Free Missing (The Cass Lehman Series Book 3) by Melanie Casey Page B

to focus on.
    I buttoned up my shirt and tugged on my jeans, then rescued my congealing plate of food, which was teetering precariously on the edge of the coffee table. ‘I think I’ve also lost my appetite.’
    ‘Maybe your appetite’s been satisfied in other ways,’ Ed said, looking pleased with himself.

    I rolled my eyes. ‘Don’t think one shag is enough to get you off the hook. We still need to talk,’ I said.
    ‘We do. So who’d you go out with today? Should I be jealous?’
    I snorted. ‘Far from it. I tried to ring you to let you know but you were out of range. I had lunch with DCI Arnott.’
    Ed froze and lifted his head to look at me. ‘Crackers? Why would you be having lunch with him?’
    ‘He offered me a job.’
    ‘What?’ Ed sat up, staring.
    ‘He wants to hire me as a consultant.’
    ‘And you said no, right?’
    I pushed myself up off the couch. ‘No, I didn’t say no. Why would I say no?’
    ‘You’re joking.’ He stared at me.
    ‘No, I’m not. What? Is it that you don’t think I’m capable of doing it, or that you don’t want me on your team?’
    ‘No, it’s just too dangerous. Every time we’ve worked together, one or both of us have almost been killed. You still have nightmares about Brian Jenson. Plus, do you really want to be having visions all the time? Look at how exhausted you were tonight. Did today’s vision happen when you were with Crackers?’
    ‘He took me to a scene.’
    ‘So you’ve already started working for him. Weren’t you the one who just said we should talk about all major decisions?’

    I stared at him with my mouth open before turning and walking across the room.
    ‘Where are you going?’
    ‘I need some air.’
    I strode down the hallway and out into the night.

    Dusk was settling over the streetscape. The autumn night was warmer than it had been for a while, but there was still a chill in the air. The sky was glowing orange as the sun sank below the horizon. I paused at the front gate, but not for long. I didn’t want Ed to catch up if he decided to follow me.
    We’d been living together for a couple of months but I hadn’t spent a lot of time exploring our suburb. I drove to the local shops, I met up with Claire in the city. Ed and I sometimes went out for dinner, but most of my time had been spent working in the house. I visited Mum and Gran in Jewel Bay when I got too homesick or craved Gran’s cooking. I realised I hadn’t tried very hard to settle into living in Adelaide.
    I decided to turn left, purely because it was towards the sunset. I brushed away the tears leaking from my eyes. With no idea where I was going or what I was going to do when I got there, I stalked off down the street. By the time I’d reached the T-junction at the end, I’d simmered down and realised I wasn’t going to get very far without a phone, cash or keys. I stopped and looked up and down the adjoining street. There was a park a couple of hundredmetres to the right. I decided I’d sit there for a while and watch the sunset, then once I had my head together I’d head back home and face the music.
    The park was on the opposite side of the road. I walked along the footpath and crossed when I got close. There was a fenced play area with a slippery dip, some swings and a climbing frame. The rest was open grass, for kicking balls or picnicking. A couple of boys were over by the swings. They were probably about twelve or thirteen; too old for the equipment but too young to be in a park by themselves at night. I wondered where their parents were. There was a wooden bench under a tree on the right side of the park. I headed for it.
    The boys spotted me. One of them whistled. They laughed.
    I gave them a wave and went to sit on the bench.
    Suddenly it was pitch black, the sunset vanished completely. The only light came from the street lamps that ran along the road, and a light near the play equipment. I realised I was standing on the bench. I was down one end with