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 25

"Grace are you threatening me?" Melinda asked ignoring Boyd completely as he watched the two women's eyes lock in a confrontation that made him hold his breath for a second. Part of him wanted to step in but a bigger part of him wanted to just let Grace keep doing what she was doing it seemed to be working and it was fascinating to watch.

"Do I need to Melinda? Alan McKenzie has harassed seven women we know of including you and I. He's raped at least two of them one of whom is now dead and this department has systematically ignored all the signs they had a dangerous sexual predator on staff. You of all people knew what he was like but in the interests of saving your marriage you kept the information to yourself. Now I don't want to destroy your life but here's what I think happened..." Grace replied sitting back in her seat hoping she looked and sounded more confident than she felt as she sensed Boyd's eyes on her. "I think you drank too much cheap department wine and some party or other and fell into bed with McKenzie, I think it was all you because you're not his type other than me he goes for younger women who are easy to manipulate..."

"Full of yourself aren't you?"

"No I'd be more than delighted if he wanted nothing to do with me but this goes much further back than the time he's been here and unfortunately it started with me and he seems to have decided it's going to end with me too. That's a privilege I'd give anything not to have. You know as well as I do that men like him need control especially if they've been rejected which for my sins I did a few years ago. Since then he's been targeting young women with more to lose than him that's how I know you started it with him. Now do you want me to carry on with what I think happened or are you going to tell me because I don't have time for games right now Melinda. Detective Superintendent Boyd is being very patient right now because he knows I want to handle this but if he has to make this an official conversation in order to get the information we need there's no telling what could and probably would end up in the public domain. This is a friendly chat between colleagues let's keep it that was shall we?"

Watching the woman in front of her Grace moved her foot gently touching Boyd's knowing she needed to reassuring him that she had everything under control. She knew ultimately appealing to Melinda on the level of protecting her or other women wasn't going to work, pointing out her career or marriage could be at risk would, self preservation would take over.

"Simon and I were going through a bad patch, I was lonely, you're right it was me who started it but I knew almost instantly I shouldn't have. As soon as I heard your voice on the phone this morning I knew it was going to be about him, you know when he screwed me or any of those women you're talking about it was you he was in bed with, when he messed with our lives it was you he was punishing. A drunken one night stand to relieve the tension and as a two fingers up to Simon that I still had it and thanks to you it nearly completely fucked up my life."

"I didn't make you cheat on your husband so don't even try that wit me Melinda, Alan's a bastard and what he did to you was horrendous but that wasn't my fault. It wasn't a one off was it? I think he blackmailed you into sleeping with him again."

"Yes ok." Melinda replied her obvious hatred for Grace at that moment making Boyd tense a bit but as he looked at Grace and she smiled at him he bit his tongue. "It happened five times in all by the end I was basically just lying there not that he cared, he wasn't in bed with me I was just a body he was using he was fucking you every time. In the end I told him enough was enough and to do his worst, I didn't know he had photos, it nearly put an end to my marriage and had I gone to the board it would have ended my career too."

"How do you know it was me he wanted?" Grace asked genuinely interested. Nothing they'd got from the other women so far suggested they knew they were substitutes but Melinda clearly did as she scoffed at her shaking her head firmly.

"How did I know? God Grace he's obsessed with you I'm surprised he didn't end up calling your name when he came because it was definitely you not me he was seeing when he did. He used to talk about you all the time, he had a bloody library of everything you've ever published or written, he hated it when you went to work with the police."

"So let me see if I've got this right." Boyd said finally speaking as Grace let him knowing he had to have his turn because listening to what Melinda had been saying would have been as hard for him as it had been for her. "You were with this man that you knew had a reputation for having inappropriate relationships with women. After being with him you realised he had an unhealthy interest in one of your colleagues but instead of accepting what you'd done and reporting him and maybe even speaking to Grace your only concern was for your marriage..."

"No her only concern was saving her career, this was nothing to do with her marriage she didn't want the whole department knowing what she'd done." Grace interrupted getting up and lifting her handbag. "Let's go she's not going to tell us anything else and the company in this room is starting to make me feel nauseous."

"If we need to speak to you again we'll be in touch make sure you're available."

"Grace watch your back if he's finally got to the point where he's going after you then you and I both know psychologically he's reached the point of no return. He's coming for you and you know it I can see it in your eyes." Melinda said quietly shaking her head as Grace ignored her leaving the room as she turned instead to Boyd. "I know there's more between you two than a working relationship I can see the signs she wasn't the only psychologist in the room remember. You want to keep her safe then get him and when you do keep him because she knows as well as I do that nothing matters to him now but getting to her. He'll do whatever it takes."

"And I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"He's smarter than you detective, right now how much of what you have discovered about him would you know without her and her input? If she disappeared tomorrow would you really know enough to save her when she wasn't there to hold your hand?"

Trying to ignore the final comment Boyd left the office closing the door and moving to the corridor where Grace was waiting for him. Looking at the renewed determination in her eyes he pushed aside the doubt and fear rising in him as for the first time he realised the other woman was right. Without her they'd be flailing about in the dark on this, if she wasn't there they'd be back to square one but the stakes would be so much higher because they'd be blindly playing with her life.