Page 25 of A Game of Lies

Ffion opens his car door. ‘Are you planning on sitting there all day?’

‘Absolutely nothing,’ Gayle purrs. ‘If you meet me later, you can slip a hand up and see where it takes you …’

‘Because we’re about to talk to Miles.’ Ffion’s leaning into the car, and Leo can smell her perfume, sharp and citrussy. She’s wearing a short-sleeved top with no jacket, and her forearms are goose-bumped from the mountain breeze.

‘I’ll come in a second.’ Leo feels somewhat frantic. He clamps the phone tightly to his ear, but Gayle’s voice is soloud.

‘I hope not.’ Gayle gives another throaty laugh. ‘I need you to go all night.’ She draws out theallfor several seconds.

‘I really do have to get on.’ Leo is uncomfortably hot, prickles of sweat around his hairline and across his top lip. Ffion is looking at him curiously. ‘Work,’ he mouths, adding an eyeroll and making a hand gesture to show he’s trying to wrap it up. ‘I’ll call for an update later and see how you’ve got on.’

‘Right now,’ Gayle says. ‘I’m going to—’

Leo hangs up. He gets out of the car, turning his back on Ffion as he retrieves his briefcase from the rear seat, letting out a long breath in the hope that his heart rate will return to normal. ‘Hi,’ he says, when he finally turns around. ‘It’s good to—’

‘Shall we?’ She starts walking towards the rear of the farmhouse.

Leo catches up with her in a few long strides. There’s a label sticking out of the back of her top, and there was a time when Leo would have reached out to tuck it inside and neither of them would have missed a beat, but he keeps his hands in his pockets. ‘You’ve got a—’ he starts, but Ffion turns to look at him, and he’s reminded how much things have changed. ‘How have you been?’ he says instead.

‘Busy.’

Too busy to reply to his suggestion they have dinner. ‘Me too.’

‘How’s CID? Good team?’

‘Yeah, they’re a good bunch.’ They’re talking like colleagues at a business convention, when last time they were together they had shared some of the most intense moments Leo has ever experienced. Even if Ffion didn’t want a relationship with him, they could have kept that closeness, couldn’t they? They could have been friends.

‘Must be demanding, being a DS.’ There’s an odd note to Ffion’s voice as she leads the way around the back of the farmhouse.

‘I guess.’ Leo glances at her.

Ffion opens a door, the corners of her mouth twitching. ‘Especially with a boss who makes you goallnight.’

Fortunately for Leo, the intense heat that races to flood his face is interrupted by a desolate cry coming from the road. Instinctively, Leo reaches for his radio. An accident? The MisPer himself? Leo wonders what the ambulance response times are around here and hopes they’ve got a better navigation system than his own.

‘Oh, shit,’ Ffion says. ‘Dave.’

Leo doesn’t quite have time to wonder who Dave is, and what is causing him distress, because something the size of a Shetland pony, only hairier and not nearly so endearing, is barrelling into the driveway. Its mournful cries morph into barks of what appear to be joy as it launches itself at Ffion, two giant paws on her shoulders, and starts licking her face.

‘Do you …’ Leo takes a step back. It’s not that he’s not a dog person. He quite likes dogs, when they’re walking meekly on leads, or curled up in baskets by the fire. ‘Do youknowthis dog?’

‘Off!’ Ffion gives a mighty shove and frees herself. ‘Leo, meet Dave, a rescue dog with separation anxiety and boundary issues.’ She takes off her belt and loops it through the dog’s collar. ‘Dave, meet Leo, a Cheshire DS with good taste in suits.’

‘Pleased to meet you.’ Leo stretches out a tentative hand to stroke Dave and is rewarded with a handful of slobber Leo really doesn’t want to wipe on his suit. Especially after what appeared to be a bona fide compliment from Ffion Morgan. ‘I take it you hadn’t planned for him to join us?’

‘He escaped from Mam’s to look for me.’

‘Bright dog.’

‘He ate her sofa first.’

Leo doesn’t quite know what to say to this. They enter a courtyard at the rear of the house, where the kitchen door is open and a woman with close-cropped dark hair is waiting.

‘You must be DS Brady.’ She extends a hand. ‘DC Georgina Kent, sarge. I work with Ffion.’

‘Call me Leo.’ Leo shakes her hand. ‘Unless there’s a member of the public around.’ He grins. ‘And should I call you Georgina? Or do you have another preferred name?’

There’s a surprised pause. ‘Well, George, actually.’

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