I do not own Rookie Blue or any of the characters….but I also don't send lesbian characters to San Francisco or kill them off.
Actually I have this little fantasy that some rich lesbian will decide to finance a Rookie Blue spin-off with Gail and Holly as the main protagonists. One can only dream.
Thanks to the people who continue to review, fav, follow and read. It feels like this fandom may be waning a bit, so I'm especially grateful to hear from you in whatever way.
Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know!
As always apologies for any mistakes – I do my own proofing.
…..
Elaine gripped the edge of the desk, her mouth set in a grim line.
'Gail's hasn't been to the hospital,' she repeated, 'Steve hasn't spoken to her today.'
Frankie nodded. 'Okay, what do you want us to do now?'
'I, I,' Elaine looked about blankly, her usual steely composure deserting her. 'Gail wouldn't go after Trent on her own. She wouldn't be that stupid would she?'
'We don't know for sure where she is but we need to check if she has gone to see Trent,' Frankie said.
'She has always been willful. I knew it would get her into trouble one day. I tried to curb it,' Elaine continued as if she hadn't heard Frankie.
'Superintendent, I need to know how you want us to handle this,' Frankie tried again, her voice firmer this time.
'Gail would know better than to act alone. She could lose her job for this.'
'Okay, Dov see if you can get a trace on Gail's phone,' Frankie said decisively, realizing she needed to take control, 'I'll send McNally and Price over to the gym to check if she's been there. Is Aaron still here at the station?'
'No, he was released about an hour ago,' Dov said.
'So it's unlikely Gail's gone to see him, but I'll ask Oliver to send a car to his apartment just in case and one to Trent's address. Though if Trent has Gail I doubt he'd do something as obvious as take her there. I'll get Diaz to check Gail's house as well. There's a chance she's just gone home. I'll keep trying Gail's phone.' Frankie turned to Elaine who was still looking stunned, 'We'll find her,' she said with more confidence than she felt.
…..
Leaving the gym Gail reflected that Trent had been nothing but professional and courteous. A little flirty yes, and most people would find it hard to resist his easy charm. Still there was something about him that unsettled her. Maybe it was the way the charm was laid on a little too thick or the feeling that his appraisal of her body had nothing to do with working out a program suited to her body type.
Trent was clearly so used to people being drawn in by him that he was almost immediately over familiar, speaking to Gail as if they were old friends and touching her unnecessarily. It might be a hand on her lower back to guide her or a touch on her arm, but Gail found it disconcerting and wondered if that was because she was convinced he was the killer or if at some instinctual level she sensed something was off about him.
Still, Gail had banked on him behaving himself. Word hadn't got out that she'd been removed from the case, and if Trent was the killer chances were he'd imagine she had backup. She had thought it unlikely he'd say anything to implicate himself, although the other instructor's jibe about blonde women never coming back after the initial session was something Frankie would need to follow up. No, she'd merely hoped her presence would ramp up the pressure on him and that might lead to him making a mistake, leaving evidence or letting something slip, that would point the finger at him.
When Gail got in her car she saw she had twelve missed calls and seven text messages from Holly, and ten missed calls from Frankie.
'Crap,' she said out loud.
Obviously they had discovered she'd slipped off. She'd left the phone in the car and taken the one issued to her for the FindLove undercover job figuring Trent might think it strange if she had two phones. Besides she wanted to maintain the fiction of the undercover persona even if she was fairly certain Trent knew who she really was.
Holly picked up on the first ring.
'Oh my god, Gail is that you?' she breathed out in relief.
'Yes' Gail said quietly, straightaway guilty that she'd made Holly sound so worried.
'You're okay? Where are you? Where have you been? Frankie has people out looking for you. You need to go back to the station now.'
Just as Gail went to answer, the rear door on the driver's side of the car was pulled open and Trent slipped into the back. Before she could react, he placed his hands around her throat, not too tightly but with enough pressure to make it hard for her to move. Gail immediately dropped the phone on the floor and, using her foot, nudged it under her seat.
'Making a call?' Trent inquired, his voice devoid of its earlier charm but edged with menace, 'Give me your cell.'
'Why,' Gail asked, surprised at how defiant she sounded when she could literally feel the panic rising inside, threatening to spill over. Without moving her head at all, she looked around for something she could use as a weapon. Escape would be impossible with Trent's hands wrapped around her neck and anyway even if she managed to get out of the car he would just follow her. There was a gun in the glove compartment but the compartment was locked so she couldn't get to it before Trent stopped her. Gail just hoped Holly would stay on the line so her cellphone could be traced.
'I'd like to have this chat in private, so hand it over.'
Gail reached into the center console and picked up the undercover phone, awkwardly passing it back to Trent, who removed one of his hands from her throat in order to take it.
'You think it's me, don't you Detective,' he said.
'I think it's you what?'
'Don't play games detective,' Trent said, using his free hand to stroke the side of Gail's face, 'I don't find that attractive in a woman. I saw the news this morning. I read about those murders. Now I know why you've been sniffing around. You think I'm the FindLove killer.'
Even as she sat there, her body tensed in fear, willing every part of her brain to remain focused only on survival, Gail remembered that the media reports hadn't mentioned FindLove. Trent had just put himself completely in the frame.
Trent leaned in, his breath hot against the side of her face and Gail had a sudden flashback of Perick as he bent over her, tending the wound on her head, his almost tender ministrations repellent and his fetid breathe turning her stomach. Sweat gathered on her upper lip, even though she felt completely cold.
'If I was your killer, do you think I'd take you now in broad daylight when you've probably got half a dozen cops watching you. I could tell you weren't wearing a wire but I bet you had people in the gym didn't you?'
When Gail didn't answer, Trent tightened his grip around her neck. 'I think you've become obsessed with me Detective,' he said, his voice low and threatening. 'It's always the way with you women. You're all interested but then when I pay you attention you cry rape.'
As Trent spoke he pressed his fingers into Gail's throat so it became harder for her to breathe and she started to gasp. After a moment he released his hands and said 'You'll keep blondie, right now someone else needs my attention more than you' and got out of the car.
Even though the logical, the police trained, part of her brain was telling her to start the car and put as much distance as she could and as fast as possible between herself and Trent, Gail sat unmoving. She didn't know how long she remained that way before she became aware of a noise coming from the phone beneath her seat. Just as she realized it was Holly repeatedly calling out her name, there was a tap on the driver's side window that made her jump.
Next Andy was yanking open the door and saying 'Gail, are you alright?'
Gail shook her head numbly.
…
'I could have your badge for this,' Elaine spat at Gail. The Superintendent's body was so tightly wound and yet so motionless it reminded Frankie of a cobra about to strike. 'You have jeopardized this entire operation with this ill-conceived infraction. I have no choice but to report you.'
'No you won't,' Frankie said, in a tone that made it clear she wouldn't accept any disagreement.
'This is not your call, Detective,' Elaine turned on Frankie, her eyes hard.
'I'm making it my call,' Frankie replied evenly, 'if you intend reporting Gail up the line, I'll inform them that when we believed Detective Peck's life was in danger you froze and were unable to give an order on how we should proceed.'
'You wouldn't dare,' Elaine said.
'Yes I would, and I have Detective Epstein as a witness who will corroborate that you failed to carry out your duty. You questioned whether it was appropriate for Gail to be on this investigation but it seems like the only one who has let personal feelings get in the way of doing their job is you.'
Gail's eyes went wide. If Elaine had reminded Frankie of a snake only a moment ago, now she made Gail think of an engine about to blow a gasket. The Superintendent's face was red and she was clearly battling to calm her emotions. What struck Gail the most was Elaine's incredulity that Frankie had the audacity to challenge her. Gail had never imagined she would ever see her mother so flummoxed and she felt like she owed Frankie big time for witnessing this.
'Besides,' Frankie continued, 'your blind spot about Trent, your reluctance to consider him a suspect, raises serious questions about your judgment. At the very least, if it weren't for Gail's intervention, it could have cost us valuable time. So, I suggest the three of us put aside any differences and figure out how to catch this guy. Which means Superintendent, Detective Peck must be reinstated on the case.'
Elaine gave a curt nod but didn't look at Gail. For her part, Gail blinked in surprise.
'But,' Frankie turned on Gail, 'if you ever pull that kind of stunt on me again, if you ever decide to act alone and outside of an investigation while I'm your superior, I will report you.'
Gail nodded. When they worked together, Frankie normally gave her a lot of leeway and tolerated her quirks, but this time Gail knew she had crossed a line.
….
Frankie had suggested they regroup and review Gail's conversation with Trent once Gail visited the morgue to have the marks on her neck examined and photographed.
'Holly said there's a chance they can lift his fingerprints. She said you should head over there now as fingerprints start to deteriorate after a few hours. You didn't touch your neck did you?'
'No', Gail shook her head, noting that her encounter with Trent hadn't deterred Holly and Frankie from focusing on the job, 'but Trent didn't leave any prints on the victims so how will it help?'
'If forensics can lift prints from your neck and if Trent kills again and if he gets careless and leaves prints we'll have a direct link.'
That was a lot of ifs and Gail certainly didn't want to think about the possibility of more victims. Elaine hadn't said anything since Frankie silenced her outburst, but now as Gail headed out the door she finally spoke.
'Dr Stewart is coming to the station to give a statement about what she heard of the conversation in the car. That was quick thinking not hanging up.' Elaine's voice was quiet and held no trace of her earlier fury.
Gail looked at her mother in surprise and nodded slowly before backing out of the Incident room. It didn't make sense. Was Elaine offering an olive branch? Her mother had every right to report her.
Gail was well versed in police procedure, having had it drummed into her from an early age, so even if Trent hadn't directly threatened her, she knew she should never have approached him on her own. Gail realized with a jolt that her mother was right. She was too invested in this case, she felt too connected to those women, so carefully but yet so randomly selected to suffer and die, and it had clouded her judgment, making her ignore basic police training.
Gail was convinced Trent was the killer and she had thought if she found something to implicate him then Frankie could persuade Elaine to consider him their prime suspect. She sighed. She'd been right. Her actions, her flagrant disregard of orders, meant that it was now just a matter of time before they closed in on Trent. It also meant there was no option but for her to see the investigation through and, as she resisted touching the tender skin around her neck where Trent had half choked her and tried not to think about how close she came to being his next victim, Gail finally acknowledged how foolish she'd been to want to stay on the case.
As she made her way to the front of the station, Gail saw Holly striding down the corridor towards her. Her expression was unreadable but there was something about the rigidity of her gait that made Gail realize she was in trouble.
'Uh, hi,' Gail said as Holly reached her. She knew it was a woefully inadequate greeting given the circumstances.
Holly said nothing but took her by the hand and led her into an interrogation room, shutting the door behind them. Once inside she grabbed Gail into a fierce hug before just as suddenly letting her go. Then she pushed Gail's chin up and inspected her neck, wincing as she saw the purple bruises that had already formed on the pale skin. For a moment Gail thought Holly was about to cry, but then she took a step back.
'You asshole Gail,' Holly said, her voice tight with anger, 'What the hell were you thinking?'
Gail blinked a little at Holly's abrupt turnaround. 'Well, you can line up behind Elaine and Frankie to take shots at me,' she said, shrugging, 'I think they're selling tickets.'
'You don't get to do that, you don't get to be pissy with any of us because we've got every right to be angry with you.'
Gail bit her bottom lip. 'Holly, let me explain,' she started.
'And you don't get to talk now either. Do you care so little about yourself, about us, that you recklessly go and put yourself in danger. I mean what the fuck, Gail,' Holly said, her voice rising in exasperation, 'do you have a death wish or something.'
'Holly, it's not like that,' Gail said quietly.
'What is it like then, Gail? Tell me, cause I really want to understand. On second thoughts don't tell me. I'm too angry and frustrated to talk to you about this right now. I need some time. I'm going to go back to Rachel's place for a while.'
Gail swallowed. 'Are we okay?'
'I don't know Gail. I love you but you promised me you would never do anything reckless or foolhardy and I'm finding it really hard to understand why you went ahead and did this anyway,' Holly said as she opened the door to leave.
'I knew what I was doing. It wasn't as risky as it looks.'
'If it was so risk-free, why did you disappear on me? Why couldn't you tell me what you were doing?' Holly turned and looked directly at Gail. 'Do you have any idea how worried I was, what I imagined was happening to you, because actually I don't have to imagine what that monster is capable of.'
Gail bit her bottom lip and looked as if she was about to say something, but Holly ignored her and kept speaking.
'I've catalogued every mark he's left on those women, every bit of violence done to them and every sign of their struggle. I've described and measured the deep cuts left by the ligatures and the contusions on the inside of their thighs. I've listed the genital injuries. I've photographed the bruises he left as he wrapped his fingers around their throats pushing their last breath out. So, no I didn't have to imagine.'
Gail took a step towards Holly.
'I'm sorry Holly, I'm so sorry. I didn't think.'
'That's an understatement,' Holly said, moving back and away from Gail, 'you have no idea how I felt listening to that man threaten you.'
'I'm sorry. I didn't plan on that. You know I hate that you heard that.'
Holly shook her head. 'Whether or not I heard it is not the point. It amazes me that you don't get that.'
As Gail went to speak, Holly interrupted her again.
'Just give me some space. I just need some time.'
'Okay,' Gail said, knowing she had no right to feel as hurt as she did.
…
'It's my fault, I should have stopped you leaving the morgue,' Rodney said as he began to dust Gail's neck with magnetic powder so he could lift Trent's prints.
'Rodney you are not my keeper,' Gail sighed, 'and how many times do I have to tell you I'm a big girl. This is all down to me.'
'It's just I've never seen Dr Stewart so worried,' he said, 'well not since you were missing undercover.'
Oh fuck, Gail thought, why do I keep putting Holly through this? Gail had known from the beginning, from the time Holly had rushed to the station to see if she was safe when Ford was on the loose, that Holly, who was so sensible, so level-headed and reasonable about so many things, became incapable of rational thought when she believed Gail was in danger. She hadn't recognized it then, but Gail knew now it was because Holly loved and cared for her as no one else ever had.
God, had she'd pushed it too far this time? Maybe Holly had decided she couldn't stand it any longer. That thought was like a physical hurt, a laceration that left Gail feeling raw and torn inside and she cursed herself for her stupidity.
…
'Could he argue that he made an educated guess?' Frankie said as she, Elaine and Gail went over what Trent had said in the car.
'I guess he could but none of the media coverage mentioned FindLove. I mean it's clear someone in the force is leaking information to the Toronto Star but that's one fact they didn't report nor has there been any mention that I'm on the case,' Gail said, 'If you think back, Trent could only have found out that I was a detective from Aaron and he'd only know about FindLove if he's the killer.'
'Could the owner of Findlove have told him?' Elaine asked.
'I doubt it. We asked Sandra not to tell anyone and besides she was so worried she'd be put out of business if it got out that a serial killer was stalking the FindLove events. I'm certain Trent knows because he's the killer.' Gail blew out a breath.
'And the fact that he half-strangled you, using the same method to assault you as he used to kill the victims, can't be a coincidence,' Frankie pointed out.
'It's a warning,' Elaine said and Gail thought she detected her mother give a slight shudder, 'a taste of what's to come.'
'So why is Trent being so blatant when he went to such pains to remove any trace evidence that could link him to the victims?' Frankie asked.
'That's something the profiler will be able to help with when he arrives tomorrow,' Elaine said and Frankie wondered whether there was any point bringing in the profiler given it seemed obvious Trent and Aaron were their perps.
'From what I know of Trent, I think it may be a weird mixture of things. Beneath that charm, he's extremely arrogant so on the one hand I think he's proud of his handiwork and the fact that we haven't caught him yet. He thinks he's outsmarted us. In the car, it was like he wanted me to know he was the killer, but he was smart enough not to say that directly. He slipped up though when he mentioned FindLove. On the other hand.'
Gail paused for a moment and Frankie and Elaine looked at her expectantly.
'Like any serial killer, like Perick for example, it's about control and power,' Gail continued, 'Trent needed me to know he is in control but the reality is we've, well I've unsettled him. If he really was in control he wouldn't have revealed as much as he did, so the pressure is getting to him.'
'We should bring him in for questioning,' Elaine said, 'and Aaron too. Even if we can't get a confession it will keep the pressure on them and hopefully they'll make more mistakes. If Gail's right about Trent needing control, then I suspect Aaron's his stooge.'
'Well, unless Aaron gets off on watching and Trent gets off on that. If Pastor Danny is right, Aaron watched as Trent raped that girl when they were in high school,' Frankie said.
'Still, I'd say Trent is the powerful one in this relationship, but we need to interview them both. In fact, ideally we should bring them into the station at the same time so they know we are questioning them both. We could use that to our advantage, play them off against one another,' Elaine replied.
'My guess is Trent's probably gone to ground, he's smart enough to know we'll be watching him now, but there is something else. At the end when he told me I'd keep, he also said someone else needed his attention more than me right now.' Gail wasn't quite sure why she'd held onto this information until now. Maybe it was too confronting to think Trent might already have his next victim and they had done nothing to prevent it.
Elaine looked at Gail sharply, 'So that means he is coming after you.'
'Worse. He takes two women at a time. I'd say I'm number two, number one is the someone else who needed his attention.'
'He said that exactly?' Frankie asked, 'someone needs my attention right now.'
Gail nodded and Frankie exchanged a grim look with Elaine.
'Yeah,' Gail said, understanding their bleak expressions, 'the way he said it sounded like he had already taken the next victim.'
…..
After they finished debriefing, Frankie had insisted that Gail go home with Chloe and Andy.
'Do you want to kill me,' Gail had grumbled to which Frankie had made a sour face.
'Not funny at the moment, Gail.'
'Miss Optimistic and Miss Girl Scout,' Gail turned down her lips but then suddenly looked impish as a thought struck her, 'I know you want me to kill them.'
'Just go,' Frankie threw up her hands.
'Oh, Frankie, ' Gail turned back, 'Did my mother really freeze?'
'Yeah,' Frankie said, 'she was worried about you. It's bad I used that against her.'
'Worried about me,' Gail was disbelieving, 'she has a strange way of showing it.'
'Well, she is a Peck.'
'Through and through,' Gail agreed.
On her way out, Oliver drew Gail into his office and enveloped her in a comforting hug. He knew he was one of the few people Gail allowed to get so physically close.
'Are you okay, Gail?' Oliver's eyes were so full of compassion, his words spoken with such kindness, that for a moment Gail felt like maybe she should just hole up in his office forever and forget everything else that was going on out there, but instead she nodded gamely.
'You can step away from this, you know that.'
'I can't now Ollie. I've kind of put myself right back in this investigation.'
Oliver nodded. 'But you know I'm here. Always. And don't let the Superintendent push you around. And don't tell her I said that either.'
Gail gave a rueful smile before heading out to find Chloe and Andy.
Once they got to the house, Chloe and Andy checked the perimeter and made sure all the doors and windows were locked, while Gail went upstairs. Holly had already been around and taken her clothes and toiletries. Gail wondered miserably if this was a sign she was gone for good. However sitting on the bed was a jar of St John's wort oil and a packet of tablets that gave her cause for a little hope.
Holly had attached a note that read 'Gently rub the oil into the bruises three times a day. St John's wort oil is rich in tannins, which are astringents that help shrink tissue and control capillary bleeding. The arnica tablets will bring down the inflammation and swelling. Take one every four hours to begin with and then reduce the dosage to two or three pills a day as the bruises fade.'
Gail found herself smiling at Holly's messy scrawl and the fact that even on a post it she couldn't help the nerd ramble. Surely it meant Holly hadn't given up on her, but then after she'd hugged Gail in the interrogation room she had been so cut-off, her withdrawal emotional as well as physical. Once again Gail knew she was to blame for Holly's absence and, just like that first time when she'd pushed Holly away after the incident at the Penny, Gail was keenly aware of how empty that absence made her feel.
She took a shower then, turning the hot water up high so it was almost scalding, trying to wash away the cloying feeling that had stayed with her since the encounter with Trent and the sense that her skin and indeed her whole self was sullied.
Chloe and Andy seemed happy with her suggestion of pizza for dinner, although Andy stood with her gun drawn but concealed behind her back as Chloe handed over the cash and took the pizza from the delivery guy, who looked barely sixteen and a little freaked out by Andy's intense stare. Gail rolled her eyes and told Andy to behave like a real cop for once.
Frankie and Dov returned quite late.
'You were right Gail, Trent's gone to ground. Told the gym manager he needed to visit his sick mother. There's no sign of Aaron either,' Frankie said.
'But the good news is I've connected Aaron to the white cargo van.' Dov could barely contain his glee.
'How?' Gail prompted.
'I decided to check if any of Aaron or Trent's relatives, well Trent doesn't have relatives, but friends or colleagues might own a white van that Aaron and Trent could access. Turns out Pastor Danny sold an old white van that belonged to the church to Aaron about two years ago. Seems Aaron was too lazy to change the vehicle registration so it still shows up as belonging to the church.'
'Your mother is getting arrest warrants for Trent and Aaron. She believes we've got enough to charge them both.'
'Do we?'
Frankie paused for a moment before replying to Gail. 'I'm not sure, but at least it gets them off the street for a while and stops anymore women being taken.'
'But I think he's got someone already,' Gail couldn't conceal her annoyance, 'we should be working on that.'
'Strickland and Garcia, they're two of the detectives the Superintendent pulled onto the team, spent the last few hours cross checking reports of missing women with the FindLove lists and came up with nothing.'
'But Dov if she was taken today maybe no one's realized she's missing yet.'
Dov nodded in agreement. 'You're right, Gail. We'll check again tomorrow.'
…..
Gail slept fitfully. She was woken just as it was light by a nightmare where Trent morphed into Perick and back again and both of them kept repeating 'we've got one, now we're coming for you.' As Trent, then Perick, then Trent again circled their hands around her neck Gail came to with a start. She reached out blindly for Holly and of course found the bed empty, her brain taking a beat to catch up.
The nightmare had unnerved her and without Holly to reassure her, Gail thought a swim might calm her down. She required a bodyguard though. A little evilly, given the earliness of the hour, she decided to wake Dov. Padding downstairs to the first floor, she went into Chloe's room and found Dov stretched out on the bed, one foot sticking out of the covers. Looking down Gail decided Dov really did have unattractive feet and it was only right that she should wake him by twisting his big toe.
Dov let out a yelp that of course woke Chloe.
'What the hell, Gail,' he managed to sputter as Chloe looked confused.
'I'm going swimming. I need security. Meet me downstairs in five,' she said, 'oh and I guess bring your gun.'
As she went up and down the pool Gail found she was unable to shake the nightmare. Instead of calmly counting strokes, her mind alternated between what Trent/Perick had said in the dream about already having one victim and her stupidity at letting this investigation jeopardize her relationship with Holly. She couldn't chase away the feeling of foreboding that accompanied each of these thoughts.
Why she was paying such heed to the nightmare. It wasn't like she believed in premonitions. Then there was the question of why, without being conscious of it, she had sabotaged things with Holly. She had thought that was something she'd dealt with. She'd been over it enough times with her therapist. Resolving to make an appointment with Leslie, Gail finally gave up on the swim.
Dov handed her a towel as she got out of the pool, saying 'Looking fit Gail.'
'You shouldn't be looking Epstein.'
Dov colored slightly. 'I'm not, I mean I was but I'm just, you know, admiring your physical fitness, I'm not actually checking out your body. Not that you're not hot because anyone, you know man or woman, with eyes in their head can see you are, you know hot. Oh man, that came out wrong.'
Gail made a face. 'Hardly surprising, cause what have we established?' She gave Dov a fake smile, thinking it was too easy to get him flustered, and without waiting for a reply continued, 'You came out wrong.'
…..
It was about an hour later that Gail arrived at the station flanked by Frankie, Dov and Chloe. If they didn't catch Trent and Aaron soon she might just go mad having to be accompanied everywhere by this motley crew.
As Gail got to her desk, Officer Robinson approached. 'There's a witness wanting to speak to you. She worked with Claire Beecher. Her name's Ruby Johnston. You left your card with her supervisor. Shall I put her in an interview room?'
Gail nodded. 'Do you want to sit in on this with me, Chloe.'
Ruby Johnston was petite with black hair cropped short and close to her head and a set of dimples that suggested she'd normally be laughing or smiling. Now her expression was troubled. Despite that, she had the relaxed glow of someone who had just retuned from a week's holiday, which as it turned out was exactly where she'd been.
'I was on a cruise,' she explained to Gail and Chloe, 'I didn't know Claire had been killed until I got back to work this morning.'
'No one from work contacted you?' Gail asked.
'It's not that kind of workplace. Everyone keeps to themselves. I'm not even sure any of my colleagues have my number but it was different with Claire. She'd only been working there for about six weeks but we got on really well. I felt like she could be a friend, you know. We'd gone out for drinks a few times. We were both single. She told me she'd broken up with a boyfriend a few months ago. She sort of hinted he was abusive.'
Gail nodded. Matt and Dov had spoken to Claire's ex-boyfriend but there was nothing to link him to the murders, apart from being self-centered which hadn't been declared a crime yet.
'Did she mention whether she had met anyone else?' Gail asked gently.
'Yeah, she was really excited. She'd been to some singles event. She kept trying to get me to go but I hate those meat markets. Anyway she met a guy there, a gym instructor. I think his name was Brent or something. I can't remember exactly. She was going to meet him after work the day after I went on holidays.'
Gail exchanged a look with Chloe. Yep, they were closing in on Trent.
…..
'Why did you do it,' Leslie asked, her fingers tips arranged in a steeple, which Gail thought made her look like the archetypal therapist.
Fortunately Leslie had a cancellation at noon so Gail used her lunch hour for the appointment not wanting her mother to know where she was. She'd dragged Chris along figuring he of all people wouldn't judge her for seeing a therapist and he was now perched awkwardly in the waiting room, checking out anyone who came through the door.
'No one gets it. My mother clearly thinks I was insane to meet with the suspect and Holly asked if I had a death wish. I don't even know if I get it myself, but I feel like I owe it to those women to catch this guy and stop it happening to anyone else. I mean I was lucky I was rescued from Perick.'
'Do you think you owe a debt?'
'Yes, for Jerry. His death had to mean something didn't it?' Gail reply was almost inaudible. As she spoke she looked at Leslie almost beseechingly.
'So you think by stopping this killer, by preventing any more women from being taken, you give Jerry's death meaning?'
'Yes.'
'You don't think that saving you gave his death meaning?'
Gail looked at Leslie like she was crazy. 'He was cool, a good guy, the best. He had so much going for him, so much to offer. If he was alive now he and Tracy would be married and have made a family with Leo and maybe they would have a bunch of other kids as well. And I took all that away.'
'Perick took that away,' Leslie said firmly, 'If Jerry hadn't saved you, couldn't Holly say she was robbed of the life she wants to make with you and you with her.'
'Leslie I'm not a good person. Not like Jerry. I can't even hold onto the good things in my life. I think I've fucked it up with Holly.'
'From what you've told me of Holly, I'd have to say I'd be very surprised if you have messed things up irrevocably. It's not unreasonable for her to ask for some space. She was confronted in a very real way with the possibility of losing you'
'And I didn't care enough about her not to put myself at risk or at least that's how she sees it,' Gail interrupted.
'That's quite possible.'
'I don't deserve her,' Gail said, twisting her mouth.
'Gail, can you see you are falling back into old patterns of behavior?'
'Yeah, yeah. Self-pity, self-deprecation, self-sabotage. My unholy trinity,' Gail replied a little caustically, but only because she realized Leslie was right.
The therapist had pushed Gail to work hard on self-worth. Sure, Gail could boast about being awesome and strut about like the Queen of everything, curling her lip at anything that displeased her in the slightest, but a good part of it was bluff and bluster to disguise that niggling sense that she would never matter as much as anyone else. And now, now the longer the investigation continued the more the small accord she reached with that niggle seemed to be unraveling.
'Putting that aside for the moment, Gail I want to suggest that survivor's guilt is what is driving you to do what ever it takes to catch this killer.'
'Survivor's guilt?'
'Yes. You said it yourself. You feel like you owe these women. Do you think it's time you accept that it was Perick's fault and not yours that Jerry died, just as the killer is to blame if anymore women die,' Leslie paused, 'I think Gail you need to forgive yourself. It may be essential if you want to move forward with Holly.'
Gail bit her lip.
'And isn't the life you lead, which despite what you say and despite the way you wrap things up in snark, is good and true, isn't that atonement for Jerry's death.
'That's what Holly says.'
'She sounds like a smart woman,' Leslie smiled.
…
Gail was trying to get the bartender's attention. She needed food not alcohol. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, when her stomach was so churned by the events of the previous day and the nightmare that woke her she'd only managed a piece of toast. She'd skipped lunch for the appointment with Leslie and then spent the afternoon chasing down fruitless leads connected to Trent and Aaron's whereabouts.
At 6pm Frankie had clapped her on the back and said 'We're going to shoot things, Peck' and they'd spent a satisfying hour at the gun range. Why she'd then agreed to come to this bar with Frankie she didn't know.
'It's the newest gay bar in Toronto. It only opened last week. Its our duty to give it our patronage,' Frankie had said blithely and Gail wondered if the bar and the shooting range were an attempt to cheer her up.
Gail was lightheaded from lack of sleep and food, and even before Frankie had supplied her with two shots of tequila, she'd felt almost as if she was drunk from fatigue. Before long Frankie was distracted by a redheaded woman, who was none too subtle in her appraisal of the detective. Gail could see them out of the corner of her eye, a little to the side of the bar.
If she hung around she was going to cramp Frankie's style. Maybe she should call Chris to come and give her a ride home. She smiled at that. He'd be all hulky and awkward walking into a gay bar to fetch her.
Finally the bartender came over to Gail but instead of taking her order, she slid a shot in front of her. Without thinking, Gail tipped it back and drank it down.
'Compliments of the brunette over there,' the bartender said with a nod down the bar and, before Gail could ask for food, she disappeared to serve another customer.
'Wait, what,' Gail said confused and then figured Frankie had bought her another shot. Well, free drinks, who was she to complain. She still wanted some food though.
She was contemplating whether she should go in search of Frankie and drag her out of here and to a place that actually wanted to serve her food or just call Chris, when a woman slid onto the barstool next to her. Gail didn't take much notice until the woman leant over and spoke directly into her ear so Gail could hear above the noise of the bar.
'I thought you said you were straight.'
Gail turned and with a start realized it was Stacey, the woman who had tried to hit on her at the FindLove event.
'I guessed you'd be the tequila kind of girl,' Stacey purred, placing her fingers on Gail's forearm.
Oh, thought Gail looking down at Stacey's fingers as if watching something that was happening to someone else, that's where the last shot had come from. The mix of alcohol and tiredness was making her feel slow and uncoordinated and she shook her head to clear it.
'I have a girlfriend,' she told Stacey, conscious of the effort she needed to annunciate every word so she didn't slur.
'I don't see any girlfriend,' Stacey leaned in closer and moved her hand to the top of Gail's thigh.
Where the fuck is Frankie, Gail thought, isn't she meant to be protecting me? Quickly scanning the room she stopped when she saw a pair of chocolate brown eyes she knew so well staring back at her.
'She's just over there,' Gail pushed Stacey's hand off her leg and stood up a little unsteadily.
…
Holly really didn't know why she'd agreed to come to this bar with Lisa. The surgeon had a date of sorts with Bridget, a journalist who'd written a feature article on cosmetic surgery in which she'd quoted Lisa extensively. The interview with Lisa had bordered on flirty and at the end of it the plastic surgeon had asked for Bridget's number.
When the article hit the newsstands the day before, Lisa had rung Bridget to congratulate her and arrange a date. Trouble was Bridget's cousin was in town and Bridget didn't want to leave her home alone so Lisa felt like she needed a decoy. When Holly turned up at Rachel's with her suitcase last night, Lisa knew she had found just the right person.
'I really don't feel like going out,' Holly said.
'It'll stop you moping around here,' Lisa countered, 'anyway since you've been back you're always with Gail. You don't have any time for Rachel and me. We're beginning to feel neglected.'
Holly laughed. 'I get the feeling it's not my company you want to enjoy tonight, Lisa.'
'Well you owe me for all the times I keep walking in on you and Gail. Anyway Bridget's cousin is some sort of scientist so I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about.'
Eventually Holly had agreed. She did feel a little guilty about how little she'd seen her best friends since returning to Toronto and, Lisa was right, it might stop her thinking about Gail.
As they made their way through the crowded bar, Holly started to think she'd made a mistake. She should be with Gail, not here. The look of hurt that crossed Gail's face when Holly left the interrogation room yesterday afternoon had stayed with her ever since. She shouldn't have walked out on Gail. It would just feed all her insecurities and beside hadn't she told Gail repeatedly that they should talk their issues through, not run away. Then what did she do? She shut Gail out.
As they reached the booth were Bridget was seated, Holly noticed she was with Natasha, the very striking woman she'd interviewed for the internship yesterday. In fact Dr Carral was chasing up her referees with the intention if they panned out of offering Natasha one of the positions. Some sort of scientist Lisa had said. Natasha must be Bridget's cousin. This could awkward, Holly thought.
'Oh you know each other,' Lisa said surprised when Natasha greeted Holly as Dr Stewart.
'Ah, Natasha was one of the applicants for the intern positions at the Morgue.'
'Oh, well I suppose you can't tell her whether she was successful,' Lisa laughed brightly and then turning to Natasha, gave her a wink and said, 'Just ply Holly with alcohol. She'll tell you anything then.'
Holly sighed. She wondered how long she needed to wait before she could excuse herself so she could go and see Gail.
While Lisa and Natasha went to the bar to get drinks, Holly tried to make small talk with Bridget about her article. Small talk wasn't really her forte and to be honest, though she'd never admit it to Lisa, she had no real interest in cosmetic surgery. She was relieved when Lisa and Natasha returned quite quickly with the drinks. The bar had thinned out, no doubt as people went in search of dinner. As Lisa sat down she said 'Hey, Holly isn't that Gail over at the bar?'
Holly looked up to see the familiar blonde head. Gail had her back to them, and a woman seated next to her was leaning in close. God, thought Holly, did she just put her hand on Gail's leg. Before Holly could react or even think of something to say, Gail began looking wildly around the room, stopping when she saw Holly and looking directly at her. Without breaking her gaze, Gail got up abruptly, unceremoniously pushing the woman's hand off her, and with very deliberate care made her way towards Holly. Is she drunk, Holly wondered and then realized Natasha was speaking.
'Who's Gail?'
'She's a detective with 15,' Lisa supplied.
'Wow, are all Toronto detectives so hot?' Natasha gushed and Holly briefly speculated if it was too late to ask Dr Carral to reconsider appointing Natasha, but just as quickly dismissed the idea as unethical.
As Gail approached, Holly saw that she'd buttoned up her shirt to the collar to hide the bruises on her neck. Reaching the booth, Gail regarded the four women before her and then turned to Holly solemnly.
'There's a woman back there who won't leave me alone because she doesn't believe I have a girlfriend. You're still my girlfriend right, Holly.'
'Oh drama, drama,' Lisa said snidely, 'Are you drunk Peck?'
Gail turned to look at her with barely concealed contempt.
'Gail,' Holly said beginning to stand, although she was hemmed in on one side by Natasha and on the other by Bridget and Lisa 'what are you doing here?'
'It's okay, it's okay. I get it,' Gail held up her hands and started to back away from the table, 'I didn't figure you'd move on so fast.' Gail nodded in Natasha's direction.
Maybe she shouldn't have been surprised. After all when they broke up that first time Holly found that someone else fairly quickly, although she had told Gail it was a completely ill conceived and futile attempt to get over Gail.
'Gail, wait,' Holly said.
'No, I need food. I haven't eaten all day.' With that Gail spun on her heel, suddenly no longer clumsy.
'Well at least she didn't threaten to tazer herself in the eye this time,' Lisa observed and now Holly gave her a withering look. Lisa however ignored it and said. 'Well, go after her Holly.'
'I would if someone would let me out of this booth.' Holly knew she sounded churlish.
Natasha quickly stood to let Holly pass. As Holly cleared the booth, she turned back to Natasha and said, 'For the record, Gail is my girlfriend.' She felt a little gratified that Natasha had the grace to blush.
Trouble was Gail was nowhere to be seen. Holly did however find Frankie.
'Is Gail with you?' The note of panic in Frankie's voice was impossible to miss.
'She was a minute ago, but then she suddenly disappeared. She said she needed food.'
'I'll look around the bar and in the restrooms, can you check outside? Maybe she decided to leave,' Frankie said.
Holly nodded. Once outside she immediately saw Gail just up ahead. The sidewalk was swarming with people out on a Friday night and Gail was moving at a surprisingly fast pace so Holly kept losing sight of her. The blonde head had just bobbed back into view when Holly saw a tall, well built man with jet black hair come up behind Gail and lean down to say something, his hands moving to grasp her elbows.
'Gail,' Holly yelled, 'Gail.'
