Left You Dead

89

Half an hour later, Eden Paternoster and Rebecca Watkins lay naked, wrapped in each other’s arms. Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’ was playing softly in the background.

‘You’re amazing,’ Eden said, grinning.

‘Yeah, you’re a lucky lady,’ Rebecca replied teasingly.

‘Drink?’

‘Why not?’

Eden slipped out of bed and, without bothering to put on any clothes, walked out of the room.

‘Jesus, I’ll never tire of looking at that body,’ Rebecca called after her.

Eden wiggled her bum cheekily as she went through the door. She returned a couple of minutes later with the opened Prosecco, two glasses and the bowl of olives. They sat up in bed, with the olives balanced between them, and Eden filled their glasses. ‘To our future!’ she said.

‘To our future!’

They clinked glasses and drank. Then Rebecca dug her hand into the bowl and ate several olives. ‘I must say, I love my kick-boxing sessions.’

‘Kick-boxing sessions trump poker evenings, right?’ Eden said.

‘Every time!’ Then, eating more olives, Rebecca said, ‘I’m ravenous.’

‘Supper’s ready downstairs.’

‘You are the best lover ever! Did anyone ever tell you?’

‘Only you.’

Rebecca punched her, playfully. ‘Liar!’

‘It’s true.’

‘OK, your male lovers, then?’

‘The best I got from Niall was that I’m a great shag.’

Rebecca looked at her quizzically. ‘Was it ever as good with him as it is with me?’

‘Not remotely; not in a million, billion years.’

‘And I’m meant to believe that?’

‘Well, you’re shagging him, too — and your assessment is?’

Rebecca wrinkled her face. ‘Yech.’

‘Did you... you know — shag him today? Weren’t you seeing him this afternoon?’

She gave a shaking motion with her hand as her reply. ‘Just a hand job.’

‘Really?’

‘We were up at the Dyke in the car park. And I didn’t want — you know — before seeing you.’ She shrugged. ‘He was fine with that.’

‘Well, he is a wanker, through and through.’

Both women giggled.

Eden then looked at her, serious now. ‘Any news? What did he say about the police?’

‘Not much, really. He’s been released on police bail. He’s still totally mystified about your disappearance. He just repeated what he’s said before, that he thinks you’ve set him up. He’s worried about the evidence they’ve thrown at him, but he’s sure they won’t find any proof — that they’re not going to find anything. I think, actually, he’s angry because he knows, in his heart, you’ve beaten him.’

Eden smiled and raised her glass again. ‘I bloody well have.’

‘You have.’

‘We have!’ Eden replied.

‘I’ll drink to that.’ Again, they clinked glasses and drank.

‘So the police haven’t been in touch with you, other than questioning everyone in the office?’

Rebecca shook her head. ‘Nope, not at all.’

‘What’s the word around the office?’

‘Everyone thinks something must have happened to you. I’ve spread the word, as subtly as I can, that you once confided in me you were worried by Niall’s mood swings. I helped the rumour mill along by letting people know he had been arrested. And I made sure to take along a copy of the Argus, with the headline about his arrest, and leave it in the canteen.’

Eden grinned. ‘Smart.’

Rebecca drained her glass. ‘What was it you said about supper?’

Eden ran a suggestive finger down Rebecca’s chest, and on down, past her stomach. ‘Can it wait?’

Rebecca took her hand and kissed a finger. ‘Later,’ she said. ‘I need sustenance first. Then I’m going to have you all over again.’

They locked eyes. ‘I love you,’ Eden said. ‘I really love you.’

‘And I really love you.’

There was a brief moment of comfortable silence between them. Then Eden said, ‘It’s incredible, isn’t it, when a plan works out?’