Free The Truth Will Out by Jane Isaac

clasped behind his back, talking to another plainclothes officer she didn’t recognise. Suddenly, the other officer let out a chuckle. Dean smiled, reached round and tapped him on the arm. They looked like two old friends, sharing a joke. For a second she contemplated turning and walking back in the opposite direction. Then he looked up and she realised she had no choice but to approach. She would be meeting him in less than an hour anyway, no point in putting off the inevitable.
    “Well, well, look who it is!” Dean said, a smile spreading from ear to ear.
    Helen ignored the flip in her stomach and forced a smile as she approached them. “DI Fitzpatrick.”
    “Helen! It’s good to see you,” he cried, ignoring her reserve. He locked his eyes on hers, his gaze intense.
    She deliberately turned her flushed face away from him, towards the other officer.
    “Oh, this is DS Edwards, my deputy,” Dean added hastily, as if he had forgotten he was standing next to them. “I see we’re going to be working with you on your gun crime cases.”
    Cases, Helen thought. They’re people. Dead people. “So I understand.” An awkward silence followed. “Well, it’s good to see you,” she said, shuffling to the side. He didn’t move to let her by. For a split second, she could feel his eyes on her, the air between them charged. A familiar ‘just stepped out of the shower’ odour filled her nose. It was intoxicating.
    She forced herself to snap out of it. “We have another murder. I’m a bit tied up at the moment.”
    “Yeah, I just heard about that. Another shooting?” Dean asked.
    “Young woman, shot twice in the chest,” Edwards added.
    “Looks like we arrived at just the right time,” Dean grinned.
    Helen formed her lips into a thin smile. “You’ve done your homework. If you’ll excuse me?”
    “Of course, see you at the meeting.” He moved aside and she continued down the corridor.
    When she finally returned to her office, she shut the door and closed the blinds. Helen leant up against the wall and rested her head back on the cold plaster. For some reason she had wanted this moment to be so different. For some reason she had wanted to look triumphant, so that he could see what he was missing. But she couldn’t fathom out why.

Chapter Eight
    Situated an hour north of Glasgow, Aberfoyle was a small town nestled in The Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Eva stopped for a moment to watch the tourists wander up and down the main street that offered eateries, outdoor clothing stores, gift shops and a visitor centre. She marvelled at how, even in low season when the weather was at its harshest, people still travelled here from all over the world to enjoy the breathless beauty of rural Scotland.
    Having stopped at the Co-op on the corner, she was now stocked up with bread, milk, tea and eggs. She filled up at the petrol station, grabbing a large bar of Cadburys from the counter before continuing on her journey.
    Eva had been coming to Scotland every year for as long as she could remember. The familiar surroundings felt like a baby’s comfort blanket and the tension trickled out of her shoulders as she pressed on into the rural heartlands.
    Turning off the A821, the winding country lanes drew her further into the Scottish countryside. She slowed to pull into a field entrance, jumped out, leant her elbows on the gate and drank the fresh, clean air. The field was inhabited by three large cows, hair hanging down over their eyes, curved horns protruding from their heads. One of them gazed in her direction for a second, before lowering his head to the grass.
    Eva watched them gently grazing. They whiled away their days eating grass, basking in the sunshine, sheltering under trees in bad weather. Always together, always looking out for one another. A mixture of envy and melancholy washed over her. What kind of a friend was she, running off and leaving Naomi like this?
    She pushed her head up and closed her eyes as the