Free Hit and Run by Doug Johnstone

this?’ She stroked a line that bent round the edge of his palm, touching the hairs on his wrist and making them tingle. ‘This is bad, very bad.’ She was trying to keep a straight face. ‘This line here means you will always carry a darkness within you, a terrible secret you can never tell to another living soul, one which will torment you to the grave.’
    ‘Ouch.’ He flinched.
    She dropped the voice. ‘Sorry, did that hurt?’
    He shrugged.
    ‘Well, I’m done anyway.’ She packed away the first-aid kit. ‘You should really get them bandaged, but I don’t have anything suitable here.’
    ‘My brother is a doctor, I’ll speak to him.’
    ‘You do that.’ She looked around the kitchen as if searching for something. ‘Would you like a drink?’
    ‘Why did you invite me here?’
    She raised her eyebrows. ‘It’s rude to answer a question with a question.’
    ‘OK. Yes, please, I would like a drink. Thank you. Now, why am I here?’
    She got gin from a cupboard and tonic from the fridge. Billy watched the denim stretch tight across her arse as she bent to reach things.
    ‘Don’t you like me?’ she said.
    ‘I hardly know you.’
    ‘We got on well enough last time.’
    ‘I was interviewing you, it’s my job to be nice to interviewees.’
    ‘But you said yesterday you hadn’t come to interview me.’
    ‘That’s true.’
    ‘So we did get on?’
    ‘I thought so.’
    She was focusing on the drinks, chopping a lime, pushing ice out of a tray.
    She turned, handed him a drink and held his gaze.
    ‘You don’t seem very upset by your husband’s death,’ Billy said.
    ‘Let’s not talk about him.’
    ‘But I’m a crime reporter, that’s my job.’
    ‘You’re not here on official business, are you?’
    ‘Not if you don’t want me to be.’
    ‘I don’t.’ She raised her glass. ‘Now drink with me.’
    They both took large slugs. Mostly gin, just a ghost of tonic.
    Billy made a show of looking round. ‘Where is everyone?’
    ‘Magda has taken Ryan out for the day.’
    ‘Have you told him?’
    Adele took a large drink. ‘I’ve tried. He doesn’t really get it. He’s more worried about Rebus, he misses that stupid dog like crazy.’
    ‘What about Dean? I get the impression he’s looking after you at the moment.’
    ‘He thinks he is.’
    ‘He’s been sticking to you pretty close. I’m surprised he let you out of his sight.’
    ‘Me too.’ Adele frowned. ‘He’s virtually moved in here. He seems to presume that because I was Frank’s wife, that somehow possession of me is just going to pass over to him or something.’
    ‘So where is he?’
    ‘He took off with his two stooges after the press conference. Said to wait here, not go out and not speak to anyone. Very charming. I have a feeling he’s about to stir up a lot of trouble.’
    ‘How do you mean?’
    ‘I think he’s looking for the Mackie boys. He believes they killed Frank.’
    ‘What’s he planning to do if he finds them?’
    ‘It won’t be pretty.’
    ‘Is he as nasty as he looks?’
    ‘Nastier.’ Adele touched her bruised eye.
    ‘He did that to you?’
    She turned away. ‘Things are complicated.’
    ‘I don’t give a shit how complicated they are, it’s no excuse.’
    ‘It’s nice of you to care.’
    She put her drink down on the worktop and moved closer to him, pressing against him. He could see her nipples through the blouse. She placed a hand lightly on his chest.
    He heard a noise. Voices. Men’s voices. The sound of a key in a lock and the front door opening.
    ‘Dean, fuck.’ Adele was already pushing him towards the patio doors. ‘Get out.’ She pushed him through the doors and pulled them closed with a click.
    The large spread of lawn seemed too exposed. He crouched against the back wall, breath hammering in his lungs, trying to calm down. He could hear conversation inside.
    ‘Where have you been?’ Adele sounded calm, annoyed almost.
    ‘Why, did you miss me, darling?’ Dean’s