“It seems the solution, honey, is just to move very slowly. I might have to apply that solution to some other more personal situations. Don’t you think?”
Eva smiled and rolled over, ready to rest.
“I think you should just do what you’re going to do, then come back here and give me a hug.”
Dan smiled and checked his head wound in the mirror beside the flat screen TV. It was swollen, and the skin had been ruptured by the striking stone. But all things considered, he was pretty happy right now. He picked up his smartphone just as it buzzed. He was expecting it to show a voicemail message left by the last caller, but no. It showed a message. Dan opened it.
Eva’s phone began ringing at the same time. She buried her head underneath the pillow for a second before changing her mind. Stretching out of the bed, the white sheet falling away from her soft freckled skin, Eva snatched up the mobile phone from her handbag.
Without thinking she opened the call.
“Eva Roberts,” she was back in business mode.
“Miss Roberts, I told you this would happen.”
The words were ominous and sent her into a momentary panic, then she recognised the number. It was old man Greer from Alabaster back in Essex.
“What is it, Mr Greer?”
“Another twelve thousand has been misplaced, Miss Roberts. Misplaced being a euphemism used by a very polite old man.”
“Misplaced?”
“The bastard has robbed us again, now what I need to know is what you intend to do about it?”
After everything she’d endured, she almost informed the old boy what he could so with his question. But she was back in business and Dan being with her was a very good sign. It had to be.
“I’ll be right over in the morning. Save every detail you have relating to that payment and the movement of any sums which could add up to that amount. I’ll be there first thing.”
“Very good. I do hope we can depend on you, Miss Roberts.”
“You can depend on me.”
Eva hung up and rolled back over, already warming to the idea of more than just a hug. But she saw Dan was hunched over his phone, his eyes narrow as if scanning the phone for something unseen.
“What is it?”
He didn’t respond. Not immediately. But when he did, she saw his eyes were different. The sparkle and desire had diminished. His smiling lips were a grim flat line.
“It’s Laura.”
“Laura?”
“You know Laura. The working girl who the Mitkin brothers wanted to top.”
Eva rolled up onto her elbow, knowing bad news was coming.
“Dan?”
“She’s dead. Murdered. Her body washed up on East Beach this morning.”
“Dan… I didn’t even know she was missing. I’m sorry.”
“She wasn’t. I saw her right before I came up here for you.”
“Do they know who killed her?”
“Not yet. That girl was trying to fight her way out of the trap she was in. And I was helping her. She had a chance, damn it and a chance was all she needed.”
Eva pushed up to her knees and pressed in behind Dan encircling his shoulders with her soft slender arms. She held him gently and pressed her head to his.
“She deserved that chance, Eva. But some scumbag has taken it straight off her, and disposed of her like she was a piece of crap…”
There was silence. Then his hand reached up and touched her wrist.
“Whoever did this needs to be brought to justice.”
“Of course.”
“I need to help make that happen.”
“What about the police, Dan?”
“What about the police? You think Rowntree is going to get his hands dirty with some real work? No, he’s too busy chasing the latest glory story. The police won’t give this case more than two seconds. Laura was abandoned, ghetto-ised like all the rest. The killer probably thought no one cared about her at all. They’ve made a huge mistake.”
She thought about their renewed love, and the new future they had together and all its potential. And then Eva saw that Dan was always going to be a maverick. If they were going to be together at all, against all her instincts, she would have to back his journeys into the wilderness.
“We’ll get this killer, Dan. Both of us.”
Dan turned. The spark had returned to his eyes and the thin line of his mouth was a smile once more. They were back together again and ready to tear it up with whatever came their way.
To be continued…
.
COMING SOON … LTD 9: THE DIRTY GAME
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading On Borrowed Time, book eight of the Long Time Dying series.
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-Solomon
The Long Time Dying Series
by Solomon Carter
Thrilling adventures featuring Eva Roberts & Dan Bradley, private detectives
Series list - in reading order
Out With A Bang
One Mile Deep
Long Time Dying
Never Back Down
Crossing The Line
Divide and Rule
Better The Devil
On Borrowed Time
The Dirty Game
On Borrowed Time Page 16
