Impostor by L J Ross

Author:L J Ross [Ross, L J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2019-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

Friday

While Alex Gregory steeled himself to board the tiny plane from London to Knock Airport for a second time, Colm McArdle zipped up his jacket and poked his head around the living room door.

“I’ll be off now, Aideen,” he said. “I won’t be late tonight, my flower.”

She looked up from the novel she was pretending to read, and snorted.

“That’ll be the day,” she said. “Didn’t you tell me the same story, last week?”

“Aye—but, you know, Ned Malloy had a birthday…”

“Oh, for pity’s sake,” she said. “Lord save us from all the birthdays and anniversaries you and those no-goods you call friends seem to have every Friday night.”

He grinned at her.

“That’s why I fell in love with you,” he crooned. “It’s an intelligent woman you are, Aideen.”

She snorted again, and louder this time.

“Only in comparison with you, Colm McArdle,” she quipped. “Now, be off with you, if you’re going, and leave me in peace.”

But she was pleased when he trotted over to bestow a kiss, which she returned wholeheartedly. They hadn’t enjoyed so many years as man and wife without having a little bit of spark between them.

“Save those kisses for me,” he said, with a wink.

“I’ll save them for Cillian Murphy,” she muttered, and fiddled with the remote until the latest episode of Peaky Blinders appeared on the small television set in the corner of the room.

The novel forgotten, she settled back with a contented sigh and reached for the small bag of fruit gums she’d hidden beneath her knitting bag.

* * *

The journey over the Irish Sea to Knock Airport was no less death-defying than the last time, and it turned out that forewarned was not necessarily forearmed when it came to the impact of gravity upon one’s internal organs. Consequently, Gregory’s stomach was still settling back into its usual position as he walked through the automatic doors leading to the arrivals area, where he expected to find Maggie Byrne or Padraig waiting for him, as before.

It was neither.

Emma had been leaning against one of the pillars, the toe of her boot resting back against the concrete. When she spotted him, she raised a hand and waved him over.

Gregory had no way of preventing the small burst of pleasure it gave him to know that she’d come to meet him. It took only a few seconds to close the distance between them but, in that time, he drank in the sight of her. She was dressed simply in black jeans and a matching jumper, against which the bold red of her hair rippled like liquid fire beneath the industrial lighting overhead. She wore scuffed boots and carried a raincoat over one arm.

“Hello again, Doctor Gregory.”

“Alex,” he said. “I was expecting to see Padraig.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said, with a smile. “His Land Rover has finally packed in, and Maggie’s looking after Declan tonight. Besides, night driving is hard on her eyes, so I offered to come instead.”

“Thanks,” he said, as they stepped out into the chilly evening air.

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