Page 36 of Criminally Yours

“Also, Strike hasn’t had a girlfriend or anything since I’ve known him. Bear says he’s not had one since he left for the army, which I guess was when he was with you.”

“For a whole two weeks before he disappeared. Two weeks means nothing.” Although it meant the world to her.

“You’d be surprised what can happen in two weeks.” Lisssmiled wistfully. “I’m sure it’s obvious, but the phone Strike gave you is encrypted. It can’t be traced, so you can use it for more than research. You could contact your clients and…”

“And?”

Liss covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m so bloody nosey. Bear teases me about it. It makes me good at my job but a rubbish friend. I’ll stop.”

Millie laughed and pulled Liss’s hands away from her face. “It’s okay. You two are fortunate to have each other. I remember Bear as an angry and sad teenager. He’s the opposite with you.”

Liss beamed. “He’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I’d no idea I could be loved like that or bring someone joy by being with them. And the sex is amazing—sorry. He also tells me off for oversharing.”

“Never apologise for amazing sex.” Millie’s chuckle was edged with sadness. She’d had sex once. It had been the most incredible experience of her life. Her vibrator and sexting didn’t compare, but real touch terrified her now.

“The thing on my phone,” Millie whispered in case Strike used his superpower of turning up unannounced in doorways, “it’s an app I use to talk to men anonymously. No one knows about it, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

“I’ll ensure Luke stays away from it.”

Millie held her breath. She’d never told anyone about it. “You’re not judging me?”

“For talking to men anonymously?”

Millie dropped her head and winced. “And sexting them. No photos, just words.”

Liss grabbed her hand. Millie looked up to see her soft smile. “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, what does it matter? Does it make you happy?”

“Sometimes. But sometimes I do it and then hate myselffor how far I let the chats go.” It was as if Millie had wanted to tell someone for years.

“Then try not loading it onto the burner and see how you are without it.”

Millie sighed and managed to smile. “That’s a good idea.”

“I’m around if you ever want to chat. When my life transformed, I felt like I had no one. I was a stranger this morning, but not anymore. You’ve got me for as long as you need me. I’ll send you my number, okay?”

She nodded as Liss pulled her into a hug.

Millie was supposed to be the counsellor, yet having Liss listen to her was transformative. She just needed to survive the politician and his son and get home.

CHAPTER 16

Strike

The early morning chill was chased away as Strike sipped his coffee and stared at the lake. Birds sang to each other as the sky welcomed dawn. He stroked Jeff, the labrador, as he rested his fluffy head in Strike’s lap.

Luke was driving to Wales with the tracker attached to the car. He’d leave it and get a train back to London. Cam would collect the car in a day or so. Strike ran through his list of safety protocols, but he’d ticked everything off the list.

There was nothing more he could do until they left for Cornwall that evening.

His chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths of fresh air, but it couldn’t dispel the stress that’d set in since Millie had returned to his life. Being confronted with her pain gave him new reasons to hate himself. He couldn’t go to her every time he felt that self-hatred. She didn’t owe him anything.

Last night was the Bodyguard Corp movie night. As one of Liss’s mental health initiatives, once a month, unless they were on a job, the team would eat dinner and watch a movie. They’d eaten together, with Stal on video call.

But gruff Stal, beaming with a baby in hisarms, hadn’t been the highlight of Strike’s evening. That had been the opportunity to observe Millie.

For the two hours of the movieSpy—Millie’s choice, as it was her first movie night—he’d studied her. When she laughed, he sensed his body lift with a smile. When she gasped, he gripped his chair so he couldn’t run and hold her. And when she giggled with Liss about the British spy, he’d nearly left the room to stop from throwing Millie over his shoulder and claiming her. She’d glanced at him a couple of times under the darkness of the lounge, but he’d turned away every time, staring at the screen like he wanted to destroy his retinas.

But now, as spring sunshine slowly burned the mist off the water’s edge and the tips of bird wings glowed with ethereal gold, his mood slumped.