Read Online A Savage Hunger (Paula Maguire 4) by Claire McGowan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Claire McGowan
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get them, chatting easily with the girl working there, coming back all smiles with three drinks held in his large hands. Corry caught Paula’s eye. ‘We’ll have to watch ourselves with this one,’ she murmured. ‘Fancies himself.’
He sat down, passing them the drinks in paper cups. ‘Sorry that took a while.’
‘So, Peter. What is it you’re studying?’
‘History,’ he said, easing back in his chair. ‘I’m interested in, you know – the past. What was it you wanted me for?’
Paula caught the steel in Corry’s voice. ‘We’re here about Alice.’
He eased back more. Didn’t bat an eyelid. ‘Oh yeah. She’s run off again, I hear.’
‘We’re treating it as suspicious, Peter.’
‘Is that really necessary? I mean, she’s known for doing this.’
‘Have you known her to disappear from the college?’
‘Well, no, but she moved out to that cottage, and that was weird. We all thought something was up.’
‘We?’
He shifted, the leather of his chair creaking. ‘A few of us hang out a bit. We were all older than the rest of the first years, see. She made friends with her room-mate, Katy, and a guy she met at the therapist’s office.’
‘Dermot, is that who you mean?’
His voice was light, skimming the conversation like a boat on a lake. ‘Yeah, Dermot. He’s OK, bit nerdy. I’d never normally hang round with someone like him. But Alice – she was good at bringing people together.’
Corry said, ‘We heard you and Alice were involved.’
Again, he didn’t bat an eyelid. ‘Ah no. We might have pulled a few times, you know, freshers’ week stuff, it’s only natural. But we were friends mostly.’
‘And Katy? She calls you her boyfriend.’
At this, Peter looked momentarily surprised. ‘She does?’
‘You’re not?’
‘Sergeant.’ He rolled out a smile, a yard of white, dimples creasing his mouth. ‘I’m a young guy. I don’t want to settle down yet. And this place, it’s full of girls. You know what I’m saying.’
‘Yes, Peter, I believe I can crack your code. So you weren’t with Katy last night?’
He was wrong-footed. Just for a second, then he righted himself, but Paula and Corry both noticed it. ‘Oh – well, I was. But we’re not – you know. A couple.’
‘You might want to have a chat with Katy, then. She thinks you two are an item.’
‘Of course. I’d hate to hurt her feelings. She’s a nice girl, if a bit – clingy. That’s why Alice went, I thought.’
‘Go on,’ said Corry, carefully. It was the same thing Katy claimed he’d said about Alice.
‘Well, Katy was always wearing Alice’s clothes and using her make-up, and like, cuddling up on her bed. Plus she’d cry a lot, tell Al all her woes. A bit, you know – hello, stalker? So I think Al just wanted some space.’
‘Headspace,’ said Corry.
‘Right,’ he nodded, as if grateful for the word. ‘Headspace.’
‘She couldn’t have just switched rooms?’
‘Katy would have been hurt. And when you hurt her, you hurt her. You know?’
Corry frowned. ‘Explain?’
Peter held up his forearm and mimed slashing at the soft underside. ‘Bit razor-happy, you know? Did you see her arm?’
‘Sounds like a lot of pressure on Alice not to upset Katy, drive her to self-harm.’
‘Like I said. You’d want space, wouldn’t you?’
Paula leaned in, casually. ‘I’m surprised you’d get involved with Katy then, knowing what you know.’
At that Peter went silent. ‘I wouldn’t say involved .’
‘What would you say?’
Corry shot Paula a look – they’d hit home. ‘Look,’ he said, fighting to get the smile back on his face. ‘I’d really hate for you to waste your time. I honestly think Al, she just needed a bit of space. She’ll be fine. She’ll be back in a few days.’
‘So we shouldn’t be worried.’ Corry watched him.
‘Well, I don’t know obviously, but I think not. No.’
Unexpectedly, she sat back, changed tone. ‘Thanks, Peter, you’ve
He sat down, passing them the drinks in paper cups. ‘Sorry that took a while.’
‘So, Peter. What is it you’re studying?’
‘History,’ he said, easing back in his chair. ‘I’m interested in, you know – the past. What was it you wanted me for?’
Paula caught the steel in Corry’s voice. ‘We’re here about Alice.’
He eased back more. Didn’t bat an eyelid. ‘Oh yeah. She’s run off again, I hear.’
‘We’re treating it as suspicious, Peter.’
‘Is that really necessary? I mean, she’s known for doing this.’
‘Have you known her to disappear from the college?’
‘Well, no, but she moved out to that cottage, and that was weird. We all thought something was up.’
‘We?’
He shifted, the leather of his chair creaking. ‘A few of us hang out a bit. We were all older than the rest of the first years, see. She made friends with her room-mate, Katy, and a guy she met at the therapist’s office.’
‘Dermot, is that who you mean?’
His voice was light, skimming the conversation like a boat on a lake. ‘Yeah, Dermot. He’s OK, bit nerdy. I’d never normally hang round with someone like him. But Alice – she was good at bringing people together.’
Corry said, ‘We heard you and Alice were involved.’
Again, he didn’t bat an eyelid. ‘Ah no. We might have pulled a few times, you know, freshers’ week stuff, it’s only natural. But we were friends mostly.’
‘And Katy? She calls you her boyfriend.’
At this, Peter looked momentarily surprised. ‘She does?’
‘You’re not?’
‘Sergeant.’ He rolled out a smile, a yard of white, dimples creasing his mouth. ‘I’m a young guy. I don’t want to settle down yet. And this place, it’s full of girls. You know what I’m saying.’
‘Yes, Peter, I believe I can crack your code. So you weren’t with Katy last night?’
He was wrong-footed. Just for a second, then he righted himself, but Paula and Corry both noticed it. ‘Oh – well, I was. But we’re not – you know. A couple.’
‘You might want to have a chat with Katy, then. She thinks you two are an item.’
‘Of course. I’d hate to hurt her feelings. She’s a nice girl, if a bit – clingy. That’s why Alice went, I thought.’
‘Go on,’ said Corry, carefully. It was the same thing Katy claimed he’d said about Alice.
‘Well, Katy was always wearing Alice’s clothes and using her make-up, and like, cuddling up on her bed. Plus she’d cry a lot, tell Al all her woes. A bit, you know – hello, stalker? So I think Al just wanted some space.’
‘Headspace,’ said Corry.
‘Right,’ he nodded, as if grateful for the word. ‘Headspace.’
‘She couldn’t have just switched rooms?’
‘Katy would have been hurt. And when you hurt her, you hurt her. You know?’
Corry frowned. ‘Explain?’
Peter held up his forearm and mimed slashing at the soft underside. ‘Bit razor-happy, you know? Did you see her arm?’
‘Sounds like a lot of pressure on Alice not to upset Katy, drive her to self-harm.’
‘Like I said. You’d want space, wouldn’t you?’
Paula leaned in, casually. ‘I’m surprised you’d get involved with Katy then, knowing what you know.’
At that Peter went silent. ‘I wouldn’t say involved .’
‘What would you say?’
Corry shot Paula a look – they’d hit home. ‘Look,’ he said, fighting to get the smile back on his face. ‘I’d really hate for you to waste your time. I honestly think Al, she just needed a bit of space. She’ll be fine. She’ll be back in a few days.’
‘So we shouldn’t be worried.’ Corry watched him.
‘Well, I don’t know obviously, but I think not. No.’
Unexpectedly, she sat back, changed tone. ‘Thanks, Peter, you’ve
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