Robbie did not want a confrontation with James. He liked the man, admired him as a man and an inspector. At his core, he regarded James as a second son. What Robbie found frustrating was the attitude he sometimes hid behind. James would hide behind a shield of formality and avoidance when he was feeling vulnerable, hurt or other negative emotions. Robbie intended to find out what he was dealing, on this occasion.
James sat quietly in front of Robbie, not wanting to be the first one to speak. A game of wills between two stubborn men. James studiously focused on his phone, checking e-mail.
"James, I did not ask you to come into my office to check your e-mail." Robbie opened their conversation with. Robbie had wanted to be positive and upbeat, but he figured the conversation started where it started and he'd see where it meandered from there.
"Sorry, Sir." James responded, putting away his phone and focusing his eyes generally in the direction of Robbie.
"James, it's still Robbie. Please, there is no fundamental change between us from my vantage point. We are still two colleagues trying keep civilization going and stay at least half a step in front of the madmen in this world. What's going on in your head these days?" Robbie stopped there, hoping to elicit something intelligent from James.
"Robbie, why did you select me to work on the holiday event? Is it punishment for some infraction that I did not realized I committed?" James asked of Robbie.
"James, we'll get to the holiday event later, but I will say that it's not punishment, I think you can help us have a great event this year. More on that later. Right now, I want to discuss why you seem allergic to having a conversation or a friendly interaction with me. Have I said or done something to offend you? Do you think that Moody should have given you the Acting Interim thing in his absence? What's going on? Please, speak freely. This is between you and me. Not just between the Chief Superintendent and Inspector." Robbie had not felt this much tension speaking with James since their case with Wil McEwan and Zoe Kenneth. That time, he had to carry James out of a burning building to get the man to understand that he had a high regard for him. Robbie hoped that there would be nothing to that extreme, this time.
"Robbie if this is between you and me, let's go to the pub and have lunch?"
Robbie agreed to James' suggestion. It was a brisk, but good walk. It felt good to get out and move around and not be stuck behind a desk all day. James started off by discussing Nell and her recent ideas about what he should do with his future. Robbie listened. James then talked about what his band was doing in the near future. Robbie listened. Finally James was ready to talk about himself and policing and the near future.
"Robbie, when Moody announced that you were assuming his position while he's on sabbatical, I really thought it was a great idea. You have the experience, the judgment and with Laura willing to go along with it, it's a great arrangement. But somehow I found myself feeling left out. With you just having come back from your trip to New Zealand, we had not been in close contact. Not that I wasn't thinking about you and Laura, I often did. But I felt guilty about it. Then when you came back and started to work with other inspectors and their teams, there seemed to be more distance between us. Then when you were reincarnated as the Chief Super, I kind of gave up on our friendship. I figured I was all grown up now and needed to stand on my own two feet. But I thought I'd lost a valued friend in the process. Mainly my fault, I'm sorry." James had finished his soliloquy and Robbie was puzzled.
"That's it?" Robbie asked him.
"Yes." James replied, not quite certain what else he should say. Or rather what else Robbie had been expecting him to say.
"So this is just a misunderstanding. You thought that I'd moved on, outgrown out friendship or something? That's nonsense, you know that. Or if you don't know it, I'm telling you now." Robbie informed James.
James felt a refreshing shower of relief wash over him. Then he felt guilty for having doubted Robbie's friendship.
Robbie let James know "I have a way that will assure that we are working somewhat closely together, and that's the holiday party, or event as I'm thinking of it."
"So that was not just a ploy to get me to speak with you? You are really going to force me to pull a party out of a hat for you?" James asked his friend and boss.
Smiling broadly, Robbie said "Yes. And you may thank me for it, too. Let's discuss our holiday event in more detail while we're walking back to the station."