Hunted by Heather Atkinson Page B

but apparently Chris was the last person to see Daniel Tebbs before he disappeared, he used to help out on the Marsh’s farm. He was also the second man to vanish. Gerard hinted not so subtlety that Chris is attracted to men.”
    “Bollocks.”
    “Very concisely put but I’m not so sure it is. I spilt coffee on myself on purpose to give me an excuse to take my top off and he definitely seemed interested in what I had on display.”
    “Maybe he was just shocked that you started stripping off in his house?”
    “No, it was definitely more than that. Forgive me if I sound arrogant but I am able to recognise when someone’s attracted to me. He invited me back later to look at the man den he’s made in his cellar while Leah rides Sophia.”
    “Have you heard yourself? This is mental. Someone you don’t even know says something nasty about a friend of yours, a friend who’s been very good to you, and you believe it.”
    “Because I confirmed it for myself. He’s attracted to me.”
    “No way. He’s happily married to Angela, they’re crazy about each other.”
    “I’m not disputing that he loves her, I’m just saying he might have other urges that she can’t satisfy. Battler confirmed that he was the last person to see Daniel Tebbs alive and his property backs onto ours. It would have been simple for him to dump a body in the foundations of the annex.”
    “I don’t believe it. You’re really barking up the wrong tree.”
    “I most certainly am not.”
    “Are you actually going up there this evening?”
    “Yes.”
    Rachel’s eyes turned jet black with wrath and Ryan experienced a tingling down below.
    “This is a complete waste of time. Chris is a good man and if he does fancy men, so what? It’s nothing to do with us.”
    “You’re right it’s not, but wouldn’t you like to be one hundred percent certain that we don’t have a serial killer for a neighbour?”
    “I…oh bloody hell Ryan, I do now.”
    “Fine. Then I shall go up there and confirm it for you, to give you piece of mind.”
    “I still think it’s a waste of time. Chris wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
    “He grew up on a farm, death is a huge part of his life. He sees it up close and personal every day.”
    “Dead pigs and sheep are a lot different to dead people.”
    “Are they? The majority of serial killers started out torturing animals in their youth.”
    “You can quote every FBI statistic they’ve ever come up with but I still won’t believe it. I’ll come with you. I can keep Angela company.”
    “No Rachel, you mustn’t do that.”
    “You’re shutting me out,” she said angrily.
    “No but it might inhibit Chris if he knows you’re upstairs. I want him to feel completely at ease.”
    “You actually want him to hit on you?”
    “Yes, purely for research purposes.” He grabbed her by the waist and pressed her back on the kitchen table. “In case you hadn’t forgotten, I’m all man.”
    “I wonder what Jez would say about your little plan if I told him? And Mikey?”
    “You’re not telling that pair,” he retorted.
    “I might,” she smirked.
    “Then I will be most displeased,” he said, slowly sliding her skirt up her thighs. “And I might just have to punish you.”
    “You’re already punishing me with that beard.”
    “Bad girl,” he said before flipping her onto her front and delivering three sharp slaps to her backside.
    “Ow,” she cried. “Do it again.”
    He obliged and she released another squeal of delight. Ryan turned her back over and kissed her hard, Rachel moaning loudly as he pulled down her panties and pressed his fingers against her. She was so hot and wet he growled into her mouth. His plan to discover more about Chris Marsh had engendered in him the desperate need to prove his masculinity. He threw her legs over his shoulders then entered her hard, delighting in the way her entire body reacted, the way her cheeks burned red and her eyes rolled over black.
    She pulled the ugly t-shirt