The Toast of the Town (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book III)

Good Morning, Mr. Mayor!

Imogen woke up from the familiar sensation of the Mayor nuzzling her hair on the back of her head. She hummed, expressing her approval, and felt his hand on her hip, patting affectionately. He was spooning her, just like most mornings - but unlike most mornings, she wasn't dressed in her comfortable baggy jimjams. She couldn't quite understand it, but it seemed she only had her knickers on.

"The alarm hasn't rung yet," the Mayor purred into Imogen's ear seductively.

"What day is it?" Imogen shifted back, closer to him. "I hope it's a Saturday today... I don't want to go to work."

"Doesn't matter," he dismissed, and rose on one elbow above her. "I'm ill, and you have to stay home to take care of me," he murmured and pressed his lips to her cheekbone.

And that was when the recollections rushed back into Imogen's mind - the Mayor's fever, the Oakby Manor, the terror of hiding behind the curtain in the Titan's study, and Viola Holyoake on top of the stairs, beautiful and dreadful, like Boudicca reincarnated. The return of the memories was significantly aided by a sharp pain in Imogen's cheek.

She yelped, floundered, and rolled away from the Mayor - accidentally off their bed and down onto the floor.

"Imogen!" he exclaimed, lunged after her, and stretched his hand to her. He ordered the home system to turn on the night light and said, "Darling, what–"

The Mayor froze, his eyes fixed on Imogen's - no doubt bruised - face.

"I was in the Manor yesterday, and the burglars broke in, and Viola apprehended them, and then the police came!" Imogen hollered. "It was a horrible coincidence! It's not my fault! I wasn't sleuthing, I swear!"

The Mayor was motionless, in an uncanny resemblance to the right half of The Creation of Adam.

"Burglars?" he slowly repeated. "Manor? Viola appre– What?"

Imogen whimpered. "It was so scary, and–"

"What happened to your face?!" the Mayor barked, and Imogen winced away from him. "Imogen!"

He threw his upper half off the edge of the bed, picked her up under her arms, and effortlessly lifted her onto the cover next to him.

"Darling!" He gently picked up her chin and turned her face. "Oh, Imogen, my poor–"

He didn't finish because Imogen threw herself at him and sobbed.

"I was so scared! I was already locking up, and they climbed in! And one of them dragged me out to the hall, and I thought–" Her voice broke. "And then Viola came and saved me! She beat them up with an illegal baton! And she'd called the police beforehand too, which is so clever, and Andrew came and arrested them!"

"Why are you naked? What exactly–" the Mayor asked in a tense voice. His hands cautiously lay on her middle, and he peeled her off him. "Your arm!"

Imogen glanced down at the red and purple marks on her skin.

"He grabbed me and pulled me out of your father's study," she said, her lips trembling. "It was Martim from the climbing club. And the other two were Duarte and Carolina. When I came home I was so tired that I just took everything off. And now I'm cold," she whined, shaking more and more.

"Oh god, let me get you a shirt," the Mayor exclaimed. When he tried to get off the bed, he wobbled and grabbed onto the bedside table. "I'm sorry, I'm still a bit–"

Imogen saw how unstable he was on his feet, while he rummaged in their wardrobe and pulled out his old jersey top, which Imogen had usurped some time ago. He handed it to her, and then helped her pull it on, because her hands shook so much her fingers didn't obey her that well. He quickly put on a tee himself and sat near her.