Gentleman Sinner(61)

‘Yes.’

Her cheeks puff out, her face a picture of shock. ‘Bloody hell, if only Theo knew about—’

‘He does know.’

Her round eyes widen further. I really can’t blame her, though I’m certain I dealt with all this a lot more rationally than Jess is doing. ‘He knows . . .?’ She wants clarification, because there is much Theo could know about.

‘He knows I used to be a stripper.’

‘You didn’t used to be a stripper, Izzy. You used to be little more than a fucking slave.’ I flinch, and so does Jess. ‘Shit, I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. You’re right.’ I force a smile as the shower screen clouds before me, and I lose sight of her. ‘Though Theo doesn’t know the gory details, okay? He doesn’t need to.’

‘God, yes, of course.’

‘Thank you.’ I grab the shampoo, and as I wash my hair and body, I wait for more questions to come. But after a few minutes, I hear the bathroom door close. And I know she’s worried.

*

‘Izzy, a word in my office when you’re done, please,’ Susan calls as I’m helping Mable get comfy. I look over my shoulder, seeing her collecting some medical files off the desk. It’s near the end of my shift, and I’ve been on edge all day, worrying whether anything will come of the incident involving Percy’s son last night.

‘Two minutes,’ I say, my mind racing with apprehension.

‘Sounds serious,’ Mable chimes in to my thoughts, patting the bedsheets around her lap.

I hum my agreement and pour her a drink of water, handing Mable some painkillers with the cup. ‘Still a five?’ I ask.

‘Four.’ She tips the small cup to her lips and swallows. ‘Tell me how that strapping man of yours is.’

I return her wicked grin as I make a few notes on her charts. ‘Strapping.’

‘Off the shelf?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Look at you being all coy.’ She chuckles, reaching for my arm and giving me a little poke. ‘But there’s no hiding the spring in your step.’

‘I’m springing?’

‘Oh, yes. And glowing.’ She winks, looking highly pleased with herself. ‘I’m happy for you.’

‘Thanks.’ I give her hand a quick rub as Susan passes again and nods towards her office. I don’t like her serious expression at all. ‘I’d better go.’

‘Okay, dear. I’m going to have a nap before The Great British Bake Off starts. Pass me the remote control, will you, my love?’

‘Of course.’ I leave Mable after making sure she has everything she needs and make my way to Susan’s office, unable to bat down my growing apprehension. ‘Everything okay?’ I ask, finding her sitting at her desk.

‘Izzy, please close the door and take a seat.’ Susan points to a chair, and my trepidation increases as I shut the door, knowing this must be serious. Susan’s door is never closed unless it’s serious.

‘What’s going on?’ I ask as I lower into the chair.

She holds up something. ‘I was going to ask you that question.’

I frown, eyeing the paper in her hand. ‘What’s that?’

‘A letter of complaint.’

I shoot a look at her as she unfolds the sheet and scans the letter, pointing to the bottom. ‘From Percy Sugden’s son. He turned up at Casualty late last night with extensive injuries. Broken jaw, broken arm, broken nose, to name just a few.’

What? I wince, dread filling me. He had none of those injuries the last time I saw him. ‘Susan, I—’

‘He told the police that you had an argument with him.’

‘He attacked me outside A&E,’ I clarify, more sternly than I intended. There was no arguing, not at all.

‘He says you instigated a confrontation, but he tried to walk away.’

I sit forward in my chair, astounded. ‘He cornered me in a doorway and threatened me.’

She raises her eyebrow, returning her eyes to the paper and scanning the words. ‘He claims otherwise. He’s said when he tried to remove himself from the situation, he was ambushed by two large men, one who he recognized as your boyfriend.’ She looks back up at me expectantly. But what is she expecting? For me to take responsibility for these lies?

I gape at her, stunned. He’s twisting it. ‘Theo stepped in because Mr Sugden was threatening me.’ My alarm is making my voice higher. ‘Theo pulled him away, and then he let him go.’ I neglect to mention the gun, since Susan hasn’t. I realize I’m being selective here, but there’s one thing that matters: Theo released Percy’s son uninjured, even if he was shaken to the core. Good. He deserved to be.

‘That’s a different version of events to what Mr Sugden has told the police.’ She sounds so high-handed, so unlike herself. This isn’t my boss as I know her. And come to think of it, what she’s dictating from that letter isn’t how she knows me. Surely she doesn’t believe this trash.

‘He’s lying,’ I grate, incensed. ‘There wasn’t a scratch on Mr Sugden when I last saw him, and Theo and Callum were with me for the rest of the night.’

Susan sighs, dropping the paper to her desk. ‘I’m sorry, Izzy. With a complaint so serious, we have no choice but to suspend you pending further investigation.’