Grave Decisions by Claire Highton-Stevenson

Author:Claire Highton-Stevenson [Highton-Stevenson, Claire]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781673960051
Published: 2019-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

DS Dale Saint had prepared well. On Whitton’s desk was a take-away cup of coffee and a salted caramel muffin from her favourite coffee shop. She raised a brow as the files she carried dropped onto the desk next to them. The main office had been quiet as she strode through, but she had spotted him at his desk. It was obvious that it was him who had brought the refreshments. Picking up the cup, she took a tentative sip; still hot. She winced at the heat of it hitting her tongue. Taking a seat, she noticed the envelope with her name scrawled across it in Dale’s handwriting. She smirked to herself, knowing there was more to it than just a nice gesture. He was buttering her up for something.

She picked it up and spun it, corner to corner, between her fingers. It wasn’t the usual brown office envelope. This one was an expensive white one with tiny little embossed flowers around the edge. Something Becky would have chosen for sure.

Her finger slid underneath the flap and pried it open, withdrawing a single sheet of paper that matched the envelope.

Dear Sophie,

There are times in life when you must pick out the people that will be there should the worst happen, for us, that is you. I know that you’re not the religious type, but we are. We go to church as often as we can and both Harry and Ella were christened, just as we plan to do so with this new life. Becky and I would be honoured if you would act as Godmother to our next child.

Dale & Becky.

She reread the note again. Being responsible for a child was a huge commitment to take on should the unfortunate situation arise, and a decision she wouldn’t take lightly. Her eyes closed and she found herself transported back to the previous year when her then-girlfriend, Yvonne, had wanted a child, a child she too had thought she wanted. But things hadn’t worked out that way.

“You read it then?” Dale’s voice brought her from her thoughts. He stood in the door, leaning against the frame, fiddling with his ring.

She nodded. “I did, yes.” She picked up the coffee cup and pulled off the plastic lid to sip it.

“So?”

“I’ll think about. It’s not something to take lightly…it’s…it’s an honour, Dale. Thank you for thinking of me.”

He grinned at her, fully expecting her reaction. “Well, we talked about it, and both of us agreed we wanted you.”

Before she could answer, the phone rang. Snatching it up, she growled into the handset, “Whitton.”

~Grave~

Gina Ashcroft screamed down the phone line and into Whitton’s ear. She was making no sense. Saint could hear the noise from three feet away and turned towards her, concerned.

“Gina, calm down, okay? I can’t…” She pulled the phone away from her ear as another torrent of high-pitched screeching came at her. “Gina!” she shouted louder, and for a second there was an intake of breath, but that soon turned into sobs.

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