Free Fragile Truths by D. H. Sidebottom, R. M. James Page B

her?” She nodded then gulped and I narrowed my eyes on her as I slid back slightly and regarded her sceptically, “Come on; tell me how you know her.”
    She shifted her eyes to the door joining the kitchen where Mom and Pop were fiddling with the last preparations for dinner, the amazing aroma of sweet pasta and herbed pork filling every inch of the large house. “You can’t tell Pop I’ve told you this.”
    I nodded in confirmation then sank my teeth into my lower lip when I sensed I was going to hear something I wasn’t going to like. “Well Pop got me an apprentiship at the law firm where she works.”
    “Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say but I was a little pissed off that I was the last to hear about it but then something about her revelation hit a nerve and I stared at her, “Why did he do that?”
    She shrugged and sighed as she looked back towards the door to make sure we were still alone. “He… God Tate, you can’t tell him I’ve told you about this…”
    I nodded encouragingly as I leant a little closer to her when she dropped her voice. “I don’t know what it is with him and Fran but he wanted me to keep an eye on her and keep him up to date with stuff concerning her.”
    “What!” I barked out a little too loudly, “When?”
    “Ssshhh,” she chastised with a scowl, “A few weeks ago. He said she was the daughter of an old friend and he was just ‘interested’ in her.” She lifted her brow and made finger quotes with the word ‘interested’.
    “I…” I was stunned. It didn’t make sense at all. The times when I was younger came slamming back, especially the beating he’d given me the time I’d asked after Frankie, so why would he now be making Bella watch her? “And?”
    “And?” she echoed in confusion.
    “And what have you found out?” She gulped and the hairs on the back of my neck sizzled with my little sister’s anxious expression, “Bella?”
    “Well,” she pursed her lips as if contemplating her words. “She’s stubborn, very stubborn. In fact I have a feeling that tenacity she has will be the death of her.”
    “What the hell are you on about?”
    Her eyes lifted to mine with a look of apprehension on her face, making me swallow harshly as each of the hairs on my body reared up in fear. “She’s - so I’ve heard in the office anyway, she’s got some info on someone who she’s prosecuting for the CPS.”
    Oh Fuck!
    “On who?” I asked slowly but already had a feeling I knew before Bella answered. His court case was all over the press and stuff was been murmured about in the criminal circle. “ON WHO!”  I snapped as I grabbed her arm too forcefully, making her jump but give me a pained glance.
    She closed her eyes and a shiver racked through her, “On Don Knight.”
    “Fuck!”
    I was out of the house before Bella had said his last name.
     
     

Frankie
     
    ‘You’ll enjoy having sex with me, Joey… I’m very bendy.’ I laughed loudly at Phoebe in Friends as she danced up to Joey on the TV screen.
    Gulping back more wine, I pulled an impressed expression and regarded the half full glass. My Dad had been right, this was good stuff. I leaned forward, picking up the bottle for a refill but groaned when an inch filled my large glass before the last drip rolled out, “Ahh damn.”
    The landline rang and I reached across the table for the handset, smiling as I saw Maggie’s number scroll across the screen, “Hey, babe.”
    “My bitch!” she sang in my ear. “What ya’ up to?”
    “TV, takeaway and wine, perfect Sunday night.”
    “I hear ya’. You want company?” She asked slyly and I chuckled.
    “Nope.”
    “But…”
    “Nope.”
    “You bitch,” She growled. “I need deets, girl. Come on, you love me.”
    I laughed at my best friend’s hungry need for information. “Okay,” I conceded slightly. “He was large, speared and very, very goooood.”
    “Ho – fucking –hum, girl.” She squealed down the phone in excitement