Read Online Forbidden Fruit by Ilsa Evans - Free Book Online Page B

that I had been perfectly content with spending time together once a month, going away for a weekend, treating it, us , as time out, completely separate from my real life, so that I could slough off everything like a second skin and just rejuvenate. But Ashley had become increasingly disgruntled with this arrangement, so much so that his six-week secondment to the Northern Territory had come as something of a relief. For us both.
    I ruffled Gusto’s fur and then took a deep breath before dialling his mobile.
    ‘Hello, Ashley Armistead speaking.’
    ‘Hey, it’s me.’
    ‘Nell. What a surprise. It’s nice to hear from you.’
    I grimaced at my reflection in the glass sliding door. ‘You don’t sound like it is.’
    ‘I’m just surprised, that’s all. I thought we were going to stick to emails. Wasn’t that what you decided was best?’
    ‘We both decided,’ I corrected him.
    ‘No, you decided. I just agreed because I’m that sort of bloke. Eminently agreeable.’
    ‘You are that,’ I replied, because it was the truth. ‘How is it going up there?’
    There was a slight hesitation. ‘Good, good.’
    ‘Two weeks to go.’
    ‘Is that all? Christ, hasn’t that gone quick!’
    ‘You sound disappointed.’ I flicked my hat, sending it into a spin across the bench.
    ‘No. Look, Nell, I’d rather do this face to face. And also I’m running late at the moment. How about we talk when I get back?’
    ‘What about?’ I asked quickly, my stomach tightening.
    ‘You know. This. Us.’
    ‘Fine. Whatever.’ I sounded like Quinn.
    ‘Okay then?’ His voice was gentle, which made it worse. ‘Shall we postpone this?’
    I took a deep breath. ‘Yes, good idea. We’ll talk it out then. But before you go, what can you tell me about Eric Male?’
    ‘Eric Male?’ A frown echoed through his words. ‘Christ, Nell, what have you done now?’
    ‘Nothing! Only, well, I found some remains in the backyard yesterday.’
    His breathing wrapped itself around our connection, slow and steady. ‘Some remains.’
    ‘Yes,’ I continued rapidly. ‘Apparently she was buried forty-three years ago. A blonde woman, mid to late twenties, black boots, yellow handbag. So now I have police all over the place and that Eric Male is in charge and he’s a tool.’
    ‘Let me get this straight. Yesterday you just happened to stumble across the remains of a well-dressed woman in your yard. And now it’s a crime scene.’
    ‘That’s what I said. But that detective is being a total arse about it all.’
    ‘Christ. You’re unbelievable.’
    ‘Thank you. But I don’t know why you’re making this all about me. I didn’t put her there. All I did was try to plant an apple tree.’
    ‘Yes, but other people manage to plant trees without … ’ He trailed off, sighed loudly. ‘Let me make a few phone calls. In the meantime, for Christ’s sake leave it alone. Let Eric do his job. He might come across as a bit of an arse but he’s not a bad guy, and he knows what he’s doing. No doubt they’ll be out of your hair soon.’
    ‘Is that a police expression? Do you learn that in your training?’
    ‘What? Look Nell, I really do need to go. But I’ll get back to you, okay? Cheers.’
    ‘Yep, cheers.’ But I was speaking to the dial tone. I put the phone down slowly, feeling inexplicably like bursting into tears, which was not a usual occurrence at all. Gusto pressed his head against my knee. It had been an odd, awkward phone call, which had resolved very little. Not about my relationship, or the events unfolding in my backyard. If anything, regarding the latter, he had simply reiterated the same lack of faith as Eric Male. Which only proved how little he knew me – not because I had delusions of investigative brilliance, but because if I had more time and space on my hands, I might well have seen it as a challenge. Local woman solves murder mystery. Community delighted. Police furious. Woman smug.
    As things stood, however, with a