The Flourishing by Garance Merlina

Author:Garance, Merlina
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: lesbian romance, police investigation, LGBTQ
ISBN: [ISBN ici]
Publisher: Garance Merlin
Published: 2023-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Andy gasps as she’s stirred out of her slumber by loud honking. She instinctively throws a fist out and slams it into the wind shield.

“Oh fuck,” she moans, holding the damaged hand to her chest, while the furious honking continues in the vicinity.

She finally notices that she’s parked right in front of somebody’s garage, and lifts a hand towards the fuming driver in apology, while looking for her keys to start her own car. She painfully drives a couple of metres away, and winces when the one she was blocking punches the accelerator and wooshes past her in a cloud of gravel.

She checks the time on the dashboard. Half seven. She will barely have enough time to go home and change. One glance in direction of the Parrys’ house shows the light still on. She chastises herself, hoping the electricity bill won’t be too punishing, and drives off to her flat.

She quickly rinses off the smell of a night spent sleeping outside in the cold, and sweating out beer. It feels like the water cannot get warm enough in her stupid bathtub, despite turning the hot water tap all the way open. She changes into a baggy sweater and her running tights, planning to be at least comfortable for the rest of the day.

No time for breakfast, although she direly needs it. Her brain finally kicks back into action just as she’s about to reach the station and she notices that little doughnut shop. She grabs as many flavours as she can imagine eating and proudly struts into her office with a mild sense of accomplishment.

Claire walks in two minutes later holding a bag of pastries, and they laugh.

“No trouble finding a taxi last night?”

Andy freezes, and puts the delay for her answer on the enormous mouthful of fried dough she’s trying to absorb.

“Hmmf. No, was l’right.”

They eat in silence after that, until Andy licks her fingers clean of sugar and can finally feel her synapses zapping smoothly inside her skull.

“So. Give a call to Sarah Linderson?”

“Want to do the honours?”

Claire picks up her phone and dials the mystery lady, putting her on speaker.

She seems surprised to have a police officer calling her, but not reluctant. She’s a stay at home mother, she explains, therefore available almost throughout the day. Andy checks with Claire, a thumb up passing her silent message, and they agree to meet about an hour later, just enough time for both detectives to beat the traffic.

The drive lasts about half an hour, during which, Claire having blessedly taken the wheel, Andy presses her face against the window, pretending to look at the scenery to cool her forehead down and feel less nauseous.

They reach a humongous house, lost a hundred metres out of a sad hamlet, towering over the rest of the countryside with three floors and an intimidating outer wall. There even is an intercom at the front, iron-wrought gate. Claire presses the call button while throwing an impressed glance back at Andy.

“Yes?”

“Hello, Detectives Atkins

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