‘Well, I don’t know,’ she said with a grin, clearly not believing a word of it. ‘Maybe it’s rubbing off on you. I mean, Nat’s a psycho. He was arrested for killing those women.’

‘He didn’t kill anyone,’ I said. ‘It was Leo.’

‘What was Leo?’

‘It was Leo who killed Charlotte…Christine, I mean.’

Liv’s eyes widened. ‘Oh my God, Grace. Are you actually being serious?’

I could only nod, hardly daring to meet her eye.

She put her hands to her face and leaned back against the sink. ‘What the hell have you got yourself into?’ she said in horrified tones.

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘But Nat told me to keep away from him. He doesn’t want me involved.’

‘Good on him.’ She turned back to the sink and filled up the kettle. ‘I always thought he was a nice guy.’

‘You just said he was a psycho,’ I said, managing a forlorn laugh. ‘And he is a good guy. The best I’ve ever met, in fact.’

‘That good?’ Liv whistled. ‘So, why aren’t you with him, then, if he’s been stabbed?’

‘He doesn’t want me linked to him, or what happened.’ Saying it aloud, it sounded ridiculous. ‘I hit Leo with a knife block while he was stabbing Nat. It wasn’t my fault. Nat wants to save my reputation.’

‘Bless him,’ said Liv. ‘So, that’s more important, is it?’

‘What?’

‘Your reputation. More important than Nat?’

‘Of course not.’ I shook my head. No wonder it sounded stupid – it was. ‘I can’t bear the thought of him in hospital. I want to go to see him, but he made me promise.’

‘And?’ Liv looked at me as if I were mad. ‘Sweetie, it takes strength of character to keep a promise. But, sometimes, it takes more strength to break one.’

Suddenly, something occurred to me. ‘He broke his promise to me, not to go and see Leo.’ I stood up. ‘If he hadn’t, I’d be dead.’

Liv looked confused, but shrugged. ‘Better Leo than you,’ she said. ‘Maybe it’s your time to save Nat.’

I looked at her, and nodded. ‘It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong,’ I said, as if trying to convince myself.

‘Apart from killing Leo,’ Liv pointed out, helpfully.

‘Apart from…’ I tailed off. I still couldn’t bring myself to believe it. It was all such a waste.

‘I’ve done nothing wrong, intentionally, at least,’ I amended. ‘And Nat’s done nothing wrong at all. He can’t take the rap for me.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I’m going to pay a little visit to DI Brown,’ I said, relief flooding through me. ‘And rescue my Filth Monger.’

    Fifty Five

Her

I was interviewed at some length at the police station but, in the end, they released me without charge. The DNA evidence from Charlotte’s murder corroborated my story. I’d have to go to court as a witness, but everything was going to be all right. When I got out, Nat was sitting on a wall, waiting for me, his arm in a sling.

‘What are you doing here?’ I asked him, entirely unable to hide my delight. It was another hot afternoon and his eyes were almost as blue as the sky above us.

‘Well, obviously, my favourite detective couldn’t wait to pull me in again.’ He gave a satisfied grin. ‘She’s officially withdrawn all allegations made against me, though, mainly because I wasn’t guilty. How about you?’

‘She said I did the right thing.’ I shot him a mischievous grin. ‘But that I was a terrible aim. I think she thought I should’ve killed you.’

He laughed and put his arm around me. ‘I’ll bet. You didn’t do as I told you, you know.’

I shrugged. ‘Neither did you. Skulking around in people’s coat cupboards.’

‘I told you that you weren’t the only stalker in town.’ He pulled me in towards him and kissed me softly. ‘Anyway, I can do as I please, remember?’

‘In the bedroom,’ I replied, raising my eyebrows.

‘Whatever.’ He bent in to whisper in my ear. ‘You know you’re going to have to be punished, don’t you?’

‘Mm-mm,’ I nodded. ‘But Nat…’

‘Yes, Angel?’

‘Gently, please, and in private.’

He sighed. ‘Definitely. I’m keeping you all to myself from now on. I’m going to look after you, Grace, don’t you worry.’

His words ignited a glow of warmth inside me. ‘I’m going to look after you, too.’

‘I might actually take you up on that,’ he said, glancing down at his shoulder.

I couldn’t help laughing at his rueful expression. ‘You can count on it,’ I said. ‘So what are you doing for the rest of the day?’

He looked pleased with himself, suddenly. ‘Well, this evening, I’m going to visit a girl I know,’ he said. ‘She’s just woken up from a coma and is asking for me.’

‘Oh,’ I said, feigning disinterest. ‘Mr Popular. So you won’t be wanting to see me, then?’

‘On the contrary, Miss Anderton.’ He pulled me round to face him. ‘I’ll most definitely be wanting to see you. In fact…’ He gazed into my eyes soulfully, ruining the effect slightly by smacking me on the bottom. ‘…I’ll be wanting to see a whole lot more of you.’

We walked down the street to where Stephens was waiting in the Bentley. Just as he was coming round to open the door, my phone went. It was Jimmy.

‘Grace! My dear! I just…’

‘Now, Jimmy,’ I said, cutting across him. ‘I know what you said about being careful, but I have to tell you now that I’m seeing Nathaniel Fforbes, and I don’t care who knows. I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry?’ He gave a short laugh. ‘I hope you’re joking, sweetheart. Mr Fforbes is the flavour of the month, now it’s all come out about him being innocent. It’s fantastic news. You’ll make the perfect couple. I can see it now…Nathaniel Fforbes and the Filth Mistress.’

As we climbed into the Bentley, I cast a sideways glance at Nat. The Filth Mistress. It had a ring to it. Yes, I could learn to like it.

‘Right, then, Stephens,’ said Nat, throwing me a wink. Jimmy spoke so loudly – he’d clearly heard every word and was grinning with amusement. ‘The Castle, please. I have some rather filthy business to attend to with Miss Anderton.’

Epilogue

Liv

Six thirty, and everyone but Pascale and Max had gone home. Grace had landed me in it good and proper.

After a few days of seeming subdued, Max had more than made his presence known today. He’d dumped a pile of documents on my desk earlier that afternoon.

‘These all need to be seen to by close of business,’ he’d said, in his most imperious manner. I got the feeling he was trying to re-establish his authority after Grace’s shock exit, and I didn’t want to be next in the firing line. I’d got them all done, double quick, checking them carefully for errors before returning them to him triumphantly well before five.

His only response had been to thrust another sheaf at me. ‘These, too. Before you go home, please.’

I was going to be here all night, at this rate. Pascale had obviously finished for the evening, too, now, because she called a cheery ‘Bye-bye’ to me and walked out towards the lifts.

I was on my own.

Well, apart from Max, but I hadn’t seen him all day apart from those two occasions. He’d been sitting in his office, probably brooding over recent events. I loved Grace to bits, but I could have killed her at that moment.

Just when I thought I was going to be sitting there all night, Max came out of his office. ‘Can I have a word, please, Miss Perry?’

I got up, wondering what I’d done wrong, and went into his office.

He was standing there, in front of me, a strange expression on his face. He almost looked amused and, for a moment, I wondered if this had all been some kind of strange punishment, as if, maybe, he was taking out his anger on me by proxy.

‘Come in, Miss Perry,’ he said. ‘Don’t be shy.’

Shy? I was more irritated and becoming oddly unnerved. What the hell did he want? And, come to that, what was it with the Miss Perry business?