Baby Lies (Reissue) by Chris Collett

Author:Chris Collett [Collett, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Suspense Fiction
Published: 2018-03-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Becky and Anna went to bathe Megan leaving Mariner and Mark alone out in the garden.

‘You must be delighted with the way things have worked out,’ Mark said, conversationally.

‘Sorry?’

‘The safe return of baby Jessica. You’re quite a hero.’

‘We were just fortunate,’ Mariner said. ‘It could have gone either way.’

‘Did you find out who was behind it?’

‘We have some ideas about that, but we’re still following them through. At the moment the main suspects are animal rights activists. We think they were trying to give the father, Peter Klinnemann, a scare.’

‘And no doubt succeeded. He works for Hamilton Sciences, doesn’t he?’

‘Yes, though I’m not sure for how much longer. His partner seems to have finally persuaded him to quit his job.’

‘I can understand that reaction, of course, but that’s a crying shame. If we didn’t have companies like Hamilton, I’d be stuffed as a GP. Still, I can’t say I blame him.’ He shuddered. ‘Throughout that whole episode I kept trying to imagine how I’d feel if anything like that happened to Megan. Thank God we’ve never had to resort to leaving her in a place like that.’

‘It wasn’t the nursery’s fault,’ Mariner said, sounding more defensive than he’d intended. ‘It could have happened anywhere.’ But even as he said it he wasn’t so sure.

‘And how are you?’ Mark asked, changing the subject, his tone implying that the enquiry was more professional than personal.

‘I’m fine,’ said Mariner.

‘You’re still seeing a counsellor?’

‘Yes.’ Mariner was astonished that Mark should be aware of that arrangement and he felt uncomfortable discussing it with a man he hardly knew. He certainly wasn’t about to admit that after the first couple of appointments he’d found a convenient reason to cancel whenever his counsellor had tried to schedule a follow-up.

‘I know from what Becky says that Anna’s been very concerned about you.’

‘Yes.’ Mariner didn’t know what else to say.

‘She still seems a bit low,’ Mark went on.

‘Well, things are not exactly going to plan.’ Mariner wondered how much Mark knew. He probably thought Mariner was referring to the miscarriage, but it was more than that. Fortunately he was saved from further explanation by the distant ringing of the front doorbell, signalling the arrival of the first of the guests.

Gareth, also a GP, was one of Mark’s partners in the medical practice and was already known to Mariner. He’d been instrumental in getting Jamie into his new home, and when she came down again Anna greeted him warmly, their embrace lasting, in Mariner’s opinion, just a few seconds too long.

‘Jamie’s doing brilliantly,’ Anna enthused. ‘We’re so indebted to Gareth, aren’t we, Tom?’

‘Indeed we are.’ Mariner shook Gareth’s hand.

‘Hello again, Tom. How are you?’ And Mariner was disturbed to see the same look in his eyes as he’d seen earlier in Mark’s. Christ, they didn’t even live here yet but everyone knew all about them. How much had Anna told him about what he’d gone through? Mariner didn’t like the thought of that.

Completing the party were near neighbours Jolyon, who was ‘in business,’ and his wife Lavinia, ‘call me Vinnie.

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