A/N: My thanks to all who have been patient in reading this story and waiting for updates. And my apologies for this taking a while. Life has been interfering lately. And I blame the muses for leaving me in the lurch lately. But I think the ladies are whispering in my ears again. Hopefully the next chapter won't take quite so long.
Face the Strange
Chapter 4
Shadows
The video shop was as busy as usual on Saturday evening. Gene didn't mind too much, however, because most of the customers were in the new releases section. He was in the westerns section, very much on his own. People today were just too snooty for old-fashioned stories that meant something. Proper living, standing up for what was right, and keeping the town clean of scum. That's entertainment.
But now those films were also a kind of torture for Gene. He and Alex had watched many them together. While she had already seen some of the films, he'd introduced her to westerns she'd never heard of. Being Alex, of course, she'd turned the tables on him, making Gene watch girly films – some of which he really liked, though it was hard to admit it. He wasn't certain, however, that he'd ever forgive her for taking advantage of his enjoyment of Gary Cooper westerns to make him watch Coop's romance films, like Meet John Doe and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. But in the end, Gene had to concede that Cooper could play romance just as well as he did westerns.
Gene thought about those evenings as he stood staring at the container for High Noon. Now there was a romantic film. Marshal Will Kane is certain that his young bride has left him forever, while he stays behind to finish the job of protecting Hadleyville – and his own life. But Amy comes back.
More than ever, Gene understood how Kane must have felt. Alex had left Gene – just as he'd told her to. Would she ever come back to him? In any way?
"Alex!"
Gene was startled out of the daydream of seeing his Bolly again. He looked around for the man who had called out the name – and saw Evan White in another aisle.
A young girl's voice came from another section. "Over here!" she yelled, as a small hand reached above the shelves, clutching the box for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The child stepped out into the open. "Can we get this one?"
White walked over to her. "Alex, we've seen that one a hundred times," he said.
"Then you should buy me a copy," young Alex replied. "I like watching Veruca getting sent down the chute with the other bad eggs."
The tone was so familiar that Gene couldn't resist looking over the shelves at the ten-year-old version of the Alex he knew. The girl gave her godfather a half smile that White returned.
"I think your favorite scenes in the movie are when the bad children are punished," White observed.
"Bad people should be punished," Alex declared flatly, crossing her arms. Gene smiled at the expression of annoyance in the child's face. A shadow of her future self. "Do you really want me to put it back?" she asked White.
"No. But if we're going to fast-forward through it, we should pick up another film. Go find one to watch later. Something neither of us has seen."
"I suppose it'll have to be a Disney film, won't it?"
"Preferably. See if you can find The Shaggy Dog."
"I thought you said one we haven't seen."
"All right. But choose something that'll give us a laugh."
Alex. To Gene, she looked happy. She seemed to have recovered from the shock of losing her parents – at least as much as she could. Living with her godfather appeared to be good for her. As young Alex went in one direction, White turned around and saw Gene gazing at them.
"Mr. Hunt," he said, approaching Gene. "How are you?"
Gene moved out from the shelves. "Fine," he answered, wishing he'd left the store as soon as he realized that the two were there. He was beginning to understand why Alex was so shaken the night she saw her younger self at the cinema. "How are you and Alex doing?"
A smile lit White's face. "Well," he said. "She's doing very well." The man glanced back over his shoulder at his goddaughter.
"That's good to hear." Thinking back over the last week, Gene remembered that Alex's birthday was the Friday before. "She just turned 10, didn't she?"
"Yes." White returned his gaze to Gene. "Yes. And she's starting to think herself quite grown up. Very serious at times, just like – " He paused and looked away. "Just like her mother. Same sense of justice. But she has some of Caroline's sense of humor, too, though. Quite silly sometimes."
The man was still in love with Caroline Price. Gene always knew that. Odd that Alex herself hadn't seen it. But by the time she was capable of understanding adult emotions, Evan White's grief had eased.
White met Gene's eyes again. "Is Miss Drake here?" he asked. "Or I should say 'DCI Drake.'"
Now it was Gene's turn to glance away. "She was transferred," he replied. Then he looked back at White. "She had a chance to be with her daughter again and – " Gene stopped abruptly. He stared at the other man for a moment, frowning. A startling thought came to him, and he mentally kicked himself for never considering it before.
White's voice brought him back. "Mr. Hunt?"
"Sorry," Gene mumbled. "Uh, DCI Drake returned to her daughter. She won't be coming back."
"Oh." White nodded. "Well, I can understand that," he said softly.
I'm sure you can, Gene thought.
"Evan!" Young Alex called from across the store. "Come look at these!"
White smiled. "Duty calls. Good to see you again, Mr. Hunt." He hurried over to where Alex stood at the new releases.
Gene observed the two for another moment. But his mind was on another little girl. A girl with brown hair and blue eyes. Eyes that were serious while also being joyful and young.
Eyes just like Evan White's.
##########
Gene didn't bother with the videos. He left them on a shelf and hurried out of the store. Saturday evening and the streets were busy. He stopped long enough for take-away curry and headed for Fenchurch East. The officers on duty were surprised to see the Guv coming in on a weekend he wasn't scheduled. Gene simply nodded to them and went through to his office.
He set about gathering the files he needed, then began to review them as he had dinner. There was a time when he would have trusted his memory to all the important facts. Now – following Alex's example – Gene made notes. He was most worried about keeping his emotions out of his reasoning and not trying to make the information fit his suspicions. That wouldn't do. Not for this case.
A couple of hours flew by. Tired of sitting at his desk, Gene stood and began to walk through the department, mulling over the past two years, since Alex Drake had landed on his patch. One of the best coppers he'd ever known. The most incredible woman he ever would know. From the start she'd drawn him in, even as she drove him mad.
But now he understood her obsession with Caroline and Tim Price, Evan White, Arthur Layton. Especially Caroline. Alex was trying to make a connection to her mother. Save her parents' lives. And bring Layton to justice.
Bad people should be punished.
Of course, Alex tried to stop Layton before he acted. To save people she loved.
Returning to his desk, Gene took out his bottle of scotch and poured a generous amount. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the desk – and thought. What would he himself do in Alex's position? How far would he go to protect someone he loved?
The answer was easy.
Looking over the files spread across his desk, Gene realized that he needed more information if he wanted to continue the investigation. Would it be worth the time and effort? What would he do with his conclusions? He wasn't certain. He only knew that he was a cop. And the truth was important.
The few items he still needed weren't available on weekends. He'd have to wait until Monday to send requests for them. He would also need to track down Dickie Nolan. The snout wasn't the best for accuracy, but he'd have to do.
Gene finished the scotch and began putting the files in order and locked them in his desk. Finally, he turned out the light and exited the station, taking his notebook with him. For the first time in over a week, he was beginning to feel like himself. Nothing like a new case to get him back into the world – even if it was old case.
##########
On Saturday night, Gene slept better than he had since the break up with Alex and her subsequent disappearance. Maybe it was having a new piece to an old puzzle that helped. He had never liked unanswered questions, especially where the job was concerned. Now he felt on the verge of truly understanding what happened in October of 1981. And maybe what happened in the years before that.
He re-wrote his notes, adding information not in the files. Information he'd learned from Alex. Every now and then, a sound or a scent would seem to catch his attention and Gene would stop and look over his shoulder, half expecting to find Alex there. The sensation reminded him of the old saying about being "there in spirit." But, of course, she wasn't there and would never be again. Not in this flat.
He missed her.
##########
As Gene entered Fenchurch East on Monday morning, he saw Viv and pulled the sergeant aside. "Skip," he said, "put in a call to get the name on my office door changed."
Viv nodded. "Right, Guv. I'll get someone here today. And Chief Jeffers wants to see you right away."
Frowning, Gene went on to CID first. It wasn't that he didn't like Jeffers. The chief had been instrumental in keeping Gene on the job after the shooting – even if that did mean a demotion. At least he knew that Jeffers was honest and looked after his people. But Gene couldn't help wondering what would get a summons to the chief's office first thing on a Monday morning.
The room was full when he got to CID. Of course there was one empty desk. Gene couldn't help himself. Every time he passed by that first desk on the right, he stole a glance. Maybe he was hoping that one day he'd find that Alex had returned.
Ray looked up as Gene came in. "Guv," he called. "Chief Jeffers wants to see you."
"So I've heard," Gene replied. "Any word on the electronics store robbery last week?"
"The manager was released from hospital. Doctors said he's lucky to be alive after being knifed. No new information about the blaggers or the goods. Got the word out about anything showing up on the street." Ray paused, looking a little uncomfortable. "I'd like to talk with you later, Guv."
Gene had an idea of what was on Ray's mind: a transfer closer to Teresa. The Manc Lion was in danger losing his entire team. "Yeah," he said. "After the DCI meeting at Central." He paused, unsure about bringing the DS into his investigation. Finally Gene decided to trust Ray with a small task. "Ray, have you heard anything about Arthur Layton being in the area?"
The sergeant was clearly surprised by the question. "No," he replied. "He wouldn't be mad enough to come back here, would he?"
"I think he might be," Gene said. "Ask your best snouts for any information, but keep it quiet. If he is back, we don't want to scare him."
"Right, Guv."
TBC…
