The Shame Game by L. D. Smithson

Author:L. D. Smithson [Smithson, L. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2025-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

63

PAUL

Thursday, 10 a.m.

1 day, 5½ hours left

Sweat stung his eyes as he ran full pace across the moor path towards the Cow and Calf rocks, jumping over craggy outcrops and deep ditches. He couldn’t believe he’d put himself in that bastard Greg’s domain yesterday. He used to tolerate the man for Mandy’s benefit, but God knows why she had been attracted to such a strait-laced, superior arsehole.

He was only running down so he could turn and punish his legs on the run back up. The pain and the effort would help him to focus.

Paul had texted Isobel five times last night without response and by this morning he’d been restless and impatient. He needed to talk to her soon; time was running out. Vanessa had been certain that his best move now was to find out what Isobel had done and offer to shame her to save himself. There was a logic to it, he knew.

He had been given Ryan to out and Isobel had been given him, which meant Ryan had either Isobel or Mandy, and Ryan had presumably outed himself to save whichever one of the girls he had. That left Isobel home and dry, as neither Ryan nor Mandy would be outing her. When she’d failed to respond last night, he thought she must have figured this out, but clearly not, as when he’d called her this morning she’d sounded grateful for his help and agreed to head over to his later, leaving him just enough time for this run so he could think it through and get it straight.

The only obstacle was getting Isobel to confess, but he didn’t see any real problem with this. He would ask non-threatening questions until he found a chink, a way in, and then he would circle and pick, and circle and pick, until the chink was wide enough to make an educated guess. Did this thing happen at work? How long ago did it happen? Was it just you or were others involved? Does anyone else know about it? Was anyone upset by it? Was anyone hurt by it? Why do you feel so ashamed? Was this something you did because of particular circumstances? Was this something you did on purpose?

Eventually, she would give something away.

It must be something to do with a child she had treated in the past. When they’d been discussing who might be sending them this shame game in his kitchen, Isobel had commented that some parents of deceased children could be driven to take revenge. People don’t make observations like that unless they have some personal experience of it.

Once he knew the gist of what she’d done, he could probably find any further details he needed in public records, and after that make an offer to Stuart.

He’d checked the dates and it all fit. Paul and Mandy had been happy and planning their future until the night she’d called to say she was rushing home because her mum had had a stroke. He remembered

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