[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
you before then.
All right. Thanks.
It was both good news and bad news. Good in that we had a handle on how this guy
had been able to interfere with our lives so thoroughly. Bad in that it meant someone
close to Anton had betrayed his trust and confidence unbearably. We were having such a
peaceful time, so much fun, I didn t want to tell him. But he knew something had
happened or Phil wouldn t have called.
I found Anton experimenting with making mulled wine, or what the Swedes call
Glögg . An inelegant name for a wonderfully scented drink, I discovered as I walked in
to a cottage smelling of cinnamon and oranges.
Isn t it a bit warm for hot drinks? I said, wiping my face with the bottom of my T-
shirt
Don t care. Here, try this.
He thrust a half-cup full of red liquid at me. I dutifully sipped, then coughed. In the
warm air, the instant heating the wine produced was almost unbearable. Uh, you might
have overdone the spirits.
You think so? I m sure that s impossible. He took my cup and sipped from it,
eyeing me over the rim. No, I d say that s perfect.
If you want to knock someone out.
And have my wicked way with them? Damn, you ve worked it out.
Less alcohol, Sherlock, or my poor abused liver won t be able to drink it at all.
He stuck out his bottom lip. No fun at all.
Nope. It tastes lovely though.
Doesn t it just? Oh, and Mia and the girls dropped by with a vee-safe cake they
made just for you.
That was nice of them. Why?
Karl hinted that we had been having a hard time lately. I wish he hadn t
but...anyway, that was what they did. He dried his hands. Bad news?
Sort of.
I explained while he puttered, cutting up slices of the ginger cake Mia had brought
over. He didn t say anything while I talked about the implications and what would
happen next, but as he poured water into the wine mixture to dilute it, then set it heating
again, he said, I can t believe anyone in my department would do anything of the sort.
Could be a student. Could be someone from another department. Or someone who
works at the university. They only needed brief access. Where do you leave your laptop
and phone when you re teaching?
In an office I share with two other researchers. I usually have my phone on me but
sometimes I leave it in my coat, especially at meetings when I need to leave it turned off.
Our office is locked.
And these two other researchers?
It s not them, Nick.
I didn t press him, but it could easily be one of these people, or someone else he
would never suspect. You might have to make a list of possible places someone could
have got at your laptop or phone, or both. Do you log into your email on other
computers?
Yes, he admitted. His expression told me that he knew this could be how the
stalker had gained access. I always log out though.
Always? And you never save your password in the browser?
I think so...maybe not all the time at the office. Fuck. It can t be one of my
colleagues.
I put my hand on his shoulder. There are a lot of possibilities. It s out of our hands
for now, so let s not think about it.
Easy for you to say.
No, it s not. I m right here with you, every step of the way. If it s hurting you, it s
hurting me.
He made a face. Some people might consider that romantic, but all it s doing is
making me feel guilty.
Don t. I kissed him and held him until his tense stance eased. Come on, bring
your liquid fire outside in the shade, and let s try the cake.
We had a few more days of pure peace. Anton was out of practice being away from
technology and even made noises about checking his email at the village, until I
reminded him that we didn t want anyone to know where we were and the IP address
would give us away. He fretted because of all the writing he d wanted to do, but I d
brought back a pad of paper from the village and that allowed him to make notes that he
would work up when he got home. Gradually the itchiness stopped and he immersed
himself in the moment. I wasn t much better at that than he was, so the practice was good
for both of us, as were the long walks. And the sex was amazing. The ginger cake had
something to do with that, I think.
I called Phil on Tuesday, and there had been developments. I made Anton drink a
glass of wine and put my arms around him before I told him. They ve arrested someone
at the OU. Anton tensed. I stroked his cheek. Yusuf Khan.
Anton brushed away my embrace. No. That s impossible. You mean the post-grad
working on native carnivores? He can t be.
They found the phone in his desk along with ricin powder. He s on Facebook
groups about you, even mailing lists. He s obsessed with you.
But he s lovely. He s gay, and so sweet and shy. A crush I d accept, but killing
someone? No. He s been set up.
You might be right, but we have to let the police do their job. He s only been
arrested, not charged. They re questioning him. Don t forget I would never have
suspected Donald of that shit last year.
But Donald s actions made a kind of mad sense if you followed his logic. Why
would Yusuf do this to me? He didn t even know about you before February I d never
mentioned you. He could have asked me out. I m not his supervisor. Nick, we have to go
back
I grabbed his arms. And do what? I m not involved. I can t barge into the
interviews, nor can you. Look, I can put all you ve said to me to them but they won t
charge him unless the case is strong. Don t you want the stalking to stop?
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]