Chapter 21A
"Wait... we.. we didn't...?" Emily was on her second cup of coffee which he'd poured for her. Jameson had found his phone and sent for groceries as he'd mentioned. He was making them sandwiches. He shook his head.
"No. We didn't." He placed a sandwich in front of her and set one out for himself. He poured a couple of glasses of orange juice and took his stool again. She was looking at him waiting for the joke.
"We were in bed... naked..."
"I didn't think you'd fancy finding yourself on the couch... and I was too tired to try and dress you at that hour." He took a bite of his meal. He looked so at ease.
"I'm confused."
"That is a certainty." He was teasing and wiping at his mouth. "Eat. I promise we can talk about it all... but I need food. Otherwise, I'm going to be an utter prick."
..
Cook was dressed and heading out the door when he heard his name. He turned and faced Luke. "Yes?"
"Someone has a spring in his step." He laughed at the sight of him. Cook couldn't be angrier if he tried.
"Yeah well... guess I missed breaking someone's jaw for the hell of it." Luke laughed. Cook imagined stomping on him.
"Hmm... seems that way... head over to the south end warehouse." He was smiling but all business. "Take over the shipment and make sure we're paid." Cook turned away and stopped again. "Make sure you keep that anger close by. I've missed it Cookie."
..
Effy had sent the email and was finishing up some notes when she received a reply. The handler wanted to meet her in the park near her place. She smiled, feeling like she had done something brilliant and would see her friends out of danger before long. When she got to the park, he was already waiting on a bench. She sat down next to him. He had two coffees in hand.
"Thinking black." Handed it to her. She accepted with a nod. "You do good work."
"Tell me something I'm not aware of." She smiled and kept her eyes on him. There was something making her sixth sense tingle. "You can make something of what I sent? Enough to call everything off and maybe arrest someone?" The man faced forward and took a drink from his coffee.
"Make something? Yes. Arrest? Not likely."
"Why not?" She knew they would need to do more for an arrest but it didn't stop her from asking, for pushing him to answer. "I gave you several possibilities for money laundering sites. Established businesses that aren't going to disappear overnight. I provided solid connections..." He held up a hand.
"Ms. Stonem. Your work is exemplary. It's logical and well laid out. So well that our Crown prosecutor for this particular investigation... well... he's drafting plea agreements for anyone willing to provide information on bigger players." She didn't explode. But she shook in equal parts anger and equal parts fear.
"Inspector..."
"Just Harry please."
"Inspector..." She continued. "Perhaps I didn't explain in my email... There's a girl... a young woman..."
"Emily Fitch." The way he said her name stunned her. It wasn't a surprise to him. He seemed ethereally calm.
"Yes."
"I know all about her."
"Then why haven't you done anything?" She yelled then. He drank from his cup and took his time in answering. So much so that Effy considered throwing her coffee in his face.
"Because she was deemed collateral damage by my superiors given what was at stake." He wouldn't look at her. Effy felt the world tilting. She wasn't in the habit of fainting or being a fragile thing, and she wasn't about to start, but the idea that someone was seen as collateral damage instead of someone needing help was making her a bit dizzy. "I know what you're feeling."
"Do you? Do you really?" She threw the cup to the ground and stood. "That woman... Emily... has been used like a fucking pawn by her sister... her fucked up boyfriend... for years. Years! And you're saying there's nothing you are willing to do for her because she's not big enough to matter?! You fucking piece of..."
"Cook." He was looking at her now. He wasn't surprised by her outburst, by her anger. He'd had it once a lifetime ago. He let the name linger in the air and took another sip of coffee. "I know how familiar you are with him. The personal angle."
"None of your bus..."
"No, it isn't. But he's involved."
"What? Of course, he's involved... he's bloody working for you.."
"Yes. He is. But he's taken a few... corners and it's going to cost him,"
"What do you mean?" Her mind was racing and she knew what was coming. He'd slept with Emily and they knew. Idiot. "I'm sure it was all under duress... in efforts of keeping his..."
"I was to pull him out two years ago."
..
They had finished their sandwiches in almost silence. Emily was still trying to process everything while Jameson seemed content in just being. She hadn't noticed how hungry she was until she started eating. Her stomach grumbling in overdue protest. She stood and took the empty plates to the sink. She stood there watching him as he looked through his phone. "Please tell me." He looked up and smiled.
"I did say I would." He finished his juice. "We didn't have sex. As I said, I carried you into bed well after you'd fallen asleep on the couch and Laura had passed out." He didn't look away or appear at all put off that she wanted answers.
"I remember... we came back here. I know Laura... we kissed... and..." She blushed and he nodded.
"She put on quite the show yes." Emily looked at her feet. She knew that he had seen more than enough of her last night. She didn't remember all of the particulars but from the glimpses she remembered in the shower, he'd gotten a ringside view. "She was keen on me... joining in."
"But you didn't?" She was looking at him again even if her face felt like it was on fire. Her memory flashed to his eyes. He had been watching them intently. There was a small burning in her belly as she recalled how he watched. There was hunger in his eyes but there was sadness.
"No. I did not." He was taking her demeanor in and knew he was a shit for even having watched it. "You're... exquisite. And I'm slightly shamed by having watched but I'm... well, me. I'm not a good person. My morals have been questionable on more than one occasion." He didn't think it prudent to tell her about his life, or Laura's. "But you're not here of your own free will." She swallowed. "I don't fancy rape."
"It's not..." She didn't get much further as he held up a hand.
"Emily... Can you honestly tell me you can walk out of here? Go home? Without facing any repercussions? From anyone?" She couldn't answer him and it made her ache. He was a stranger. She'd never talked about her life with a total stranger. "You may not want to hear that term... you may not even see it as such because of what you've been... molded to do... but it's not right." He stood up and stepped closer. "It's not right to be..."
The door to the flat burst open. "Emily! Where the fuck are you, you little bitch!" Laura rounded the corner as Jameson turned to the sound of her. "Jameson? Why are you still fucking here?"
..
Cook was sitting against a set of metal stairs. The trucks had been unloaded, product repacked and distributed. Street dealers and other parties had come in to exchange money for goods as per. All had gone swimmingly with the exception of one group. They were second-rate amateurs out of the north end. They had been rising in numbers but weren't turning a profit. Not to Luke. Wheaton explained it to Cook who hadn't been around the last few meetings. Luke had been paying attention and giving them enough leeway to either fix it themselves or hang themselves. They had chosen the latter.
He looked at his knuckles and the cuffs of his shirt. It was the one downside of dressing in suits. The dress shirt was always ruined no matter what. He'd done a shit job of washing off the blood. No one had stopped him. No one had even blinked when he took control of the situation. The group's leader had balked at the amount they needed to cough up to get the drugs. He said he had an arrangement with Luke. Cook let Wheaton talk the first few minutes when he could see the other guy was laughing. He stood up and walked over to him. He cracked him across the nose without saying a word. He kept hitting him until you could barely notice the shape of his normal face. It had turned into a swollen pile of flesh, drooling blood. He looked at the guy been standing behind him and pointed.
The guy shook his head and said they hadn't brought money. The guy on the ground had told him that he could get whatever they needed and no one would deny them. There were two other men standing behind him nodding and looking like they wanted to be anywhere but there. Cook asked Wheaton how much they owed. After taking their wallets and identification, he told them they had two days to come back with the cash. They weren't allowed to take the guy on the floor when they left. He was still lying there groaning as Cook looked on.
..
"No... he was... they were moving to London then.. or had recently moved here... why would you pull him out then?" She had taken a seat next to the inspector again. She no longer trusted herself to stand. Her mind was running through scenarios and none was feeling right.
"He was to come out before they'd left Bristol. He'd acquired enough information and we felt we had a better chance at inserting newer blood into the investigation. He argued against it. He said he had Luke's trust and that it had taken years to get there. He kept talking about them not trusting anyone new. He made a decent case of it... being kept in the field. I almost wanted to let him stay. But he let slip about Emily. His need to... be there for her." He looked at the cup in his hands. "I argued for him to be pulled immediately."
"But you didn't... he didn't..."
"I was overruled by someone with a bigger dick than mine."
"But he's still working for you though...?"
"Yes."
"So... I'm sorry... I don't..." Her mind was either moving too fast or too slow and it was giving her a hangover kind of feeling.
"He's done things outside the spectrum of his investigation that warrant an internal review and possible disciplinary action at the least. Criminal prosecution at the most."
"Crimin... he wouldn't. If he and she got involved, it wasn't criminal. He wouldn't do that."
"No. I don't know that he would, but I also don't know him anymore. And it isn't so much criminal to fuck someone as it is to murder someone."
..
Laura had only momentarily stopped advancing when she saw him there. "Why haven't you fucked off yet?" She was seething. She'd come into the flat to make Emily pay for Naomi's dismissal. It was her fault.
"So loving." He had stepped in front of Emily casually. "I believe you told me I could stay as long as I'd like.. that Emily would take good care of me. I'm positive you said that." She kept her eyes on him. She didn't want him right now. Normally she'd have been thrilled to have him with her. He never stays. She wanted to get a hold of Emily. She needs to be punished. She needs to suffer. This... this is her doing.
"I... yes I did.. but you never stay..." He shrugged his shoulders.
"The company was to my liking." He knew she was incensed about something and couldn't help but poke at her. The spark in her eyes was dark. He hated that he liked seeing it, craved it. "Speaking of company, why are you ranting and raving? I thought I saw to you last night."
She narrowed her eyes at him and took a few more steps towards them. She couldn't get a clear look at Emily because he was in her way. She knew the girl was likely terrified by now. She needs to be dealt with. Naomi can't want her over me. "I need to speak with Emily. We need some girl time. Don't you have somewhere to be?"
"No." He crossed his arms and made it evident that he wasn't moving.
"No?" She practically yelled it. Her composure slipping, what little there had been since she walked in.
"I think I'm staying a while. If that's ok with you Emily?" He half turned his head to look at her. She was pale and breathing a little harder than he thought she should be. Jameson knew what she was afraid of. He could see that Laura had likely hurt her before. "No matter. I'm staying. That's that." Laura wanted to claw his eyes out. He's choosing her. He's choosing her too! Then she noticed Emily wasn't wearing exactly what she'd left for her.
"What are you wearing?"
..
Effy had managed to finish the conversation with the inspector without vomiting and without fainting. She congratulated herself as she was letting herself into her flat. She felt like she'd aged years in a solitary afternoon. The last few days had been wearisome but what she'd learned of Cook was more than she could adequately comprehend. She never claimed to believe anyone was pure good or pure evil. She'd always been aware of the grayness in the world. Those places were things done out of need, out of survival, existed. She understood that. But he was facing a mountain of trouble and she didn't know what to make of it.
His laughter, his smile. It filled her mind. His goofy lopsided grin when he was feeling devilish. He'd never stopped being himself with her. Some men put on airs, a persona that they thought she would find more appealing. Some would look at her like the sun rose and set on her. It wasn't that he never looked at her like that but when he did, he would blush and do something dumb to make her laugh. God how he loved to make her laugh.
She stopped in her tracks, bag halfway off her shoulder as Cook stood in her flat with his back to her. He was staring at the things she'd tacked up on the wall. He didn't move. She didn't say anything. She took her bag completely off and put it on the couch. She approached him slowly. "Cook..."
"You're a smart one princess. Always knew that but... this." He shook his head. "This was all in'ere?"
"Not all but most of it." She got closer even as she saw the blood on his shirt sleeves. "Cookie... are you hurt?" He gave another shake of his head. "Who got hurt?"
"Just some guys..." He looked exhausted but there was something under it all.
"Have you heard from Emily?" Effy didn't know what to do. She wanted to yell, shake him, embrace him.
"Naw... she won't surface for at least 'nother day." He finally looked at her. "What'sa matter?"
"Why would something be the matter?" She took a deep breath and realized he saw more of her than others did. He had his own way of looking at her and she smiled. "I talked to Harry." He turned and looked back at the wall.
"And?"
"Cook... he told me." He chuckled.
"Ahh...yeah... he would." He let out a sigh. "He tell you he hung Emily out to dry?" Effy took hold of his elbow and pulled him to the couch. He took a seat and stared at his hands. "I thought... I thought I could save her... do something for 'er. But two years ago.. wants to take me out o'it. Says I'm done and need to switch gears. So I tell him. I tell him she's got to be pulled out too. He doesn't say nothin'. Then... a month... a fuckin month goes by. I'm waiting for any day to be given a heads up. He finally makes contact... and 'e says she's not worth anything." She sat next to him, legs tucked under her. "She's not even so much as a bargaining chip to them."
"You didn't leave her behind." Effy understood his intent. He shook his head.
"I couldn't. I couldn't walk away. Not from her. She deserved better. Bastards were willing to brush her life aside for everything else they could get. So I talked to the people above and they let me stay on... but it wasn't the same with Harry." She took in his words. Did she trust him? Or did she trust his handler?
"He mentioned you've killed people Cook." He nodded.
"I been tryin to stay clear of the bigger shit Luke gets into... but it's not like I can pick and choose." He leaned back into the couch. "Fights. Bustin' heads. I can do all of that. But a couple o'times." Cook closed his eyes. "I pulled the trigger." She sighed and cursed under her breath. "They weren't good people Effs. I swear. They was just as bad as Luke... But it's still..." She put her fingers to his lips. She stared into his eyes and kissed him. It was gentle. His heart ached. They kissed a couple of more times, slow, soft. Chaste. She broke the kiss and put her forehead against his.
"How much does Harry know?"
"What'd you mean? He knows what I've said, what I've told him... my reports."
"Does he have proof? In your reports... does he have proof that you committed a crime?" She never read anything detailing him killing someone.
"What?"
"Cook... you could be in a world of hurt. I don't know what the rules are for being undercover... But I don't think you'd get off without facing something for what you did." He looked at her. "I'm not going to ask a lot of questions... ok? But I want you to think about things... what you've done... what proof there is or might be. I need you to write it down on a piece of paper."
"Eff what..."
"Shut up. Just... shut up!" Her mind was working overtime. She took his face in her hands. "Write it down! Fold it in half and put it on the desk. I need you to do that for me." She needed something, some thread to pull at and grab on to. She could help him, help him get out of it all. But she needed that thread. "Then you need to make a choice."
"A choice?" He was confused.
"Choose to stay here." He was going to object. She shook her head. "You're going to get cleaned up and you're going to stay here. Get out of those clothes, get into the shower."
"You said choice... what's the flip side?"
"You walk out of here and never come back." She hated saying it, hated knowing it would need to happen for her to be ok. If he couldn't stay here, he needed to be out of her life. Otherwise, she would break if something happened to him.
"Not much of a choice. But Ems..."
"I'll get Ems out of trouble. I know where she is."
..
"You gave her your pajamas?" Laura almost struck him.
"Just the bottoms." He smirked at her. Emily couldn't understand what was happening. Jameson stood there calm as could be while Laura was visibly in a rage. "Poor girls bum was sticking out." The woman was almost toe-to-toe with him. "Is it a problem?"
"Is it? What the fuck?" She tried sidestepping him and he blocked her. "Jameson, I don't know what game you're playing..."
"That's just it. I'm not playing a game." Laura looked at him with fire in her eyes. "She's not yours."
"We already had this talk last night."
"No. She's also not her sister's." He was deliberate in his words. Emily wanted to shrink away. She could feel how angry Laura was. She had never seen her like this. She could only imagine what she was capable of if they were alone. She almost reached out to Jameson to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. Behave. I'll keep all your secrets. She began panicking. Laura would tell Katie. She would tell her everything and she would be in it then.
"Jameson... it's ok. It's not a big deal." Her voice sounded tiny in comparison to how the other two adults had been speaking. She undid the drawstring and started to push down the pajamas. He turned around and stopped her. His hands touched hers and he felt her shaking underneath it all. She felt so young. He wasn't much for saving people but he couldn't not do something for her.
"Emily." She looked at him. She wanted to yell that she would get punished, that she was supposed to do things a certain way. He shook his head and let go of her hands. He grabbed the drawstring and retied it. "Go to the bedroom." She didn't speak. She heard Laura start to say something but the look he gave her silenced her. "Wait for me there. I promise you're safe."
..
Naomi had finished her shift and decided that going to Effy's wasn't what she wanted. As much as she loved her, she needed to think. Shaughnessy invited her out to have drinks with him, his girlfriend and a couple of other mates and she accepted. As she sat there listening to mindless dribble and celebrity gossip, she let her mind wander.
"Seriously how many outfits does one person need?" Naomi pondered as she was thrust another paint of dress slacks. "You have seen my wardrobe? I've got enough in there to mix and match through at least fifteen outings... at least that's what the article said."
Laura glared at her. "You're my girlfriend. Do you really think I'd let you out looking... basic?" She had cringed at Naomi's clothing choices but hadn't bothered to take the reins on it. Not overtly. She'd replaced half her knickers with pricey ones and managed to slip in an evening gown or two in with her clothes. She'd even gone through her leggings and jeans and tossed the more worn out of the lot.
"I do not look basic." Naomi held on to the clothes. She realized that half the time if she ignored Laura and let her think she was getting her way, things would go easier. And since she doesn't live with you, you can ignore everything she says. It was a small bit of satisfaction. "I think I look good in my clothes... and I'm comfy to boot." That earned her a growl.
"I'm a designer. How would it look if you went to events with me and looked like you'd... No. You need better clothes."
She shook away the cobwebs when asked if she wanted to do shots.