Chapter 6

Chief Superintendent Innocent motioned for Lewis to sit. He stood still, feet firmly planted for the expected argument he would have with his Chief. "I need to tell you something, something about James." She explained her voice low and full of sorrow.

Lewis' heart sank as he sat slowly in the proffered chair . He held his breath, "What about him?" His voice broke with fear.

Innocent paced her office searching for the beginning. "Four years ago James made Detective Sargent. I just arrived here as Chief Superintendent." She paused trying to form the correct words. Jean continued to pace, ringing her hands.

Lewis' sat watching his Chief sweat as she tortured her hands. 'What is she trying to say? What's happened to James?' His mind raced with questions.

"Four years ago Cynthia Kindly a young PC was murdered by Jimmy Fitzroy. Jimmy Fitzroy was the illegitimate son of American Senator Gerald King and Lady Jane Fitzroy daughter of Lord James Fitzroy, Chancellor of Oxford." She explained.

Time was ticking by quickly as Innocent slowly stumbled through her history lesson to Lewis. Lewis rolled his eye and sighed heavily, "Beg your pardon, Ma'am, but where is James?"

Innocent stopped her pacing to look at Lewis questioningly, "What?" She asked.

"Dr. Hobson and I went over to James' house," now Lewis was the one pacing the office floor. "He wasn't there. The neighbor said he left the house at three in the morning. We searched his house and..." He didn't know if he wanted tell his Chief what they found in the bath water.

"James is missing?" Jean murmured disbelieving. "I'm so sorry, Robbie."

"Do you know where he is, Ma'am?" Lewis leaned on her desk glaring at Innocent. He wanted answers, he did care who or how he got the answers. "And what does an old murder case have to do with James?"

Jean sat with her head in her red hands rubbing her tired eyes. "PC Kindly was James' first murder case." She spoke softly, almost too soft. Lewis had to lean closer to hear. "He was the one to find her." That was all she explained.

"I want to send a forensic team to Hathaway's house," he demanded. "I want the woods search behind his house."

"Yes, Yes of course," Jean snapped out of her shocked state. "I'll call in the search teams."

Surprised, Lewis did not expect to have Innocent to be so willing to search for Hathaway. He began to wonder why and what she was not telling him. "Get your men organizes, Lewis, I'll get the ball rolling from my end. Call me with any updates." Back to her usual composed self, Innocent ordered as she picked up the phone to call the search teams.

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The clock's bright light illuminated his room shining blindingly into his tired sleep deprived eyes. James tossed and turned kicking the sheets off his bed cursing. He punched his pillows violently in hopes to make them more comfortable, cussing the pillows the whole time. "Oh FUCK IT!" He finally yelled and staggered out of bed.

James stomped to the bathroom carrying a half empty bottle of scotch. Wrenching the medicine cabinet open he yanked out a box of Zopiclone sleeping tablets. "You mother fuckers better work," he growled at the package of tablets. He pushed the last few tablets through the foil seal and washed them down with the remaining scotch.

Swaying as he stood in front of the now crocked mirror, his bloodshot eyes fell upon the pearl handle straight razor in the cabinet, a razor that once belonged to his grandfather. His eyes filled with tears at the memory of his grandfather and the memory of his death.

James grabbed the razor tightly in his hand and stumbled to the tub breaking the empty scotch bottle and dropping his grandfather's razor into the tub, "Shit!" Fumbling around drunkenly he plugged the tub and turn the hot water on. He slow made his way back to the bedroom searching for another bottle to drown his sorrow.

Scoring an unopened bottle of scotch, James looked at his prize with troubled eyes. His heart ached, longing for peace, peace without demons of the night. All he wanted was one night of peaceful sleep. Sleep without remembering. Sleep without fear. Sleep without seeing. "You'll help me," James cried as he opened the bottle and took a long deep draw of the raw liquid, burning his throat and settling heavy in his pill filled belly. The tears poured down his hollow cheeks and fell silently onto the hardwood floor as he made his way back to the bathroom locking the door behind him.

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