know computers aren’t my thing. But you could teach me some stuff, enough to help you out. I’m not only good for my feet and fists.’
‘I know. I do know.’ Amy had no idea how they’d got into the bizarre situation of her giving Jason reassurance. It was a strange place to be.
‘I’m just saying I can do a lot more if you let me.’
He retreated into the kitchen, leaving Amy staring after him. Maybe she hadn’t been fair. But what if he missed something? She had years of practice looking at CCTV and she knew she could comb every frame perfectly. It would be difficult to let go.
But she trusted him with her evidence, with witnesses and dangerous situations. Amy trusted Jason with her life. Was trusting him with AEON really that different?
Amy headed for the shower, her mind still churning over this new development. The hot water would clear her head and give her the opportunity to think it through, away from the distraction of Jason’s earnest eyes and how much she wanted to please him.
She had to make this decision with her head, and not her unreliable heart.
Jason unloaded the dishwasher with jerky movements, frustration bleeding into his household chores. Other people had jobs that gave them weekends off and bosses who trusted them with more than just playing errand boy.
Sure, he hadn’t done much with himself in school, preferring to bunk off and shake down younger kids for their lunch money, case the best corner shops for a bit of thieving, or find who could score an eighth or two for a session down by the river. That had been his education, learning how to please himself and his mates, and intimidate anyone who got in their way.
But he thought he was better than that now. He wasn’t just some thug who got answers with a bruising. He was doing honest work, for Amy and the police. Why wouldn’t she let him prove that he could do more than just fetch, carry and clean?
The doorbell rang. They weren’t expecting Cerys until later, so who was paying them a visit? When the bell rang again, Jason crossed into the living room to find it empty and the sound of the shower running coming from down the corridor.
With AEON locked down, Jason moved towards the intercom and pressed the button the old-fashioned way. ‘Yeah?’
‘Jason, it’s Owain.’
‘Oh. Hi.’ What the hell was Owain doing here two days in a row?
‘Hi. Can I … come up?’
‘Yeah, sure.’ Jason buzzed him up and waited in the corridor. Something weird was going on here and he intended to find out what.
The lift doors opened and Owain strode out, dressed down with his laptop bag on his shoulder. ‘Where’s Amy?’
‘She’s in the shower. You need something?’
‘Mind if I disturb her?’ Owain tried to peer around him, as if doubting he believed Jason at all.
Jason decided he was getting to the bottom of this. ‘Why are you here? I thought you were working.’
Owain tapped the laptop bag. ‘This is work.’
Jason moved across the corridor to block Owain’s path to Amy. ‘I’m all ears.’
Owain’s hand gripped the bag strap until his knuckles turned white. ‘The CCTV—’
‘Yeah, we’ve got it.’ Jason wasn’t budging an inch.
‘I’m here to help. Her analysis.’
Jason’s mouth went dry. After she’d turned him down… ‘Since when does Amy need help with computers?’
‘Jason, please—’
‘Since when?’ he shouted, getting in Owain’s face.
Owain tensed, his whole body rigid and his eyes squeezed shut. As if bracing for a blow.
Jason deflated immediately. ‘Fuck, mate, I’m not gonna hit you.’
Owain released a shaky breath and slowly opened his eyes, as if he was afraid of what he might see. ‘Sorry. Just … jumpy.’
Jason had seen this kind of jumpy before. Amy startled like a rabbit in the face of a 4x4. But he’d never seen Owain wear it, like a heavy cloak weighing him down. But a brush with death altered a person, didn’t it?
Jason had seen the evidence of Amy’s
‘I know. I do know.’ Amy had no idea how they’d got into the bizarre situation of her giving Jason reassurance. It was a strange place to be.
‘I’m just saying I can do a lot more if you let me.’
He retreated into the kitchen, leaving Amy staring after him. Maybe she hadn’t been fair. But what if he missed something? She had years of practice looking at CCTV and she knew she could comb every frame perfectly. It would be difficult to let go.
But she trusted him with her evidence, with witnesses and dangerous situations. Amy trusted Jason with her life. Was trusting him with AEON really that different?
Amy headed for the shower, her mind still churning over this new development. The hot water would clear her head and give her the opportunity to think it through, away from the distraction of Jason’s earnest eyes and how much she wanted to please him.
She had to make this decision with her head, and not her unreliable heart.
Jason unloaded the dishwasher with jerky movements, frustration bleeding into his household chores. Other people had jobs that gave them weekends off and bosses who trusted them with more than just playing errand boy.
Sure, he hadn’t done much with himself in school, preferring to bunk off and shake down younger kids for their lunch money, case the best corner shops for a bit of thieving, or find who could score an eighth or two for a session down by the river. That had been his education, learning how to please himself and his mates, and intimidate anyone who got in their way.
But he thought he was better than that now. He wasn’t just some thug who got answers with a bruising. He was doing honest work, for Amy and the police. Why wouldn’t she let him prove that he could do more than just fetch, carry and clean?
The doorbell rang. They weren’t expecting Cerys until later, so who was paying them a visit? When the bell rang again, Jason crossed into the living room to find it empty and the sound of the shower running coming from down the corridor.
With AEON locked down, Jason moved towards the intercom and pressed the button the old-fashioned way. ‘Yeah?’
‘Jason, it’s Owain.’
‘Oh. Hi.’ What the hell was Owain doing here two days in a row?
‘Hi. Can I … come up?’
‘Yeah, sure.’ Jason buzzed him up and waited in the corridor. Something weird was going on here and he intended to find out what.
The lift doors opened and Owain strode out, dressed down with his laptop bag on his shoulder. ‘Where’s Amy?’
‘She’s in the shower. You need something?’
‘Mind if I disturb her?’ Owain tried to peer around him, as if doubting he believed Jason at all.
Jason decided he was getting to the bottom of this. ‘Why are you here? I thought you were working.’
Owain tapped the laptop bag. ‘This is work.’
Jason moved across the corridor to block Owain’s path to Amy. ‘I’m all ears.’
Owain’s hand gripped the bag strap until his knuckles turned white. ‘The CCTV—’
‘Yeah, we’ve got it.’ Jason wasn’t budging an inch.
‘I’m here to help. Her analysis.’
Jason’s mouth went dry. After she’d turned him down… ‘Since when does Amy need help with computers?’
‘Jason, please—’
‘Since when?’ he shouted, getting in Owain’s face.
Owain tensed, his whole body rigid and his eyes squeezed shut. As if bracing for a blow.
Jason deflated immediately. ‘Fuck, mate, I’m not gonna hit you.’
Owain released a shaky breath and slowly opened his eyes, as if he was afraid of what he might see. ‘Sorry. Just … jumpy.’
Jason had seen this kind of jumpy before. Amy startled like a rabbit in the face of a 4x4. But he’d never seen Owain wear it, like a heavy cloak weighing him down. But a brush with death altered a person, didn’t it?
Jason had seen the evidence of Amy’s
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