Page 44 of A Simple Mistake
“Yeah, because you skipped lunch.You don’t have to imitate Jack in everything you do, you know?”
“I’m not imitating Jack.I was busy.”
“Okay, then.I’ll get your lunch, then you can show me what I can do.”
Nico didn’t know how that would go.The food would be epic, but Daniel didn’t like to poke around in people’s lives.He read food blogs and watched cookery videos, and Nico didn’t want to spoil that for him.Jack had warned him long ago that watching—even to keep others safe—would change the way he saw people.Nico hadn’t understood that until he’d joined Jack in keeping an eye on their friends’ social media posts.
“Here.”A plate holding four sausage rolls landed in front of him and interrupted his musings.Daniel had added a handful of crisps, too, and a few strawberries.
“Thank you.”The sausage rollswerefab, and Nico missed Jack all over again.Jack loved Daniel’s spicy sausage rolls and often asked for them when he was working late.“Who’s making me imitate Jack now?”
“I thought it might help.”
“It’s making me miss him more.I’ve been fighting all morning not to text him.”
Daniel pulled up his chair and leaned against Nico’s shoulder.“I never noticed how often I text him, either.”
“I think it’s because we’re aware of the time difference.Either we’re asleep, or he is.”
“Hm.Now tell me what you’re doing?”
Nico set the plate aside and shuffled the pages on his desk.“I’m trying to build up a picture of Mrs McTavish’s life and the people in it,” he said.“First, I googled her name and read her LinkedIn page—she was a biochemist and environmental scientist.From LinkedIn, I got her jobs and a list of published papers.She was a member of various societies, too, and they have articles and photos.Then I did the same for her husband.”He pointed to another stack of notes.“These are the names of people connected to her: co-authors of her papers, people mentioned in articles, or in the photos with her.”
Daniel’s glance swept the stacks of paper.“What if I put all your notes into a spreadsheet—the way we did for the database project?That way, you can see what you don’t know yet.”
“I should have thought of that,” Nico said, feeling like an idiot.
“Why?You’re more comfortable thinking on paper.”
“Truth.”And it was.He had a tablet to read on, but he bought far more paperbacks.And when it came to designing databases or escape routes, the first thing he reached for was a notepad.
“Besides.”Daniel gathered the notes and settled at his own desk.“Rachel called.I have the middle shift at the deli tomorrow.If I tidy your notes, I’m helping, but it won’t interrupt you.”
Nico recognised the tone Daniel used in the kitchen, the one he’d learned from Gareth.He had a plan that made sense to him, and now he was done talking and would go to work.Jack would find this funny.His hand twitched towards his phone… and stopped.Time difference.Damn it!
He raised his head, found Daniel’s eyes on his and returned the grin.“I’ll text him when we go to bed.Then he gets it when he wakes.And I’ll tell him you’re helping.”
The lunch rush was in full swing.The line of office workers in need of sandwiches, cakes, and salad boxes snaked almost out of the door.Daniel dived into the back to fetch another bowl of potato salad, then added a fresh tray of ready-made sandwiches to the depleted shelf.
“Pasta salad,” Rachel said between customers.“And olives.”
“Got it.”Daniel grabbed the empty bowls and went to refill them.At least the plates of sliced ham and roast beef were still more than half full.He hated having to slice meat in a hurry.
He was carrying in two dishes of olives when the back of his neck grew tight.Turning, he let his gaze quarter the room, but not a single person in the store paid him more than the usual attention.
His danger sense knew better.
Someone was watching him.
Daniel dropped the olive dishes into their empty slots on the counter and grabbed the next lot of empty bowls, lining them up on the worktable in the back.He shook from head to foot and ended up grabbing the table to steady himself.
Nothing will happen,he told himself over and over, trying to calm his racing heart and stuttering breath.I’m surrounded by people.Rachel is here.Nothing will happen.
“Daniel?”
Rachel’s voice pushed the panic aside.“Coming.”He topped up bowls and dishes and brought them outside, snatched the bottle of salad dressing and went back to refill that, too.He gritted his teeth and hung on.Made coffee, sliced cake, bagged pastries.Did it with a smile even though deep inside his mind, he was screaming.
After too long, the lunch rush wound down and Daniel slumped onto a stool.“I… I can’t go out there.Not again.”His words came in drips, as if he expected reprisals.
