Private London (Private 4)

‘Were you working last night, then?’ asked Suzy pretending ignorance.

‘No. And I’m bloody glad, too. It could have been any one of us.’

‘Yeah,’ agreed Lucy. Although she had her doubts.

She sipped on her own soda-and-lime and wondered how much more of the stuff she could drink. She looked across to the doorway and nudged Suzy with her foot as Ryan the barman came in.

He waved at a group of three women who were sitting at a table with papers and books spread out before them. They waved back enthusiastically.

‘Popular lad,’ said Lucy quietly.

‘I wouldn’t waste your time,’ said Carol, amused. ‘That boy’s in lurve.’

‘Oh yeah?’ replied Suzy. ‘Who with? Himself?’

Carol laughed. ‘No, Ryan’s all right. But it seems it’s unrequited love, so who knows?’

‘Who’s the lucky lady, then?’

Carol nodded to a young woman who had come in while they were chatting. She was sitting alone at a table partly hidden from view by one of the carved stone pillars holding the roof in place.

She was strikingly attractive, with long blonde hair, baby-blue eyes set in a creamy complexion, Cupid’s-bow lips painted pillar-box red. She wore jeans and a short-sleeved rugby shirt. The only thing marring the perfect image was the bandage she wore on her lower right arm, although she made even that look like a fashion statement. But there was also a sadness in her big come-to-bed eyes.

Laura Skelton.

Chapter 45

NO WONDER THE barman had the hots for Laura, thought Suzy.

She liked the look of her herself. And when she did go for women she normally went for brunettes. Dan Carter and she had that much in common.

Ryan stood with his back to them, talking to Laura Skelton for a few moments, then headed to the side of the bar, lifting a flap to swap places with Carol who sketched a wave to Lucy as she left. ‘Good luck,’ she said as she passed.

Lucy nodded back, pretending to be a little flustered and letting the barman catch it. All good cover, she thought. Besides, if the barman was innocent, and single …

Suzy flicked her a half-smile, snapping her out of her reverie. ‘Be interesting to hear what he said to her.’

Lucy nodded to the security camera. ‘Be on tape. Can’t see him incriminating himself if he is involved, though.’

Ryan Williams came across at that moment and gave them a smile of his own, but an almost apologetic one. ‘I don’t believe I have seen you ladies here before,’ he said.

‘No,’ said Suzy, giving it the full tilt with her chin. ‘We’re virgins.’

‘To the bar, she means,’ added Lucy.

‘Can I see your NUS cards then, please?’ he said.

‘What kind of girls do you think we are?’ said Suzy in mock outrage. ‘I’ve never had an STD in my life.’

The barman didn’t smile. He’d heard it plenty of times before. ‘I said NUS. No ID and I will have to ask you to leave, I’m afraid. Particularly after what happened last night.’

‘It’s not safe, you mean?’ asked Lucy, giving a good impression of a nervous woman.

‘No, you’re perfectly safe. We’ve just had a lot of journalists trying to blag their way on campus today. It’s been all over the news.’

Suzy laughed. ‘Do we look like journalists?’ She held up her hand before Ryan could reply. ‘It’s okay, sheriff, you can keep your weapon holstered for now.’

She pulled out an NUS card and held it up as Lucy rummaged in her bag for hers. It had taken them less than five minutes to get them mocked-up back at the office earlier. ‘See?’ she said. ‘We’re both pickers of apples from the tree of wisdom.’