Betrayal of Innocence (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 1)

“Father, you mustn’t speak like that in front of company,” Vanessa chided.

“Balderdash!” Her father boomed.

She turned to Justin, a desperate plea in her eye. “You must excuse him. He has started to lose his hearing.”

Justin smiled at her father, but with such a conspiratorial air that Vanessa lifted her brows at him.

“I don’t mind. Us ex-army folk are used to being frank with each other,” he murmured dryly.

This did make Graham straighten up. He squinted suspiciously at Justin, who remained perfectly still, just as a soldier would on guard duty.

“What regiment?” Graham demanded.

“Thirty forth battalion,” Justin replied. “You?”

“Twenty second Gloucester Fusiliers,” Graham murmured, slumping back in his chair. He gazed blankly off into the fire as though drawn back to the days of old and the memories they brought forth.

“Sorry, he does this sometimes,” Vanessa murmured. “Would you like some tea?”

“Tea?” Graham suddenly spat, leaving neither Justin or Vanessa in any doubt as to what he thought about the fetid brew. “The man doesn’t want tea. Get the man a brandy, I say. Eh? What of it? Brandy shall it be?”

Justin smiled. “That would be better,” he admitted.

Vanessa shook her head at him but headed over to the brandy decanter. She had hoped to use her father’s interest in their guest to thwart his usual afternoon brandy, not least because it always made her father go to sleep and then kept him awake at night. A little piqued, she poured two large goblets of brandy and handed them over before she perched precariously on the edge of the chaise in between both men.

“I came to ask you what you think has been going on with Geraldine,” Justin asked of her father. While he waited for Graham to answer, he studied the room.

From Graham’s seat in the farthest corner of the sitting room, right next to the fire but looking outward, onto the road and the passing traffic and pedestrians, Vanessa’s father wouldn’t miss much of life happing right by his front door. The suspicion was confirmed by the knowing look in the older man’s eye when their gazes met.

“I know that people have a lot of secrets to keep,” he murmured.

“Everyone has secrets to keep,” Justin countered. “What is so odd about this village’s secrets?”

Graham’s brows lifted. “A frank talker,” he murmured. “I like that.”

“So, what have you seen?”

Vanessa frowned, unsure what she should make of the rather odd conversation. She wondered if all ex-army men spoke in such a brief, almost coded way, and looked at her father with renewed curiosity.

“Have you seen anything?” she asked her father pertly, feeling like a fool for not having asked him before now.

“Just because my legs don’t work as well as they used to, girl, doesn’t mean the rest of me isn’t in perfect working order,” Graham muttered, tapping the side of his head.

“I never claimed there was anything wrong,” she replied briskly, pointedly tapping the side of her head.

“See that you don’t,” Graham warned.

Vanessa opened her mouth to object that she never would only for her father to pre-empt her and turn his attention back to Justin.

“I know that Mrs Cunningham three doors down, with the grey door, has a visitor late at night. He doesn’t leave until morning, and in the early hours as well. He might have seen someone moving about at that time,” Graham murmured. “You should ask him.”

“I will,” Justin replied. “You will have to give me his direction. Why haven’t you told Weeks this?”

Justin determinedly keeping his gaze averted from the rather delectable female seated an arm’s length away. Even with a few feet of distance between them he could smell the delicate scent of her perfume. It was tantalising; reminding him of warm summer sunshine and flowers.

“The damned man is a fool,” Graham snorted disparagingly. “He doesn’t believe our Geraldine wouldn’t leave that farmhouse come Hell or high water. It has been her life-long dream to buy that place and live there. If it hadn’t been for that damned fool she married she would still be around.”

“What do you think has happened to her?” Justin asked. He threw Vanessa a warning look. Thankfully, she took the hint and remained quiet as she slid back in her seat and folded her hands in her lap.