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

“Father, you mustn’t speak of people like that,” Vanessa gasped in shock.

“Well, I am not going to lie,” Graham snorted. “She would, and you know it.”

“Maybe so,” Vanessa replied looking hesitantly at Justin.

“You don’t mind me being frank with you, do you?” Graham asked.

Justin was pierced with a demanding look.

“Do you?” Graham squinted suspiciously while he waited for Justin to answer.

“No. I need you to be open and honest with me,” Justin replied, and watched the elderly man sit back in his seat with a satisfied nod. “I don’t get offended easily. I need to get to the truth, so the more brutally honest you can be the better we will get on and the faster results we will get.”

He asked them both several questions about Geraldine’s last meetings with them. When he had finished he too was starting to suspect they were right in thinking Geraldine’s husband was responsible for her disappearance. How he went about proving it, though, was going to be difficult without finding a body. That was something he had no intention of discussing with either of them but would mention it to his colleagues later that evening.

“Mr Silverton-”

“Justin,” he interrupted.

Vanessa’s gaze flew to his. Their eyes met. A flurry of awareness settled deep in the pit of her stomach. It was startling how swiftly it appeared out of nowhere and upended all her emotions.

“Justin,” she murmured softly.

It took her a moment to realise she was staring. When she did, she shifted uncomfortably and sucked in a huge, fortifying breath as she looked about for inspiration for something to say.

“Justin has several friends with him, Father,” she began. “They are all working to capture the kidnapper and are going to look into Geraldine’s disappearance while they are here.”

Vanessa had no idea why it was important to make a clear distinction between Geraldine’s disappearance and the recent spate of kidnappings, but it was – to her – important that everyone understood the circumstances were different.

“I have offered him – them – the use of next door should they need it. That isn’t a problem, is it?” Vanessa asked, inwardly relieved that her father seemed to like the tall, dapper gentleman who had shaken her world.

“Of course not,” Graham replied stoutly. “They can’t stay in the tavern because nobody will leave them alone. It wouldn’t do any good for them to stay with that damned fool Weeks either. Of course they can use next door.”

Vanessa nodded, and heaved a sigh of relief. “I will go and get the key.”

Taking this as his cue to leave, Justin rose and promised to keep Graham updated on what they found out. He told him how many Star Elite men there were and that they would be keeping a watch on the neighbourhood, fully armed, while they in the village. After securing a promise from Graham that if he saw anything he would report it to them at the first opportunity, Justin took the opportunity to leave.

Once at the door he paused and looked back at Vanessa’s father. “If you don’t mind my asking, what do you have against Weeks?”

Graham snorted with such disparaging affront Justin knew whatever Weeks had done was bad. Graham began to yank on the blanket and huffed a bit more before he belligerently glared at Justin.

“The damned idiot was in the navy, for God’s sakes.”

Justin, lips twitching, nodded his understanding, and stepped back to allow Vanessa to precede him out of the room and to the front door.

“Sorry about that,” Vanessa felt compelled to murmur once they were in the hallway.

“Don’t worry about it,” Justin replied with a smile. “He is a character, isn’t he?”

“He is bull-headed, strong willed, can be exceptionally grumpy at times, and is as stubborn as a mule but he is always open and honest. Almost too open, if you know what I mean?”

“Is Geraldine like that?” Justin asked.

Vanessa nodded.

“Does it trouble you? The arrangements with the farm, that is?” Justin asked curiously.

“No, it doesn’t.” Vanessa felt him staring at her and heaved a sigh. “I just need to find out if there is anything else he hasn’t told me.”