Page 29 of Her Deadly Promise

She kept ringing until he finally answered. ‘I can’t talk, I’m with a client.’

‘It’s urgent.’

‘Seriously, what can be that urgent?’ His hushed whisper made her shudder as she sensed the anger that her interruption had caused.

‘It’s about Billie. The police have just been.’

‘Wait, I’ll just go outside. Will you excuse me for a minute? Family matters.’

She waited as she listened to a door slamming closed and the sound of passing traffic.

‘What did they say?’

‘They just asked me questions like how well I knew Billie and about, you know what.’

‘Okay, so why are you calling me? I don’t even know her that well. I’m sure it was just one of her punters. I mean, doing a job like that, it brings the nutters out of the woodwork. You did your best, Nadia. Don’t beat yourself up about it. She couldn’t have asked for a better friend.’

‘But I didn’t. It’s my fault because I opened my mouth.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. It wouldn’t have taken long for everyone to find out in a small town. People talk. Billie chose that path. It was her fault and dressing in a way that everyone can see your underwear is bound to provoke unwanted attention.’

‘How can you say that so coldly? She was desperate, Ed.’ He could be such a pig sometimes and that was another thing she hated about him.

‘Not desperate enough to borrow some money and sort herself out. She was working as a prostitute, for God’s sake.’

‘Don’t say that.’ She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

‘What, the truth?’

‘She didn’t deserve to die. Are you saying she did? Because she was desperate, poor, or she dressed in short skirts?’

‘Don’t put words into my mouth. I’m not saying that at all. No one deserves to be murdered. I was merely saying things like this are an occupational hazard and stating what everyone else thinks. I told you she was trouble. Anyone could see that.’

‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Come on, don’t make me spell it out?’

Shaking she waited for him to continue.

‘Okay, look at the way she flirted with everyone. It was over the top, love. It gave people the wrong impression.’

‘Did she flirt with you?’ She had to know why her husband was messaging Billie behind her back, especially as he was professing that she was her friend, and not his. There was no reason for Ed to have her number, none whatsoever.

‘Don’t be stupid. Idiot.’

She ignored his insult, hoping not to add any unnecessary fuel to the fire. ‘So, you didn’t have her phone number?’

‘No way. Why are you being like this? I can’t live on a leash.’

She was being like this because she knew he was lying. She had proof. She’d seen the message flash up. Trembling, she wondered if she should mention the message. No, she had to keep that to herself otherwise he’d deny it and she’d never get to see it in its entirety. Even if she said she saw it, he’d say she must have seen something else and then delete it. Maybe he’d claim it was the person who sold him the hot tub. Whatever his excuse, Ed was capable of lying, but she could never quite catch him out. ‘So, there’s no one else?’

‘Never, babe. There’s only you. I mean think about it, this morning I was horny for you. No one else but you.’

She didn’t believe that either. Ed was horny for anyone with a pulse. ‘The police want to speak to you so I guess you should call them because I don’t want them in our house again, especially when William gets home.’

Her husband paused. ‘Look, I’ll see you later. I can’t leave the clients waiting much longer.’

‘They might come back.’ She paused. ‘Ed, just tell me where it is.’

---