Chapter Nineteen

After giving Strike a heads-up, Robin has told her parents about the pregnancy, so this visit is going a lot smoother than other encounters. After dinner, Linda kidnaps her daughter to parts of the house unknown, and Strike is left with Michael, who asks, "Another?"

Pint? "If you're having one, thanks. It's a nice drop that."

Michael smiles and reveals, "Local brewery. If you've got time tomorrow, we can pop in and get you stocked up."

Accepting the opened bottle of bitter, Strike says, "Better not. I've cut back on the drinking, and the easiest way is to not have it in my flat."

Michael opens his bottle of beer, saying, "Well, you've missed the sheep fair, and there's nowt much else in Masham to entertain."

They chink their bottles together and Strike takes a swig before saying, "That's okay. It's nice to relax. I'm hoping there's some level at which success means we can ease back on the workload a little, but we're not there yet."

Signalling for Strike to precede him into the living room, Michael says, "Good luck to you. I always found that the harder I worked, the more work I had." As they sit down, he adds, "Want to watch a game? You're an Arsenal fan, right?"

"You like football, sir?"

"'Michael'. You're practically family. And, no, I'm not one for sports. All the boys were mad keen on rugby and cricket. I used to fall asleep in the car waiting for them." He grabs the TV remote and passes it to Strike, saying, "Here ya go."

Wondering if this is some sort of test, and what action means he's passed, Strike says "Uh, okay," and turns the TV on, quickly muting the sound. He soon finds highlights of the Arsenal-Manchester United game and then raises his beer in a toast, saying, "Cheers."

Perched on the edge of Robin's old bed, their heads together as they examine the contents of the cardboard box between them, Linda and Robin look up at the soft knock on the door, to see Michael, who says, "He fell asleep watching football. Thought I would have beaten him to it. What are you gals up to?"

Linda smiles and reveals, "Baby stuff. The boys have most of it, but I couldn't bring myself to give them Rob's things."

When she then shows him an exquisite, crocheted frock, he approaches, saying, "Can you believe you ever fitted into that wee thing, Ro-Ro?"

Smiling at the sound of her first nickname, coined by her father, Robin jokes, "No."

Taking the tiny outfit from his wife and holding it up, Michael asks, "What if you have a boy?"

Robin shrugs and points out, "If he can fit into that, he won't care that it's a dress."

He places it back in the box, and says, "True." And then he kisses Robin's forehead, saying, "Well, I'm off to bed. You'd best fetch your man before he wakes up and wonders what the hell happened to everyone."

Robin stands, saying, "I'll do that." She then hugs Linda, saying, "Night, Mum. Thanks for this."

Linda's eyes are glistening with happy tears that never fall, as she says, "My pleasure, sweetheart. And I do like him, even if we got off to a rocky start."

Robin smiles and says, "I'm glad you like him. But just so you know, I'd have stayed with him regardless."

Linda smiles knowingly, and pronounces, "As it should be." She hugs her daughter again, and says, "That one's for him. See you in the morning."

As he drives away from Robin's parents, Strike comments, "Not a complaint, but it feels like your old bedroom is a glimpse of a teenage Robin Ellacott."

Robin laughs and says, "Yeah, it's pretty much as it was when I left for uni. I've told Mum to redecorate, but those four walls were my world for a while after the attack, and I guess she wants me to know that I've always got a safe place to return to, should I ever need it." Slouching a little in her seat, she continues, "Thank you for this. I feel like we've hit the refresh button. I'm actually looking forward to my shift tonight."

When Strike makes no reply, she wonders why, and he soon says, "About that; can we talk about you maybe easing off a little, at least switching to days?"

Robin's lips curve in the slightest of smiles, and she asks, "Mum, or Dad?"

"Well, both gently expressed concern, but I was going to broach the subject anyway. Friday night reminded us that a city at night can be a dangerous place, it's getting colder every week, and you're growing a human. You need to get selfish."

Robin closes her eyes, and tries to shut out all the voices except her own. A few seconds later, she smiles at her lover's profile and says, "Okay."

Strike's shocked gaze comically flicks to her and back to the road, and then he asks, "That's it?"

She shrugs and says, "Not every disagreement needs to become an argument. You made some valid points, and it means I can focus on the Plus Four case." Her smile returns when Strike's jaw clenches in distress at this idea, though she says nothing. Unable to torture him for more than a few seconds, she says, "I'm teasing. Of course I mean both of us. We're Strike and Ellacott, and we get shit done."

He laughs and says, "Wow, you really are in a good mood. Maybe we should do this more often."

"It was nice to visit them, but I think it's more to do with yesterday, revisiting the halls. I didn't think I'd ever get to that stage."

Strike's gaze flicks to her again, and he asks, "You'll still do the exercises though?"

She's not genuinely upset, so Robin is smiling when she enquires, "You're not going to be one of those husbands who obsesses over their pregnant wife, are you?"

He smiles and says, "Maybe, just a little."

"Maybe just a little I can live with. I love you, Cormoran Strike."

"Good, because I'm fucking nuts about you, Robin Ellacott."

Monday morning sees the entire staff of Strike and Ellacott Detective Agency in their break room, and Robin concludes, "Any questions?"

Midge asks, "What if these new cameras catch something, but don't get a clear enough shot to satisfy the client? Do we put a human on it?"

Glad of the enquiry, because it shows that Midge at least has understood, Robin says, "Exactly. But, even if that happens a fair bit, we'll still save money in the long run, and be able to take on more jobs right now. And, like I said, we're not replacing any of you. Cormoran and I genuinely appreciate every single one of you."

At this point, Strike deadpans, "I didn't agree to that last past." Thankfully, they all seem to understand that he's joking; variously smiling, laughing or flipping him off.

In the lull that follows, Dev says, "Dunno if you're looking to hire with this in the works, but Kim's still interested." At Strike's confusion, he adds, "Cochran? She'd hadn't been long at Patterson's when he went down for bugging that QC."

Remembering, Strike exclaims, "Fuck, I never called her, did I?" Looking at Robin, he explains, "I was thinking of bringing her in for an interview just before my car got shot up." Returning his attention to Dev, he asks, "And you think she's a good fit?"

Dev shrugs and says, "She's still got friends in the Met, and isn't a lazy arsehole like most of Mitch's old crew."

Strike chuckles and says, "High praise indeed." Again looking to his wife, he raises one eyebrow in question, and Robin nods, so he tells Dev, "Good enough for us. Tell her to come in and we'll get her started on a trial."

Dev bothers to make a note, saying, "Will do."

With no other items on the agenda, the partners are soon alone, and Robin stands, saying, "Right, we'd better make a start on Plus Four."

"You know our first stop is in Ealing?"

Robin smiles and says, "If I can visit the place where I was raped, I can visit the suburb where I lived with my husband."

He's keenly studying her when he points out, "But you had a nightmare last night."

Glancing to make sure that the door to Spanner's office is closed, Robin approaches and rests her palms on Strike's chest—of course, his arms encircle her—and says, "Another thing that's different about being with you; Matt would usually barely wake up whenever I had a nightmare, let alone comfort me in such a pleasant way."

Strike shrugs and says, "In my defence, it started as platonic caresses intended to soothe you."

Robin beams up at him, remembering how tender their lovemaking had been, and says, "It wasn't a complaint, Oxford, it was a compliment. And I'm the one who took it from platonic to passionate."

He smiles and says, "True. So, you're still keen on getting married?"

Robin nods, saying, "Still keen. It honestly feels like we already are. But we'll go ahead with the ceremony; you know how I love your arse in Italian silk."