Chapter 25
She cleared her throat before she began to talk again.
"The other photo... There was a woman, mid thirties, short dark hair." she paused before adding "beautiful."
Gene's head had dropped, without saying anything Lucy could tell that Gene had known these people, she knew it was past tense from the sadness in his eyes when he looked up. They were important to him, and the description of the woman in the last photo seemed to have the biggest effect. She didn't say anything.
"Aren't you gonna ask who they are... Were" she feels unsettled.
"No."
"Why not?" he looks up surprised.
"Whatever happened in the past looks like it really hurt you." she stops watching him drain the remainder of the scotch from his glass. "After all, I don't want to be held responsible for making Gene Hunt cry now do I?" he straightened himself up, his eyes alert and no longer dogged with upset.
"All of them were friends of mine. Black guy, he was Viv, he looked out for us." he diverts his gaze as he pours another drink "We let 'im down. Ray, one with a moustache, he was like an economy version of meself" he smiles, almost affectionately. "Chris, more loyal than a Labrador, and even more stupid, good lad though, and the woman would've been Shaz. Bright girl, I never gave her enough credit."
She took this all in, it was obvious they meant a lot to him. She was about to ask about the other woman when Gene began to talk again.
"Alex. Alex Drake. The biggest pain in the arse I've ever had the fortune to encounter." he grinned, but it slowly subsided, his eyes became glossy. Her own began to prick. "Alex was a great friend of mine." the words appeared to be a struggle to say. Lucy nodded; by the look on Gene's face it was evident that he and Alex were more than very good friends. It was difficult seeing such a strong man so crippled with loneliness
"Why aren't they still here?" she asks, fearing the worst.
"Another time" he stands up quickly, domineering, it was obvious no more questions were going to be answered, not tonight at least. Lucy stood up too, feeling tired and at least ten years older, over the past week she had never experienced such an array of emotions, she knew Gene, the people in the photos and Jim were intrinsically linked, the weight of the mystery weighed heavy on her shoulders, almost as heavy as the burden weighing in her superiors heart.
Gene opened the door for her, she nods her thanks, walks through into the main office and grabs her coat off her desk. She was about to say goodnight...
"Will you be needing a lift?" the office was too dark to see the time, but it was late, you could almost feel half the city gently snoring its way through the night. Again she nodded, too drained to make conversation, besides, she wouldn't know what to say. "You're not still at that b&b are you?"
"Not for much longer, she'll chuck me out, I keep arriving late every night." their voices over bright to try and lighten the atmosphere.
"You should start looking for a place." he pauses to turn on the engine of the Merc. "You could be here a while" for the first time she hoped that wasn't the case, as she knew things were getting far too dark in this realm, she feared it was her mind giving up, closing down, her life spiralling away into the dark world that is Fenchurch East. She didn't talk for the remainder of the journey, although she could tell Gene wasn't comfortable with the silence, yet he didn't reach for the radio. The car pulled up. "Thanks" she muttered and reached to unclasp her seatbelt.
She felt a large hand grasp hers. She looked up at Gene confused. "Promise me you won't delve into the past. It's for your own good." he looked desperate.