Page 51 of Promise Me Never

It was his last night in London and Bennett was flying to Dublin in the morning. He was wiped out, and all he wanted to do was sleep. His signing line was over two hundred people long, and he was grateful for the bookstore’s efficient staff in moving them through quickly, no easy task when fans wanted to chat. Finally, after the last person came up, he stood and stretched, eager to get back to his hotel. As he began to walk toward the front of the store, he saw her. His heart started to beat faster. It was that friend of Poppy’s. Bridgette from London who had interrogated him at Poppy’s memorial service. Their eyes met and she stopped in front of him.

“I can see why she fell for you,” the woman said, appraising him coolly. “You know how to pour on the charm. Didn’t see that side of you at the memorial service.”

“Why are you here?”

“I saw the poster in the window. Thought I’d see how you were getting on.”

He was too tired for this, but he had to play nice.

“Do you want to go grab a drink?” he asked. “I think the store’s about to close.”

“Yeah. I know a place.”

He followed her out the door and down a couple of blocks and into a pub. They found a booth in the back and sat down.

“I have reason to believe that Poppy’s death wasn’t an accident,” she said, her eyes boring into him.

Bennett didn’t want to dredge up the past. Especially that day. But it didn’t seem he had a choice.

“Bridgette, I told you at the service everything that happened. I don’t know why you can’t accept it. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy. But that’s all it was.”

Bridgette was staring at him, and her eyes narrowed. “Yeah, see that’s the thing. I don’t buy it.” She pulled out a paper from her purse. “A letter. Written the day she died. She wanted to come to London. Said she was leaving you.” She leaned across the table, hostility oozing from her. “Did you kill my friend?”

| Forty-Five |

Savannah

Savannah and Felicia had fallen into the routine of having tea when Felicia arrived each day. If Felicia hadn’t exactly warmed up to Savannah, she was no longer hostile. Savannah wanted to ask her about Poppy’s accident but had treaded lightly. No matter how well they were getting along, she knew Felicia’s first loyalty would always be to Bennett.

“Felicia, did you ever meet Poppy’s friend Henri? He introduced himself to me at the coffee shop the other day.”

Felicia rolled her eyes. “Oy, that one. Didn’t care for him. He was a bad influence on her.”

“In what way?”

“He liked the drink too much, always wanting her to go out carousing. Don’t know what she saw in him. I’d steer clear if I were you. Don’t think Bennett would like you hanging about with him.”

Clearly Felicia would dismiss Henri’s warning to Savannah as nonsense based on her opinion of him.

“Bennett and Henri didn’t get along?” Savannah asked.

“Not at all. I think he caused some friction between Poppy and Bennett.”

That was interesting. Bennett had said that he and Poppy had issues but hadn’t elaborated. “If you don’t mind my asking, what kind of friction?”

Felicia tilted her head. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but Poppy started drinking a lot more, getting a little wild. I’d come in the morning to clean and there’d be two or three empty wine bottles. Henri used to come over, and they’d spend the evening getting drunk while Bennett worked so hard on his books. It was terrible.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be friends with him,” Savannah said, even though she had no intention of trying to do so.

“You don’t need that. And poor Bennett doesn’t need that man hanging around.” She stood and put her cup and saucer in the dishwasher. “Time to get to work.”

“Of course,” Savannah said, rising too. “Well, I’m off to the dog park with Finn.”

The parking lot was nearly empty, only a pickup truck there. Savannah let Finn out and they did their customary walk around the park. There were a few others walking, and she nodded as they passed. Savannah kept the Range Rover in sight in case the woman returned. After twenty minutes, her feet were frozen, and she and Finn returned to the car. She drove into town again, hoping she might see the green Jeep. Once again, no luck. She took Finn home, then headed to the coffee shop. If she couldn’t talk to Henri, she decided she’d sneak him her phone number and ask him to call her.

She walked up to the counter and placed her order. She didn’t see Henri and wondered if it was his day off. The manager wasn’t around either. The young man waiting on her handed Savannah her coffee.

“Is Henri working today?” Savannah asked.