Page 90 of Truly, Darkly, Deeply

‘So?’

I knew what she was getting at though, the memory coming at me like a bullet in the dark.

‘Sophie found this leash at his place. His mother’s beagle’s, he said. But he never mentioned his mother had a dog before. I mean, don’t you find that strange?’

‘Does he know everything about you?’

‘No, but. . .’

‘But what?’

‘He dinged a car the other day, didn’t leave a note or anything. And then when we were undercharged at the Italian on Saturday night, he kept schtum. “Lucky us”, is what he said.’

‘Goodness, I never realised you were dating such a gangster.’

‘I’m serious. . .’

Linda reached across the table, laid a hand on my mother’s, gave it a squeeze.

‘So am I. You know Matty. What a good guy he is. Don’t let Thick Bollocks get in your head. He doesn’t deserve a second thought.’

She was right, but it didn’t matter. Listening to my mother, a window of doubt opened up inside me.

One I would never quite close.

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