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 only own the ideas of my stories.
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A/N: Hello. Did you miss me? ;-) I'm a bit short of time at the moment because of real life and a story I'm working out for quite some time now. It has become bigger than I thought when I penned down the initial idea. Anyway, it's not nearly finished and this here is something different. The inspiration had hit me on my holidays this year. I stood outside the hotel eventually and smoked a cigarette in the maze-like inner city of Newcastle. It was night, a bit rainy and a bit cold and it was dark and I heard several police car sirens in the distance. They were getting louder and quieter - whatever the houses and overlapping road building lines allowed. A story formed in my head but I was still working on the other text. Now the inspiration has been written down completely. I decided to set it in the tranquil time of advent ;-)
Summary: Not every Santa is a saint. Not every Santa hurries down the chimney. Merry Christmas! Enjoy...
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Speedy Santa
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It was Thursday, the 23rd of December. After a rather warm autumn it finally had been freezing cold for a few days. Still it was not cold enough for the bit of snow that fell to keep lying on the ground, not even up here in the north. It did not snow a lot anyway but there was fog and rain and drizzle. The dank weather did not lighten up anybody's mood, not even DS Barbara Havers'. Not even the surprise of an upper class hotel room could make her really enjoy that she had to attend a congress in Newcastle.
Only he could do it. Her boss DI Tommy Lynley was here with her and he was the one who had booked the rooms that were so much better than the accommodation they usually get from the Met.
Still, it was only work. Stupid and boring work. In London everything was quiet these days and when she had called DC Winston Nkata on Wednesday he had told her that they only browse through old files there because the criminals obviously had agreed on some sort of Christmas peace and only concentrated on a little pick pocketing and minor thefts. And Barbara had to stay here for another day.
"I'd rather be at home where I could run my errands before I'll leave the office and head into my holidays." Barbara had said to Lynley at the beginning of their week up north. They had been having a pint after arriving and getting introduced to everything. "I had intended to enjoy my well earned spare time with laziness and no need to leave the house to buy food. I don't even have my Christmas tree yet. Or presents for my friends."
The next evening a housekeeper had brought her a miniature fir tree with some lights, tiny bulbs and cute little straw stars. Wednesday she had received a decorated push table with her famous short bread cookies and hot chocolate. Although he did not make a fuss of it Barbara began to wonder with what he might surprise her next.
Tommy Lynley invited her to a little shopping trip in the Mackintosh Mall*.
"They have a special long night opening for Christmas shoppers, I've heard." He winked and helped her out of the cab. "We're able to indulge in a nice finger food dinner here and walk along the beautiful stalls. They have a wonderful Christmas market today. And maybe you'll find some presents?"
"I don't think I could afford anything here." Barbara said looking up the glamorous front of the house which was decorated with lights and garlands of real fir tree branches.
"Oh, I think I can help out here."
Unnoticed by both he had not let go of her hand after helping her get out of the cab. Now he placed a kiss on her gloved hand and looked at her with sparkling eyes.
"I don't think I will accept that, Sir." Barbara blushed a bit and pulled her hand from his. She led the way inside. Not that she was familiar with this mall, although she had seen adverts for it, but she had to hide her excited embarrassment. He had been too lovely the previous days to make her forget that they were here for boring work and the nice abduction into this slightly expensive shopping centre somehow was the cherry on the cake.
It absolutely was overwhelming. The odd Christmas music came unobtrusively quiet from hidden speakers and it was all but as squeaky and loud as she knew it from other malls. The garlands and lights from the storefront were cascading through the main entrance and hung at every shop front inside. Beautifully decorated wooden stalls in Victorian style were lined down the broad hallway and it smelled different wherever they went. There were waffles offered, tiny apple pies with cream and all sorts of other specialities. A man with a cylinder hat called out "Hoooot chocolate!" and a girl dressed up in ragged clothes sold knitted scarves, hats and gloves right next to his stall. Here and there people in fancy Victorian dresses walked around.
With a quizzical expression Barbara turned to her boss who was grinning broadly.
"It's a Dickens adventure this year. I didn't know until this morning when I've found a flyer at the reception desk." He saw her joyful expression but had to ask. "Do you like it?"
"It's amazing!"
Barbara bought a tin advertising panel in one and a bag of fine biscuits in the other shop before they allowed themselves a mug of steamy hot chocolate.
At one stall Tommy purchased a wooden horse on wheels dragging a hay waggon.
"It's for a friend's son." he explained. "Do you want a bratwurst in a roll?"
Eating they wandered on when the music from the speakers stopped. Some men and woman and several children had gathered in the huge hall in the middle where a decorated tree almost reached as high as the glass roof.
The choir started to sing and people stopped to listen. Many were swaying and eventually Barbara hummed along the melody of Jingle Bells like a few others. Her skin turned into goosepimples when she heard Tommy's deep voice singing close to her ear.
She turned and saw him almost failing to sing the last line "Glory to the newborn King!".
His grin was broad and infectuous. He gently nudged his elbow into her side and nodded encouragingly, and so Barbara felt brave enough to join the choir of people around. With the lines 'O tidings of comfort and joy' she even dared to lean into Tommy's side. His arm went around her shoulders in an instant. His eyes looked into hers. There was fondness and comfort and joy in them. Her heart skipped a beat.
"You have a beautiful voice!" he murmured into her ear when the song ended and he had to remove his arm so he could applaud to the choir.
"You don't sing badly either." Barbara answered blushing.
When the choir started to perform 'We wish you a merry Christmas' as their last song the audience started to slowly disappear. The two of them did not want to leave before the singers would end their song.
But after all it was a shopping mall and people were here mostly for the purpose of buying things. Even when the choir sang there were sounds, noises and rustling coming from people walking, shops selling items and goods being packed or unpacked. Only one sound did not fit. It was heard twice and made the London Detectives look at each other with suddenly hardened police faces.
"This was a shot." Lynley stated.
"And it came from up there." Havers replied.
When they secretly looked around they saw that the other people had not recognised anything strange but after a while the Detectives saw several shop security members going up the big moving stairs. Barbara groaned but after a brief silent conversation with her boss they decided to follow them.
"Do you have your badge with you?" he asked when they quickly took some of the moving steps feigning innocent calmness.
"I always have it with me. Once a copper, always a copper."
Tommy nodded grimly.
Unfortunately they had been assuming the right thing. In one of the offices on the second floor where they had followed two of the security members after showing their warrant cards a body was lying in a pool of blood. Although it was not at all their own home ground the Detectives were allowed to enter the area. The secretary of one of the managers already had called the police and now was answering their questions in a strangely cool way. She was white as chalk and clearly in a state of shock.
Poor Miss Tweedy told them that she was preparing the boxes for the staff members in the other room when she heard loud voices coming from the manager's office. Before she could decide that she should go and see if she could be of any help the first shot fell and she froze. A second shot was heard and some rustling.
"When I finally dared to move I went over to Mr Manipaltri and saw him lying on the ground. Dead. His eyes were staring at the ceiling. There was an ugly wound in his head. I closed his eyes and then peeped through the door. Santa Claus was walking quickly to the backside stairs. I immediately called the security office and I guess they have closed all exits."
Lynley looked at Havers and made a gesture with his chin. She pulled someone in uniform out of the office immediately. He looked as if he was the highest rank of the mall's security.
"Who's in charge of security?" she asked him.
"I am." the man answered. "I'm Mr Porter, head of security."
"Fantastic. So, what did you do?" she asked him.
"Ms Tweedy is right. All backside doors are closed and all front entries have double personnel."
"Could he have escaped already?"
The man shook his head. "I don't think so. Nobody has seen anybody running and walking normally, even if he walked quickly, he couldn't have been out in less than three minutes. We have a central locking system. It was triggered when Ms Tweedy had hit the alert button."
"Good."
"He would be spotted anyway. Obviously he's one of the Santas here."
"Please call them together."
"Yes, Ma'am." Mr Porter talked into his hidden mic before he turned back to Sergeant Havers. "They will be down in deliver hall 3 in a bit. And Newcastle police will be here soon too, I suppose."
Barbara nodded and went to inform her boss. Meanwhile the secretary had started to sob uncontrollably but a female co-worker already was caring for her. Unfortunately Ms Tweedy had to come with them down to the deliver hall in order to identify Santa.
"Well, Lynley, I'm not particularly happy to meet you again under these circumstances." DI Angelo Copalli had attended one of the workshops the Londoners had been forced to take part in so there was no need for long introductions. He gave the DS a nod. "Hello Havers. Can you already tell what had happened?"
"Santa Claus has shot the manager Mr Manipaltri and fled, not very hurriedly as we've learned, but with a certain amount of money."
"Yes. A shot in the head. Manipaltri is dead." Lynley added. "And Ms Tweedy was talking about a small sum of 2500 Pounds that is missing."
Despite the situation Barbara could not help but snort. Tommy raised an eyebrow.
"2500 quid is not exactly a small sum, Sir."
"Measured against a murder?"
She nodded. Of course he was right.
"What was it? For their daily earnings it seems a bit small." Copalli asked.
"Umm, yes. It was from a charity collection for the children's hospital, Ms Tweedy has explained to us."
"Oh, damn Santa!"
One by one all five Santa Clauses who worked there tonight were brought down and shown to Ms Tweedy. "Too fat, too tall, he wasn't in such a dark red, his skin wasn't black, this hair is too long." None of them matched whom she had seen, none of them had 2500 Pounds hidden in their pockets and certainly none of them carried a weapon.
"Could he have escaped already?" Barbara asked biting her lower lip.
"I really don't think so." Mr Porter answered.
"You will double check everyone who wants to leave today." Copalli ordered. "They'll all take this exit, right? My men will help you here so you can place more people at the main entrances. Just please don't make too much public fuss. A panic is the least thing we need here."
"Of course not, Sir."
At the wall near the small door next to the big gate there was a fan heater and a cigarette bin. Ms Tweedy had recovered a bit and had to go for a cigarette outside under the short roof to calm down her nerves. She was accompanied by Barbara while she smoked. Her fingers were still shaking. To distract her Barbara talked about the weather and the beautiful Victorian Christmas stalls inside. Eventually Lynley also joined them. He was curious if his Sergeant was smoking too. She was not but she shot him a glare. She knew him too well. The silent looks they exchanged spoke volumes. With an almost invisible amused wink Tommy turned his eyes away from Barbara.
In silence they watched the scene that was only lit by two small lamps. It was raining lightly and water formed a few puddles. If it weren't in the heart of the city centre it certainly would freeze over on the cold tarmac. Two employee cars stood at the back wall around the little yard. Three police cars were parked there too. A late lorry came and the driver was checked intensively before he was allowed to unpack his goods. A maintenance man dragged a huge black bin bag to the rubbish skip. He hung around there half hidden behind it to have a cigarette.
"Oh, bloody shit!" Barbara suddenly blurted out and jumped off the loading ramp.
"Where are you going?" Lynley called after her but she did not answer.
After the maintenance man had lit his cigarette and nodded towards the others with a polite grin they had stopped scrutinising him. He obviously was just having a fag and did not want to disturb them with the nervous Ms Tweedy. But in the corner of her eye Barbara had seen him moving slowly away from the skip and then she spotted something bright red.
In that moment the man with a brown work coat but red pants with white furry edges had climbed into a white car already and was about to drive off.
"Car keys!" Barbara snapped at the poor police man who just was standing on his post in the cold waiting to get the order to come inside again. He was so baffled that he did not even ask but simply tossed her the keys.
"Barbara!" Lynley followed suit. "Wait!"
"It's our Santa!" Barbara shouted. "We have to get him!"
With squealing tyres she drove off the parking area in the second her door closed.
"Safety belt!" Tommy called towards the leaving car and jumped into another one. The key was in the starter and the uniformed police man who had enjoyed a sandwich in the passenger seat just had climbed out to see what was happening to his colleague's car. Lynley did not care to close the door first nor let him get back in but sped away. Turning into the street in the back of the mall the door fell shut on its own. In the distance at some red street lights he saw the other police car turning to the left. "Oh, stupid woman!" he muttered.
Behind him he heard the siren of the third police car and turned on his own.
It was of course a dangerous chaste. Although it was quite late there still were people walking around or driving in the streets to get home. It still was drizzling and the view was limited. The four cars in a distant row were speeding above the limits down one road, dangerously close through other crossing cars at a junction where they actually had to give way, around a corner and up the other street. The next junction was free and the lights were green and so the white Audi Quattro had enough speed to jump the first yards at the top. Barbara's police car followed in the same way and Lynley's too. The third car turned left.
There was a crackling sound from the police radio system's speakers.
"NPD 3-60 here. Will block off his way."
"Lynley here. We're driving down the broad street. Havers?"
"I'm close at his back."
He heard the screeching sounds of brakes and saw her car careen through a wet spot. A couple gestured wildly after her when he passed them too.
"Turn on your siren, Havers!" Tommy barked into the microfone of the radio system. At least Barbara did that. Her blinking blue lights just passed an old church when NPD 3-60 turned into the broad street before Lynley.
"Missed it. Bloody stupid boozers."
To their great relief the streets they were taking now were rather empty but it also was a great advantage for the fleeing maintenance Santa. They followed him through two roundabouts and onto the A road leading out of town.
"He's heading towards the A1!" In another double roundabout NPD 3-60 turned onto the crossing A-road but Santa mocked them. Twice he simply rounded before he drove back into Newcastle.
"3-60, where are you?" Lynley asked angrily. NPD 3-60 was not a good chaser, or so it seemed. There was no answer from the radio. "3-60?! Where are you? Answer!"
"I've hit a doe. Bloody beast. Car is done, I'm out. Take care and good luck."
"A doe?!" Lynley wondered aloud but only to himself. He would have time to ask where the hell such animal could come from when they got hold of the absconder. If they would stop him at all. And if they would not end up drowning in the Tyne because at the moment they were driving along a small street at the steep stone-built banks of the river with unhealthy speed. At the end of the narrow street there was a house and no bridge so it was clear that the way would lead them upwards again. His car passed a sign signalising to only turn right there and not drive onwards but the cars ahead already had ignored it too.
Tommy literally could hear Barbara's mumbled curses because he was murmuring something similarly foul.
The corner was almost exactly a right angle and the spot Tommy had chosen for braking was wet and probably icy too and so the tail of his car crashed into a fence when he tried to turn into the upgoing street. He could not know that it not only took him precious seconds to stabilise and regain speed up the street. Fortunately there was just one car coming towards them and the driver was so quick-witted to keep close to the wall of the houses when they all passed.
"I'm okay, Havers." Lynley bellowed into the microfone.
"What?" He saw that she was slowing down and looking into the rear mirror.
"Go on! I'll tell you later!"
There was more distance between them now but he still could see Barbara's borrowed police car. It looked as if she was still seeing Santa because she was heading her way straight forward and probably straight after the murderer.
And straight into the oncoming traffic.
"Oh, holy shit!" Lynley cursed and took the left lane. Every now and then he could see the blue lights of the other police car on the right side flashing through the pillars and walls of the tunnel. Cars were hooting and tyres screetched. "Oh, stupid, stupid woman."
It was a big risk but he knew he probably would have done the same.
It was a wonder that both of the cars came out of the tunnel almost unharmed as far as Lynley could tell. He now was closer to them. They continued their chase on the right side of the road. It was heading towards the parking space of the stadium. Suddenly the red lights of the first car indicated that he was braking. With surprise Tommy realised that the car was turning on the spot and now came their way.
Lynley was at a bus bay and knew he would be quick enough to turn but it took him longer than he thought so he was not only unable to block the criminal's way but he also was slower than Barbara. Before he managed to realise that she had the hidden talent of handbrake turning her front brushed his when she passed him. Now he was behind them again.
"Sorry, Sir!" her voice was heard over radio.
"What on earth are you doing, Lynley?" A new voice was heard. "Copalli here. Where are you?"
"Can't tell. We're chasing Santa." He had to snort a short laugh about his own words. "We've lost your NPD 3-60 somewhere on the A1. We're still in the city. Now crossing the Tyne southwards. Never seen that bridge. Modern. To the right I can see some of the iconic ones."
"Do you see a building on the banks, like a metallic bulb?"
"What the..." Tommy looked around trying to keep Barbara's car in sight, his own car on the tracks and find out where they were at the same time. There was no such building but they had crossed the river anyway and were between other buildings again. "Can't tell, Sir. Have to keep up with them."
"Is there a yellow brick factory with two chimneys?" DI Copalli asked but the London DI had decided to ignore him now. It was hard enough to keep pace with the suicidal drivers ahead. A light rain still limited the view and the windscreen wipers went fast.
"Lynley? ... Lynley!"
For a second DI Lynley thought about turning off the annoying radio system.
Probably there was said factory somewhere around here because they were driving through an industrial estate now. One thing Lynley was sure of was that they were heading at the south side of the Tyne and down the river parallel with it. To his left he could see it between houses and through carriage entries. To his right there was a closed row of buildings. Eventually the lights of the police car ahead of him turned left.
In seconds Tommy remembered that there were minor docks belonging to the companies residenting at the river side and it meant open space behind these buildings. Hopefully all adjoining. He took an earlier street and almost skidded past the edge of the pier when he turned in the previous direction. The long docks had seen better days and it was not only his car having trouble with all the potholes and the uneven ground. The lights ahead also were bobbing up and down. Every now and then Tommy could feel the car sliding across icy ground.
What happened next went as fast as the rest of the race.
The white Audi's red lights went on and Tommy saw the white side. Then he saw the headlamps and the other white side. Then the car appeared to stand still.
Unfortunately Tommy himself had to stop because all of a sudden there was a wire mesh fence blocking his way. Without thinking he put in the reverse gear and while he backed up his searching eyes found a gate. Barbara's car also had stopped to move. He saw her getting out of the car and in the lights he could see Santa's legs in red trousers running. Ignoring the barrier, the two people fixed with his gaze, Tommy stopped, set the gear and gained enough speed to crash through the gate. The chain that had locked it was too weak for the force of a car set into full speed by a determined police officer.
He came to a difficult halt on a partly icy cobbled area and jumped out of the car.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Still three strides away from her DI Lynley barked at his Sergeant. "Obviously nothing at all! This could have cost us our lives! Here. Take these."
He handed her some handcuffs he had taken from the glove department of his car.
Barbara was kneeling on Santa, her knee painfully pressed into his back, his right arm pulled up almost into his nape, her left hand pushing his face into a puddle underneath. She was out of breath as if she had chased him by foot.
"You should stop drowning him." Tommy suggested. His voice had turned softer now and slowly the images he had seen moments before really sunk in.
While trying to get into the narrowest passage back onto the main street Santa obviously had lost control of his car. It had turned two times on an icy spot and then crashed into a lantern with full force. With the most of luck Santa had managed to get out of the car but DS Havers had been faster. She had been able to stop the police car almost under her control and only with a little help from a low wall and had sprinted out of her car fast enough. And when Santa had tried to run she had thrown an electric torch light after him. She had hit his legs and so he had stumbled. Seconds later Barbara had overpowered him and nailed him to the ground.
Now she grunted gruffly but was polite enough to lower the pressure on Santa's head. He spluttered and coughed and voiced the nastiest of curses.
"Well, but at least I've caught him." Barbara almost sulked.
"And your own car could have ended like his. Or even worse." Tommy let his eyes wander across the white wreck and swallowed. "I still wonder how he got out of there."
"Maybe I'm a better driver than Santa?" While he had furrowed his brows towards the damaged car Barbara had gotten up and came to stand before him with hands akimbo. How dare he criticise her way of catching criminals when it was so successful.
"You're a-" Tommy cut himself short. Their eyes were locked and most of his anger was gone in an instant. His Sergeant's hair was damp and so was the top of her clothes. She looked a bit exhausted. Her cheeks were rosy but her eyes mirrored that she was determined to defend what she had done. Barbara looked at him with a mixture of triumph, exhaustion and the obstination of someone who had managed to win even though it was a hard and stupid fight. He felt how his anger was washed away by a huge wave of love. It was a feeling he had felt more and more and deeper recently. He had it under control most of the time. Only now he could not fight it. This on the other hand and Barbara's lips pursed in a cute stubborn way angered him again.
Nonetheless Tommy gave in to his longing with a brief snarling sound. Barbara could see his eyes sparkling with a fire she had never seen before but before she could react in any way he had pulled her into his arms and gave her a rough and hard and all but romantic kiss right onto her lips.
She was too shocked to respond. She was too shocked to voice a proper reply.
"Sir...?!" she choked.
She even was too shocked to follow him to his car where he was picking up the microphone of the police radio system.
An annoyed groan was heard from the floor. Barbara turned her head to Santa.
"Go after him, you stupid bitch!" he muttered.
"Shut up!"
"Fuck you." Santa gave a short, bitter laugh. "Or let him fuck you! Help me up first!"
Barbara almost kicked into his side but remembered that she was a police woman. They do not harm arrested people. "Mind your words!" she hissed and left him lying where he was.
"Sir?"
DI Lynley already had called the head quarters and had given them a description of their position. "Backup is on their way." he informed his Sergeant.
"Yeah. Merry Christmas, Sir." Barbara lopsidedly smiled and her words were edging sarcasm.
Tommy sighed in desperation. "I was worried to death on this wild chase." His worries were still there. He was not able to hide his fright about what could have happened. "About you!"
In a way it touched Barbara. "Well, I think I'm a very good driver."
"You are. But there is ice on parts of the roads."
"We all managed these, didn't we?"
"And he was armed!" Weakly Tommy pointed to the still cursing Santa on the floor.
"I am a good copper and know how to defend myself."
"He was armed, Barbara!"
"I guess he's lost the gun somewhere." Her voice was crackling. Suddenly it hit her that she had not wasted much thought on the weapon. "Well, at least he didn't have it when he climbed off his car."
Despair and relief shone through his eyes and something else Barbara could not decipher. Tommy pushed his fists into the pockets of his trousers. It was a gesture she knew too well from herself. She always did it in defence, so she would not have her hands do what they really want. Was he actually wanting what she thought? What she hoped? Barbara placed a hand on his arm. "Sir?"
"Hm?" Looking across the cobbled pier to the river he only hummed.
"It all went well, didn't it?" Barbara said again quietly and cocked her head with the hint of a smile. "So: Merry Christmas and congratulations to us."
Exasperated he looked into her eyes. "Why don't you stop doing such stu... irrational things?"
"That's me." His Sergeant shrugged apologetic. "I am stupid. I am irrational." Then she sighed. "You could do with a bit of irrationality too, sometimes."
"Could I?"
Barbara wanted nothing else but to feel his lips again. The thoughts in her head shouted at him to repeat the kiss. Maybe a bit softer, maybe a bit more romantic, and maybe she would find the courage to respond this time. Almost imperceptively she nodded. Her mind screamed at him to kiss her.
Much to her surprise Tommy did her the favour.
"Yes, I think I could. Merry Christmas, Barbara!" he suddenly whispered with a smile and bent down to Barbara. "And congratulations to us."
The hand that was still on his arm enforced its grip. Barbara closed her eyes and quicker than she could form a coherent thought his lips were on hers. It was a softer kiss, and it definitely was more romantic than the forceful encounter from earlier. And she responded gently when he began to move away. It made him return to her. Their warm lips met several times, one touch softer than the other but also more certain.
One arm came around her waist and pulled her closer into his chest. Tommy increased the pressure of his kiss. Involuntarily Barbara opened her mouth and their tongues met halfway. She looped her arms around his neck. He should not be able to leave. She definitely would not want that. Not until after New Year.
Thanks to Lynley's description the backup team found them.
Four cars came from different sides. Their headlamps lit up a strange scene. One car was nastily wrapped around a street lamp, the second was run into a low wall and the third car stood in the middle of the cobbled place. All driver's doors were open. One man was lying on the floor, his hands inconveniently tied in his back, his head lifted so he would not drown in the puddle below his face. A couple stood in a close embrace next to the only intact car. They deeply kissed and had forgotten about the world around them. One of the officers whistled but they did not care.
On the 23rd of December at about eleven in the night snow began to cover the cold city of Newcastle with a romantically beautiful layer of white.
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A/N: Merry Christmas, my dear readers!
*Mackintosh Mall - it doesn't exist ;-)