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 26
Watching from his position at the other side of the car park as Grace exited the Psychology Department with Boyd hot on her heels Alan smiled. Clearly they, or rather Boyd, still thought he had some chance of stopping the inevitable but it wasn't going to happen, he had it all organised. On the outskirts of the city on one of the universities old hospital buildings car park he'd left a car, he knew he'd been seen around the station in the one he was driving now so it wasn't safe to use it for the whole journey to the coast. He'd left everything they needed that wasn't already being sorted by Carla in the boot and he knew now he just needed to be patient. He had been following them since they left their office earlier and remained undetected and he knew men like Boyd could only be trusted to be attentive for short periods of time. It was only a matter of time before he left Grace alone for a few moments and when he did that would be his chance. He only needed moments, long enough to overcome her and get her into the car then a short drive, swap of vehicle and he'd be on his way, they would be on their way. Everything would be perfect.
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"Grace talk to me you've not said a word since we got back in the car." Boyd sighed as they drove on their way to the home of Andrea Pritchard's parent's home. She'd been completely silent the whole time and he could feel the tension and fear radiating from her. "What was it about what she said that's bothered you so much? We knew he was using these women as substitutes for you that's not news to you did it bother you that she knew when he was in bed with her he wanted to be with you? She's a psychologist Grace, nowhere near as good a one as you granted but she was going to pick up on it."
"It's not that, well it is but not the way you think." Grace replied as he spotted a small coffee stall in an upcoming roadside car park and pulled into it.
"I think we need ten minutes to regroup because you need to talk to me we can't do this if either of us is going to close down because of the things we hear. Coffee...wait no of course not...soft drink? Tea?"
"Just get me a cup of boiling water I have this covered." Grace smiled rooting around in her handbag and pulling out a small zip-lock freezer bag full of teabags.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again you're weird. Boiling water it is I'll be right back and we can talk." Boyd laughed getting out of the car as Grace turned up the heating a little the chill from outside only adding to the way she felt. Since leaving the university she'd felt the chilling grip of fear invade all of her. It was like it had gone right to her bones and pulling her coat collar around her face a little she rested her had back on the head rest and closed her eyes. The fact Melinda Carson had know what McKenzie was like, known he'd been so fixated on her but at no point thought to tell her was terrifying. In the same position she knew she couldn't have ignored the danger to another woman, no matter what the consequences for her relationship or career she'd have had to say something. She knew what Boyd would say when he got back, he'd tell her not everyone was like her and she had too much faith in people but none of that helped how she was feeling at that moment. Opening her eyes she watched as Boyd slowly made his way up the queue for the coffee van and smiled at the way his gaze kept coming back to her. There was barely ten feet between them but she knew the very fact he wasn't within touching distance of her was killing him. Giving him a reassuring wave she closed her eyes again taking a deep breath as the heat in the car seemed to finally start absorbing into her.
"Come on, Jesus how long does it take one person to order coffee." Boyd muttered his heart sinking as he saw the canary yellow of the shoppers fleece and noticed a minibus in matching colours at the other side of the car park. Smiling as Grace waved at him from the car he watched as she closed her eyes again. He knew speaking to her colleague had been harder than she expected, he could see it in her eyes the second they had left the office. He knew she knew nothing Melinda Carson had told them was news but the fact it had been laid out so clearly he knew would be making her feel guilty. In spite of what she said to Carson about her not being the reason the other woman had cheated on her husband he knew she would be feeling guilty about what came afterward. Pulling his phone from his pocket he hit the first speed dial smiling as it was almost instantly answered.
"You ok over there?"
"You can see I'm ok, really you feel the need to ring when you could just speak loudly and I'd probably still hear you?" Grace laughed as he finally moved one person closer in the queue and she heard him sigh.
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Sitting in his car secure in the knowledge that at the end of the car park surrounded by trees he couldn't be seen Alan smiled. He had watched Boyd get more and more irritated in the coffee queue, see him talking on his phone, he knew he was unlikely to get a better time than this. Getting out he moved through the thick trees ensuring that he had a direct line to the detective's car. He knew the keys had to be inside the heating had to be on the windows were clear in spite of the fact he could clearly see Grace inside which would normally cause the windows to steam. No keys, no heat. It wasn't exactly how he planned it but if he could get into the car and away while the other man was distracted then half an hour and they'd have changed cars and be on their way to the coast.
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"Yes I do I don't like you being so far away right now, forget about what she said none of this is your fault it's all him."
"Ok look forget the coffee and the water and comeback to the car. We can stop somewhere else on the way if you want."
"Are you kidding I'm next just get your teabag ready I'll be with you in two minutes." Boyd said quietly hanging up the phone and waiting impatiently for another couple of minutes before his attention was caught by the small menu on the shutter of the van. Pulling his phone out he redialled to ask Grace if she wanted food with her herbal rubbish shaking his head as she didn't answer. Turning back toward the car what happened next seemed to be in slow motion. For a split second he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"I knew your patience would run out, we can find somewhere closer." Grace sighed not opening her eyes as the car door closed and the engine started briefly stopping the heating before it started again. "Peter you can turn the heat off if you want I was freezing but I'm ok now."
"I think we'll leave it on we want you to be comfortable after all." For a second she froze sure she wasn't hearing right. It wasn't happening she'd fallen asleep waiting and this was another of those nightmares like the one she'd had the night before. The illusion was short lived as she forced her eyes open looking to her right as she felt her blood run cold in her veins in spite of the heat in the car.
Running on autopilot Boyd tried to chase the car as it pulled into traffic causing a screeching of the breaks of the car coming behind it but not helping at all with getting to Grace. Grabbing his phone again he dialled the office sure even if Mel and Spence weren't there Frankie would be. His heart was pounding, every nerve in his body was screaming at him that he had to keep running even though he knew it was useless.
"Frankie I need my car reg out everywhere, I need it stopped if anyone so much as thinks they see it..."
"Boyd you're not making any sense what's this about?" Frankie snapped the panicked tone in his voice making her panic too as she looked from Spence to Mel and put the phone on speaker.
"He's got her...we stopped...only for a minute...coffee...she was in the car...I didn't take the keys...shit, shit just get the word out."
"I'm doing it now." Spence shouted grabbing another phone and talking quietly and quickly to the person on the other end as the girls focused on Boyd.
"Where are you? We're coming now." Mel shouted reaching for her keys as he told them where the coffee hut was then hung up. "Let's go. You know what this means anything could be happening to Grace and if anyone in that car park so much as looks sideways at Boyd he'll kill them. We need to get to him, find her and put an end to this for good."