No Stranger to Death: A Scottish mystery where cosy crime meets tartan noir: Borders Mysteries Book 1 (17 page)

‘You’ve seen a lot of women first thing, have you?’

‘Given that I’m nearly forty, wouldn’t you be worried if I hadn’t?’

Zoe tried to raise herself into a sitting position while thinking of a suitable retort, but the pain which clenched her ribcage forced her to lie back with a groan.

Neil sat up, his shirt flapping open to reveal more chest hair than she would have expected.

‘I’ll fetch you a glass of water and your painkillers, then I’ll make us some tea.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Can I ask one tiny thing?’

‘What?’

‘Would you mind if I put on your bathrobe?’

A few minutes later they were sitting up in bed drinking tea, Zoe propped up by both her own pillows and one of Neil’s. Mac had reclaimed his rightful position and lay bolster-fashion between them. Neil still wore the turquoise towelling robe.

Pushing her hair out of her face, Zoe realised something was missing. ‘My scrunchie’s fallen off in the bed.’

‘What the hell’s a scrunchie?’ Neil asked.

‘The thing I tie my hair up with. I forgot to take it off last night ‘

‘I thought you used a rubber band.’

‘They cause split ends.’

He ran a hand over his head. ‘I’ll try to remember that.’

Zoe laughed then grimaced with pain. ‘When did you start to lose your hair?’

‘Are you suggesting I’m bald?’

‘Aren’t you?’

‘It began to recede once I hit thirty, but no, this isn’t my natural look. I thought you knew.’

‘How would I?’

‘Can’t you tell it’s starting to grow? Here, feel.’ He lifted her hand and guided it to his head. Rather than polished and smooth as she expected, it felt slightly rough, like velvet.

‘A few years ago I was sponsored to shave it all off for Comic Relief. Raised quite a bit of money, too. I kept it like this because everyone said it suited me.’

‘It does. I can’t imagine you any other way.’

‘I’ll grow it back again if you ask.’

‘Don’t be silly.’

Neil lifted a lock of Zoe’s hair and held it up to the light. ‘You have beautiful hair. Why do you tie it back all the time?’

‘It gets in the way if I don’t.’

‘So few women have long hair these days. Even the ones in James Bond films. It’s a pity.’

‘When I was a child I could sit on mine. My mother wore hers long too. We used to brush each other’s every morning.’

Neil got out of bed and padded over to the dressing table, returning a few seconds later. ‘May I?’ he asked, holding up Zoe’s hairbrush.

‘If it doesn’t hurt me too much to lean forward.’

Self-conscious at the start, Zoe began to relax as he ran the brush gently through her hair. It was, she realised, the most intimate act she had shared with a man for some time.

‘This’ll be something to tell our grandchildren about,’ Neil said as he returned the brush to the dressing table.

‘What will?’

‘Our first night together. Nothing physical happens due to Granny’s injuries, and Grandpa ends up wearing her bathrobe.’

Zoe laughed then clutched at her ribs. ‘Ouch.’

‘Still hurting?’

‘The pills are beginning to kick in, but today will probably be the most painful.’

‘You’re not planning to go into work, I hope.’

‘I wasn’t due to anyway.’

‘Will you be okay here on your own? I need to go home soon. Pete’ll be wondering where I am.’

‘Didn’t you tell him?’

‘He was out when I left.’

‘You never did say how you found out about my accident.’

‘You never asked.’

‘Don’t be irritating, Neil.’

‘Promise not to be annoyed with Kate. Look how well it turned out.’

‘You mean she came and told you?’

‘Admit it, aren’t you glad she did?’

Zoe paused for a moment then smiled. ‘All right, you win – I am glad. You’ve cared for me brilliantly. The soup and cake were exactly what I needed and the film was, well, interesting.’

Neil looked worried. ‘You must have sustained a head injury they didn’t spot at the hospital. You’re being nice to me.’

‘Idiot. When do you have to go?’

‘Trying to get rid of me now, are you?’

‘No. But I was wondering if you’d take Mac out for a quick walk.’

Mac jumped off the bed the moment he heard his favourite word, trampling over Neil in the process.

‘You did that on purpose.’ Neil took off her robe and walked to the wicker chair where he had draped his clothes. Last night, once they agreed he would stay, he courteously waited outside the bedroom, giving Zoe time to put on her pyjamas and get into bed. She was already dropping off to sleep by the time he slid in beside her. The last thing she remembered was a kiss on her cheek and a whispered, ‘Goodnight’.

Now, though, she was awake and able to appreciate the sight of Neil’s neat backside in close-fitting underwear and his muscular legs. When he turned round she could see the slight paunch which testified to his preference for red wine over white, but the overall effect was pleasing.

‘You’re staring at me,’ he said, making no move to pull on his jeans.

‘You don’t strike me as being the shy type.’

‘With these legs, why would I?’

A few minutes later, Mac cast a confused look at his owner but nonetheless followed Neil out of the room. Zoe listened for the sound of the back door closing, then got up slowly and went through to the warmth of the sitting room, glad the cottage had no stairs to negotiate. On her way, she switched on the immersion heater. She would feel a lot better after a bath.

As soon as man and dog returned, Mac wolfed down his breakfast while Neil made toast and another pot of tea.

‘Have you fed the cat?’ Zoe asked. ‘She gets very grouchy if her food’s not ready when she wants it.’

‘I didn’t know you owned a cat.’

‘I don’t. She comes with the house. Lives in the airing cupboard.’

Neil leapt from his chair. ‘Shit,’ he said, rushing out into the hall.

‘Just kidding,’ Zoe called after him. ‘I opened the door when I saw you’d closed it. I don’t think she even noticed she’d been shut in. And I’ve fed her.’

Neil sat down again and swallowed a mouthful of tea. ‘What’s her name?’

‘She hasn’t got one. As I said, she’s not mine. Kate’s brother forgot to tell me until after I agreed to rent this place that I’d be sharing it.’

‘Was she left behind by a previous tenant?’

‘No, they took her with them when they moved to Duns, but she kept on coming back. In the end, Douglas decided she could stay. She’s no trouble, as long as I feed her.’ Zoe pulled up her sleeve, revealing three parallel scratches on her right arm. ‘And don’t try to pick her up.’

Neil concentrated on eating, while Zoe toyed with a slice of toast, eventually returning most of it to her plate.
A treat for Mac later
.

Putting down his empty mug, Neil asked, ‘What time do you want me here this afternoon?’

‘Don’t you have work to do?’

‘Nothing that can’t wait. You’re my priority at the moment.’

‘Kate will be here soon. Why don’t you call me later and I can let you know how I’m doing.’

Neil agreed to this plan with the enthusiasm of a man who’d been told to get lost for a week. He took the breakfast things through to the kitchen and Zoe heard water running into the sink.

‘You’re treating me like an invalid again,’ she called. ‘Please leave me something to do.’

‘If you insist.’

A few seconds later he returned with his jacket on and Zoe got up to see him out. He gently guided her back into the chair and kissed her fleetingly on the lips.

As soon as he was gone, the house felt empty. Zoe watched a little breakfast television without taking any of it in, then made her way to the bathroom. What she saw when she took off her pyjamas to get in the bath made her gasp. Although less than twenty-four hours had elapsed since her accident, bruising from the car’s seatbelt was already a wide, purple slash across her chest. And while medication had lessened the pain to a dull, persistent throbbing, it could not remedy the turmoil in her mind.

No longer befuddled by shock, what she had accepted in the upheaval of the previous day to have been a frightening mishap began to take on a more sinister appearance. That sort of catastrophic failure, especially in a car less than a year old, did not simply happen. The significance of this, when it came, felt like a punch to her stomach.

She grabbed hold of the taps and pulled herself up with such haste that the water ebbed and flowed, splashing onto the floor. The room was so small she did not need to get out of the bath in order to vomit into the toilet.

Someone had tampered with her brakes.

Chapter 20

Zoe heard Kate let herself into Keeper’s Cottage. She carried a bulging Sainsbury’s bag, and after a cheery greeting and an enquiry as to how Zoe was feeling, she went through to the kitchen, returning soon after with a cafetiere of fresh coffee. Reluctant to play the invalid but recognising, as she often told patients, that she should accept help when it was offered, Zoe let her friend fuss over her.

Once Kate had stoked up the woodburner, plugged in Zoe’s mobile to charge, and produced a plateful of ginger biscuits, she sat down herself. ‘So, what time did Neil go?’

‘About eight-thirty.’

‘He wasn’t here long, then?’

Zoe bit her lip, not answering.

Kate stared at her. ‘Or are we talking about eight-thirty this morning?’

‘He’d drunk a whole bottle of wine. I couldn’t let him drive.’

‘I hope he was gentle with you.’

‘Kate! For goodness sake, look at me. Would I have any use for a man in my bed except as a glorified hot water bottle?’

‘What a disappointment for you both. Still, it should make things easier when the time comes.’

Zoe opened her mouth to argue that a physical relationship between herself and Neil wasn’t inevitable, and shut it again when she realised she would be lying.

Kate grinned. ‘You’re starting to like him, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, I admit it, I am.’ Zoe held her hands up in mock submission. ‘It was lovely having someone to look after me last night, and he did it so well. He made me soup – from scratch, not out of a tin – and brought me my favourite sort of cake. And afterwards we watched a film.’

‘I’ve heard he’s a bit of a movie buff. He’s got a whole library of them, apparently.’

‘He’s got a nice backside as well,’ Zoe said.

Kate clapped her hands together noisily. ‘Hurrah! It’s great to hear you talk like that. How strong are those pills you’re taking?’

Zoe chose to ignore her friend’s gibe. ‘Why, if he’s such a good catch, hasn’t he been snapped up already?’

‘During all the time I’ve known him he’s never seemed particularly interested in a serious relationship. Don’t get me wrong - he’s been out with lots of girls but never for very long. I’ve not known him be as persistent with anyone as he is with you.’

‘So why me? Why now?’

‘Could be he’s never met the right woman before. Or are you worried he could be gay?’

‘No, I’m pretty sure he’s not gay.’

‘Peter Pan?’

‘Are you referring to his brother?’

‘No. I mean perhaps Neil has Peter Pan syndrome – he doesn’t want to grow up, accept responsibility, settle down. I’ve met a lot of men like that.’ Kate paused then added, ‘Stupid me, I even married one.’

‘So you don’t recommend them?’

‘It depends what you want from a relationship. Peter Pans are fun, there’s no arguing with that, but if you’re looking for long-term commitment? Forget it.’

Zoe shifted in her chair, unable to get comfortable.
Was it time for another painkiller yet?

‘I’m sorry,’ Kate said. ‘Once more I’m being tactless, assuming your natural instinct would be “never again”. But of course, what happened to you was completely different to my experience.’

‘I’m not looking for another husband, if that’s what you think.’ Zoe sought a new direction for their conversation to take. ‘But I may need another car. Do you know what’s happened to mine?’

Kate’s raised eyebrows showed this clumsy change of subject had not gone unnoticed. ‘Erskine said he’d take care of it,’ she said. ‘I expect it’s at some garage waiting for your insurance company to assess the damage.’

‘I was lucky to get out alive, wasn’t I?’

‘And to have a policeman on the scene straightaway.’

Zoe took a deep breath. Which hurt. ‘You know, I don’t think it was an accident.’ She regretted her words as soon as she said them. It was obvious from Kate’s reaction that this possibility had not occurred to her.

‘You don’t really think that, do you?’ Kate shook her head. ‘No, you must be mistaken.’

‘There’s no other explanation. The car’s a reliable make and less than a year old. The chances of its brakes spontaneously failing are like . . .’ Zoe paused, searching for the right analogy, ‘like you dropping dead tomorrow from a heart attack.’

‘Are you saying someone tried to kill you?’

‘Maybe not actually kill me. It would’ve been hard to predict the exact outcome. But at the very least they wanted to give me a scare.’

‘Who would do such a thing?’

‘You tell me.’

‘If you’re right, it must be connected with everything else that’s been happening here.’

Zoe frowned. ‘I knew you’d say that, but it makes no sense. I stumbled upon Chrissie’s body and was there when they found Jimmy in the burn. Hardly cause for someone to make me their next victim.’

‘Perhaps you’d better wait to hear what Erskine thinks. He’s sure to have someone check over your car. It will have been an accident, you’ll see.’

‘Either way, I can look forward to another visit from him soon,’ Zoe said.
Not a comforting thought.

‘I’m sorry, but I have to go.’ Kate stood up and Mac immediately retook possession of his chair. ‘Noah P Reece the Third emailed me yesterday to ask if I can get his family tree done in time for Christmas. I’ve warned him I may not be able to, but he’s paying me extra to try.’

‘I’ve taken up a lot of your time, haven’t I?’

‘That’s what friends are for,’ Kate said, gathering up their mugs and the empty cafetiere. ‘Can I bring you something before I go?’