Toxic by Alice Lingard Read Free Book Online

letting me have sounds as though it's really remote.”
    “So you just ring him up out of the blue, and he says you can stay there?”
    “Why not? It's empty most of the year. It makes no odds to him. Just as long as I don't trash it.”
    “I wish I had friends like that. I get grief from Lacey just for borrowing her jumper.”
    “Lacey sounds like a bit of a tight-arse,” Todd said. “She and Raw should get along just fine.”
     
    Todd and Suzy had an hour's wait for their train, so they headed for the nearest Costa Coffee.
    “How much does Rawhide know about the money you owe?” Suzy took a bite of her chocolate twist.
    Todd looked at her and laughed.
    “What's funny?”
    “You've got chocolate all over you.” He wiped her chin with his finger. “I've never known anyone make such a mess when they eat.”
    Suzy blobbed her tongue out at him, and then took another bite of the chocolate twist. “I asked about Rawhide,” she said through a mouthful of pastry.
    “He doesn't know anything, and that's how it's going to stay. Can we not talk about Raw or Carol please? They do my head in. Let's talk about you for a change.”
    “I've already told you. There's nothing to tell.”
    “Boyfriends?”
    “Don't need 'em.”
    “Which? Boys or friends?”
    “Neither.”
    “If I didn't know you better, I'd say that underneath that happy-go-lucky exterior was a bitter, twisted soul.”
    “You don't know me better. You don't know me at all.”
    “True. So why are you coming away with me?”
    “Someone has to look after you.”
    “Are you my nanny now?”
    “If you like.”
    “I always did have a thing about nannies.”
    Suzy couldn't work out who the real Todd was. One minute he was the Joker, and the next, he looked like a scared little boy. One thing was for sure, he was well and truly fucked up. Just what she needed in her life.
    “What are we going to do when we get there?” she asked.
    “Lie low.”
    “For how long?”
    “Until I come up with a way to put all of this right.”
    Suzy noticed that Todd kept glancing back and forth along the concourse. Could they have been followed?
    “How are you going to do that?”
    “Why don't you give it a rest with the third degree? You're going to drive me crazy. I'll sort it. I always do.”
    “How though?”
    “You're just going to have to trust me. It'll all work out.”
     
    “What's the place like we're going to?”
    “Tremain Sands? According to Billy, it's a small village just south of Aberdeen. Not much there from all accounts—just sand and sea. We could go fishing.”
    “No chance. If you wanted to go fishing, you should have brought Lacey along.”
    “Why?”
    “Lacey's big on fishing. She made Rawhide take her on their first date.”
    “I wish I could have seen his face.”
    “From what I hear, he wasn't impressed.”
     
     
    **********
     
     
    The first class carriage was deserted. Suzy chose a table towards the centre. Todd slid onto the seat facing her.
    “Looks like we've got this to ourselves,” Suzy said.
    “Hmmm. Could be fun.” His grin was full of mischief.
    “Whatever you're thinking—forget it.”
    “Is there an equivalent to the Mile High Club for trains?”
    “Forget it. It isn't happening.”
    “It'd be fun. Think of all the vibrations from the track. We could do it on the table.” Todd ran his hand across the table-top.
    Suzy brought her fist down hard on his hand. “I said no!”
    “Ouch.” Todd waved his hand back and forth. “That hurt. You're crazy. You could have broken my hand.”
    “Serves you and your filthy mind right.”
    “If I remember correctly, you didn't need much encouragement when we were at your flat.”
    “For the last time, I'm not having sex with you on a train!” She said much louder than she'd intended.
    Only then did she glance towards the door at the end of the carriage where an elderly couple were staring at her. “Sorry.” She mouthed—her face beetroot red.
    Todd was laughing