Chapter 15 Chapter Fourteen

"I slept with my boss." Tom Douglas was about to take a sip of espresso from a clean little cardboard cup when Becky uttered the words.The truth came without warning, like a completely illogical inference, and Tom could only think that Becky had been slowly mustering up the courage to reveal to him the reason for her distress. He took a sip of his coffee and waited. "That's why I'm in so much pain. I slept with my goddamn boss," Becky repeated, a tremor in her voice.Tom glanced at her, but she looked away from the car window. They parked the car in front of the road where the Brooks house was, and waited for Robert to return.The cameras caught him heading in that direction on the M56, so they were pretty sure he was on his way home and decided to get ready to meet him.While Becky has made her point very clearly, while waiting and sipping much-needed coffee bought on the way, they try to come up with several different versions of what happened to Olivia Brooks speculate.

Tom turned in the driver's seat so that he was slightly facing Becky, to let her know he was listening.He gave her a moment to see her shoulders heave, as if taking a deep breath, and then turn her head forward, staring straight ahead through the windshield.Tom saw her lips pressed together in that sad face. "I figured it must be something like that," he said, keeping his voice calm. Becky turned to face him. "What? Have you heard anything? Someone told you?" "Don't worry - no one has ever said anything to me. Do you want to go into the details? Like which boss?"

Becky turned to face out of the window again. "Peter Hunter." At least it must be a chief detective superintendent, but I didn't expect it to be his boss.Tom hadn't liked Peter Hunter since he took over from James Sinclair, even when Tom was still working in Scotland Yard.Peter was a good cop, there was no question about it, he was obsessed with cases like entries on a spreadsheet, the kind of man in his mid-fifties who thought he was young and up-to-date.He's always pretending to follow the most popular music, not quite realizing that in reality he can't.He liked to use words he thought were fashionable, which only made him sound more ridiculous, in Tom's opinion.He has an illustrious career record, but instead of commanding respect in the group for his unquestionable abilities, he has recently become increasingly unpopular because of his posturing taunts from his subordinates.Having an affair with a junior police officer will only make things worse, and that kind of thing is definitely not a fire.

Tom did not say this to Becky. "I thought I loved him," she continued. "He was so sweet and caring. We only saw each other three or four times a month, but he kept calling me after get off work and he made me feel It's so beautiful." Tom closed his eyes and stifled a moan.He knew that Peter Hunter was married, and had seen his delightful wife.Even so, he wasn't surprised that Peter had an extramarital affair.It was Becky who surprised him more. "I know it's silly. I know he's married, but I'm still smitten with him." Becky was silent for a while, and Tom thought it was time for him to speak. "You're not the first woman to be charmed by a man like him, you know. It's the same old story, money, power and fame, these are notoriously powerful aphrodisiacs, and Peter's in power for sure. I guess you're done with him now?"

Becky gave a dry laugh. "That's for sure. His wife came to see me." Tom didn't know who to sympathize with more, but it certainly wasn't Hunter. "She told me that her husband likes to be admired, which is unfortunate, and that I wasn't the first and won't be the last. I said I loved Peter, and she laughed at me, saying I confused infatuation with love, and I should Growing up. She also said that I had an idealized idea of ​​love, that love was more than passionate nights and flowers. Anyway, that’s the gist of it.” Mrs. Hunter said it very to the point, romantic days are always so simple.Tom's thoughts drifted to Leo—she was afraid to let him get too close, afraid that being together would be a prelude to separation.He couldn't force her to put down her guard, she could only wait or move forward.He brought his thoughts back to Becky, who was clearly trying to get his mind out.

"I asked her why she swallowed it if it wasn't the first time. Do you know how she responded? She told me she despised Peter for being weak. He was not a man in her eyes and hurt her deeply .But love is about many things, and she learned long ago that nothing is perfect. What do you think about that?" "She might be right, I'm sure I've never experienced perfection anyway. How about you? Even the things we love our whole lives are most likely not perfect." Becky was silent for a moment, then Tom went on: "I'm sure you and Peter had a wonderful time. Sneaking is intoxicating in itself. In the short time you spend together, you give your all to each other. And in At home, he might be someone who wants to be cared for, talks with food stuffed in his mouth, or pulls dead skin off his feet while watching TV, or farts in bed."

This sentence at least made Becky smile a little. "Some people can put up with it," he went on, "and some can't. I know one man who divorced his wife because she wouldn't let him put his football trophies on the mantelpiece. Peter and his wife may have gotten along well over a long period of time, and she may be more reluctant to be with a man who is not considerate and uncaring than a man who is not faithful enough, and she is angry every day. We have no way of knowing, we Not involved in their marriage." Becky hung her head.Tom gave her some time to think. "What happened next?"

"Essentially, she told me to come out of that scam. Either I'd change jobs, or she'd tell her uncle — who happened to be our deputy commissioner there — and she was going to kill my career. I'm not sure she can do that, but that doesn't matter because Peter never spoke to me again, except when he had to. He also called me Officer Robinson." Tom could see how hard it was for Becky to admit it. "I read a proverb once," he said, "I'm not sure where I saw it, but it went like this: 'If a man wants to steal your wife, the best revenge is to give her to him. 'Put yourself in another way, this might be the end for you and Peter. Imagine if she kicks Peter out and he ends up with you, how long do you think your relationship will last?"

Becky wondered what it would be like, and Tom watched her face, the poor girl still looked ashen. "Thanks for letting me know, Becky. It must have been hard for you and you must have missed him." Becky looked at him with wide eyes. "You think I'm lost in this way because I miss him?" She laughed harshly. "You're wrong. There are many reasons for my misery, but mainly because I feel so guilty. I don't know myself anymore. Who is it, that's what tortures me. I've always thought of myself as a kind, caring person, but Ruth Hunt sees me as a callous, pushy bitch. So, we Which of the two is right?" Becky paused, "Then there is my extreme stupidity, which obviously doesn't need my explanation."

This time her smile was more genuine, and it seemed like a good time for Tom to change the subject.He didn't want Becky to think he dismissed her confession so easily, but he really had nothing more to say.She's going to have to digest this on her own. He watched her take a swig of coffee and could almost see her pulling her mind away from the darkness that still haunted her. "Speaking of dangerous marriages," she said, "one thing I noticed last night when we were talking to Brooks, it seemed like he always chose to video call his wife when the kids weren't there. Or before the kids were up. Or after they're in bed. And, most importantly, he keeps talking about us finding his wife, and barely mentions his kids. Did you notice that?"

"How could it not be?" "It's weird that he doesn't seem to care about the kids at all. Unless, of course, he knows where the kids are, which brings us back to our original point." Becky turned to Tom with a hint of mischief, and before he could respond, he caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye.He turned his head and looked out the windshield, just as Robert's Jaguar turned around and drove in through the front door of his house. "Wait a minute, Becky, he's back. Unless I'm mistaken, it's our man Tippitz chasing him down the driveway. Hurry up," said Tom, crumpling up his empty paper coffee cup, Throw in a paper bag, "We can't wait to make damn Ryan make another mistake."