Page 92 of We Chase Shadows

‘Where’s Vern?’ Amy asks.

‘He’ll be down in a minute,’ says Rosie.

‘What’s he doing upstairs?’ asks Steve.

‘None of my business,’ says Rosie. ‘Taking a nap?’

Amy looks at Lee. ‘What’s Vern doing upstairs?’

Lee shrugs and holds up his earbuds. ‘No idea, podcast.’

Vern appears on the stairs. ‘And they’re all here! Rosie, forgive me, I was taking a nap.’

My God, thinks Rosie, this man is an incredible liar.

46

Amy sits opposite Vern Blackwood. They are in Rosie’s drawing room. Quite what a drawing room is, Amy wouldn’t like to say, but it has three armchairs all facing a sofa, so it makes for a perfect interrogation suite. Wherever Vern chooses to look, there will be a pair of eyes on him.

Difficult to lie to three people at once. Although, as Amy notes that Vern’s shirt buttons are incorrectly buttoned, he may well have lied to them already.

‘We don’t even get a cup of tea?’ Vern says. ‘Must be serious. What have you found out?’

Steve sighs. A little overdramatic, but everyone has their methods.

‘We’ve just been to Málaga,’ says Amy.

‘Mmm hmm,’ says Vern. ‘I see.’

‘Ever been?’ Steve asks.

‘Málaga?’ says Vern. ‘Must have, back in the day. Surely?’

‘Were you there in 2001 perhaps?’ asks Rosie.

‘I mean, who’s any good with dates?’ says Vern. ‘It’s possible. Beautiful part of the world. 2001? I mean, why not? Couldn’t swear I wasn’t.’

‘Vern,’ says Steve, ‘is there anything you want to tell us?’

‘About Málaga?’

Steve nods. ‘About Málaga.’

‘Huh,’ says Vern. ‘And in 2001?’

‘In 2001,’ says Amy.

‘Málaga, 2001,’ says Rosie.

Amy sees Vern making some calculations in his head. She also notices a pair of boxer shorts just beginning to poke out from one of his trouser legs.

‘Okay,’ says Vern. ‘Okay.’

‘A man called Connor Brooks left a suicide note,’ says Steve.

‘Correct,’ says Vern.

‘You helped him fake his own death,’ says Amy.