Page 33 of Nightmare

“Ginny told me she’s pregnant.”

I blink.

“Um, excuse me?”

“A girl I fucked ...”

“I know that part of it,” I whisper-hiss, “it’s the pregnant part that I’m talking about. You’re only now bringing this up? You actually sat here and told me off, when all along you knew you had news like that?”

He shrugs. “I wanted to get my feelings out first.”

“Rewind a little, I need all the details. Ginny is who exactly?”

“Some girl I spent a weekend with. She was here, renting a fuckin’ nice villa, so she took me home and we fucked. A lot. Same as usual. Only now she’s tellin’ me that she is pregnant.”

“You didn’t use protection?” I cry, throwing my hands up. “At what point did you think that was a good idea?”

“Calm down, Bonnie. I used protection, but it broke once. She assured me she was on the pill, and I went and got checked after it, but that was the end of that. Until she called me, that is ...”

“Do you believe her?” I ask, frowning.

“Why would she lie about something like that? She doesn’t even know me. It’s not like we were in love and I broke her heart. We parted ways, I didn’t hear from her after that. So, I don’t think she would make it up.”

He’s right, it seems unlikely that she would make it up, but still, you can never be too sure without getting confirmation from a doctor. It’s not the craziest thing I’ve seen happen to a man, girls do it all the time. She’s probably a really nice woman, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t lie. Leo is better off being safe, rather than sorry.

“Maybe not,” I agree, “but if you believe her then you need to get confirmation from a doctor, and it wouldn’t hurt to get a DNA test if she keeps it.”

He ponders that. “Shit, I never questioned if she was sleeping with other men.”

“If she’s sleeping with you, there is a high chance she is sleeping with someone else, especially if she came onto you that quickly and willingly spent a weekend with you.”

He smiles. “Gives me hope that maybe it isn’t mine. I’m not daddy material.”

I scoff. “You are so, but I understand you probably don’t want a baby right now, especially with someone you don’t know. That wouldn’t be fun.”

“No, you’re right, it wouldn’t. Still, I’m going to see her later today. I’ll let you know how that goes.”

We finish chatting and I make him promise to call me as soon as he meets up with her. I make my way home, pulling out my phone when I arrive to call a friend who has just become a detective in the police force. He started out as a friend of Pete’s and used to help him with stories, and I met him a few times through work and got to know him. I wouldn’t say we’re super close, but we did go on a date once and are on friendly ground. I’m hoping he might be able to get his hands on the autopsy that was done on Daniel and Braithe.

I’m not certain he’ll have any chance of getting it, but it’s worth asking.

“Hey, Nathan,” I say, when he answers the phone.

I toss my keys onto the counter and lean my hip against it.

“Bonnie, long time no hear, I was surprised to see your name come up on my phone. How are you?”

“I’m really good. You’ll never believe it, but Pete has finally let me choose a story to write.”

A chuckle rings out. “I’ve been telling him for years to let you run on your own, I’m glad he finally listened. I’m guessing you want my help?”

His comment, though completely friendly, does make me feel a little bad. I haven’t spoken to him at all, and now I’m only calling for a favor.

“I wouldn’t mind, only if you want, of course.”

“I’m always happy to help. What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you could get your hands on an autopsy report?”

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