’ he reminded me.

I was getting far too much enjoyment out of pushing his buttons, indulging myself with a little light revenge for his earlier comments to me. I needed to concentrate on the matter in hand.

‘Okay, well, do you have a photo you’d like me to use instead? Anything will do, but I’d recommend not using one where you’re kissing a giant fish.’

‘I’m vegetarian, so there’s zero chance of that. Do guys really think they’re going to get anywhere by using a photo like that?’

‘Sadly, yes. It’s surprisingly common. Maybe the ability to catch supper does it for some women, but alas, not for me. I just look at the picture and feel sorry for the poor fish which was probably happily swimming along minding its own business before it got rudely ripped out of the water. And let’s not forget what the smell must be like. I might enjoy eating fish fingers, but I certainly don’t want to be embraced by a man who has them.’

‘What type of photo works best in your opinion? I’m asking from an investigative perspective,’ he added hastily. ‘I’m trying to build a picture of what impression our man was trying to give, and how it helped him lure in his victim. Sorry, his target,’ he corrected. ‘Basically, what was it about him that appealed to you?’

He sounded serious but I thought I detected a note of empathy in there, which I found reassuring despite how exposing it was opening up about something so personal.

I decided it was safer to keep things light to start with. ‘It was the classic posing with a puppy picture that first attracted me to him. Big brown eyes, helpless expression, silky ears, that kind of thing.’

‘And the dog was cute too,’ he said with a grin.

‘You know full well that I was referring to the dog. In fact, I was hoping Brian would introduce me to his puppy once we’d met. I’ve always wanted to have a pooch of my own. We have a family dog, but he lives with my parents in Yorkshire, so I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like. And dog-sitting Robin so her dad, Gavin, can get a bed for a couple of nights at the homeless hostel doesn’t really count.’

Leo shook his head. ‘You do go above and beyond for your library regulars. In fact, I’m starting to fear that you enlisting me in this endeavour is some covert project to fix me, like you try to solve the rest of your patrons’ problems.’

I looked at him. ‘That’s a very generous opinion of me. Do you need fixing?’

There was a brief pause.

‘Don’t we all?’ he said, his tone completely neutral.

‘Um, well, yes, I guess,’ I said, surprised by his admission into making one of my own. ‘You’re not wrong there.’

An awkward silence descended on us, during which I feigned deep interest in a couple of mallards swimming lazily by. Leo seemed equally absorbed in devouring his wrap. I think we were both taken aback by the direction of the conversation. This was meant to be a business partnership, two acquaintances helping each other out in exchange for something the other wanted. It was not meant to descend into a therapy session. I’d already revealed too many weaknesses to Leo. It wasn’t his reaction that I was worried about, more what the act of showing them to him might mean for me. I’d been hurt enough already by a man who, it turned out, didn’t even exist in the first place.

Leo’s phone vibrated in my hand.

‘That’s the app asking me if you want to log off because I’ve not typed anything in a while.’

Leo frowned. ‘It’s a persistent little blighter, isn’t it?’

‘I guess it doesn’t like being kept waiting. Look, if you really don’t want to join, I won’t mind,’ I lied.

But it would change my plans.

ChapterNine

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