Weekend in Weighton Final Amazon version 12-12-12 by Unknown

pre-ordained?’
    ‘By God, you mean?’
    She pulled an unhappy face. ‘I mean, what if you were only hired as part of some nefarious plot all along?’
    ‘It’s crossed my mind. Finding the body was a set-up fo’sho. That calls everything else into question. But it would mean Porson being in on it from the start.’
    ‘Not necessarily. Someone else could have been pulling the strings. Or perhaps she was part of it to start with before something went wrong?’
    I nodded. ‘It all keeps coming back to the why thing.’
    The bar was beginning to quieten down, but I kept up my regular periscope routine. Still no signs of any undesirable punters. I finished the wine in my glass and gave her a long stare.
    ‘There is something else.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘The day I found her she’d asked me to meet her at the house. The autopsy proved by the time the call was made she’d already been dead for hours’
    It shocked her. ‘That is spooky.’
    ‘Yeah, real Scooby Doo stuff.’
    ‘Did she call you from her mobile?’
    ‘No, home phone.’
    A beam broke out across her face. ‘The police will already have got hold of her phone records and I bet they’ve got yours.’
    ‘So?’
    ‘Well, assuming the calls match, they’ll be able to ascertain your location when you received the one from her.’
    I thought about what she’d said but shook my head. ‘Given the time of death, it doesn’t help much. And it would only prove where my phone was, not me.’
    ‘It’s a start. At the very least the police would have to prove an accomplice. Even you can’t be in two places at once.’ She nodded to herself thoughtfully and bit her lip. ‘Counsel would say you have a strong defence.’
    ‘The way Weighton police operate I’ll need a bloody Houdini defence.’
    ‘I know you’re not asking, but if you seriously want my advice, I’d tell you to leave town and keep your head down. Stay away as long as you can. Go somewhere nice.’
    ‘You coming with?’
    She laughed. ‘I’ll visit.’
    ‘Sure, you will!’
    ‘When have I ever let you down?’
    It was my turn to laugh. Not that I should have found it funny.
    ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘I need to stay and liaise with the police on your behalf. There are a few moves I can make.’
    ‘That I’d pay ninety for.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Yes, really.’ I risked a proper look at her. ‘So what are you doing later?’
    ‘Writing up case notes. You?’
    ‘Packing, according to my solicitor.’
    She pushed her empty glass to the middle of the table. ‘If you mean it, I’m glad.’
    ‘I’m not.’ I studied those mesmerising tones in her hair. ‘Wish we’d met again in different circumstances.’
    She smiled. ‘Yeah. We could have looked for shooting stars instead.’
    I motioned at the sun rays still slanting through the window. ‘I find it’s best picking ‘em out of a dark background.’
    Kate reached over and traced her fingers down my cheek. ‘You should get your injuries looked at.’ Her fingertip rested on my now misaligned nose. ‘Come on. I’ll take you to A&E.’
    ‘Is that like a proper date?’
    ~
     
    The queue at Weighton A&E was out of the door and almost out of town. I wasn’t considered a priority, so it looked like being a long wait. After an hour or so, Kate spotted a Charge Nurse she knew. It was five star service all the way after that. Luckily, the x-rays showed no broken bones. Only a few stitches and some t.l.c. were required.
    By ten we were done and heading back to Kate’s car. We didn’t talk much while we were walking, and we hadn’t talked much about much in the hospital either. Just some innocuous chat and a bit of low-level catch-up. It was no different from when we first used to be together. We could either riff like wildfire or just exchange looks for long periods without saying anything. Either way, we both knew it worked.
    We took a shortcut through Loxley Park. Feeling a little woozy after the day’s excitement, blood loss, and