Author's Note:- Rated for sexual content in later chapters and adult themes. Episode based "Breaking Glass" S3 EPs 5/6. Not mine and never will be.
Nothing but the best Chapter 11
"Is there a problem Mr Boyd I hope you and the doctor are having a nice evening." The manager smiled approaching the table as Grace met his eye.
"Things have been fine Michael you know how much I appreciate what you have here it's such a unique venue but..."
"But what the hell's going on tonight?" Boyd interrupted making her heart sink a little. "First Grace's starter gets mysteriously changed to shrimp which she's allergic to and she's told I did it. The he turns up with a bottle of this wine that tastes more like gnat's piss and says it's an apology from the management. If you really wanted to apologise you'd have given us a bottle of what we were already drinking and you'd have brought it yourself. This is a very special evening for us which is why I brought Doctor Foley here in the first place and you have systematically ruined the evening."
"I'm sorry I'm not sure I understand. What starter change? What wine?"
"My starter." Grace replied before Boyd could reply squeezing his hand to silence him. "I ordered salmon, when the starters arrived I was brought shrimp cocktail. I'm allergic to shell fish. I asked our waiter about it and he said the kitchen had said my companion had changed it. When Peter came back to the table I asked about it and reminded him I couldn't eat it. He didn't change my order. When the new one was brought we asked and our waiter didn't seem to know where the confusion had come. We assumed..."
"You assumed." Boyd interrupted immediately falling silent again as she stared at him.
"I assumed it was a simple mix up with the tables then...I'm sorry I don't know you're name." Grace continued turning to George.
"It's George Doctor Foley."
"Then George brought this bottle of wine saying it was from the management as an apology. Peter's just a little confused as to why you would apologise with a completely different wine to the one were drinking. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding."
"Can you give me two minutes to look into it? Meantime I will have a bottle of the very excellent red you have been drinking brought over." The manager replied with a strained smile that ld Grace all she needed to know. Something wasn't right and when Boyd realised then all hell was going to break loose.
"Finally someone who actually understands the concept of customer service." Boyd signed turning his attention back to her as the manager and George left the table. "Gracie what's wrong and don't tell me nothing this time. I know there's something."
"OK...look don't overreact or go all senior police officer on me ok?"
"Now you really are worrying me so you better start talking."
"It's just the wine I knew it was awful and you were going to hate it because so do I but every time we were out for dinner..."
"Alan McKenzie. He liked the wine. That's what bothered you when it first arrived." Boyd asked trying to keep his tone level as he scanned the room seeing no sign of the other man.
"It's probably purely coincidence but give his reaction this morning it put me on edge a little. I'm probably overreacting..."
"You are less prone to overreaction than anyone else I've ever known Grace and you don't believe in coincidence. I saw how quickly you wanted me off side this morning is there something you're not telling me about him? Has he ever been violent toward you or..."
"No! Honestly he's never laid a finger on me in anger it's just...well he always felt there was more to our relationship than I did." Grace sighed as a completely different waiter brought the fresh bottle of wine and glasses and poured it for them. "I always thought of us as "a little more" than friends..."
"That's exactly how you described him to me." Boyd interrupted his anger only being tempered by the concern he felt at the hint of fear she was trying to hide.
"Yeah well he was much more fond of the word relationship than friendship. I ignored his possessiveness if I'm honest, that's my fault I should have acknowledged he was a lot more invested than me..."
"From what you've told me you didn't do anything to make him think you wanted more. It's not your fault he's a tosser. There's something else you're not telling me Grace I can see it in your eyes. Please, no secrets if I have to arrest him, or beat him to a pulp, or sink his bloody career I'll do it to keep you safe just tell me."
"I think I saw him leaving a few minutes ago, just after you asked to speak to the manager. I could be wrong but I don't think I am." Grace sighed as the manager moved toward them again and stood sheepishly beside the table.
"Excuse me sorry to interrupt again but it seems that someone has been...well I don't quite know how to describe it...we..."
"You need to stop stalling right now." Boyd snapped fishing his warrant card out of his pocket as the managers eyes widened slightly and he nodded.
"Would you both come with me for a second? Obviously tonight's bill is taken care of I really don't know what to say about all this."
"Where are we going?" Grace asked as they followed the manager through a maze of small corridors at the back of the building coming to a small staffroom where she saw George and a young girl she thought she recognised.
"You know George and this is one of our bar staff. The wine sent to your table wasn't from us. As you rightly said Mr Boyd if there was an issue I would have spoken to you personally then give you a bottle of what you were already drinking or asked if you wanted an alternative."
"So what have these two got to say then?" Boyd asked as Grace watched him immediately snap into detective mode while still keeping her hand protectively clasped in his.
"I only did what she told me to do. She said there was some cash in it for me if I got the kitchen to change the order and brought the wine then tried to make your evening a wash out." George snapped as Hayley instantly crumbled.
"It was just a man, nothing special about him. He gave me some money to ask the kitchen to change Doctor Foley's order then more to send George to the table with the wine. Then he wanted to pay George to make your evening go badly I..." Hayley began as Grave felt Boyd move from her side standing over the young woman.
"What man? Did you know him? Can you describe him?" He asked his obvious authority and presence clearly intimidating the girl as she looked at Grace for a second and she finally remembered where she knew her from.
"Peter just a second darling." She said quietly moving to sit on the seat facing the girl. "It's Hayley isn't it? You were at the lecture I gave last month for Professor McKenzie? You came and spoke to me afterward."
"Yes." Hayley replied with a small but clearly relieved nod looking Grace in the eye ignoring the others.
"Was it Professor McKenzie who asked you to change my food and get George to bring the wine?" Grace asked seeing reluctance in the young woman's eyes and feeling Boyd move as she stopped him with a glance and a gentle squeeze of his arm. They'd done this so many times in their professional lives. Sometimes the situation dictated that she was more likely to get the information they needed than him. She knew now if he could see past his need to protect her he'd see that was the case now. "Hayley it's ok, look I know it's frightening. I'm here right in front of you and you look at Peter and just see his police badge but no one thinks this is your fault tell me what he said."
"I told him you were a nice lady and I didn't know why he'd want to ruin your evening but he said you were making a mistake and that he..." Hayley continued pointing at Boyd. "That he was going to hurt you. He was like totally weird he just sat at the bar watching you. I tried to say I thought it was a bit freaky but he wouldn't listen...I'm really sorry Doctor Foley I..."
"Hayley it's ok. I'm sure everything is going to be ok but for now I've got to go. If my colleagues need to speak to you again you'll speak to them right? I can be there if you want." Grace smiled waiting until the girl nodded before getting to her feet glancing at the door as Boyd and the manager followed her out of it. Turning to the manager she started speaking with a steely determination that Boyd knew all too well and would never dare argue with. "Don't do anything to either of them. I don't know about George but Hayley is just a kid who's been manipulated with promises of god knows what by someone she should be able to trust. I'll be back here you know I love it and one bad experience won't change that when I am I want them both to still be here and if they're not I expect there to be a good reason unconnected to tonight why they aren't."
"Yes Doctor Foley, of course if there's anything else we can..."
"That's all you need to do." Grace interrupted before turning to Boyd standing close to him and looking him straight in the eye knowing it was taking everything he had just to stay calm. "You and I are going to leave now and talk about how we deal with this ok?"
"OK." Boyd said quietly ignoring the people around him that he wanted to knock into the middle of next week. He had to focus on Grace. He could see all the determination in her gaze laced with fear...no terror was a better word for it and he wasn't going to let her be frightened. First he had to get her home, to bed, to sleep and then he was going to call in the troops.