Free I'm Virtually Yours by Jennifer Bohnet

help after the storm?” Polly asked.
    â€œWhen that happens he always phones. Either to ask me to go along with him, or simply to let me know where and what he’s up to. Unwritten rule of the boatyard. You never take chances with the river or the sea.” Ben shook his head in despair. “I don’t know what to think.”
    The policeman turned his attention back to Ben. “Coastguards have identified your workboat heading up channel. Unidentified person at the helm but would appear to be male. Not known whether there are any other persons on board. They’ll keep us informed when they have any information.”
    Ben’s shoulders sagged. “What the hell is Will up to?”
    â€œTrying to run from the law?” Jack Pettyjohn suggested with a sneer.
    Ben made to lunge at him but the burly policeman quickly stood in the way. “That won’t solve anything, Ben. Another couple of hours and we should have some answers. In the meantime I suggest—” He stopped speaking as a gasp from Polly caught his attention. “What is it?”
    Polly pointed to the far end of the slipway where the incoming tide was swirling branches, boxes, leaves and other debris from the storm up against the wall.
    â€œThere’s a body down there.”
    Â 
    Within seconds of Polly’s words, the police had sprung into action. Ben, starting to go down the slipway, was forcibly stopped by the policeman who knew him.
    â€œSorry, Ben, it’s down to us now. Why don’t you go back to the yard and wait?” Turning away, the policeman spoke urgently into his radio asking for immediate assistance.
    â€œI’m staying put,” Ben said. “It’s my slipway.”
    He glanced across at Polly. “Would you go and find Angie please? Ask her to stay with Lillian just in case… just in case there’s bad news.”
    â€œOf course,” Polly said, her heart racing. It couldn’t possibly be Will floating face down in the rubbish as Ben clearly thought it might be. Or could it? Either way she didn’t want to be here when the body was pulled out of the water.
    Her mobile rang as she walked past the boatyard on her way to The Captain’s Berth. Daniel Franklyn.
    â€œMorning, Polly. Can you organise a meeting with the Robertsons for me tomorrow? At, say, half three at the boatyard? I’ve asked the lawyers to draw up the legal agreement for then. Can you collect it and have it ready for the meeting? Need you to be there too for notes and things.”
    â€œYou’ll be here tomorrow?” Polly said surprised. So she would get to meet her employer after all. “I didn’t realise you were planning to come here so soon.” She paused.
    â€œDaniel, things have changed overnight. There’s a major crisis going on here at the moment. I’m not sure the Robertsons are going to want a meeting with you tomorrow — or even be available for one.” Would Will have turned up by then? She was loath to tell Daniel Franklyn that one of his new business partners was missing, currently believed to be on the run from the police.
    â€œWhat sort of crisis?”
    â€œThe police are about to fish a body out of the harbour.”
    â€œSomeone local?”
    â€œNot identified yet,” Polly said, not wanting to voice the fear that it could be Will.
    There was a short silence before Daniel said, “That’s sad, but let’s presume it’s not going to turn out to be one of the Robertsons and arrange the meeting anyway, Polly. Business has to continue and I need to get signatures on paper. If the worst has happened…” Daniel paused. “We can always cancel the meeting.”
    â€œOK,” Polly said wearily. “I’ll try.” She closed her phone and prayed that Daniel was right in his assumption that it wasn’t a Robertson body that had washed up on the slipway. She felt sick at the thought of it being