UNDERCOVER

CHAPTER TEN

After their failed effort to get rich from the 'haunted park' scheme, Max and the Jeffs behaved themselves for a while. Mrs Beauchamp, however, was feeling a bit sorry for the Jeffs after the duckling incident. As she'd said to Rita in bed, "They just want something to cuddle and love."

"Mmmm… how about Psycho?"

"WHO?"

"Psycho… that bad tempered old ginger cat that creeps into the garden."

"Rita, nobody could love Psycho. He makes it his life's ambition to murder all the mice and birds that get anywhere near the garden."

"I wonder if we ought to have the vet to him?"

"Money down the…. What, you think there might be something wrong with him?"

"Most tomcats get more gentle after they've had the snip."

"You know what, you little blonde dork, you might just be on to something!"

The bedsprings creaked gleefully. Ever creak and bounce was like a knife in the heart of poor Calvino, who was trying in vain to sleep next door. He ached for Constance Beauchamp. To be honest he ached for the love of a good woman. He was more than happy to keep up this deception, if only….

The next day an exhausted Calvino slept late, and at Holby Jail, vet Lara Stone arrived.

Blonde, glacial, beautiful, she soon became a rival for Jessica Harrison in the Jeffs' eyes.

Every other visitor to Holby who had tried to put Psycho in a cat basket had carried the scars for weeks. Lara just sat on the ground opposite the hissing, spitting cat and talked in a low, soft voice.

Twenty minutes later, Lara was ready to leave with Psycho and the Jeffs' hearts, in the cat basket.

She nearly ran over a tall fair-haired man who was striding up the drive.

Getting out of the car to apologise, she was amazed to see him bow to her with no attempt at being ironic.

"I am so sorry I nearly walked under your wheels. I hope you've been made comfortable here today. I am Calvino Calvini, joint owner of Holby Prison."

"Lara Stone, vet. I'm taking Psycho to have the Abelard treatment."

Calvino knew his French history and laughed.

"Now there is a coincidence! Young Robyn Miller has just received top marks in English class for her limerick about a famous person in history. Her poem was a little rude, but shall I tell it?"

Lara smiled, which illuminated her whole face.

He continued:

"Peter Abelard was so obtuse

That his pupil he went to seduce.

Then her Uncle, a priest, behaved like a beast.

Now poor Abelard can't reproduce."

Lara laughed, a low warm sound rather than a giggle.

"Yes, Psycho will be an Abelard when he comes back to Holby. I'll be bringing him back on Friday."

"I think I may be visiting the prison then."

Over in The Goldmine, something was wrong with Jasmine, aka Lily.

'Darrin' went into the back room to find her collapsed over the computer.

Mindful of his image he bawled:

"If you've damaged that computer, girl, you'll not eat for a month until it's repaired."

But Lily was unconscious.

A quick phone call was made by Snakebite to Devil – Darrin had not yet been allowed his new boss's number – and the green light was given for Darrin to take her to hospital.

"I can't come inside with you" he told her, pointing to his mask and hat, "But I'll hand you to a doctor or porter. They're usually kind."

And indeed a porter had taken Lily to reception, having actually believed Darrin's story of his paranoia about his face.

Despite his anxiety, Ethan didn't allow his alter-ego to make any calls to the hospital for two days.

When he finally called he received a shock.

'Jasmine Liu' had amnesia.

Ethan decided it was time to risk Yellow Devil's anger and make some enquiries. People didn't just collapse across computers. One of the club members had whacked Jasmine and he wanted to find out, or rather, prove, who had done it.

The gang, however, were as thick as the thieves they were, and nobody was telling.

Ethan decided all he could do was squander a few more legal funds and make sure Jasmine had everything she needed in her flat when she was released from hospital. He reckoned Lily had been more than paid back for the dirty trick she had done on him.

The next time, however, that he rang the hospital he received a second shock.

"Jasmine Liu? She's gone."

"She died?"

"No, she's just gone. Discharged herself and left."

Oh, bugger, thought Ethan.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?" Ben had just come out of the shower, and was in a black fluffy dressing gown, looking, at least to Dylan, gorgeous.

"Thought any more about babies? I keep seeing them and thinking…"

"Not now, Dylan. I told you before, this job…"

"Yeah, your job that nobody knows about. You told me."

Ben sighed.

"Look, I'd rather stay with you, you know that. Or you should. But this job pays. Soon I'll have a decent sum together and then…"

"You've already got a decent sum from your compensation!"

"Well YOU haven't gone short out of that, have you?"

Ben could have bitten out his tongue, but it was too late, he'd said it.

Dylan was walking to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To pack. My houseboat might not be very warm at the moment but God knows it's warmer than your heart right now. I've had enough, Ben."

"Dylan, please…"

"Save it, Ben. You've changed and not for the better. Dervla!"

The dog came running up, tail wagging in excitement. Normally she never knew who to run to first, her own human or the kind curly-haired one. But only her human seemed to want her tonight. Tail drooping a little, she went over to Dylan, who put on her lead and then his coat.

"If you change your mind and stop this stupid money-grabbing, you know where to find me."

With that he was gone, Dervla trotting miserably behind him.

Ben was dry-eyed. He knew Dylan was right. But he was in too deep now to walk away. Oh, what the hell, better Dylan hated him and was safe, than in danger.

For the next couple of hours, he stared into space, not focusing on anything but his plans for the job.

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