Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.
Please write a Private Message if I did something terribly wrong so I can fix it. Thanks!
Please read and review! More thanks!
Sorry! Had to delete it and re-write parts of the first chapter because there was a trerrible illogicality in it. (Does that word exist? ;-) ) A BIG THANKS to Cats for pointing that out!
Author's note and summary: I've been cruel enough to let you wait so long for another story from here, Cats, so there won't be any bloody cliffhangers this time, it's a short story anyway. I've split this only in two parts plus. Detectives Lynley and Havers have another case outside of London, with another rental car, in another hotel. We know the inevitable. Enjoy this...
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Pillow Talk
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They drove on a narrow line of black asphalt, meandering through and across the soft hills, slightly brownish, dotted with red golden trees and honeycombed with grey walls. Sheep slowly trotted from the warm street, knowing very well that the car would not be able to go with full speed here in the cattle grid enclosed area of traffic. Water puddles, remnants of the heavy rainfall around noon, still glistened in the sun. Here and there small patches of still white powder-frosted grass in the shadows of bushes or walls were proof that winter was coming soon.
"Although it seems I'm only coming here to solve a crime it's so endlessly beautiful in Yorkshire." she sighed.
He slightly chuckled and nodded his head, keeping his eyes on the treacherous road. "M-hm. Although this part is in Cumbria. But we could spend the next spare weekend-"
"Yah. Clever clogs." she mumbled cutting him short and turning her eyes out of the side window. He knew she was grinning. Unfortunately she did not show any reaction to his offer.
A few minutes later they stopped the car at the crime scene.
It was a beautiful late afternoon in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The sun sent its last beams through the almost leafless trees and left bizarre shadows on the ground around the Dentdale Viaduct. DI Tommy Lynley and DS Barbara Havers produced clouds of breath in the crisp autumn air while they talked. They stood behind the white and blue police line and looked up to the tracks. The broken metal bars of the old rusty handrail up there stood into the air like thin fingers of doom.
"She may not have been dead when she was pushed down." Lynley said. "Has Lafferty called back by now?"
"Nah." Havers shook her head and leaned against the grit container. Her eyes pensively trailed along the drag marks that went into the Dee. Due to quite high levels the body was found near the Angler Inn which was closed at the moment. "But I still have no clue at all why they... or someone dragged her into the water."
Lynley followed the little river with his eyes. Pushing his hands deeper into the pockets of his coat he shrugged. "Probably to wash away every last bit of a trace. Literally."
"Hm."
His eyes went back to his Sergeant. "Are you okay, Barbara?"
"As okay as one can feel with a damaged ankle, Sir." she grunted. "Can we get back to Sedbergh? I'm cold, tired and feel a grumpy mood rising because I'm also starving. Despite the fact how beautiful it is in Cumbria."
"Of course we can." Lynley smiled when Barbara rejected his offered arm and hobbled to their car on her own. Once more he watched her back. Apparently Barbara had not expected the cold up here in the North being so severe at that time of the year. She only had a short but fortunately lined denim jacket. She should have brought her old parka but this way he could enjoy seeing her very female figure in quite tight trousers. Recently Tommy Lynley, the 8th Earl of Asherton, had recovered that there had been a very beautiful woman right under his nose for years. His colleague and sergeant, a woman he was befriended with, and maybe even more, but although he feared that he had fallen in love with her he usually tried not to think about this unthinkable connection. Barbara never would approve of it. He had to respect that. He was her boss, her friend, her very good friend in fact, but nothing more. She did not even call him by his given name. It still was-
"Sir? Would you finally mind open the door?" she impatiently asked. "Or is there anything else?"
Tommy sighed. No, she would not approve of his feelings for her. "Coming."
With the well known blibbip the car doors opened after Tommy had pressed the button on the key to the modern rental car and Barbara quickly entered. Once more she wondered where the thoughts of her boss have wandered. The detectives were on an off-home investigation and he constantly fell behind when they walked somewhere, he constantly seemed thousands of miles away when she was talking to him and he constantly gave weird answers. In one word - he constantly hesitated with anything. It was not good for her own state of confusion. She was trying hard not to constantly think of him sleeping next door in the B&B they live at. She suppressed every upcoming jealousy about him just being nice with the landlady. Seriously, she was at least twenty years older than Lynley! But she actually could not deny that, after a few years of getting to know and learning to cope with each other's moods and flaws, the crush she once had for her boss had turned into a deep fondness. She would not want to work with anybody else and would not like to miss the regular pint or dinner after work. Even their ridiculous attempts of showing each other what they like, such as football or cricket matches, movies or theatre plays, things that normal friends do, were odd but undeniable wonderful. It always seemed that even he had liked it. And if she was true to herself, it probably was not only fondness she felt for him. She sighed.
"Oh, drat it!" Tommy cursed and pulled Barbara from her thoughts. She turned her eyes away from the wet street and saw him pushing buttons and the signs on the screen of the futuresk dash board.
"What is it? Why don't you start the stupid car?" she asked him.
"Computer says no." Tommy replied and gave her a desperate look. "We should have come here with my own."
Barbara chuckled. He could not possibly be watching Little Britain, could he?
"What's so funny, Sergeant?"
Barbara just looked away with a grin and a shake of her head. "Nothing, Sir. I'll call the AA."
While he was trying other combinations of the start button and the key pad the information on the little monitor still said 'device not working' and the car won't start. Eventually Tommy shouted at the small monitor. "It's obvious, you stupid thing!"
"I can get no signal." Barbara murmured.
Tommy finally let his head bump onto the steering wheel. For a while there was silence. Barbara chewed on the insides of her cheek and then, his forehead still resting where it was, he counted the possible solutions to their problem.
"We could not sit here and wait for the next car to drive by. The road is closed due to the incident, so there probably will be none. We could not call for help. We could not walk because you're limp."
"Well, thank you."
Apologetic he looked up. "Sorry, Barbara, I didn't mean to be rude." She just smiled and nodded. "I'm not leaving you here and walk to the next house on my own so I guess the only way to get us out of here is you steering the wheel and I'm pushing the car."
"Are you crazy? It's..." She waved a hand through the air. "Well, miles to the next house."
"You know it isn't 'miles' and we'll probably get a signal somewhere so we could call someone. Of course we couldn't get back over the pass to Fledger Head Farm but the road through the valley-"
"Dale." Barbara corrected him.
"What?" His irritated look amused her. She loved it when she was able to do that.
"It's called Dentdale." she chuckled.
"Oh, please..." Lynley shook his head but the smile crept onto his lips anyway. "The road through this glen-" The smile had turned into a cheeky grin when he said the Scottish name. "is mostly downhill so it won't be too hard for me."
It was in fact their only option but it was not as easy as Lynley had described it. There were more uphill parts than he remembered and they did not get a signal for their mobiles until they almost were through the hamlet of Cowgill. All houses they passed were for sale or nobody was at home there, and the camping site already was closed for winter, so, with a few short breaks for Tommy and the unsuccessful attempt from Barbara to push the car for a while, they had to get through almost the entire valley until they finally reached Dent in the middle of the night.
They parked the car on the side of the street right after passing Church Bridge and before the road went up again. The night had become very dark and cold by now and Lynley hurried up the street to the first pub. Barbara slowly followed. The Lancer and Beast already was closed but there was a no vacancies sign anyway and everything Tommy wanted right now was to have a shower and a bed. Past the fountain and up the cobbled street he knew of the Moon Inn. There was still light coming from out of the windows. It winged hope that they would at least find a place to sleep at for tonight. First thing in the morning would be calling the AA to get that car going.
Tommy entered the pub. Two heads immediately turned to him - the usual ones. The bartender though did not look up at all.
"Sorry, we're closed." he said not stopping turning off the nozzles from the pumps. The other two men kept drinking their beers.
"Well, actually I was just-" he could not finish his sentence. Tommy's clear accent made the bartender look up. Tommy's appearance made him cry out in mild shock.
"Lord Jesus! What have you done?" he asked and finally Tommy looked down at his own front. His good jacket and trousers and the fine leather shoes were almost completely covered in mud and dirt. Everything was quite wet but that was no wonder. Twice he fell when the car went faster than he could follow. And when he ran after it or ran pushing the car he ran through a lot of puddles on the sides of the street. The car itself splashed grit, water and dirt on him, not to mention the ignorant and rather fast Landrover that dashed past them without stopping and offering help.
"Goodness gracious!" the dirty DI groaned. "I'm sorry I drip onto your floor, Sir, and I really don't want a beer, I just-"
"Come on, man, you rather look like you need something stronger anyway." The amber liquid already was poured into the tumbler. With a thankful expression Tommy had just put the glass to his lips when the door opened again and Barbara limped inside.
"Oh, brilliant." she groaned. "I thought you were looking for some accomodation, but no, you're enjoying yourself with a booze."
Tommy startled but had to grin when the man behind the bar bent over to him and conspiratively murmured. "Your wife is rather unamused, hm?" Louder he addressed Barbara. "Evening, Ma'am. You've had an accident? Take a seat."
"Evenin'. Well, no, I broke my leg a few weeks ago. Thank you."
Before he turned to his Sergeant Tommy rolled his eyes and winked at the bar man. "Barbara, I just got in here. And I was offered this whisky because-"
"Bloody hell, you're dirty!" Barbara cut him short.
Now that everybody had recognised how miserable he looked Tommy finally had the chance to explain who they were, why they were here and what had caused his muddy state. And then he finally was able to ask the bartender, who had introduced himself as Martin, if the Moon Inn had some vacancies. They were in luck, there was one room still vacant, but when Tommy asked if it was a twin or a double room Barbara cringed at the answer.
"Well, double of course."
"And no couch, I guess?"
"No couch, sorry." Martin apologised. Then his face lit up. "But we have a suite in the attic. It's a bit more expensive but you could have your own room. Anyway, if the Met covers the costs... We seldomly let it, and I have to put clean sheets on the bed, but you could have it, if you wait until I've finished here. See ya, Oliver." He nodded at the leaving guest.
"Y'should grab the chance, boy." Oliver, one of the old men at the bar, the last to leave, mumbled to Tommy while he left the Inn shaking his head in disbelief. Tommy's ears turned slightly red. Of course he had thought about the possibility of sharing a bed with Barbara but she obviously would not approve of it.
While he weighed the opportunities the door dashed open and a hiker came in.
"Evening." he groaned and plonked down on the next chair. "I hope you have a room for me."
"Is this a beehive or what?" Martin grumbled less angry than one would think. "I'm sorry, I've just let the remaining rooms to these people here, Sir. You're a bit too late. And before you ask, the tap's closed too."
Tommy watched the man with the big rucksack and the dirty boots who looked exhausted, almost as dirty as he himself and now disappointment and a hint of panic started to appear in his face too. In Tommy there only was hope rising that he would still be able to share at least a room with Barbara. "There must be a couch in the suite, Martin. I suppose Ms Havers wouldn't mind sharing a room with me and that gentleman looks as if he's as much in difficulties as we are. Or even more."
A brief glance at Barbara who nodded slightly but still also rolled her eyes gave Tommy the answer that she agreed.
"Been caught by that rain around noon," the gentleman explained and introduced himself as Steve. "and then I lost the way up there, across the heather fields. Again in the small wood where the path is lost under a landslide. I really could do with a shower and a soft bed."
"So?" Tommy addressed Martin. All three now looked at the bartender. He finally sighed and shook his head. "I'm too good for this world. Yes, there is a sofa in the suite and yes, one can sleep on it."
Tommy nodded with a smug smile. "Well, then yes, we'd like to have the suite and yes, this gentleman can have the room."
They had a bed for the night, the pub was cosy so the suite surely would be too, and seeing that Barbara had taken a seat right next to the fire the dirty DI at last went to the Gents to clean up his clothes. Steve already had heaved himself and the rucksack up the stairs and to his room after finishing the formalities.
"Do you mind selling me a bottle of beer? And maybe there's still some snack available?" Barbara smiled politely. The prospect of sleeping on a couch instead of sharing a bed with her boss soothed her nerves. All the way here it has run around in her head that they probably had to share a room, which they had to in the end, and it really had been irritating when she recognised that she actually would love to even share the bed and cuddle close to him under one duvet. All under the pretense of bad circumstances of course. But at the same time this prospect and more so her delight at the thought of it also was frightening her to the core.
"I guess a bag of crisps would be too less for you, huh? Ah, I'm in fact too good for this world." Martin winked at Barbara. "I'll go and put some of the hot pot leftovers into the microwave." He already was halfway into the kitchen. "Nobody should be able to complain about the Moon Inn's hospitality."
Just when the microwave pinged Tommy returned. In silence the two detectives ate and had their beer. When they finished Martin came down again and gave them the key and Tommy filled in the form. "You don't have any luggage?"
"Well, we're at a B&B in Sedbergh." Barbara replied a bit sharper than intended. "And of course there's our luggage." She just realised that they would have to sleep in their underwear and maybe T-shirt. It was scaring her to think about the next day, let alone the evening in that room, so close together with so little covering clothes. Tommy was thinking about the same but it did not bother him as much. In fact he looked forward to have a few secret peeks at her beautiful body. He felt a bit ashamed so he diverted his guilty eyes towards the bar.
"I've seen you wearing a shirt with the moon on it. Don't you have those shirts for sale? In huge size so we would have some nightwear?" Tommy's ridiculous suggestion made Barbara snort a laugh but she liked that idea. Smugly her boss grinned at her. He liked it too.
"There are two in XXXL." After he had rummaged through a shelf Martin returned to the table next to the dying fire and waved something colourful. "Unfortunately we only have one in purple and one in pink."
It would not be seen by anybody else so that was no problem at all. While Martin finally finished cleaning up the bar Barbara had another beer and Tommy indulged in another whisky, this time of higher quality. Then he paid their meal and drinks and the room in advance before they headed up the stairs.
"Bathroom is through the door over there, breakfast will be in the back room downstairs, from 8 to 10. You want full English?" Both nodded. "Just ring the desk bell when you're there. Enjoy your stay."
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