Final Justice (Lorne Simpkins thriller (Book Three)) by Mel Comley Page A

what else to do she stepped to one side and welcomed her unexpected visitor at the same time pulling the robe tighter, self-conscious about the t-shirt she was wearing as a nightdress. ‘I’ll just throw on some clothes …’
    He shook his head to interrupt her and said, ‘There is no need. You are quite safe, madame, I don’t make a habit of jumping on pretty women, unless invited to, of course.’ He laughed, and she sensed it was to ease the awkwardness of the situation.
    Lorne’s blush deepened and when she spoke her words came out mixed up for a second time. ‘Glad, hear to it.’ Jesus, woman get a grip. She shook her head, and tried again, ‘I’m glad to hear it, Capitaine. Please, won’t you sit down?’ She pointed to the small pink dralon covered stool under the console table expecting him to sit there.
    He surprised her by sitting on the bed, where he bounced up and down a few times. ‘I suspect this is more comforted than the bed in my room.’
    ‘Comfortable … You mean comfortable.’
    ‘Ah, sometimes I believe my English to be better than it actually is. Thank you for correcting me.’
    She watched the smile slip from his tanned handsome face and feared she’d upset him, she’d often heard how temperamental French people could be especially when corrected in their attempts to speak other languages. ‘I just wish my French was half as good as your English.’ She remarked, before changing tone. ‘What are you doing here, Capitaine?’
    ‘Ah, you are a direct woman, I like that. I am here to discuss the case with you. Please, join me.’ He patted the bed next to him, but she chose to sit on the dralon stool instead.
    She winced, regretting her decision, as a piece of broken wood concealed by the material, jutted into her coccyx.
    The Capitaine laughed. ‘I’m guessing not as comfortable as the bed. Your choice, madame. As I was saying downstairs, before I insensitively upset you, at first I was against your being here, but now I have the full facts I can only welcome your involvement. I was hoping if it doesn’t prove to be too painful for you of course, you could run over the history you have with this Baldwin character.’
    ‘Surely, all the facts are in the dossier you referred to, Capitaine.’
    ‘It’s Michel.’
    Confused she shook her head, ‘What is?’
    ‘My name. Instead of Capitaine when we are alone, it would be better for you to call me Michel, Lorne.’
    ‘Oh, I see. Very well, Michel, again I refer you to the dossier.’
    ‘You can refer all you like but you and I both know such dossiers only brush the surface of criminals such as this man. Put another way, I want the … how do you say it, the nitty gritty on this guy?’
    Lorne nodded, she found it hard to keep a straight face at his terminology, and told him so. ‘Your English is sometimes quite entertaining. Surely it would be better for me to look at the dossier to see what has been left out.’
    ‘I agree. If you wish I could collect it from my room, but I fear it would be of no use to you, it is written in French, and you have already told me that your French is … very limited.’
    ‘I didn’t think of that. Okay, let me start from the beginning, please stop me if you don’t understand anything.’ She crossed her legs and the robe fell open. Embarrassed she stood up and readjusted the material.
    ‘I forgot you English have a reputation for being prudes. There is no need to do that on my account. So different to the women in my country, who are carefree with the amount of flesh they show, in a sophisticated way of course.’
    She chose to ignore the cultural jibe and continued, ‘As I was saying, it was my misfortune to get involved with Baldwin approximately nine years ago. I must emphasise he is by far the worst criminal I ever had to deal with during my career in the Met. The lowest of the low. Murdering bastard should be his middle names. Vice squad were the first to come across him, they received a