Part 25

Gail filled Chris' glass with soda water and lime as he sat at her bar grumbling. It was amusing her for now but on the scale of it a last minute change to his shift was nothing to get into such a sulk over.

She also wasn't playing barmaid so had no tolerance for other people's woe is me stories right now, not when she knew Holly was in 15 deciding whether or not to betray her and kill whatever they have together.

Gail couldn't even talk to Holly about it, she had to let the doctor make this decision on her own.

It was the smart thing for Holly to stay as far away from her as possible, these last few days had to have proved that to the older woman.

But Gail just couldn't let this woman go. She wanted Holly to pick her despite the obvious reasons not to.

"What are you frowning at?" Chris asked as he sipped at his drink. He was the one whose night had been ruined.

Gail shrugged and came around to the other side of the bar to take the seat beside her friend. It was fairly empty in her bar not quite lunch and too nice a day for people to be drinking so early. There wasn't even any foreign sport to draw in a crowd of students skipping class.

"Your head bothering you?" Chris asked although from what Romi had told him Gail had been given the all clear.

Gail sighed. It wasn't her head that was throwing her off right now, but she didn't really want to pinpoint the exact reason for her anxiety over Holly being at her old station. "Nah," She answered. "We were lamenting your messed up date night, that's enough to give anyone a headache."

Chris scowled as Gail laughed.

"Lighten up." She told her friend as she leaned into his side.

It was Chris' turn to sigh as he turned his attention to his drink for a few minutes when Colin, Gail's bar manager came over to speak with her.

When Gail was done with whatever issue needed resolving Chris was ready to talk. "It's just, tonight was going to be like, an official date."

Gail rolled her eyes but didn't interrupt as Chris blushed beside her.

Chris stared down at his drink as he went on, "You know, with his brother not-"

"That's right!" Gail cut in with a teasing smile on her face. "You haven't seen Anan since you found out he knows you're doing the nasty with his little bro."

The blush deepened on Chris' cheeks.

"Man, I'd hate to be in your shoes when he gets back." She sniggered.

"Thanks, thanks a lot." Chris muttered as he paled at the thought of seeing Anan again. He knew the guy was seriously dangerous. He finished off his drink and gazed at the empty glass wishing it had been something a lot stronger.

He was too young to die.

Gail blew out a breath as her friend went back to sulking. "You know he likes you." She tried to reassure.

"Yeah," Chris replied in a despondent tone. "But that was before he found out, now…"

"Now you're scared."

Chris tried to puff himself up and look brave but his voice cracked as he replied, "No I'm not." Which made Gail laugh at him. His shoulders slumped. "Okay, fine, maybe I am."

"With good reason."

Chris stared at Gail aghast as he shook his head. "Not helping!"

Gail chuckled. "Oh, is that what I'm supposed to be doing?" She queried.

"Yes!" He told her and waited for the supportive best friend talk. Or at least the one where Gail promised not to let Anan kill him.

Gail stopped laughing to give her friend a long look. "You're serious about Romi, right?"

Chris nodded even as his face flushed again. It was a little weird talking to his ex-girlfriend about his new boyfriend, even if Gail had reason to be understanding.

"Then I think you'll be sweet." Gail replied honestly.

Chris chewed his bottom lip. "You think so?"

It was Gail's turn to nod. "Yeah."

Chris puffed his cheeks and let out a long breath. Then he turned his head to meet Gail's eyes. "I really like him. Like, really."

Gail pulled a face, really not wanting any of those kind of images in her head. Ever.

"I mean it!" Chris said, cheerful for the first time since he'd arrived at the bar. "He just like so-"

"Okay stop!" Gail cut him off and shuddered, she just couldn't think about someone she'd had sex with doing it with someone else. Especially Romi who she thought was sometimes a little too eager to please.

He was a great kid but he wanted what he thought was an exciting life, but his brother lived a little too close to the edge too often Gail thought. Anan was good at what he did but Romi was so different, and she understood why Anan never wanted Romi involved too much.

So maybe Chris wasn't going to be the one in the firing line when Anan got back.

She turned to mention that to Chris but spotted him looking deeper into the bar behind her.

"You've got a visitor." Chris muttered pulling his eyes away from the figure and standing up. He shrugged on his jacket and left Gail sitting there without a word.

Gail scowled at the sight of Dieter. After his last visit to her bar she really wasn't in the mood for a repeat.

xxxxxx

The room was tense and Andy was glad her part was mostly just keeping out of the way of Jo as she paced.

They'd been sat there for over two hours already but they kept going around in a circle, Holly proclaiming Gail's innocence and Jo and Steve doing their best to dissuade her. Steve had was even going so far to pull out photo after photo of Gail with Damien Wolf and Wolf's other associates.

Not only that he was then showing the crime scene pictures of the murders Guns and Gangs had allotted to being down to Wolf's gang. A gang Holly couldn't refute Gail being part of.

Andy could tell it was starting to get to the pathologist.

She was surprised no one had mentioned Superintendent Peck because that would have surely force Holly into whatever plan Jo had in mind.

"Maybe we should take a break." Luke spoke up. He knew Jo was close to her limit and if she went too hard now she might push Holly too far and lose what advantage they did have. Although he had his own doubts over using Holly or what she would do for them. He was sure now that Gail and the pathologist were dating, or if they weren't they were getting to that point.

He remembered Gail smile at the mention of Holly's name and for the taciturn Peck that was proof enough that there was something going on between them.

Jo ran her hand through her hair in frustration. Her initial demand of the pathologist was that every interaction with Peck had to be carried out with the woman wearing a wire but Holly had adamantly refused. She wasn't a cop and she wasn't going to pretend to be one for the next however many weeks.

Steve and Luke had sided with Holly knowing Gail would pick up on such a prolonged change in the way Holly might act around her.

Plus, no one really wanted this to be a long term operation. They had dead police officers and everyone from the commissioner down wanted a quick resolution. That meant arrests, and while Gail would be a scalp all of 15 wanted the bigger players.

When drugs had been ruled out as the contraband being brought into Toronto for Wolf's gang the next thought was guns, and given the numbers both sides that night doing the deal and the number of weapons recovered it had to have been a huge shipment that was being exchanged.

Steve knew they needed more information about what went down that night and they needed Gail for that.

"Fine!" Jo eventually agreed. Maybe the break would give them time to come up with a solid plan.

That seemed to break the strain in the room a little.

"Andy, why do you take everyone's order and we'll keep Dr Stewart company while you go pick it up." Jo continued not wanting to leave Holly alone right now. They hadn't confiscated her cell phone or placed her under arrest…yet, but she was still involved with Gail and until they had a plan set in motion Jo didn't want to give the woman a chance to back out altogether.

Holly took her glasses off and wiped at the lens. The action more to give her something to do that because her glasses needed cleaned.

She hated this. She hated that sat across from her was Gail's own brother and someone she went through the police academy with and trusted out there on the streets as they navigated their way into becoming police officers.

Andy pulled out her note book and took their orders quickly. Once Luke had given his he left the room.

Holly shook her head when Andy asked for her order. "Not hungry." She muttered as she felt her stomach roll at the thought of eating. She was mentally and physically exhausted and it wasn't even midday.

"You sure?" Andy replied then accepted Holly's answer as she took the rest of the orders.

Soon after Andy left Jo got a call and left the room to answer it.

Holly watched her leave with a scowl.

Traci swallowed and shifted in her chair. "Maybe, maybe when all of this is over we can-"

"Don't." Holly cut in giving the detective a glare that she hoped reflected the fact that Holly understood everyone else's motivations, or at least she thought she did. But Traci? She knew Gail, she had to know Gail wasn't capable of having Jerry killed. Yet, with all the accusations being laid at Gail Peck's feet Holly had never heard Traci say a word in Gail's defence.

Not when there was other officers around to hear her.

And for Holly that was unforgivable.

To not express even the slightest doubt in the last two days? That told Holly everything she needed to know about how easily Traci put her career before her friends. And if she'd do this to Gail was she someone Holly wanted anything to do with?

Holly didn't think so.

"Holly, come on, you know there's only two ways for this to go." Steve said speaking up for his girlfriend. This wasn't Traci fault, if Steve had had his way the other detective wouldn't have been in the room or on the case.

"Gail either helps the prosecution or she go down as hard as the rest of them. And right now, that choice is yours Holly. You either help us convince Gail that this is her best option or you can walk out that door right now, but if you do that you can go down with her too. The prosecution will go after you for everything that it can." Steve explained, although Holly had already been made aware of her limited options.

Holly crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Steve. "I do know that Detective, your mother made it perfectly clear to me yesterday." She spat at him.

Luke returning stop Steve replying to that and they both sat there staring unhappily at each other.

"Not interrupting am I?" Luke asked with a grin as he retook his seat and watched the standoff. He was getting the impression that Doctor Stewart did not like Steve Peck all that much.

Traci sighed, and they all fell silent as they waited for the others to return.

It was going to be another long day.

xxxxxx

Gail had moved towards the back of the bar as it began to fill with the lunch crowd but she'd yet to say anything to her visitor.

"Told you didn't I? But you wouldn't listen." Dieter began.

Gail scowled but stared out into the back court.

"I told you to let me handle this." He said leaning towards her as he spoke.

Gail scoffed at that. "Oh, like you dealt with Swarek?"

Dieter straightened. "I am, these things just take time." He replied.

"Sure."

"Listen, I've been working this for over three years and now you're going to fuck it up over a piece of ass?" He growled at her angrily.

Gail worked hard to keep from laughing. Right, three years and he'd yet to get close enough to be able to arrest Wolf or anyone else for that matter. Neither of them even knew who Wolf's boss was just that there was someone above Wolf dictating most of what happened.

Dieter felt the rebuke from Gail's silence. "Well maybe if you helped more I'd have enough by now." He said, laying blame for his lack of progress with her.

But there was a truth to it that both of them were reluctant to say aloud.

Dieter may have been part of Wolf's team for longer than Gail but it was the blonde he had handed that transaction at the docks to. And while he pretended otherwise to keep face with other members of the gang his own role had been nothing more than delivery boy. He just moved the cargo from point A to point B.

Whereas Gail had the power to pull the plug on the deal without consulting Wolf.

That was real power and spoke volumes about how the gang leader viewed the ex-cop.

Gail's hand clenched into a fist and it was her turn to glare heatedly at Dieter. "I'm not your god damn lackey Deet!" She barked at him. "You can't do a job in three years that's your problem not mine."

"Tell me Gail, how many people have you killed for Wolf? How many times have you gone on collection runs? Hm?" He cajoled her. "Don't sit there and act all innocent with me, I know what you've done, I know about the drugs and the beatings and the destruction of property. So don't give me that bullshit."

Gail felt a sudden cold rush of fears wash over her replacing her anger. Her eyes widened as she stared at Dieter.

But was on a roll and failed to notice the change in the blonde.

"I know you broke into the morgue and tied up Holly Stewart, and I know Alex hasn't been seen since." He went on. "So you tell me Peck, what have you done lately?" He asked her pointedly.

Gail schooled her features as she continued to stare at Dieter. "Alex…he's a friend?" She asked carefully.

"You know he is. But suddenly he's stopped answering my calls."

Gail nodded her head slowly. "Three years, you've got to wonder how many friends of yours have stopped answering your calls."

Dieter's face flashed with anger he stood up quickly and brought his head down level with Gail's. "When this is all over you just remember I'm the one with proof of everything you've been part of. You screw my case because of this bitch and you can keep each other company in jail cell." He warned her.

Gail only just managed to hold herself still until long after Dieter's departure.

Her nails were digging into her palms so tightly that it hurt to relax them again. She'd known he was worried about her relationship with Holly, but she'd thought he'd just been trying to look out for her. As a friend.

Now it was clear that wasn't the case at all.

Holly was a threat to the success of his own case against Wolf's gang.

And Gail had some experience which what Dieter did to people that got in the way of his work.

"Fuck." She muttered to herself as a wave of disappointment threatened to engulf her.

God she hated people.

So now Gail had a serious decision to make and very little time to make it in.

xxxxxxx

"You sure you don't want any?" Jo asked the pathologist as she pushed a pizza box closer to the brunette.

Holly grimaced just at the sight of the food. She shook her head rapidly and the box was removed from her section of the table they were all sat around.

"More for me." Jo answered with a grin as she picked up another slice. When she had finished it off she shifted the box to the floor and wiped her hands clean on a napkin. "Well, now that lunch is over let's get back to business shall we?"

Holly would rather they move back to the interrogation room, at least there it wouldn't smell so bad.

"Can we get into her apartment?" Jo asked, looking first to Steve and then to Luke.

Luke answered before Steve could. He shook his head. "Swarek's tried that before, can't get past the building security without the owner's consent and they've already said no because they've never had an issue with Gail."

"Can we force their hand?" Jo asked again, this time keeping her eyes on the well connected Peck in the room.

"We might." He answered after taking his time thinking about it. "But you're going to have to have something solid first, but yeah, you get that and I know a judge who'll swing it."

Holly's foot tapped at the floor nervously. All this talk was about Gail, they made it sound just like every day work, not the woman who she'd kissed in her kitchen this morning.

"You okay there Holly?" Traci asked. "You don't look so good."

Holly snorted and pulled her glasses off again to rub at her eyes. She pull them back on and turned to reply to Traci when her cell phone started ringing.

Everyone including Holly froze at the sound.

"Answer it!" Jo insisted as she stood to watch. "On speaker! Talk on speaker." She told Holly just as the other woman was lifting the device to her ear.

"Hello?" Holly asked somewhat nervously. The number was unknown but she already knew how easy it would be for Gail to get a hold of it.

"Hey, babe, you lost under that paperwork or can you escape for an hour or so?" That was definitely Gail's voice on the other end of the call.

Jo nodded to signal she wanted Holly to answer positively to Gail's request.

"Yeah, sure." Holly said, hoping her voice didn't sound as fearful as she felt. "What, what do you have in mind?" She asked.

A chuckled filled the room before Gail's voice returned. "Lots of things babe, starting with where we left off this morning."

Holly felt her face flush. "Gail." She muttered embarrassed as the people around her heard the blonde.

"Fine, I'll take food for now." Gail responded sounding vaguely like she was pouting. "You remember the café we had breakfast at the other day? How about lunch, my shout. I miss you."

Holly's heart clenched at those three words.

What the hell was she doing sat here with these cops?

A hand came down on her shoulder to remind her to reply.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there. I miss you too." Holly replied, not even caring how that sounded to anyone else in the room with her.

"Aww." Gail chuckled again then came back on the line. "See you there in an hour, I've got some stuff to sort out at the bar?"

Holly looked up and a Jo's urging she agreed and the call ended.

Jo clapped her hands together more than happy with how that went. "You." She pointed to Luke. "Go get that warrant amended right now." And with that Luke was gone.

Jo then turned to Andy. "You can go rustle up a tech and get the good doctor here wired up."

When Andy left too Jo sat back down with a very pleased look on her face as she took in Holly's posture before grinning at Steve.

"We've got her!"

xxxxxxx

AN/

Good/bad?

Ah, you guys worry too much.

Thanks for reading!