Page 26 of Skipping Stones

Mac didn’t respond, and she followed him into the bedroom, where he picked up a bottle and took a swig. He certainly wasn’t trying to hide it anymore. When Linney looked around the room, she saw another empty bottle by the side of his bed, and judging by the state of the covers, if he’d slept at all last night, it hadn’t been soundly. She hadn’t missed the bloodshot eyes and his grey pallor.

Mac lay down on the bed and pulled up the rumpled sheets. “You gonna join me?” he asked, but she shook her head. “Your loss,” he grumbled, but it wasn’t long before his eyes closed, and he began snoring loudly.

There were no tears left to cry as she cleaned up the liquor bottles in the bedroom, and then the beer bottles she found in Mac’s reception room. She put on a pot of coffee, drinking a cup to steady herself, and planning to pour the rest down Mac’s throat when he woke up. Time to let MJ know.

I found him. It’s bad.

What are you going to do?

I don’t know. But I have to do something. For real this time.

Will he get help?

IDK. He’s sleeping now.

Sleeping? Or passed out.

Either way …

Let me know if you need anything.

Just let Gemma know I’m here?

Consider it done.

Late in the afternoon, after she’d thrown away the first pot of coffee, Linney heard retching in the bathroom. She found Mac sitting on the floor in his boxers and T-shirt, leaning against the wall, holding his pounding head in his hands. “Mac?” He looked up and groaned. She’d never seen him look so bad. “Take a shower. And then we’ll talk.” Linney made fresh coffee and waited for him.

Mac joined her in the kitchen half an hour later. His hair was damp, and he’d shaved, but his black eye seemed to have darkened. “Linney, why are you … How did you—?” he rasped and lapsed into a fit of coughing. She handed him a cup of strong coffee.

“MJ told me. I’m worried about you—you missed work today.”

Mac had the presence of mind to be embarrassed. “Gemma.” He winced. “The Downing Street story.”

“She sent Ron. It won’t be the same, but he was the only one available.” Linney’s voice was flat as she gathered her things to go. “I meant what I said, Mac. I can’t keep going on like this. You need to get some help. ”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve stopped—well cut back—before. I can do it again. You believe me, don’t you?”

Linney shrugged her shoulders. She slipped out of his flat and left him to think about it.

* * *

Derek was elbow deep in legal briefs, the remains of his lunch pushed off to the side of his desk. His latest battle with an unscrupulous employer was proving to be more difficult than he’d hoped. The guy had a lawyer who was burying him in legal papers. Derek would win, and his client would have his rights restored, with restitution, but it was taking longer than he liked. When his phone buzzed on his desk, he glanced over.

Do you have time to talk?

His brow furrowed. It wasn’t like Linney to reach out this early in the day and he did want to push this case a little further.

Just finishing something up. Can it wait an hour?

Absolutely. It’s not important. I just need to pick your brain.

Derek had a funny feeling, and he shoved his chair away from his desk. Taking a drink of the cold coffee on his desk, he dialled Linney’s number.

“You called. It could have waited.”

“What’s up, Linney?”

“I just…I just wanted to hear your voice. It’s been a while since we talked.”