He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. ‘I’m disappointed in myself for not seeing the potential for this happening. I feel I’ve let you down by not protecting you. I guess I’ve been too distracted, dealing with the divorce.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ she said. ‘I know you and Mum weren’t happy together. I’ve known it for years. I’ve been such a pain, I’m sorry. I just wanted Mum to put me first for once.’
‘She does her best,’ he said. ‘It’s been hard for her. She didn’t really want to be tied down with a husband and child so young.’
‘What about you?’ she asked. ‘Did you ever resent me being born?’
He smiled at her tenderly. ‘What sort of question is that? Of course I haven’t resented or regretted it, not for a moment. You are my daughter and I can’t imagine life without you.’
She smiled a watery smile and reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek. ‘I’d better get going. The bus will be here any minute and I don’t want to miss Mum. You know how impatient she is.’
‘Do you want me to wait with you? My meeting with Dr Hayden won’t take long.’
Poppy gave him a probing look. ‘Are you falling for her, Dad?’
He looked at her incredulously. ‘In a little over a week? Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘She’s very attractive.’
‘She’s also very career-driven.’
‘I think she likes you.’
‘Yes, well, she’s going to hate me if she finds out just how involved you were with Ethan Jenson and that I deliberately withheld the information from her,’ he said with a deepening frown.
‘You’re not going to tell her, are you?’
He let out a sigh. ‘Not right now, no.’
‘Will you get into big trouble, Dad?’
Lachlan looked at his daughter’s anxious face and let out another sigh. ‘Not if I can help it.’ He opened the door and led her out. ‘Come on, sweetheart. I’ll walk you to the back entrance.’
‘He’s free now,’ the constable informed Eloise a few minutes later. ‘It’s the first door on the left.’
‘Thank you,’ Eloise said, and made her way to where she had been directed.
She gave the door a single knock and he issued a command to come in. He was sitting behind his desk, a mound of paperwork on either side of him, but he rose to his feet as she came in.
‘I take it you’ve received the results?’ he asked.
‘Yes.’
He couldn’t help being pleased to see her, but Lachlan didn’t like the sound of that curt one-word answer. ‘Take a seat,’ he said, and once she had sat down he resumed his own seat behind the desk, forcing himself not to reach for his pen to click.
He schooled his features into indifference and asked, ‘What did you find?’
‘Ethan Jenson was murdered, Chief Inspector,’ she stated bluntly. ‘He was dead before he hit the water, a combination of smothering and carbon-monoxide poisoning. Feather particles were found in the lung biopsies I took.’
He leaned back in his chair and began to drum his fingers on the desk. ‘The family will have to be informed at some point.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And everyone who knew or was associated with Mr Jenson will have to be interviewed. Chief Inspector, that includes your daughter.’
His eyes hardened as they held hers. ‘How many times do I have to tell you she has nothing to do with any of this?’
‘Are you saying that because you hope it’s true or because you’re absolutely certain?’
‘My daughter is not capable of murder.’
‘Perhaps not, but one of her friends or acquaintances could be,’ she pointed out. ‘As far as I’m concerned, she’s a valuable witness for this investigation.’
He shook his head. ‘Looking at the criteria you’re using, just about everybody in the whole of Cornwall would be just as valuable.’
‘You’re obviously too close to the investigation to make rational decisions,’ she said. ‘I’m going to suggest to the superintendent that you step aside and let someone else take charge.’
His expression darkened. ‘That won’t be necessary. I’m heading this investigation, Dr Hayden and no one else. I’ll make sure all avenues are investigated. Do you understand?’
She lifted her chin. ‘And I want to be informed of each and every development along the way, have you got that?’
He got to his feet. ‘You will be notified of anything of significance as per standard procedure. You know the angle we take on this. If we go out to the community and suddenly announce to all and sundry that Jenson was murdered, the culprit will know we’re on to him and disappear into the woodwork.’
‘I realise the delicacy needed in handling cases such as this. It’s always a bit of a balancing act,’ she said.
The intercom buzzed on Lachlan’s desk again and he turned back to lean over his desk to answer it. ‘Yes?’
‘Chief, Dr Tremayne called a few moments ago. He said he was going to be ten minutes late.’
Lachlan felt a tremor of unease pass through him. ‘Oh…right…Give me a buzz when he arrives. Dr Hayden is just leaving.’
Eloise looked at him quizzically. ‘Getting rid of me, Chief Inspector? What if I want to speak to Dr Tremayne about my findings?’
‘You can book an appointment with him some other time. This is a personal visit.’
‘And yet you sounded surprised to know he was coming here,’ she observed.
‘Did I?’ he asked guilelessly.
‘Yes.’
‘I forgot he said he might be dropping past.’
‘Just like you forgot which day it was you were supposed to take your daughter to her friend’s house?’ she questioned.
He sent her a disarming smile. ‘Not much escapes your notice, does it?’
‘Not if I can help it.’
He came to stand right in front of her. ‘Well, then, clever little Dr Hayden from Australia, maybe I’m just a little forgetful sometimes. Or perhaps I’m distracted by the fact I am struggling to keep my hands off you,’ he said in a low sexy drawl.
Eloise felt her body quiver in reaction. She looked up into those brown eyes and felt that cold and hard feeling she’d carried inside her chest for so long melt, its warmth flowing through each and every one of her veins. Her heartbeat increased, her mouth began to tingle and her belly flip-flopped as he came one step closer. ‘Um…you’re changing the subject…’ she said, running her tongue across her lips. ‘I didn’t notice…er…that…’
He picked up a strand of her hair and looped it around his finger. ‘Can we meet up later tonight?’ he asked. ‘Say about nine?’
‘I’m not sure I should say yes,’ she said, still staring at his mouth. ‘I mean, I’m not really sure what I’m saying yes to.’
‘How about we have a walk along the shore and take things from there?’ he suggested.
She looked back into his eyes and felt her normally rigid resolve melt and slip away even further. ‘Is it wise for us to do that?’
Lachlan took a moment to answer. Of course it wasn’t wise, certainly not now with things as they were, but something about Eloise pulled him like a magnet. In spite of the danger she represented, he wanted to have her, even if it was only for a few weeks. He wanted to break through that tough exterior she carried around like a suit of armour and have her purring like a sensual cat instead. She was a passionate woman—he could feel it every time he looked at her or touched her.
‘Are you worried about what people might say?’ he asked.
‘To some degree, yes,’ she said. ‘I like to keep my private life private. I guess that’s hard to do in a small village like this.’
Tell me about it, Lachlan thought wryly. How he was going to keep his daughter’s teenage pregnancy quiet for as long as possible was already starting to worry him. Although things had changed over the years, there were still some conservative members of the community who would shun her, which would make a difficul
t situation intolerable.
‘It is hard but not impossible,’ he said. ‘Anyway, people will expect us to spend time together as part of the investigation.’
‘What about your daughter?’ she asked.
‘What about her?’
‘Will you tell her you’re…you know…seeing me?’
‘Are you seeing me, Dr Hayden from Australia?’ he asked with another one of his irresistible smiles.
She screwed up her mouth at him. ‘Must you keep calling me that?’
‘Eloise, then.’
‘That’s better.’
‘Your turn.’
She looked at him in confusion. ‘My turn for what?’
‘For saying my name,’ he said. ‘You can’t keep calling me Chief Inspector, especially if we end up in bed together.’
‘I didn’t say I was going to sleep with you,’ she said through prim lips.
‘You didn’t have to,’ he said. ‘I can see it in your eyes. You want me just as much as I want you. It’s called sexual chemistry.’
She gave him one of her prudish schoolmistress-type looks. ‘That’s nonsense.’
He smiled and opened the door for her. ‘I’ll meet you at Trevallyn House at nine.’
She sent him a pert glance as she brushed past him in the doorway. ‘What if I change my mind?’
‘That’s entirely up to you,’ he said. ‘Just give me a call to let me know.’
Eloise wasn’t so sure she liked his take-it-or-leave-it attitude. ‘I might get a better offer,’ she said, with a haughty lift of her chin.
‘You might but then again you might not.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘You know what they say about a bird in the hand and all that.’
Eloise left with a roll of her eyes, but his chuckle filled her head for the remainder of the afternoon, and every time she looked at her watch the hands seemed to be crawling at a snail’s pace towards nine p.m.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘POPPY told me her news,’ Lachlan said gravely as soon as Nick Tremayne sat down in his office. ‘I can tell you I’m not looking forward to Margaret finding out. Poppy’s going back to London with her as we speak.’
‘Margaret’s not the only one who needs to know,’ Nick said. ‘Dr Hayden should be informed as well.’
Lachlan jerked upright in his chair. ‘No. No way.’
Nick frowned. ‘You’re not going to tell her?’
‘I don’t want Poppy’s name dragged through the mud. She’s just a kid, for God’s sake.’
‘Peter Middleton spoke to me on the way in,’ Nick said. ‘Off the record, of course, but as I was the attending doctor he thought I should know the change of verdict. I think you have a professional responsibility to tell Dr Hayden that your daughter had an intimate relationship with Ethan Jenson and that as a result of that relationship she is now pregnant.’
‘You seem convinced it is Jenson’s baby,’ Lachlan said.
‘We won’t know with any certainty unless we conduct a paternity test. Poppy will have to decide if she wants to know for sure but there are risks involved.’
‘What sort of risks?’
‘Miscarriage, for one,’ Nick answered. ‘There’s only about a one per cent chance but it still needs to be considered.’
Lachlan shoved a hand through his hair. ‘I know it may come across as unfeeling, but right now a miscarriage is sounding pretty good to me.’
‘Yes, well, I can understand how you feel and I have discussed Poppy’s options with her, but the final decision will have to be hers,’ Nick said. ‘She will need both yours and Margaret’s support during this difficult time.’
‘I realise that. That’s why I want her kept out of the spotlight until this all dies down.’
‘You realise this puts me in a difficult position, don’t you?’ Nick asked. ‘I can’t breach patient confidentiality by disclosing Poppy’s condition to Dr Hayden. That is your job as her father and Chief Inspector heading the investigation.’
‘I will tell her when I think she needs to know,’ Lachlan said. ‘I just want some time to get my head around it all.’
‘She’s coming to the clinic at six this evening to see me,’ Nick said. ‘Do you have any leads on who might be responsible for Jenson’s murder?’
Lachlan rubbed his hand over his face in weariness. ‘No, but if Dr Hayden hears my daughter’s pregnant by the victim she’s going to put me right at the top of that list, isn’t she?’
Nick narrowed his eyes. ‘You’re not responsible, though, are you?’
Lachlan scowled at him. ‘You know me better than that, Nick. I’m one of the good guys, remember?’
Nick gave him a rare smile. ‘Sorry. Had to ask.’
‘It’s OK. I would have asked you the same question if the tables were turned.’ He let out a heavy sigh and, leaning forward, put his head in his hands. ‘God I just wish this would all go away.’
‘It’s a nasty business, that’s for sure,’ Nick agreed.
Lachlan lifted his head and leaned back in his chair. ‘So how are things with you and Kate these days?’
Nick frowned. ‘That was a bit out of left field. What makes you ask?’
‘Eloise Hayden picked up some sort of a vibe when she was talking to Kate at the clinic. She asked me if you and Kate were an item.’
‘Kate and I are friends, as we have been for years,’ Nick said. ‘You know that.’
Lachlan gave a little shrug. ‘I wouldn’t have asked but from what I’ve seen so far, Eloise is pretty switched on.’
‘So you’re on a first-name basis with her now, are you?’ Nick asked. ‘Does this mean there’s something going on between the two of you?’
‘I’m more than thinking about it,’ Lachlan admitted. ‘I haven’t felt like this about anyone before, not even Margaret in the early days.’
‘It’s about time you put the divorce behind you,’ Nick said. ‘Although I can’t help thinking you’re asking for trouble, getting involved with an international colleague. Longdistance relationships never work and you couldn’t get much further away than Australia.’
‘Don’t worry, Nick, I’m not going to fall in love with her,’ Lachlan said, although he wondered if was being entirely honest with his friend or even himself.
Nick got to his feet. ‘You know what they say about tempting fate.’
Lachlan smiled wryly. ‘You’re starting to sound like me, rattling off well-worn adages all the time.’
‘Yes, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
‘She’s a career-woman, Nick. Been there, done that and packed away the T-shirt long ago.’
Nick glanced at his watch. ‘I’d better get moving. I’ve got to call in on Henry Ryall before I head back to the clinic. It sounds like a strep throat.’
‘James Derrey was out there yesterday, investigating an alleged theft.’
Nick’s brows rose. ‘Alleged?’
Lachlan gave a nod. ‘Henry’s lonely. He’s looking for excuses for company.’
‘I haven’t got the time to waste on people who aren’t unwell when I have so many to deal with who are,’ Nick growled.
‘A cup of tea and a stale biscuit won’t hurt you,’ Lachlan said. ‘If I didn’t have this case hanging over my head, I’d go out there myself.’
‘You know, you might want to think about having a little chat to Robert Polgrean,’ Nick said as he strode towards the door. ‘If anyone has a motive for getting rid of Ethan Jenson, it’s him.’
Lachlan frowned. ‘I will interview everyone I think is connected to the case, but Robert already has a rock-solid alibi for the night in question. I checked that out days ago.’
Nick frowned again. ‘But I thought you were convinced it was a simple case of drowning. Why did you feel the need to check out Robert’s movements that night?’
‘I’ve been in this business long enough to know things are not always as they seem,’ Lachlan said. ‘Until Peter Middleton announced his verdict of death by drowning, I wa
s keeping an open mind.’
‘Kate told me Dr Hayden was concerned about your reluctance to do another autopsy.’
‘Come on, Nick, you’ve met the victim’s parents,’ Lachlan said. ‘I know they were the ones behind the request but I didn’t want to put them through any more agony unless it was absolutely necessary.’
‘Have you told them yet?’
‘Not yet.’
‘They’re going to be devastated.’
‘Yes, I know,’ Lachlan said, sending his hand back through his hair again. ‘Drowning is hard enough to accept, but murder is another thing entirely.’
Eloise smiled at Sue, the receptionist at the clinic. ‘Hello, Sue, I know I’m a bit early for my meeting with Dr Tremayne but I thought I’d come along anyway.’
‘That’s fine, Dr Hayden,’ Sue said. ‘Dr Tremayne is on his way back from a house call but it might be ten or fifteen minutes before he returns. But Kate Althorp is upstairs in Chloe the midwife’s office, if you’d rather wait there. Chloe’s doing a home visit so you won’t be disturbed. I’ll let Kate know you are here.’
Eloise waited while Sue contacted Kate via the intercom and within half a minute Kate came downstairs to meet her. ‘Has your luggage arrived yet?’ she asked as she led the way upstairs. ‘Bea told me about your little hiccup.’
‘No. Can’t you tell?’ Eloise said ruefully, as she pointed to the very basic outfit she had bought at St Piran a couple of days previously. ‘I called the airline a short time ago. Thankfully they’ve located it and are shipping it by courier, but I’m not sure when it’s going to arrive.’
‘I can lend you some things to tide you over,’ Kate said as she opened the office door. ‘I’m a bit taller than you but I have a few things that might do. I’ll bring them round or, even better, you could come to my place for dinner in a day or two. Jem would like to meet you. He’s very fond of Lachlan. He thinks it’s really cool to be a police officer.’
‘I used to think that until I started working alongside the force,’ Eloise admitted wryly. ‘Now I sometimes wonder why I put my hand up.’
Kate smiled. ‘I feel the same about this place. Nick can be so demanding. I’ve felt like walking out many times, I can tell you.’
Brides of Penhally Bay - Vol 2 Page 42