Free A Deadly Imperfection: Calladine & Bayliss 3 by HH Durrant

back of her hand.  It was okay – the awkwardness between them had evaporated as quickly as it had appeared.
    ‘Don’t be so rude, women today, they have kids at all ages.  And we’re thrilled, both of us.  Me and Jake – we couldn’t be happier.’
    ‘What will you do about work, what about us,’ he asked suddenly horrified at the prospect of losing her to domesticity and motherhood.  ‘I don’t think I could work with anyone else,’ he admitted.
    And that was at the crux of it.  Ruth knew how well they worked together and how long that relationship had taken to hone.  She laughed, but she was flattered that he could acknowledge that he needed her.  They were a solid team that had been built over years of cracking cases and trusting each others judgement.  She reckoned he was one of the best.  She admired him, his intelligence and insight, the way he operated.  As far as she was concerned no one else came close.
    ‘Tom Calladine where’s your professionalism?’  She teased.  ‘Having a baby won’t finish me, idiot – I’ll be back.  I’ll take a few months off then be back as normal.  You’ll have to make do with Rocco for a bit, that’s all.’
    He wasn’t reassured.  Motherhood, babies, they could do strange things to a woman’s reasoning powers.  And never mind her – this revelation was messing with his head too.
    ‘I’m pleased for you both - of course I am, but are you sure you’ll cope?’
    ‘No, I’m not, but I won’t do any worse than every other mother,’ was her curt reply.  ‘Come on, smile, you look as if you’ve just got the worst news ever.  You must have realised that it was bound to happen sooner or later.’
    ‘I didn’t really think about it,’ he admitted.  ‘I’ll miss you though.  Rocco isn’t the same - he’s good, but not the same.’
    ‘You’ll be fine.  Rocco and Imogen, they’ll both look after you,’ she reassured him.  ‘Shall we eat, forget the baby news for now, we’ve got you to sort out, remember?’
    ‘Not sure I’m ready, if I’ll ever be ready.  Do we have to spoil the evening and your great news with this?’
    ‘We’re not spoiling the evening,’ Ruth insisted plonking the tin box on the dining table.   ‘It’s time you took ownership of that.  You need to look at the letters and photos inside – really look.’
    ‘You said you had pie,’ he smiled.
    ‘Get yourself some wine and I’ll get it.’
    She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a steaming hot dish of shepherd’s pie.  She gestured for him to sit and proceeded to serve it out. 
    ‘You’re a good cook.’
    ‘I know, and you have eaten here before.  You know I like to cook if I have the time.  There’s some red cabbage there if you want some.’
    ‘Pie and red cabbage, reminds me of school dinners,’ he grinned.
    ‘This is nothing like a school dinner, don’t be so damned cheeky.’
    Fifteen minutes late the pie dish was empty.  Calladine helped himself to more wine and was tapping his fingers over the lid of the box.
    ‘It’s the fact that she never told me,’ he frowned.  ‘Not even a hint in all those years.  She never said a bad word about my dad either, well nothing above and beyond the normal spats all married couples have.’
    ‘She obviously didn’t hold it against him.  She accepted you and what had happened, and got on with things.’
    ‘She must have been angry though, when she found out.  He had another woman, for God’s sake, and not only that, he’d got her pregnant.  Mum couldn’t have children, so she said in that letter, so she must have been jealous.  My dad’s mistress has his child then expects my mum to bring me up.’
    ‘Things were different then, people’s behaviour was different.  Unmarried mothers were frowned upon, and she loved you, remember.  You were the innocent party, an infant, probably quite cute too,’ Ruth allowed with a smirk.
    ‘Probably very cute in fact,’ he