My thanks to Sylvain for the beta work.

Spectre

Part 11

Before Aaron had a chance to say anything in reply to Chris, the older man had launched into an irate rant. First firing accusations, then demands and finally threats at him. He didn't know whether to mouth back, to try reasoning with him or just end the call. In the end, the decision was made for him when the line suddenly went dead.

He just stood there, shaken by the unexpected and explosive tirade, trying to take it all in, trying to make some sense of it. To start off, just how did Chris get hold of his mobile number? He was going to have to change it now! The next question to pop into his head was why would Davies think Joel was with him? And why would he think there was something going on between the two of them? That last question was easy enough to answer: that was Chris's jealous mind at work. But why was Chris looking for Joel? Why didn't he know where he was? The lad had to have walked out on him, done a runner, finally seen sense.

He checked the number on his phone, and finding it had been withheld, remembered the silent, anonymous call he'd received the day before. Aaron reasoned that it had to have been from Chris too. He was suddenly struck by a worrying thought: he'd given Joel his mobile number, had written it on a piece of paper. Had Chris found it? Had he then rung the number to see whose it was? That was certainly something his suspicious mind would have him do. Then he'd have wanted answers from Joel, and if Chris didn't like what he was hearing or didn't believe what Joel had to say for himself, then that would be reason enough for the nutter to flip, to turn violent.

If that was the case then, Joel had to have gone to ground but, was he alright, was he safe where he was? Should he be looking for him? He'd been through all this before, and nothing had changed in the time since. He still knew next to nothing about Joel, he certainly didn't have a clue where to start looking for him. Again, the only thing he could do was wait and see if he got in touch. Was it likely though? If he'd been the cause of Chris kicking off, Joel would probably avoid him like the plague now; then again, he knew he had someone he could talk to in him, and he had told him to come to him should he be in need of help.

But what about Chris? He'd just told him to keep away from Joel... threatening him with all sorts if he didn't!

He really didn't need this. Jackson had made him promise to tell him of any and all developments and he had every intention of honouring that promise, but how could he tell him about Davies' threats? Jackson would drop everything and come straight home if he did, kissing both the bonus and the job goodbye by doing so. But then, how could he not tell him after the bust up they'd had the last time he'd purposefully kept something from him? What should he do? He was damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

If he honestly thought Jackson would react calmly, take it in his stride like he did everything else, then he'd have no problem ringing and telling him now but, where Davies was concerned, his boyfriend was overly anxious, overly protective... he just had an idea! He'd tell Jackson in person. He'd work a half day tomorrow then drive down to where Jackson was working, tell him everything, reason it through with him. He was certain he could do just that in person, but not over the phone. The idea was growing more and more on him, because the day after tomorrow, Friday, was Jackson's birthday. They could spend part of the day together that way, the evening... the night. Yeah, that's what he'd do; he'd drive down tomorrow and surprise him.

/

It was eight o'clock now, and he was standing by the bar getting a round in. He'd earlier had tea at Paddy's as planned. The older man was convinced he wasn't eating properly whilst Jackson was away and so had set a heaped plateful of spaghetti bolognaise in front of him. He'd eaten most of it, Clyde polishing off the rest when Paddy wasn't looking. Paddy didn't half worry about him and that was exactly why he'd not breathed a word to him about Davies' phone call. He would tell him when he got back from seeing Jackson. Paddy wouldn't like being kept in the dark but, he had to give him some leeway here, it was a difficult situation and he was doing his best to keep it under control.

The ring tone on his phone was sounding, he knew it was Jackson; he rang the same time every evening. They'd spend half an hour or so chatting about their day, the usual long distance stuff, knowing that later, around midnight, when they were both alone, he'd ring Jackson, that too had become a ritual. That's when they'd say their I love you's and their goodnights, and all the things that were for their ears only. He couldn't help but smile at that thought; they'd turned into a right soppy pair!

Before he knew it, it was half past ten and going home time. It had been a good night, a fun night, him and Paddy had teamed up against Adam and John Barton for a few games of darts. The company, the upbeat mood had cheered him up but, what had really lifted his spirits was the thought of seeing Jackson the next day. He couldn't believe it had taken a phone call from Davies to give him the idea. Determinedly pushing all thoughts of Davies, and Joel, for that matter, out of his mind again, he walked with Paddy as far as the Smithy, promising to call and see him before leaving the next day.

He'd then made his way home and was just getting ready for bed, when he heard a knock on the front door. It was late, getting on for eleven, who could it be at that time of the night? He peered out of his bedroom window, telling himself that if it was Chris, he'd be hammering on the door. The car parked by the front gate was one he'd seen before, one that on seeing it again left him feeling decidedly uneasy, but it wasn't Chris's, it was Joel's. Hurriedly pulling back on the clothes he'd just removed, he made his way downstairs.

TBC