Read Something Wicked for Free Online

to divide things up too. I do a lot of the paperwork for the businesses – the clever stuff.’ She slid the file back and leafed
through to the second sheet with a stifled yawn, before continuing as if she hadn’t stopped. ‘Sometimes you settle for second-best because third- or fourth-best is even worse and
first-best doesn’t exist.’
    Andrew wasn’t sure if he should say anything, so he let Violet read. She flicked through the top few sheets before clapping the file closed, muffling another yawn with her hand.
    ‘Jack’s at an awkward age,’ she added. ‘He has been for a few years. His father’s behaviour doesn’t help, then I make sure I have my say too and he’s
stuck listening to us fight. Poor kid.’
    Another pause.
    ‘What was the place like?’ she asked.
    ‘Which place?’
    She made bunny ears with her fingers. ‘The massage parlour.’
    Andrew scratched his face, a little embarrassed. ‘All red and pink and it stank.’
    Violet nodded. ‘To be honest with you, I really don’t mind the sleeping around. If he wants to do what he does with a bunch of Eastern European girls then it saves me a job. I just
wish he was more discreet about it. It’s no example to be setting to his son.’ She swallowed. ‘
Our
son.’
    Andrew usually knew when to keep quiet, and this was one of
those occasions. Sometimes letting a client rant was the best thing for it. If anyone had reason to, it was Violet Deacon.
    She had another sip of water before continuing. ‘I found condoms in his car door the other week, then there are the text messages he gets. He dives for his phone saying it’s someone
from work before he’s even looked at it, then spends the rest of the evening grinning to himself. Prostitutes I can deal with; I just don’t want him falling in love. Not yet,
anyway.’
    Andrew thought about asking but felt better of it.
    Violet peered up from the counter and met his eyes with a steely gaze of determination. ‘Oh, I know what you’re thinking – how weird this all is, why I’m letting it go
and so on. I’d be thinking the same. Don’t worry, I’ll be leaving him one day, just not yet. Like I said, I do the books for his companies. I know where the bodies are
buried.’ She finished her water. ‘Not literally, of course, but I know plenty to bring him down. I’m just biding my time.’ She patted the folder. ‘This is everything I
need for now. I might come back to you for help again in future – you never know when a good investigator might come in handy. One day, there’ll be divorce proceedings and the more of
this, the better.’
    She blinked, sighed and stood, offering her hand. ‘Sorry about Jack. I’ll have a word when he comes back. I didn’t know he was there, if I did—’
    Violet stopped as a whooshing boom of fury erupted from somewhere towards the front of the house, as if an articulated lorry had steamed past far too quickly. They looked at each other for a
moment before Andrew turned, dashing through the hallway towards the front door. Through the dimpled glass at the front of the house, he could already see the ominous glow but the actual sight was
still a shock as Andrew pulled open the front door. At the bottom of the driveway, his dark blue Toyota was parked where he’d left it, bright orange flames blazing through the gaps around the
bonnet, eating into the cold morning.

5
    The fire officer stood with a single hand on his hip: short and stout like a teapot. He eyed Andrew suspiciously, the words ‘insurance scam’ clearly at the front of
his mind.
    ‘So, to be clear,’ he growled with a gruff hint of a Scottish accent, ‘you were in the house, you heard a “noise”’ – more bunny ears – ‘then
you and Mrs, er, Deacon came out of the house where you saw your car on fire.’
    ‘Right.’
    ‘And if you could repeat for me, in your own words, what you did then.’
    What was it with police- and fire-types with their ‘in your own words’?