Read Beautiful Death for Free Online Page A

all-consuming.’
    ‘Bad timing,’ she said quietly.
    She heard him sigh softly. ‘Yes, it is. But I’ll definitely see you tomorrow evening.’
    ‘Is this our goodbye, Jack?’ she suddenly asked, her throat tightening.

    ‘No, are you crazy? But yesterday I didn’t know I was going to be handed one of the most urgent police operations in the country.’
    ‘Okay, sorry.’
    ‘Don’t be. I’m just going to be hard to reach and not always reliable. I gotta go, Lily.’ He sounded distracted, as though someone had called him.
    ‘I’ll come to your place tomorrow at seven.’
    ‘I’ll be undressed.’
    She smiled sadly. ‘Bye.’
    Leaving Jack was going to be so hard. Whenever she thought about it she felt miserable. The fault was hers for allowing this doomed relationship any oxygen to breathe and flourish. She had known better than to accept his first tentative invitation to go out some time. Her mother had seen her talking to him outside the florist shop in Chinatown almost twelve weeks ago now. But Lily had been appropriately evasive and Jack had fortunately stepped into the store and bought some carnations as though their conversation had been purely incidental. Far from it, of course; he had deliberately come to talk to her. And the truth was Jack had been irresistible from the moment he had breezed into her parents’ shop two years ago, running desperately late for a date and needing to apologise with flowers. That in itself had endeared him to her. Any man who pauses long enough to know that flowers always help earned points with her. And he had not skimped. She recalled how he’d agreed with her that the Dutch spring tulips, though pricey, were the only way to redeem himself with his date. She loved that he’d come looking for her again having not forgotten her subtle flirtation. Jack made her warm in places thatJimmy would never reach, even with his money and promises of a lavish lifestyle.
    She slammed the van’s sliding door shut.
    ‘Hello, Lily,’ someone said behind her, and turning around, shifting the bouquets she held to one side, she saw a familiar face.
    ‘Oh, hello you. Hold these a sec, would you? I’ve just got to lock the van again and switch off my phone or I’ll get into more trouble.’
    Namzul obliged. ‘How are you?’ he asked as she flicked the van’s remote, her eyes already moving to her mobile phone. He watched her power it down.
    ‘I’m great, thank you.’
    He smiled shyly. ‘You always look great.’
    ‘You’re sweet.’
    Namzul gave a big theatrical sigh. ‘That’s what all the girls say.’
    Lily gave his arm a friendly squeeze. ‘So what are you up to?’
    ‘Oh this and that. You know I like to help out at the hospital. It’s the only charity I can find time for.’
    ‘I think it’s wonderful. But how a schoolteacher finds time to do voluntary work is pretty incredible.’
    ‘I do relief teaching, so it’s not full time. I can spare a few hours now and then to help out, especially as I speak the languages that so many of the patients need.’
    ‘Now you make me feel guilty. I feel like I should offer to do Meals on Wheels.’
    He smiled. ‘Have you got time for a coffee? I was just headed out to —’
    Her mouth twisted in apology. ‘No, I’ll get killed if I don’t get these all off to the wards,’ she said, reaching to take the bouquets from him. ‘Mum and I got up at three this morning to get everything ready!’

    ‘You work too hard, beautiful Lily. Listen, I know you’re in a rush but can I ask for your advice?’
    ‘Sure,’ she said brightly, beginning to walk into the hospital. ‘Walk and talk, Nam. I could use the protection as I’m going back to that dreadful ward where Nazis lurk.’
    He gave her a quizzical look and she batted a hand as though it was not worth the bother explaining. He fell into step beside her, pushing open doors to ease her way. ‘I’m thinking of selling my flat.’
    ‘Oh, okay. I didn’t realise you