Chapter Three
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So let's find out.
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'You're a coward' she teased.
'I most certainly am not.' he replied.
'I've scared you.' she said.
'You haven't.' he stared straight ahead.
'Surely you've been propositioned by a woman before?' she grinned.
'Countless times' he nodded.
'WPC Melanie Carson?' Alex asked.
'No.' he said calmly. 'Why would you think that?'
'You gave her a lift last night. I saw you together.' she said. 'I thought maybe there was a little workplace romance going on that I hadn't noticed.'
'She lives in the street next to mine.' Gene said, 'With her boyfriend. Happy now?'
'It wouldn't have made the tiniest scrap of difference to me if you and she were shagging.' Alex said.
Gene shook his head once before standing up, 'Good, nice to know I have your permission, I'll tell Big Frank, her boyfriend, I'm sure he'll give me and Mel a bit of alone time.'
Alex gazed up at him, 'So, you're rejecting me again?'
He shrugged, 'I like to do the chasing.'
She'd never seen him look quite so awkward, like he was dying to make a run for it. She was cross with herself and him, her stupid body, all aroused and excited, when he really didn't want her after all, or he did want her but was terrified so wouldn't give anything away, 'No lunch then?' she pouted.
'Make up your bloody mind woman.' he said. 'Hurry up then, I haven't got all day.' he walked out of the sitting room without offering his hand to help her up.
As he waited outside the front door he thought about William Braxton's revelations. Why the hell would she come here to the Price's house if there wasn't a connection? But how could Caroline be her mother? They were of a similar age. He was beginning to regret being quite so aggressive to Braxton, he needed to find the man and talk to him again. But first he had to reassert his masculinity with Drake. She had a point, they did need to get each other out of their systems. It was going to be on his terms though, not hers. He lit a cigarette, wondering what was keeping her.
Alex was giving her childhood home a final quick tour before leaving it forever. She knew she could never go back, it looked too empty and sad, and yet not all the memories were good ones. She remembered struggling with homework, her mother watching her like a hawk, her father making excuses for her, she also remembered never feeling quite good enough, unable to live up to her parents high expectations, but there had been love and laughter too. The faint smell of herbs and spices lingered in the kitchen, she visualised it as it had been, one of her mother's Elizabeth David cookery books always propped opened waiting for Caroline to have time to experiment, a half drank bottle of wine always on the dresser, a stack of newspapers on the table with articles cut out, or marked to be cut out.
'Bolly!' Gene called.
'Ok, coming!' she called back, 'Bye' she whispered to the empty house.
'Dinner.' Gene stated as she joined him.
'Sorry?' she was distracted.
'I have to get back, I need to nail Hutchinson before he does some real damage.' Gene said, 'So, you go and get us some sandwiches, come into work like a good little DI, and I'll buy you dinner tonight, deal?'
'Very spontaneous' muttered Alex, diverting off towards the sandwich bar as Gene strode back towards the station, 'Not'
'Beef ' yelled Gene.
She pretended not to hear him, he was getting chicken salad, it suited him better.
As she came out of the sandwich bar she noticed a vaguely familiar figure; in the split second it took her to realise it was William Braxton the man had hopped onto a bus. Luckily this was London, and the bus was motionless in a traffic jam; she crossed the street and caught up with it, getting on and locating Braxton on the lower deck. She sat down beside him.
'William Braxton?' she asked.
He looked uncomfortable, 'Alex Drake.'
'I heard that you knew my parents.' she said.
He didn't bother to deny it, 'Well yes, Caroline more than Tim, I knew her very well.'
'How well?' Alex asked, shocked; was he saying he was another of Caroline's conquests?
'Not like that, our paths crossed on several occasions. I was newly qualified, younger than your mother. She was a formidable woman, focussed ; a terrible loss to the legal profession.' he turned in his seat as if trying to see what the hold up was.
'How did you know I was her daughter though?' Alex hardly dared to ask, 'I mean you must know exactly what happened to me.'
William nodded, 'A very similar thing happened to me.'
Alex was stunned, she felt her heart begin to race as the bus lurched into action and travelled about five yards, 'You were, are, a copper?' she muttered.
'A police pathologist, in the wrong place at the wrong time.' he said, 'It's very complicated.'
The traffic jam cleared and the bus took its chance and began making its way across London slowly but surely.
'But how? Why?' Alex was confounded, 'You would be at Fenchurch East surely. If you were from the real world and came back in time you would have been with Gene at Fenchurch.'
William shook his head, 'I was there before he arrived.'
'Which year did you come from?' Alex asked.
'2010' William replied.
'But we would have known each other, or I would have least have known of you.' she was confused, 'How long have you been here?'
'I arrived back in 1978' William said, 'I was based in Harrow before I was murdered, there was no reason you would have known me, but I'd heard of you, and knew you were the Price's daughter.'
Alex felt her heart pumping even more violently, 'In 2010, was I still alive?' she hardly dared ask, 'In a coma?'
William nodded, 'As far as I know.' he held back from telling her what he really knew, he had to give her hope.
'So, where are you now?' she asked, 'I mean, Gene's some kind of caretaker isn't he, looking after coppers in need, I've worked that much out, why isn't he caring for you?'
'Because I broke free' William said, 'Retired- make my living in the betting shops- easy when you know the results before hand.'
'You said you were murdered, how do you know you died?' Alex asked.
'I heard them announce it, I arrested and they couldn't resuscitate me, I'd lost too much blood, I heard them agree to give up, the time was 3.37 pm.' he shrugged.
'Did you feel any different?' Alex asked with morbid fascination.
'I felt freer' William said, 'No messages from 2010, just freedom and a kind of release. It's fine, not what I was hoping for but I can live with it, if 'live' is the right word.'
Alex was amazed that William could be so calm about it.
'Alex you have two lives at the moment, live them both, enjoy every moment you can, the less you rail against this one and make the most of it the more chance you have of getting back to the other one.'
'Gene?' she asked.
'Very protective of you.' William smiled, 'Uber protective, as my dropout son used to say, back in 2010, everything was uber to him. But your DCI cares deeply for you and that's good.'
'How do you cope with not seeing your child?' Alex asked.
'Quite badly really- but I don't think there's much danger of him ever being harmed in the line of duty.' William said, 'I don't think there's much chance he'll ever do a days work in his life. I don't worry about him too much, I just imagine he's happy and safe- ah Oxford Circus- this is me.' he stood up and made to push past her.
'Well thanks' Alex said, 'I suppose I'd better get off too, try and get back to Fenchurch.' she held up the brown paper bag containing the sandwiches, 'I was only supposed to be picking up lunch.'
'Live the retro life. Enjoy it.' William smiled, he paused and took out a Coutts diary, scribbled a number into one of the back pages, tore it out and handed it to Alex, 'If you ever need me.'
Alex caught another bus for the return journey, and when she arrived, paid another visit to the sandwich shop to buy Gene a beef sandwich.
She braced herself as she entered the incident room, thinking he would be furious with her for taking so long, but he wasn't there, he was in one of the interview rooms with George Hutchinson, actually charging him according to Ray, who had squeezed some interesting information out of Kiki and blown Hutch's alibi apart.
'See? You didn't need me after all.' Alex said to Ray in a patronising voice.
'I can wipe me own arse as well' Ray replied, 'What's in the bag?'
'Gene's lunch' Alex swiped it away quickly.
'Creep.' Ray said.
Gene appeared and went to his office looking pleased with himself.
Alex waited a minute or two before following him.
'Hello yes?' he was pretending to look through some papers.
'Beef sandwich.' she said, putting the bag on his desk.
'Took a bit of time to catch the cow did it?' he sounded amused.
'Sorry, I got waylaid- Guv' she said, aiming for humility.
'Just leave it there' he didn't look up, 'You can go down to the records room and dig out Hutch's previous convictions file.'
'But none of it can be used.' she protested.
'I know, I just need you to have a look. Be up to speed on what a toe-rag he really is, otherwise you may start banging on about mitigating circumstances or human rights or some other such shit.' he said, he pushed Hutch's statement over to her, 'Make some copies of this too.'
'Yes Guv' she took the statement, but remained in front of him.
He looked up, 'Why are you still here?'
'Don't you want to know where I was?' she asked.
He shook his head, 'No I want you to get to work on getting Hutch put away for a good few years.'
Gene left CID late afternoon, without referring to their dinner date. Alex pouted as she finished reading through Hutch's file. It was stomach churning stuff, the man was a sadist and a psychopath, no wonder Gene wanted him put away for as long as possible. She locked the file, her copy of Hutch's latest statement, and her notes in a drawer and looked around the room. It was almost empty except for Shaz.
'Doing anything exciting tonight Ma'am?' she asked as she took her coat from the hook.
'Supposed to having dinner with his nibs.' Alex said, 'But he wouldn't be tied down to a time or place, and now he appears to be absent.'
'Do you think it might snow?' Shaz was peering into the dark November night, 'The sky looks all yellow over there.'
'Pollution.' Alex said, 'Not seeing Chris tonight?'
'He's having a night out with Ray.' Shaz said, 'I'm meeting some friends at the Blitz, it's not really Chris's thing, he only goes to please me.'
'Maybe he and Ray will turn up there.' Alex said, and then giggled.
Shaz giggled too, 'Ray at the Blitz? Spouting off about poofters and ladyboys? He'd be lynched in five minutes. Have a good evening with the Guv.' she smiled widely.
'I'll try my best.' Alex replied.
oxxo
'I not your personal bloody chef' Luigi spluttered.
'Just do it' Gene said persuasively, 'and ring the flat when it's ready.'
'Melon balls in Cointreau, sacrilegio- Mama!' Luigi read the piece of paper Gene had thrust at him, ' Lamb noisettes' he shrugged and shook his head, 'haven't idea…Crepe Suzette? I am Italian! This is all French! Toadies!'
'Frogs not toads -look-just do the nearest thing to the Italian version' Gene said, slapping him on the back, 'I know you won't let me down. Give us one of those ice cream bombe things if you can't manage pancakes- pistachio.'
'You want my bloody blood next.' Luigi grumbled.
'Shit, forgot wine, nice wine, Luigi, rich and fruity, something that won't take three layers of skin off your tongue.' he smiled.
'Valpolicella- my second cousin in Verona- his produce.' Luigi said proudly.
'Yes fine, I expect you'll be passing the family discount he lets you have on to me?' Gene rubbed his hands. 'A couple of bottles? Make it three to be on the safe side. Key?'
Luigi tutted but handed over the spare key to Alex's flat.
Gene undid his tie and the top button of his shirt. In Alex's bathroom he nicked some of her toothpaste and finger cleaned his teeth, then he went into the kitchen and rifled through her cupboards looking for a drink. Finding a half bottle of scotch, he poured himself a good measure and made himself comfortable on the sofa. Twenty minutes later Alex arrived home.
She stopped dead as she entered the sitting room to sling her jacket down and saw Gene on her sofa happily swigging her scotch, 'How the hell?'
'Luigi gave me a key.' he said, 'Drink?' he had a spare glass at the ready.
'Yes thanks for offering me my own whisky.' she said haughtily, 'Very generous of you.'
'I'm like that' Gene nodded, pouring her drink and holding the glass up to her.
'You're a bit early.' Alex said, 'I'm not really ready…' she stood there awkwardly, it was like he was the one at home and she was a guest.
'Well- just thought there's no time like the present' Gene said softly, 'When it comes to getting things out of your system, I reckon you have to seize your chance.'
'I feel a bit grubby.' she said, taking the glass and trying not to touch his hand as she did so, 'maybe I'll just have a quick shower.'
'Be my guest.' he said, looking amused. 'Although I'm not adverse to a bit of grubbiness.'
'This was my flat last time I looked' she protested. 'I don't remember inviting you to let yourself in, it's…it's just not what I envisaged. I'm not ready.' she repeated lamely.
Gene drained his glass and stood up, 'So you want me to go?
She was aware just how tall and imposing he was, in the confines of her flat it was even more pronounced, she could smell him, aftershave, whisky and a dash of toothpaste combining to give off such a powerful aroma which, coupled with his closeness was almost enough to make her swoon, 'Er, no' she muttered, 'No you don't have to….'
He stood in front of her, gently sliding his hand under her wayward curls, lifting them gently, letting his thumb slide along her jaw line.
Oh god he's going to kiss me she thought, her mind freezing so she could think of nothing else, she was fixated on his mouth, and how his hands were lifting her hair and holding her head so carefully. It was nothing like she expected it to be, her heart pumped violently and her legs were close to giving way as his lips brushed hers tenderly, he began to kiss her more forcefully, his tongue sliding into her mouth and seeking hers. Electric shocks travelled up and down the length of her entire body as she leaned against him and he pushed against her in return, still holding her face in his hands. They didn't stop kissing until they had to come up for breath and by then she was already lost, addicted, she needed more immediately. Her hand went up around the back of his neck, feeling the silkiness of his hair, his lion's mane, her free arm went around him, pulling him in, holding him, keeping him. He held her tightly in return, one hand cupping her arse, pushing her onto him so she could feel his erection. She cried out into his mouth. Somehow they were tearing at each others clothes with intense irritation that the clothes had the audacity to be there creating this unbearable barrier. Alex felt like she was in a dream, that this couldn't be happening, that the man who looked so unconcerned and cool and collected as he sat at his desk just a few hours before was now breathing heavily and trembling and ripping the fabric of her stripy top like it was tissue paper.
The phone rang and they both almost jumped out of their skins.
'Fuck, it's Luigi' Gene gasped, 'Leave it.' his eyes were huge and dark and glorious as he stared at her breasts heaving under the lace of her bra. He stepped back from her and gulped, 'Take it off'
'We should answer the phone' she was shaking uncontrollably.
'Take - it- off' he repeated breathlessly.
She pulled one strap down over her shoulder, watching him watching her. He looked like he was auditioning for the part of Robinson Crusoe standing there in his shredded shirt with his tie slung over his shoulder, the curve of his tummy showing tantalisingly through the tattered cotton. The phone carried on ringing but to her it sounded muted and distant. She looked down at herself as her breast sprung free and then glanced back at him.
He was feasting his eyes on her, licking his lips as he pulled at his tie to get it off. His expression gave her such a massive confidence boost that she hurriedly pulled down the other strap, exposing both her magnificent tits to him brazenly as she undid the hooks and let the bra drop to the floor. Gene managed to get his tie off and flung it on top of her bra. She stumbled towards him and helped him with his shirt. When they were both topless they dived at each other again, their kisses just a hair's breadth away from becoming bites. The phone fell silent as they unzipped each other and dropped to the floor in an undignified heap as they'd forgotten to take their boots off. Eventually they were fully undressed and Gene was exploring her body enthusiastically. Alex squealed as his lips travelled down her quivering torso, nibbling at her belly and hipbones, she squealed even louder as she found she had his cock in her hand, and goodness it was large 'Oh my god!'
As he parted her legs and licked the soft skin at the top of her thighs she started to wondered if she was about to explode, his hairy thigh brushed her cheek as she squeezed his cock and her hand travelled down its length.
'Bolly' he groaned.
'Please don't stop' she begged, shamelessly pushing his head between her legs.
'Mister Hunt!' yelled Luigi through the door, 'I 'ave your balls 'ere.'
'Oh sodding hell!' Gene groaned, peeping up at her from between her legs.
Alex smiled lasciviously and cupped Genes bollocks lovingly, 'I don't think you do Luigi.' she whispered, barely unable to contain her excitement. 'I think you'll find that in fact I have his balls right here.'
oxxo
