said, and it wasn’t a lie. ‘That isn’t against the law, is it?’
‘No,’ he said with that smile again. ‘It’s just that there was an incident out here last night.’
My heart started to beat faster again, and not just because he was hot. ‘What kind of incident?’ I asked as casually as I could.
He was watching me closely.
‘A young woman got struck by a train,’ he said.
It felt like I had been slapped and I couldn’t be sure if I physically flinched or not. It wasn’t the girl’s death that surprised me as much as the manner or it – exactly the same way as Natalie.
‘Do you know anything about that?’ he asked.
‘No,’ I said with a shake of my head, trying to recover from my shock. ‘Why would I know anything?’
‘It’s just that you look upset by what I told you,’ Tom said.
‘I’m cold,’ I lied.
‘So am I,’ he said, with that half-smile tugging at the corners of his lips again. ‘In fact, I’m cold, tired and very, very hungry. I’ve been awake all night and could do with some breakfast. What do you say?’
‘About what?’ I said.
‘Would you like to join me for breakfast?’ he asked, taking me by the arm and guiding me away from the entrance to the dirt track.
‘I haven’t got any money …’ I started, searching for an excuse. I didn’t want to be asked any more awkward questions.
‘I’m buying,’ he said, leading me towards a car parked around the bend in the lane and hidden from view.
I looked at the car. ‘Isn’t it meant to have lots of blue flashing lights?’ I asked as he opened the door for me.
‘I don’t drive around in a marked police car,’ he said.
‘How come?’ I asked.
‘I’m a detective.’ He smiled and swung the door closed.
So a detective was investigating the death of the girl I had seen in my flashes … Perhaps having breakfast with him wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He might mention something about the girl’s death I could link to what I’d seen.
CHAPTER 8
Tom – Monday: 07:34 Hrs.
I stood in line and looked up at the breakfast menu. The girl stood beside me. I couldn’t think of anywhere else to take her other than McDonalds. I was new in town and didn’t know of any other cafes.
‘What do you fancy?’ I asked her.
She blushed and looked back at the menu. I was yet to ask her name, but she was really pretty. Fiery auburn hair hung over her shoulders and down her back, her skin was creamy-pale and she had sharp green eyes. I could only guess her age, but she didn’t look more than eighteen. That was okay. I could ask her questions about the death of the girl up at the tracks; I wasn’t planning on interviewing her, but should I need to, she wouldn’t need an appropriate adult present.
I suspected that her being at the scene of a death was more thanjust mere coincidence. She had gone up there for a reason. There was a nervousness about her that told me as much. I could’ve driven her straight to the station, but she would’ve clammed up, especially if she had come across top detective Jackson and his collection of thumb screws.
‘I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to have a Big Breakfast and some hash browns.’
‘I’ll just have tea, please,’ she said.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I’m sure.’
‘Okay,’ I said, and placed the order.
‘You know you’re not going to stay in shape if you keep eating fast food,’ she said.
I turned to her and smiled. ‘You think I’m in shape? Thanks for saying so.’
‘It’s not what I meant,’ she said, her cheeks flushing.
‘No?’ I teased. ‘So what did you mean?’
‘You’re not going to be chasing too many criminals if you stodge up on junk food,’ she said. ‘I thought cops had to be fit.’
‘So you don’t think I’m fit then?’ I winked at her.
‘Oh, please,’ she sighed, rolling her eyes. ‘I’m going to find us a table.’ She headed off across the restaurant.
I paid and carried the food over to the
‘No,’ he said with that smile again. ‘It’s just that there was an incident out here last night.’
My heart started to beat faster again, and not just because he was hot. ‘What kind of incident?’ I asked as casually as I could.
He was watching me closely.
‘A young woman got struck by a train,’ he said.
It felt like I had been slapped and I couldn’t be sure if I physically flinched or not. It wasn’t the girl’s death that surprised me as much as the manner or it – exactly the same way as Natalie.
‘Do you know anything about that?’ he asked.
‘No,’ I said with a shake of my head, trying to recover from my shock. ‘Why would I know anything?’
‘It’s just that you look upset by what I told you,’ Tom said.
‘I’m cold,’ I lied.
‘So am I,’ he said, with that half-smile tugging at the corners of his lips again. ‘In fact, I’m cold, tired and very, very hungry. I’ve been awake all night and could do with some breakfast. What do you say?’
‘About what?’ I said.
‘Would you like to join me for breakfast?’ he asked, taking me by the arm and guiding me away from the entrance to the dirt track.
‘I haven’t got any money …’ I started, searching for an excuse. I didn’t want to be asked any more awkward questions.
‘I’m buying,’ he said, leading me towards a car parked around the bend in the lane and hidden from view.
I looked at the car. ‘Isn’t it meant to have lots of blue flashing lights?’ I asked as he opened the door for me.
‘I don’t drive around in a marked police car,’ he said.
‘How come?’ I asked.
‘I’m a detective.’ He smiled and swung the door closed.
So a detective was investigating the death of the girl I had seen in my flashes … Perhaps having breakfast with him wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He might mention something about the girl’s death I could link to what I’d seen.
CHAPTER 8
Tom – Monday: 07:34 Hrs.
I stood in line and looked up at the breakfast menu. The girl stood beside me. I couldn’t think of anywhere else to take her other than McDonalds. I was new in town and didn’t know of any other cafes.
‘What do you fancy?’ I asked her.
She blushed and looked back at the menu. I was yet to ask her name, but she was really pretty. Fiery auburn hair hung over her shoulders and down her back, her skin was creamy-pale and she had sharp green eyes. I could only guess her age, but she didn’t look more than eighteen. That was okay. I could ask her questions about the death of the girl up at the tracks; I wasn’t planning on interviewing her, but should I need to, she wouldn’t need an appropriate adult present.
I suspected that her being at the scene of a death was more thanjust mere coincidence. She had gone up there for a reason. There was a nervousness about her that told me as much. I could’ve driven her straight to the station, but she would’ve clammed up, especially if she had come across top detective Jackson and his collection of thumb screws.
‘I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to have a Big Breakfast and some hash browns.’
‘I’ll just have tea, please,’ she said.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I’m sure.’
‘Okay,’ I said, and placed the order.
‘You know you’re not going to stay in shape if you keep eating fast food,’ she said.
I turned to her and smiled. ‘You think I’m in shape? Thanks for saying so.’
‘It’s not what I meant,’ she said, her cheeks flushing.
‘No?’ I teased. ‘So what did you mean?’
‘You’re not going to be chasing too many criminals if you stodge up on junk food,’ she said. ‘I thought cops had to be fit.’
‘So you don’t think I’m fit then?’ I winked at her.
‘Oh, please,’ she sighed, rolling her eyes. ‘I’m going to find us a table.’ She headed off across the restaurant.
I paid and carried the food over to the
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