Dead Simple

through a traumatic divorce.’
    All his usual confidence deserting him, Grace said, ‘I didn’t know – whether you were married – or had a fellow – I—’
    ‘Neither,’ she said, giving him a long, friendly, expectant gaze.
    ‘Would you – sometime – maybe – like to have a drink one night?’
    Continuing to gaze at him, her lips slowly breaking into a broad smile, she said, ‘I’d like that a lot.’
    He walked on air across the tarmac to his car, oblivious to the pelting rain. Just as he pressed the remote to unlock the doors, Cleo called out to him. ‘Roy! I think you forgot something!’
    He turned and saw she was holding the black bin liner in her hand.

49
    ‘You idiot,’ Ashley said to Mark, who was slumped raggedly in the back of the limousine beside her. ‘I can’t believe your behaviour – why the hell did you have to be so aggressive to that cop?’ She leaned forward and checked the glass partition to the chauffeur was firmly shut.
    Mark put a hand on her ankle, and worked his way up her leg, beneath her wedding dress. She pushed him away sharply.
    ‘Behave!’ she said, sharply. ‘For Christ’s sake.’
    ‘He’sh a jerk.’
    ‘You’re pissed out of your skull. What the hell did you think you were doing, having a go at him about speed cameras?’
    Mark squinted at her. ‘Putting him off the scent.’
    Through the window she could see they were approaching the Van Alen building. It was half past five. ‘How exactly is that putting him off the scent ?’
    ‘Wouldn’t expect me to be rude if I had someshing to hide, would he?’
    ‘So what exactly did he mean about having your BMW washed?’
    ‘No idea.’
    ‘You must have some idea – what did he mean?’
    The intercom suddenly clicked and the driver’s voice said, ‘Front entrance?’
    ‘Sh’ fine,’ Mark said. Then he turned to Ashley. ‘Want to come up for a drink?’
    ‘I don’t know what I want. I could kill you.’
    ‘What a charade thash wash.’
    ‘It was a good charade – until you almost blew it.’
    Mark spilled out of the car, almost falling on his face onto the pavement. It was only Ashley’s steadying hand that saved him. Several people walking past stared, but she ignored them, her one goal to get Mark inside before he did anything else incriminating.
    She dismissed the driver and helped Mark up to the front entrance, where he stared, bleary-eyed, at the door panel then managed to punch in his entry code accurately.
    A few minutes later they were inside his apartment. Mark closed the door and slid the safety catch in place.
    ‘I can’t stay, Mark,’ she said.
    He began pawing at her clothes. She pushed his hands away. ‘Let’s have some coffee, and then I want you to tell me what the detective meant about having your car washed.’
    Mark stared at her. She was wearing her white lace wedding dress, the veil pushed up. He lunged forward and kissed her on the mouth. She allowed him to kiss her on the lips and gave him a half-hearted kiss back, then pulled away. ‘I mean it, I can’t stay. I have to go round to Michael’s mother and play the role of the grieving stood-up bride – or whatever fucking role I’m meant to be playing. God, what an afternoon. What a nightmare.’
    Mark staggered over towards the open-plan kitchen, opened a cupboard and pulled out a jar of coffee. He stared at it with a puzzled expression, put it back in the cupboard, opened the fridge and removed a bottle of Cristal champagne.
    ‘I think we should have a proper toast to your wedding day,’ he said.
    ‘That’s not amusing – and you’ve had more than enough to drink.’
    Holding the unopened bottle, Mark slumped onto a sofa, then patted the cushion beside him, by way of an invitation.
    After some moments of haughty hesitation, Ashley sat at the far end of the sofa, as far from Mark as possible, tugged off her veil, then crossed her legs and kicked her shoes off. ‘Mark, I want to know what Grace meant about your having the BMW washed.’
    ‘I have no idea.’
    She was silent.
    ‘Do you love me?’
    Shaking her head in despair she stood up. ‘Yes, I love you. I have no idea why at this moment, but I do. And Michael’s mother is waiting for me to turn up and blub my bloody eyes out, which is what I am about to go and do.’
    ‘Have a drink first.’
    ‘Christ, Mark.’
    He pushed himself up from the sofa, staggered towards her and took her in his arms. Then he nuzzled her neck. ‘You know – if