StillWaters:Book4oftheSophieGreenMysteries (26 page)

“I can’t remember. But you said it. And he is. You should have seen him in Cornwall.”

“Why, what happened in Cornwall?”

I nearly died. “Oh, I—I told him about the abscess and stuff.”

“Was he shocked?”

“Nearly fell off his chair.”

“I still think you should have told him earlier.”

“Should haves" will drive me mad one day.

We walked on to the Village Centre, and I took Angel in through a route where she wouldn’t go near the crèche. I left her ordering drinks while I went in search of a cash machine and detoured around to find Luke and Rachel sitting on the steps to the badminton courts, playing Go Fish with a set of miniature cards.

“Cute,” I said.

“The cards?” Rachel said.

“Them too. Luke.” I ruffled his damp hair. “You look mildly adorable.”

He grinned. “Only mildly?”

“Yeah. You’re too egotistic to be properly adorable. Come on.” I pulled Rachel to her feet. “Your daddy’s on his way. Luke—I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

He nodded and loped off, looking sexy. Rachel had to snap her fingers in front of my face to stop me looking at his arse.

“Seriously,” she said, “what is your damage?”

“Huh?”

“So you’re, like, totally in love with him, but not with him?”

“I’m not in love with him.”

“Yeah, and I’m David Boreanaz. Besides, he’s crazy in love with you.”

“Uh-uh,” I denied. As if.

“Uh-huh! He told me.”

I looked down at her. “He used those words?”

“Well, he said he was very fond of you. I guess that’s British for love, right?”

I wish.

No, I don’t wish.

I don’t know what I wish.

“Rachel,” I sighed, “it’s not always as easy as just being in love with someone. There are always other things to think about.”

She gave me a scornful look. “I’m not stupid. Like with my dad and Angel—they’re so crazy about each other, but they’re letting me get in the way. Me!” she exclaimed, as if the concept was ridiculous—which, of course, it was.

“Do you want to be in the way?”

Rachel gave me a strange look.

“I mean—do you want them to be together?”

For the first time since we’d met, Rachel looked like a little girl.

“I don’t know,” she said, scuffing her feet. “She’s nice and all—I guess I could think of worse people to be my step mom. If she makes my dad happy then I guess it’s all right.”

Bless.

“You wouldn’t mind if they got married?”

“I guess not.”

“Even if it would mean your dad living over here?”

She snorted. “Like I ever see him anyway. Britain, Ohio—what’s the difference? This way, I get vacations in England.”

Good point.

“And what if they have kids of their own?” I asked, knowing this was going to be the big sore spot.

Rachel shrugged. “I dunno. I guess that’d be okay.”

“You really wouldn’t mind?” I asked incredulously.

“Hell, they’re not going to forget me,” she said.

“Well, no, but—” I ran out of things to say. I didn’t want to convince her that Harvey and Angel should split up. She seemed pretty okay with the situation. “Rachel, what would you say if I told you Angel was here?”

She looked up at me with those big brown eyes. “Here? On this park?”

I nodded. “Having coffee with Luke.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not setting them—”

“No! God, no, I’m not insane. He’s just baby-sitting her for a while, until I take you and your dad up there.”

“Oh.” Rachel was quiet for a bit. “Where is ‘there’?”

“The Café Paris in the Centre.”

“Oh. Isn’t that the other way?”

Stupid bloody smart kid.

We reversed course and I called Harvey to say we were having a drink and he should come up and join us. He said he was just parking up and he’d be there in five.

My palms were sweating. It was like a first date.

Well, I guess it would be. I’ve never actually been on one.

We lurked around behind some exotic plants, looking at our watches, flicking glances over to where Luke sat with Angel, who was smiling and looking reasonably happy. Good. It’d do Harvey good to see her being pretty, instead of the—well, okay, I was going to say wreck, but the truth is, Angel is never a wreck. She just looks sort of elegantly upset.

Cow.

And then Harvey strode up, having taken directions from an Eden girl in her blue waitress shirt, and we watched him skid to a halt when he saw Angel and Luke.

“Just like a cartoon,” I said happily.

“Probably we shouldn’t have left her with Luke,” Rachel observed, and my heart sank. I never quite understood the rivalry between them, but I think it had something to do with both of them having guns and blonde girlfriends (or had, in Luke’s case). This put them on an equal footing, but it was frequently disturbed. As I understood it, Luke gained points for being posh and British, but lost them for having a boring car and an inability to keep a girlfriend. Harvey gained points for having much cooler gadgetry and a semi-famous girlfriend, but lost them for not being posh and British.

Men.

Consequently, when Harvey stalked, tight-faced, up to the little café table where Luke was telling Angel a joke I’d fed him ages ago, Luke looked up and gave a cool smile.

“Why James,” he drawled. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Fancy,” Harvey said. He hates being called by his real first name. Even his brother calls him Harvey, which is weird ’cos they have the same surname. But then, Xander is weird anyway.

“Angel,” Harvey began, but then seemed to run out of words.

Angel paused for so long I thought she was going to blank him, and then she dropped her head and muttered something inaudible.

It was painful.

Harvey waited a few seconds, then he turned away.

I jumped across the plantation of banana trees and exotic orchids and ran up to the café, grabbing Harvey by one burly bicep and using all of my tall girl strength to haul him back to Angel’s side.

“No,” I panted, “no, you don’t. You stay here. And talk to Angel.”

Harvey glared at me. “You knew about this.”

“I organised this,” I told him, credit where credit’s due, ta very much.

He stared as Rachel came trotting into view. “Hey, Dad. Can we take a vacation here some time?”

“You knew about this?”

“Naw, Sophie just told me. But I’m behind her one-twenty.”

I gave her a “what?” look, and she rolled her eyes.

“One hundred and twenty. Percent?”

It’s so wrong that I’m being made to feel mentally inferior by an eight-year-old.

“And just what—” Harvey was glaring at me and his daughter, not even looking at Angel, who was staring at the table, “—are you behind?”

I sighed. “I wanted to get you two talking,” I said. “In a public place. With witnesses.”

Luke smiled, but said nothing.

But Harvey and Angel weren’t even looking at each other. I forced myself to remember they were made for each other. That Harvey had fallen for Angel before he even knew her name (he kept harassing me with texts asking who the stunning girl was). That Angel had gone to visit him in hospital (my bad) before she’d even met him. That he’d fancied her so much he’d given me a kiss to pass on (then asked for a photo of it). That he’d proposed to her at sunset on her birthday, offering her the most beautiful white gold diamond solitaire and kissing her tears when she accepted.

That she was carrying his baby, so something had to be done before he figured it out and roles were reversed.

“So what do you want me to say?” Harvey asked sullenly.

I had no idea. I’d sort of put all of my energies into getting them together.

Luke cleared his throat. “'Sorry’ is usually a good opener,” he said, and we all glared at him. “Hey, I’m saying something useful.”

“It’s only useful if he means it,” Angel said, very quietly, and Harvey knelt down beside her.

“Angel, baby, I do mean it. I am so sorry I never told you. I didn’t want to hurt you. It’s just, the longer I left it, the worse it got and I…” He lifted his broad shoulders and let them fall. “I’m making excuses where there are no excuses. I was an asshole. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

A tear fell down Angel’s perfect face.

“Angel, I love you. I always did, since I met you, and I always will.”

Angel sniffed. “Do you love Rachel, too?”

“Of course I do!” Harvey held out a hand, and his daughter took it, reluctantly. “Rachel is my baby and she’ll always be important to me. More important than she’ll ever know.”

I closed my eyes. This was too private for me to see.

“More important than me?”

“No, honey, not more important than you. You are the woman I love. Don’t you know that?”

I peeked through my lashes.

Another tear. Then she nodded.

I breathed out.

“Angel,” I prompted, as quietly as I could, half hoping she wouldn’t hear. But she did, and looked up at me. “Tell him.”

“I love you too,” she mumbled, and Harvey hugged her, and even Luke seemed to think that was quite sweet.

But I didn’t. “Angel,” I warned, and she scrunched up her face. Harvey ripped his eyes from her, and looked at me.

“What?” he asked, his face full of the worst kind of fear.

“Tell. Him.”

She looked hurt and mardy, but she sighed and beckoned Harvey closer to whisper in his ear. Over their heads, Luke mouthed, “What?”

I shook my head, and then Harvey pulled back and stared in shock at the mother of his child.

“You’re
what
?”

She winced.

“What?” Rachel said, looking between them.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell him what?” Rachel wanted to know.

“Are you sure?” Harvey asked, and Angel nodded.

“Sure about what?” Rachel jumped up and down, and Harvey broke into a smile.

My eyes were on Luke’s face, and I could tell he’d guessed.

“You’re pregnant?”

Angel blushed and nodded.

Rachel stared. “Seriously?”

Another shy nod. Harvey put his arms around Angel and kissed her neck. “Can we still get married?”

“Of course!”

Harvey beamed and kissed her properly. “Whaddya think, pumpkin?” he asked Rachel, and I saw Luke’s nostrils flare in disgust.

He stood up, chair scraping, and came around the table to me. “I think I need a bucket. Wanna get some air?”

I nodded, leaving the happy little family to themselves, and we walked out through the jungly Village Centre to the sudden cold out in the real world. I shivered, and Luke reached out to tuck my loose scarf around my neck.

“Did you know about that?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And you chose to keep it a secret because…?”

I shrugged. “Not my secret to tell.”

He nodded, and smiled. “Sophie-brand integrity. Can’t beat it.”

“What? I have perfectly normal integrity.”

“So when were you going to tell me you’d been bugging Rachel’s conversations?”

“When I got something useful from them.”

He laughed. “Like I said, can’t beat it. Have you listened to the rest?”

I shook my head. “Only the phone call. I’ll talk to Rachel later.”

“About what?” Rachel asked, and I jumped half a mile, because she was standing right there.

“Jesus Christ, kid, what are you, Catwoman in training?”

Rachel made a face. “Catwoman’s lame. I’d rather be Buffy.”

“Good choice,” Luke said approvingly.

“My dad and Angel are getting all snuggly,” Rachel mimed gagging, “so I came out for some air.”

“Are you okay with this whole thing?” Luke asked doubtfully.

“Yeah. I guess. I like Angel.”

“And the new brother or sister?”

“Figure I can boss them around.”

I do like this child.

My phone bleeped with a message, and I read Angel’s text, which I won’t repeat, but the gist was that she and Harvey wanted a little private time, if I’d be so kind as to look after Rachel for a bit.

I replied in the affirmative, and asked Rachel if she’d ever met a totally blonde dog.

Poor Norma Jean had been holed up all day in the villa and was panting with excitement when we let ourselves in. Rachel was a source of great delight, and the dog raced around her in circles, yapping delightedly, as if she’d never seen a child before.

“Is she always like this?” Rachel tried to keep her eyes on the twirling, giddy dog.

“More often than not,” Luke said drily. “Did you take her out this morning, Soph?”

“No, I was too busy getting attacked by bees.”

He gave me an indefinable look. “Why don’t you and Rachel take Norma out for a walk while I go and get some food and we’ll talk about the bees when you get back?”

I heard the note of force in his voice. “That’s a discussion I’ll look forward to,” I said, and took Norma’s lead off its peg. “Come on, Blondie.”

We walked through the forest, suddenly deep and dark, and Rachel’s hand somehow found its way into mine. It was kind of nice, feeling responsible.

And also knowing that I could give her back very soon.

“So what is going on with you and Luke?” she asked after a while.

“You just don’t stop, do you?”

“Nope. Tell me. Tell me tell me tell me tell me—”

“All right! God, shut up. Luke is my ex-boyfriend. We’re here in a professional capacity. Looking for a murderer.”

“Did you listen to the rest of that tape?”

“Not had a chance yet.”

“Thought you said that Gav guy had a girlfriend?”

“He did.”

“But now he has a boyfriend.”

“Apparently so.”

“You British are weird.”

“Hey, we’re not all—”

“Gavin Beasley has a new boyfriend a week after his girlfriend was killed, you’re on holiday with your ex who you are still so totally in love with it makes me laugh, and my new stepmom lives in a church. You’re all crazy.”

I had to admit she had a point there.

“I am not in love with Luke,” I said.

“Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

“So you’re quoting Shakespeare at me now?”

“My grandma is a big fan.”

Why was I not surprised? In fact, I think the only way Rachel could surprise me would be if she did something really unsurprising.