"Grace, you finally answered your bloody phone then! He still won't answer his phone. Are you still with him?" Frankie asked as she fired questions at Grace as she sat in her living room.
"Frankie, calm down. Take a breath, he's okay, or as okay as you would expect. How much have you been told? How much do you know?" Grace sipping her wine as she looked at her reflection in the window.
Grace could see both Eve and Spencer turn away from her a little, their attempt at giving her privacy while on the phone.
"Hardly bloody anything. He called me three days ago, said that the case you're covering was dangerous and he wanted me to stay home and stay away until he called me. What the hell's going on Grace? Is everyone okay? Spencer, Eve, Sarah? Are you all together?" Frankie having no idea about the lump that rose in Grace's throat when she mentioned Sarah's name.
"Yes, I'm with him now. Listen, he's on his way back over. I'll talk to him, get him to ring you. If you haven't heard from him by tomorrow dinner time, call me back, okay. I have to go, he's here, bye." Quickly ending the call and shoving the phone in her pocket.
Grace didn't miss the quick looks sent her way by Spencer and Eve, both aware of who she had been talking to.
"Here we go." Boyd said as he slid the tray on the table with the four drinks on.
Boyd sat down and passed Spencer his pint, Grace and Eve their glasses of wine before taking his scotch. He held up his scotch, looking at the remaining members of what was once his team.
"To Sarah." Holding the glass aloft as the others copied his action, all murmuring Sarah's name before taking a drink.
"So what now? Where do we go from here?" Spencer asked after taking a long drink of his pint and then wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
"I don't know about you guys but I have a hot bath and a nice bottle of red chilling in my fridge," Eve said as she took a drink of her wine.
"Funny, Eve. It's really funny. You know what I meant." Spencer quipped, leaning back in his seat and looking at his friends.
"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Whatever happens, wherever we end up, we'll stay in touch, right?" Eve asked as she saw Grace smile and nod her head in agreement.
"I can't believe it took you nine years, nine bloody years before we get invited to your house." Spencer laughed as he looked at Boyd.
"Speak for yourself, I'd already been." Grace giving Spencer a wicked smug grin as she saw him open and then closed his mouth.
"I didn't even get an invite." Eve throwing in the fact she hadn't been to Boyd's house.
"So we could all end up unemployed, wait I am unemployed, and you lot find the fact you either never got invited or only just got invited to my house the most important thing to discuss. Grace, these people have issues they need to talk to you about. I'm going for another drink, anyone?" Looking around at the glasses on the table.
Everyone said yes, making Boyd growl at the prospect of buying more drinks.
"You offered, boss." Spencer pointing out the fact while everyone laughed as he trudged to the bar.
"Grace, did I hear right, he hasn't seen or spoken to Frankie since the case started?" Spencer leaning closer to Grace as he fished for information.
"So much for discreet, Spencer. Yes, you heard right. He told Frankie to stay at her place, and have no contact with him when this case started to heat up. He didn't want anyone linking her with him. I think deep down he knew what lengths some people would go to. Could you imagine what he would be like if they targeted Frankie? Or she ended up like Sarah. This case was his last attempt to find some peace with Luke's death, and make some meaning out of it, yet all it seems to have done is made him more angry and bad-tempered. Shhh, he's coming back." Grace sitting back and taking a drink of her wine.
Boyd wasn't slow, he knew they were talking about him as he carried the tray back to the table. He saw Grace sit back as he walked towards the table with the drinks, her subtle attempt at making it look like they weren't talking about him. Spencer moved the empty glasses so he could put the tray down, Eve regarding him curiously as he sat. He took a few sips of his larger, waiting. He knew one of them was going to say something, he just wasn't sure which one. It was Eve who spoke up first.
"How's Frankie? I hear she's got a research place at the royal college and she's doing some teaching work as well." Eve looking at Boyd over the rim of her wine glass.
Every eye turned to Boyd, each of them waiting to see how he would respond.
"Frankie is fine, as far as I know. I haven't seen her in a few days." His words measured as he looked at Grace.
"Oh, I thought you two were, you know, knocking boots as Spencer likes to call it." Eve knowing fine well they were a couple but attempting to be subtle.
"Why don't you lot just ask what you want to ask, save all this shit." Looking at Eve, then Spencer then Grace.
"When do you intend to speak to Frankie? She's worried about you. She rang me before asking what was going on." Grace held her hand up to stop him from asking what she knew he was going to ask when he opened his mouth "No, I didn't tell her about Sarah. I couldn't tell her that over the phone, not again." All of them remembering Stella, while Spencer and Grace remembered Mel as well.
"Does she know you're about to be officially unemployed?" Eve being the next to ask him a question.
"Not as far as I know. Unless gossip has reached her, I haven't spoken to her since I agreed to reopen the case. I told her it would be safer if we kept our distance. I had a gut feeling something was wrong, more so when I found out how high this shit went. She was and is safe, shame I can't say the same for Sarah." The guilty and remorse back as he played over the row in the car park.
"You really should go see her, tell her everything, don't miss anything out. She needs the full picture." Grace emphasizing that he should tell Frankie everything.
"I will, I just, I need to get my head around all of this." Picking up his glass and taking a few long swigs of the larger.
"Well, no matter how nice this is I still have a job, which I am expected to continue tomorrow. So, on that note." Even added as she finished her drink and stood up.
Spencer stood up as well, taking Eve's coat from her and holding it up for her to put on. Eve thanked Spencer as she slipped her arms into her coat, Spencer automatically putting the collar right for her. Grace and Boyd just watched, Boyd grinning while Grace watch intently.
"Will I see any of you tomorrow?" Eve looking at Grace, Spencer then Boyd.
"I'm in." Spencer moving aside so Eve could get past him.
"Me as well." Grace smiled as Eve moved past Spencer, not missing the brush of her hand on his arm.
"No fucking idea. I suppose I better turn in just in case and see if they say anything." Boyd watching as Spencer quickly finished his drink and grabbed his jacket.
"I'll walk you back to your car." Spencer smiled at Eve as he went to stand beside her.
"See you both tomorrow then." Grace chipped in as she eyed the way Spencer stood close to Eve.
Boyd didn't say anything just watched Eve and Spencer leave, walking side by side out the small riverside bar.
"Did you know?" Boyd not being able to help himself once Spencer and Eve were out of the bar.
"No clue. It must be recent, as in very recent. They're still in the touchy-feely stage." Grace finishing her wine and reaching for her coat.
"You okay for getting home?" Not knowing how she got to the riverfront.
"Cars outside. What about you? Do you need a lift anywhere? The office, home, Frankie's?" Seeing him just glare at her when she said Frankie's name.
"No, I'll walk for a bit. Then I might head to Frankie's. I'll see how I feel. You take care, Grace." Boyd finished his pint and then grabbed his coat. "I'll see you to your car." Letting Grace pass him as she put his big overcoat on.
He walked Grace to her car and watched her drive away before he turned on his heels and started to walk. He had no idea where he was going, his mind not paying any attention to his body. He just walked, walked and walked, pulling his coat tighter around himself as he went. It wasn't until he found himself standing at a big red door leading to a block of flats did he look around. Frankies, he was at Frankie's. Digging in his pockets he pulls out his keys, opening the door with the keys Frankie had given him just in case. Climbing the stairs he went to put the key in the door but stopped. They hadn't spoken in days, since everything went to hell in a handbag. Putting the keys back in his pocket he wrapped loudly on the door and waited. He heard the chain being taken off, the latch being turned and saw the door opening slowly.
Hi." The only word she had said to him in four days.
"You're a sight for sore eyes." Stepping through Frankie's front door as she backed herself against the wall so he could get passed. Once he was inside she closed and locked the door, watching his shoulders slowly sag, the fight in him seeming to drain away. He didn't wait for her to make the first move, the whole world falling off its axis as he finally let go. Frankie gathered him against her chest, steering them both towards the living room. He was in his safe place, the one place he could fall apart and not care what happened. They would talk, later, but for now, Frankie held him, held him against his demons and the demons he had acquired over the past few days. She would keep him safe.