The Chauffeur Did It: Felicity Philips Investigates Book 8 by Steve Higgs

Author:Steve Higgs [Higgs, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

Hidden Love

Gregory blinked. “Huh?”

For a moment I thought I might have misheard him, but Hubert repeated it, his voice suddenly soft and somehow a blend of shame, regret, and relief.

“I love you,” Hubert looked directly into the groom’s eyes as he delivered the admission. “I have done for years, Greg.”

Gregory’s face showed his confusion.

I glanced at Mindy, thinking this was a new one, even for me.

I got a shrug from her, but she said, “I guess that explains things.”

“You love me.” The groom repeated, his grip on the best man’s jacket easing.

Hubert bit his lip. “Sorry. It’s been killing me. I told myself I could keep my feelings to myself. That I could swallow them down and bury them forever, but I was lying to myself. I don’t want you to marry Tina, Greg. I want you to marry me.”

There were gasps and whispers coming from the wedding guests. Unable to tear themselves away from the unfolding drama, they were listening intently. Not even the cool breeze blowing through the grounds could convince them to go inside.

Jolted by the best man saying her name, Gregory remembered his bride.

“Where’s Tina?” he roared, pushing Hubert away with such force that he stumbled and fell.

Vince caught him, hauling Hubert back to upright so he could face the music.

“I don’t know,” Hubert continued his pretence.

I jumped in with, “You were overheard talking to someone about grabbing her, Hubert.”

“Yeah,” meowled Amber. “You were overheard.”

He looked at me, his mouth open and gawping. Then he spotted Amber at my feet and shocked to see the cat again, his eyes shot back up to stare at me in denial and doubt.

“How could …”

“Where is Tina!” Gregory shouted again, coming forward and looking like he might beat the truth out of Hubert if he didn’t start talking.

Vince, a far bigger man, raised a hand to ward the groom off. Violence would only confuse things.

“Seriously, I don’t know where Tina is,” Hubert cried, wishing someone would believe him.

“Oh, yeah?” Questioned Mindy, her knees still pinning Barry to the ground. “Is that because this one hasn’t told you?” She gave his arm a little twist, eliciting a yelp of pain. “Where’s the bride, scumbag?”

Face an inch off the grass, words poured from Barry’s mouth like a torrent. “I haven’t seen her, I swear! I was supposed to flag down the car, scare off the driver and take her for a little ride until it was too late for the wedding to go ahead. That’s it. He paid me ten grand.” Barry angled his eyes at Hubert whose cheeks coloured an even deeper shade of scarlet. “But the car never came the way it was supposed to. I don’t know where it went, but it didn’t come to the church.”

“He’s lying,” spat Amber, refusing to accept that she might have got it wrong.

Buster made it worse. “And the stupid cat gets it all wrong and wastes everyone’s time.”

“Say that again, you fat sack of farts.”

Buster barked a threat and looked about ready to attack Amber and might have done so had I not scooped her into the air.

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