div class="chapter preface group" style="border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; border-style: solid initial initial initial;" /div
div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.63px; float: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: #2a2a2a;" role="article"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Thankfully, Matthew and Sarah seemed quite oblivious to her and Strike's presence in the tiny pub. Strike returned a few moments later pushing over a full glass of white wine toward Robin while taking a long sip of the foam on top of his lager./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""As someone who has had a fair bit of experience dealing with shite exes," said Strike eyeing Robin over his pint, "The surprise meetings are always the worst. You're well shot of him"br /"Look," he said leaning in "Matthew is just beginning to realize what exactly it is he's lost when he chose to shag that prize of a human. The prick." strike said clinking his glass to hers with a /Robin smiled down at her glass./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I'm grateful to Sarah, in a way." said Robin with a steadying breath, "If it weren't for her wanting to be with Matt so badly that she intentionally left an earring for me to find, I might actually be sitting there with him looking miserable."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""And Instead you're stuck here with me looking miserable- Thank Christ for Sarah." said Strike, flashing a lopsided grin, "I should buy her a drink.."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin felt some of her emotion subside in their little bubble of friendship./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""To be honest, you've always been more of a laugh than Matthew," said Robin smiling, "not that it's hard to be more interesting than a man who only speaks passionately about tax withholding and the property ladder.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike looked pleased nonetheless./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Whereas- I am an ornery cunt who speaks passionately about decomposition rate and changing witness statements…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin met his eye with a raised brow, "What woman in her right mind wouldn't enjoy a bit of serial killer chat to investment talk any day?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Speaking of Matthew, I have to come clean about something, Robin." said Strike sipping idly at his pint, "I've had more than a few detailed fantasies about breaking Matt's nose…. Still do in fact. When I'm hacked off, I imagine caving in his nose and it never fails to put a smile on my face."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin let out a shocked laugh,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""That's a strange kind of chivalry I guess- but Why though? Matt's not done anything to you? I mean, we both know he's a bit of a shit…but.."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike contemplated for a moment before answering,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I dunno… I think he is the quintessential corporate prick that needs a good punching from time to time." He flashed her a grin, hesitated and then pushed on,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""But on a more personal level- I don't think I can ever forgive him for treating you like did."His index finger tapped gently on the side of his glass, brow furrowed,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""He didn't really like the things about you that made you who you are. It seemed like he wanted you to be as small minded as he was. Anytime you were brilliant- it pissed him off,"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"br /Strikes eyes found Robin's briefly with a look of sincerity/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"br /"...He should have been bloody proud of you. Instead the prick got jealous and tried to humiliate you any way he could manage - up to and including shagging Sarah out of spite."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin closed her mouth on her look of surprise. With a flush of pleasure at his words she reflected that for all the times that strike had seemed so oblivious to her relationship struggles, his keen mind had actually missed very little and oddly it warmed her to think of how much he'd resented Matthew./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin did not know how to respond to that so she opted to turn the conversation back to the couple in the corner,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You know that Sarah had her baby?" said Robin, "Matt is living his little fantasy life now."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike let out a small derisive laugh/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Parenthood doesn't suit him."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin pulled a face at that./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""We don't know that- I always thought Matt would make a good father, even if he was a shite lover"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Shite lover was he?" said strike with eyebrows raised, "I can't say i'm shocked-br /he seems like he lacks basic level human imagination."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin felt her color rising, but she laughed in spite of herself, "I was talking about the emotional aspects of being a lover."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike leaned in conspiratorially, "but I bet he was a bit shit in the sack, too."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I'm hardly the expert on good shags," but added defensively, "He was fit, though- IS fit though."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike's noticed her blush and it made him smile inwardly. Robin appeared more cheerful than she had all evening- and especially since realizing that matt and sarah were there./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"br /In all the years he'd known her, he'd made a concerted effort to shy away from conversations that could be perceived by her to be overtly sexual or flirtatious. Clear lines had to be drawn to prevent himself straying beyond friendship and into a more personal kind of intimacy. He knew now that he was undeniably in love with his partner. For better or worse and despite his effort to the contrary - He was closer to her than he was to any other human. With every shared experience He found himselft respecting her more, trusting her more, and oddly missing her more when she was away. He could not have said the same about charlotte after years of intense intimacy. The longer they were together the more had lost respect and distrusted her. In the end it was a relief in a way that she had told an unforgivable lie./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The emotional aspect of his and robins relationship had grown steadily through the years. He had been careful to keep All sexual attraction for Robin neatly boxed up a corner of his mind. Occasionally his desire broke through when he was weak, but overall, he tried damn hard and did as well as he thought he reasonably could /Mistakenly, he had thought this more chaste version of closeness would prevent himself from having further inconvenient feelings for her. It hadn't done that, in fact, it had done exactly the all, It had taught him that what he needed most in his life was Robin. His fruitless attempts to distract and displace had led him through a series of desirable women, but, every liaison ended in a one sided heartbreak. Strike had not shed a tear over any of them- and each in turn discovered how futile a relationship was after discovering that they had each committed the fatal sin of not being the one woman he told himself he could never want./p
/div
div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.63px; float: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: #2a2a2a;" role="article"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Thankfully, Matthew and Sarah seemed quite oblivious to her and Strike's presence in the tiny pub. Strike returned a few moments later pushing over a full glass of white wine toward Robin while taking a long sip of the foam on top of his lager./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""As someone who has had a fair bit of experience dealing with shite exes," said Strike eyeing Robin over his pint, "The surprise meetings are always the worst. You're well shot of him"br /"Look," he said leaning in "Matthew is just beginning to realize what exactly it is he's lost when he chose to shag that prize of a human. The prick." strike said clinking his glass to hers with a /Robin smiled down at her glass./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I'm grateful to Sarah, in a way." said Robin with a steadying breath, "If it weren't for her wanting to be with Matt so badly that she intentionally left an earring for me to find, I might actually be sitting there with him looking miserable."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""And Instead you're stuck here with me looking miserable- Thank Christ for Sarah." said Strike, flashing a lopsided grin, "I should buy her a drink.."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin felt some of her emotion subside in their little bubble of friendship./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""To be honest, you've always been more of a laugh than Matthew," said Robin smiling, "not that it's hard to be more interesting than a man who only speaks passionately about tax withholding and the property ladder.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike looked pleased nonetheless./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Whereas- I am an ornery cunt who speaks passionately about decomposition rate and changing witness statements…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin met his eye with a raised brow, "What woman in her right mind wouldn't enjoy a bit of serial killer chat to investment talk any day?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Speaking of Matthew, I have to come clean about something, Robin." said Strike sipping idly at his pint, "I've had more than a few detailed fantasies about breaking Matt's nose…. Still do in fact. When I'm hacked off, I imagine caving in his nose and it never fails to put a smile on my face."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin let out a shocked laugh,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""That's a strange kind of chivalry I guess- but Why though? Matt's not done anything to you? I mean, we both know he's a bit of a shit…but.."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike contemplated for a moment before answering,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I dunno… I think he is the quintessential corporate prick that needs a good punching from time to time." He flashed her a grin, hesitated and then pushed on,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""But on a more personal level- I don't think I can ever forgive him for treating you like did."His index finger tapped gently on the side of his glass, brow furrowed,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""He didn't really like the things about you that made you who you are. It seemed like he wanted you to be as small minded as he was. Anytime you were brilliant- it pissed him off,"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"br /Strikes eyes found Robin's briefly with a look of sincerity/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"br /"...He should have been bloody proud of you. Instead the prick got jealous and tried to humiliate you any way he could manage - up to and including shagging Sarah out of spite."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin closed her mouth on her look of surprise. With a flush of pleasure at his words she reflected that for all the times that strike had seemed so oblivious to her relationship struggles, his keen mind had actually missed very little and oddly it warmed her to think of how much he'd resented Matthew./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin did not know how to respond to that so she opted to turn the conversation back to the couple in the corner,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You know that Sarah had her baby?" said Robin, "Matt is living his little fantasy life now."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike let out a small derisive laugh/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Parenthood doesn't suit him."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin pulled a face at that./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""We don't know that- I always thought Matt would make a good father, even if he was a shite lover"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Shite lover was he?" said strike with eyebrows raised, "I can't say i'm shocked-br /he seems like he lacks basic level human imagination."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Robin felt her color rising, but she laughed in spite of herself, "I was talking about the emotional aspects of being a lover."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike leaned in conspiratorially, "but I bet he was a bit shit in the sack, too."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I'm hardly the expert on good shags," but added defensively, "He was fit, though- IS fit though."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Strike's noticed her blush and it made him smile inwardly. Robin appeared more cheerful than she had all evening- and especially since realizing that matt and sarah were there./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"br /In all the years he'd known her, he'd made a concerted effort to shy away from conversations that could be perceived by her to be overtly sexual or flirtatious. Clear lines had to be drawn to prevent himself straying beyond friendship and into a more personal kind of intimacy. He knew now that he was undeniably in love with his partner. For better or worse and despite his effort to the contrary - He was closer to her than he was to any other human. With every shared experience He found himselft respecting her more, trusting her more, and oddly missing her more when she was away. He could not have said the same about charlotte after years of intense intimacy. The longer they were together the more had lost respect and distrusted her. In the end it was a relief in a way that she had told an unforgivable lie./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The emotional aspect of his and robins relationship had grown steadily through the years. He had been careful to keep All sexual attraction for Robin neatly boxed up a corner of his mind. Occasionally his desire broke through when he was weak, but overall, he tried damn hard and did as well as he thought he reasonably could /Mistakenly, he had thought this more chaste version of closeness would prevent himself from having further inconvenient feelings for her. It hadn't done that, in fact, it had done exactly the all, It had taught him that what he needed most in his life was Robin. His fruitless attempts to distract and displace had led him through a series of desirable women, but, every liaison ended in a one sided heartbreak. Strike had not shed a tear over any of them- and each in turn discovered how futile a relationship was after discovering that they had each committed the fatal sin of not being the one woman he told himself he could never want./p
/div