Next Of Kin (Unnatural Selection #3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Come in.”
    “I saw the
police car,” she said as she stepped inside. “No news?”
    “No. They’ll
be in touch with you to see if you’re helping Nick conceal a secret
bank account or lover though.”
    “What? I
wouldn’t!”
    I indicated
the sofa and took the bag off her. “I know. I told them. We’re all
suspects unfortunately. Let me get plates and a knife.”
    When I
returned from the kitchen she peered up at me with concerned eyes.
“Suspects in what? Do they think...oh god, Anton, Nick’s
not...not....”
    “No, he’s not.
I won’t think about it, and I don’t want to talk about it.”
    I set the
plates down. After a little bit she took the knife and forks from
me, then enclosed my hand in hers. “This is just horrible, Anton. I
couldn’t sleep last night, worrying about the two of you.”
    I wiped my
eyes on my arm. “Yes. Everyone thinks he must have run off with
someone. I’d rather he had than...well, the other.”
    “Nick hasn’t
run off with anyone. He wouldn’t do that to you.”
    “But if he
hasn’t, where is he?”
    “I don’t know,
hon.” She squeezed my hand. “Cake? What about tea?”
    Charlotte
wasn’t particularly maternal as a rule, and she had a busy work
life. As I boiled the kettle, I realised she’d taken the day off
just to come over to help. The thought made me teary again.
    “Anton?”
She’d followed me into the kitchen.
    I sniffled and
smiled at her. “I’m okay.”
    “You look it.”
She took the kettle off me and rooted around for the tea. I let her
fuss. I’d used up all my determination and positive outlook for the
morning.
    I didn’t
buy cake often—Nick couldn’t eat most commercial versions, and I
could take sweets or leave them—so there was a slightly guilty
pleasure in indulging.
    “I can’t do
this for myself,” she said. “I have a running battle with my weight
as it is. Beth can’t keep it on. Not fair.”
    Her
girlfriend of six months was a researcher at UCL, and built like a
greyhound. A very small greyhound.
“Nick has the same problem.”
    “I don’t
want to stay thin the way he did. Does.” She stopped.
“ Does .”
    “Yes. You
don’t need to look at me as if I’m about to explode,
Charlotte.”
    “Sorry. I’ve
never been in this situation before.”
    “Me neither.
I—”
    We both froze
as my mobile made the ‘incoming text’ sound. I picked it up. “It’s
Nick.”
    “Thank
God,” she said, hand over her heart. “What does he say?”
    I read
the message. Time stood still. I think my heart actually stopped
beating.
    “Anton? Anton,
are you all right?” She touched my arm.
    I passed
my phone to her without a word. She looked at the screen, and then
at me. “That makes no sense.”
    “Doesn’t
it?”
    She stared at
me. “Of course it doesn’t.”
    “But
isn’t this exactly what the police suspected? Excuse me, I have to
call someone.”
    I went up to
the bedroom to call Andy.
    “Anton, I was
just about to ring you. We just had a hit on Nick’s passport using
Eurotunnel to Calais departing an hour ago.”
    “He just
sent a text.”
    “Great! What
did he say?”
    “‘ Sorry, I can’t do this any more. Have met someone
else.’”
    “Oh.”
Andy paused. I imagined he was momentarily dumbstruck. But he
quickly collected himself. “Okay. I’ll check the mobile’s
location.”
    “Nick didn’t
send it. It came from his phone, but he didn’t send it.”
    “Anton, I know
what you’re saying, but—”
    “Nick didn’t
send that message. Or if he did, he was made to.”
    “His passport
is gone, I heard. I know this is hard to accept, but—”
    “He’s still
missing. Until you find him, I don’t have to accept a damn
thing.”
    “He’s allowed
to go to France, Anton. He hasn’t broken any law, though he’ll
probably be fired.”
    “Andy,
listen to me. Nick didn’t send that text. You know the man. You’ve
known him longer than I have. Does this sound like something he
would do?”
    “No,