Chapter Thirty Five
How the hell we wind up like this?
Why weren't we able?
To see the signs that we missed?
And try and turn the tables
I wish you'd unclench your fists
And pack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
But don't think it's too late
Nothings wrong
Just as long as you know that someday I will
Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now
I know your wondering when
Nickleback – Someday
The Vice Squad offices were smaller than homicides. I glanced around stepping in to the room taking in the lay out. Seeing me, a sandy haired detective stood up and moved towards me a wide smile on his face.
"Detective Devine? My name's Detective O'Brian." I shook the hand he held out to me with a warm smile. I liked his strong Irish accent.
"Call me Carmen." I said politely.
"Daniel." I pulled away my hand and followed him to his desk.
"I hear your looking for someone." She said falling back into his chair, elbows on the arms relaxed. I didn't like the way he gave me the once over, especially when he did it the second time.
"I'm looking for two someone's but maybe one can help us find the other." I said thoughtfully. I gave him my description of Tracey Gibson, watching as O'Brian fed it into the computer. He turned his gaze towards me with a strange smile.
"You know that pros don't usually give us their real names?" he ventured. I nodded passively before responding with.
"See if somehow you can cross reference it with a 6 ft guy called Geoffrey, tattoos on his arms and chest." O'Brian looked intrigued as I spoke, he didn't turn back to the computer.
"By chance where did you get these descriptions?" I blinked at him.
"Tracy Gibson's six year old daughter." I told him, focusing on the screen; his eyes were still on my face.
"So it was you that charged into that burnt out building?" he said looking at me with renewed interest. I crossed my hands over my chest.
"Me and Detective Flack." I said honestly. Something crossed O'Brian's face; it was so fast I thought I missed it.
"It was very brave of you." I dismissed the compliment with the shake of my head.
"Anyone would have done it." Feeling uncomfortable I tried to switch the talk back to the case.
"Is that her?" I asked pointing at the screen. O'Brian clicked on the name coming up.
"Ahh." He breathed. "Trixie. I remember her."
I watched as he scrolled down the page at an antagonistically slow pace.
"Oh." The word slipped out as more words jumped at me from the screen. O'Brian let out a deep sigh.
"She's deceased as of yesterday." I felt a pang of regret run through me, as I thought about those kids sitting there in the building waiting for her to come back. I wondered what would have happened if we weren't there…O'Brian slipped a hand around my shoulder.
"You look shaken doll; let me take you out for a drink." I turned to him with a disturbed frown.
"A coffee." He exclaimed catching my drift. I took a deep breath grounding myself.
"Really I should be getting back and…" he cut me off.
"Just one, I can acquaint you with the case while we're there. I missed my morning cup and I drag along all day without it." He told me. Shrugging, I saw no harm in it, I took the print outs and the file of O'Brian's desk and went with him to the coffee shop over the road.
After an argument about who was buying the coffee, we managed to finally sit down and discuss the case. Tracey/Trixie had been a pro since before the age of eighteen after her parents kicked her out when she was pregnant. She did drugs occasionally with her clients, but she was safe she never took her client's home, she put her kids first.
Troubled I asked O'Brian if I could keep the picture, if only something to give Millie and Joshua to remind them of their mother.
"So tell me a bit about yourself?" Suddenly it dawned on me why we were in a coffee shop and not the station.
"There's nothing really to tell. Look I've got to go and check out a few leads." I said standing up; I slid some bills down across the table. O'Brian's hand covered mine.
"You haven't even finished your coffee yet." O' Brian exclaimed. The bell on the coffee shop door rang behind me.
"I'm a busy girl." I replied, following O'Brian's gaze behind me. Flack had just walked in, laughing and joking with a few of his buddies from homicide. His eyes landed on me, with a affectionate smile he broke away from the group flanked by his usual partner Nick Henderson.
"Look O'Brian, I really have to go." I said wrenching my hand from the determined Vice cop's grasp.
"Hey Devine, this isn't your usual hangout, you stalking me?" Flack said mid stride, his arms open. I reacted instinctively as I always did when me and Flack bantered.
"You wish." I smiled at him. O'Brian let out a deep laugh. Flack's face darkened as he watched O'Brian stand up and lean against the table next to me.
"She's a real firecracker this one." He said with a broad grin. I saw Flack's jaw tighten. In the background, Henderson shot me a worried look.
"Carmen was just letting me buy her a coffee, weren't you doll?" he said clapping a hand on my back. I felt my whole body tense, as I resisted the urge to smack O'Brian around the back of his stupid head. I knew there were a good few eyes on us, making a scene in a cop's coffee shop was a really bad thing. Yet there was something underneath all this, I couldn't place my finger on it, but something else had happened between these two and everyone seemed to know it.
"I did just buy my own." I muttered, sliding the files, oh so slowly, off the table and into my arms, whilst stepping away from O'Brian. Right now I didn't need this. I caught sight of Henderson taking slow deliberate steps towards us. My eyes rested on Flack's clenched fists.
"Look fellas, it's been fun and all, but I've got to go follow up some leads. I'll catch you later." I said pointedly to Don, who gave no indication of even hearing me. His furious, cold eyes remained on O'Brian.
"Sure doll anytime." O'Brian's voice behind me made me cringe. I saw Don's eyes narrow, and his jaw clench just that little bit harder. Henderson was beside me now, taking my arm in a firm but gentle grip.
"I'll walk you out." He murmured under his breath before calling to Flack.
"Get the coffees in, I'll be right back." As we moved past Don's buddies, Henderson jerked his head towards a sharp looking brunette.
"Morris, get him away from O'Brian before we have a riot on our hands." He muttered. Morris nodded in response and climbed to his feet, moving towards Flack. I could O'Brian's innate chatter in the background.
Before I knew it we were outside and Henderson was rounding on me.
"What the hell are you doing here with O'Brian?" he whispered at me, running a hand through his hair.
"Is that code for don't come here ever again its precinct territory?" I responded without thinking.
"It's no such thing and you know it." Henderson shot back. He folded his arms over his chest and stared at me patiently. After a minute I broke.
"I needed information about a case I'm working on. It was information about a pro, unfortunately I got that jerk. By the way, is he like the cootie cop or something, because that's kind of childish." I said jerking my thumb at the coffee shop. Henderson let a tiny smile slip out before recovering quickly.
"He's a sleaze. Out of everyone in vice they had to give you him." Henderson replied looking at the ground. I frowned, knowing there was more to it then that.
"What's with Don and this particular sleaze? I mean I've dealt with sleazy guys before and Don with girls. We usually laugh about them. So why is O'Brian such a sore point?" I asked suspicious. Henderson's mouth fixed in a grim line. I let out a sigh.
"Nick…" I pressed, putting my hands on my hips.
"Nick…This is stupid." I pushed him further.
"Ask Flack." He muttered.
"I would but we both know the moment I step in there, there's gonna be a shootout and he's gonna be the one holding the gun." Henderson bowed his head, scuffing the ground with his shoe; he looked off in the distance before answering me.
"O'Brian slept with Flack's girlfriend." I raised my eyebrows, shocked.
"Flack's last girl friend?" he nodded briefly. I ran through the details in my head, she was blond, her name was Carla, they'd dated for a year before…he didn't say why they broke up. I knew they'd been serious. I fell silence, unsure what to say.
"They didn't just break up…" I was repeating it out loud. I wrapped my arms around myself. Henderson's eyes were on me sympathetic.
"They'd been sleeping together for over a month before he found out." Henderson sighed after he said it. I listened carefully. He was staring across at the precinct.
"Some people think it was because O'Brian got passed over for promotion into homicide by Flack. Others think he's just a bastard, hence Flack not being too impressed to see you too holding hands." I glared at Henderson as he smirked at me.
"I wasn't holding hands with him, I threw the money down on the table and he put his hands over it." I snapped at Henderson, sick of being caught up in this whole sorry mess. Henderson put his hands on my shoulders, bowing his head to look into his eyes. I let out a sigh calming myself. Flack trusted Henderson hence I did.
"Look Carmen I believe you. I like you, I like you and Don together, you're good for him and you make him happy. You took care of him with the thing." He gestured with his hand towards his chest. I caught his drift. He was starring me directly in the eye.
"Just do me a favour, just don't screw this up. Don't see O'Brian unless it's necessary. By all means go see any of the guys in Vice, just not O'Brian, he's bad news especially when it comes to Flack." Henderson pulled his hands away, straightening up. I took in his advice. I really didn't want to screw things up with Don. I tilted my head towards the coffee shop, deep in thought.
"You better get back in there before he dumps a coffee pot over O'Brian's head."
Henderson gave a small smile, crossing his arms.
"I'll catch you later Carmen."
"Yea thanks for that Nick." I said giving him a tiny wave.
"No problem." I turned away from the coffee shop, wishing that life was a whole lot simpler.