Page 132 of We Chase Shadows

‘A lot of people think that Howson’s Garden Centres and Trudgmills Garden Centres are bitter rivals,’ says Eric, clearly happy to contribute something. ‘But they’re both owned by the same company. It’s the same thing, isn’t it? It seems to me?’

Steve gives him a ‘thank you’ nod.

‘No wonder he called us in when he found the note from Jakob Eriksson on Esteban’s body,’ says Amy. ‘He was Jakob Eriksson.’

‘Must have wondered if someone had found him out?’ says Steve.

‘Or if Korbin was trying to intimidate him,’ says Amy.

‘Really in a lot of pain,’ says Ernesto.

‘You deserve it,’ says Amy.

‘Yes,’ agrees Ernesto. ‘Is true. Is Rosie okay? Please say she’s okay.’

Steve ignores him. ‘Will you tell us everything, Eric? While our friend goes to hospital?’

Eric seems like he’s looking for someone he can finally trust. ‘You won’t try to kill me?’

‘Kill you?’ says Steve. ‘Of course not. I actually need some help with my marigolds.’

On a service road deep in the forest, they hear the siren of an approaching ambulance.

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They are keeping Rosie heavily sedated for now.

Steve and Amy haven’t left her bedside. They have been taking it in turns to sleep on a mattress on the floor.

‘She’s not normally this quiet,’ says Steve to Adam.

His son has his arm around his daughter-in-law. That’s nice to see. They fit together, the two of them.

Will he fit together with someone again? He hasn’t been able to clear Georgie Glazier from his mind in the long hours he has been by Rosie’s bed. She is not the one, but perhaps there will be somebody else someday.

‘What are we going to do about Felicity?’ asks Amy.

‘She’s the one who shot Rosie?’ says Adam.

‘That’s her,’ says Steve. ‘Our office manager.’

‘Takes her job seriously,’ says Adam. ‘Was it a problem with the photocopier?’

‘It’s up to Rosie,’ says Steve. ‘When she wakes up, we’ll ask her what she wants us to do.’

The machines attached to Rosie continue to hum and beep.

‘What’s Tony’s view?’ asks Amy.

‘He said, “Absolutely fair play, she shouldn’t have shot her”,’ says Steve.

‘Sums it up nicely,’ says Adam. ‘What’s going to happen to this Ernesto?’

‘They’re going to take him back to Spain,’ says Amy. ‘Keep him locked up until his trial starts.’

‘What was he thinking?’ Adam asks.

A nurse appears.