Free The Electrician's Code by Clarissa Draper

that woman. I’ll have her come round more often if you like. Ring me, will you? Donna’s thinking of having a dinner party and she wants you to come. Please come this time. It’s this Saturday. Love you, darling, and don’t forget: ring me.”
    “Oh, Dad,” Sophia said aloud. She had only seen him twice after Marc died but he rang her up two or three times a week. Although she had no desire to dine with him and his girlfriend, she was glad he cared enough to invite her. She smiled and erased the message.
    What an exhausting and boring day. How many more days would she have to endure this? Did she have to endure this? Surely she could put her foot down. Her time was worth more than this. Sure, she wasn’t in her bosses’ best books. But they were coming round. Already they realized the shooting wasn’t her fault. It was a team effort. She couldn’t be expected to foot such an important mess-up alone. She wasn’t a trained agent. And it could explain why Liam was punishing her for the cock-up.
    The kettle button popped up behind her and she made herself a cup of coffee and headed toward her bedroom to catch up on the episodes of East Enders. How could the lives of the crazy characters on the show be a comfort to her? Surely her life wasn’t more complicated than that?
    Crystal constantly asked her why she didn’t just agree to a dinner with Liam. It was the principle and that he drove her mad. Marc made her want to laugh, whereas Liam left her wanting to cry and rock in the fetal position. Marc had intelligent conversation. Liam only wanted to talk about work. Work. They had to work together and she had to be able to trust him. Besides, he didn’t invite her to dinner because he loved her. He just felt guilty for forcing her into a relationship with Marc which turned out horribly wrong.
    What she needed was a new case. Not a surveillance mission but another case that utilized her skills. She needed a new case like her Yuri—the Russian who sent her encoded letters, who used her skills as a cryptanalyst. But she had to wait until she received the go-ahead from the powers above—the shrinks that had to sign the release forms—before they would hand her anything new. In the meantime, she would have to be satisfied with watching a boring woman tweet and crochet.
    Unless . . . unless she could occupy her time with cases of her choosing. Hopping off the bed she went over to her laptop and went over the files of a newly deceased Maddock Tipring that Crystal had emailed.

Chapter Fourteen
    L aughter and Fasolada greeted Theo when he arrived at his home in Palmer’s Green shortly after ten. Better laughter than the anger he expected because of postponing dinner to a late hour. He hadn’t heard that laugh in a long time. Slowly, he made his way to the kitchen. His wife, Agneta, stirred a pot on the stovetop, her shoulders shaking wildly, trying to keep herself under control. His mother cut cheese on the worktop.
    “What’s so funny?” Theo asked in Greek.
    “Celine has gone and added sugar to the soup instead of salt,” said his mother.
    “It all looks the same, white and crystally.” She laughed her defense.
    “That’s why the containers are labelled, dear.”
    Agneta lifted the sugar bowl. “Shoo-gar.” She attempted the English word. She liked to be called Celine after she lost her memory because she said she didn’t feel like an Agneta; it didn’t fit her personality anymore. But what did she know about her personality? Still, he respected her wishes and hoped someday she could go back to her real name.
    “Well, it smells delicious,” said Theo. He removed his jacket and placed it on the back of a kitchen chair. “When will it be ready?”
    “When I add a bit more salt,” said his mum. “How was your day at work? Have they given you a new case yet? You deserve more cases now, you know that don’t you? They promote you, which means they think you’re deserving of that promotion. That means