‘Too risky. They’re on board and most likely supportive of whatever goes on there.’
‘So we’re looking for a visitor who isn’t there to see a patient, isn’t involved in the actual business but is a good guy and can be trusted?’ Penn asked.
‘Maybe like a lawyer?’ Stacey asked.
‘Shit, wait one sec,’ Penn said, turning to his computer. They all waited. He looked up from the keyboard. ‘Or maybe an accountant?’ Penn said, looking right at Stacey. ‘Dunhill filed their last set of accounts.’
‘Stace, ring your contact at Dunhill. The Gardners mentioned an audit when we were there yesterday.’
‘You don’t think Gabriel Denton was the—’
‘Make the call and find out,’ Kim said, not liking where this was going. Gabriel Denton hadn’t been seen in almost four days.
‘Hi, Wendy, it’s DC Wood. Sorry to bother you so early but can you tell us where Gabriel was working last week?’
They all listened to the pause on speakerphone.
‘I’d have to check the diary at work but I think Thursday and Friday he was at a clinic. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s somewhere near Bridgnorth.’
Stacey thanked her and ended the call.
‘Okay, Stace,’ Kim said. ‘Looks like we’re not done with Gabriel Denton yet. You need to explain to Beth what’s going on and have a bloody good look for that letter.’
FIFTY-NINE
‘Seeing as the boss said to give Beth a little while longer, I’ll take one of these to eat while I’m waiting,’ Stacey said, swiping a cupcake from the Tupperware box.
Maybe she wouldn’t notice, Penn thought, looking away.
‘Err…what’s this all about?’ she asked, holding up the cupcake and inspecting it. ‘This isn’t one of Jasper’s creations.’
He groaned. ‘No, it’s from the bakery. Jasper had a bit of a burning fiasco last night.’
‘Is he okay?’ Stacey asked, putting down the cake. ‘Sorry, Penn, I forgot you had to rush off last night.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with him. It was all a ploy to get Lynne over. It worked, and that’s all I’m gonna say about it right now,’ he said, not knowing himself how to take the next step.
‘Okay, spare me the salacious details. I only want to know if there’s a chance of you two becoming a thing.’
He couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips. ‘Maybe.’
‘Okay, I’m gonna let my imagination run wild, but I have two things to say before I go. First, it’s about bloody time, and second, please let Jasper know that these shop-bought muffins don’t even compare to his goodies.’
Penn waved his hand in acknowledgement as she walked out the door, leaving the half-eaten muffin on her desk. He worked hard to keep the smile off his face.
Last night had been surreal, but in the cold light of day, did Lynne feel the same way? Despite the fact they’d known each other for almost ten years, it felt like they’d rushed to the next stage. Was she regretting what had happened last night? Had it not been what she’d expected? Was she now filled with regret that they’d taken their relationship to the next level? Was she full of doubts and questions? The not knowing was almost painful.
He groaned as he took out his phone. Okay, what tone? How to ask a simple question and get a response that gave him the answer? He felt as though he might need some help navigating his way through the early stages of whatever this was. He hadn’t had a serious relationship in years, and even then, he hadn’t felt the way he did now.
He typed quickly. Did their tone of communication change because of last night?
Hope you weren’t late for work.
At the last second, he added a smiley face. He read it back and face palmed himself. How the hell was he gonna get his answers in a reply to a text message that could have come from her neighbour?
The message was read immediately and a sickness started to rise in his stomach.
He took a breath and looked away. His phone vibrated.