Chapter 16
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Chief Superintendent Innocent slowly gathered the reports from the podium grumbling to herself. She stuffed the papers into a binder and tucked the incident board underneath her arm and slowly the long walk to her office. The knot in her stomach tightened to the point she felt ill.
The closer she got to her office the more angry she became. She has always had a bitter feeling toward the Chief Constable Glasgow. He was a life time member of the 'Good Ole Boys Club'. He always helped those who could do him a favor. He gain rank through those favors. Rank that rightfully belonged to others. Jean always wondered how many crimes were cover-up by Glasgow.
The door to the outer office was left open and she could see Chief Constable Liam Glasgow sitting at her desk snooping through the drawers. He glanced up to see his underling standing in the doorway. Her red face and tight jaws betrayed her the calm attitude she was trying to show.
"Jeannie, my dear, sit," Chief Constable Glasgow gestured to a chair in front of her desk. He made himself at home in her chair, propping his feet upon her desk. "You look beautiful as always. We need to go out sometime to catch up on old times, Sweetie." His eye filled with passion as he slowly licked his lips.
Her anger and fear finally under control, Chief Superintendent Innocent place the binder in the proffered chair and leaned the incident board against the chair. She stood up straight, adjusted her black silk blouse and walked behind her desk. Jean narrowed her eyes. "My chair," she ordered. "And get this straight, Chief Constable Glasgow, this is my station, my office, my desk and my chair. You will remember where you are and who I am. I will not tolerate any of your 'Sweetheart' talk."
Innocent's courage returned and strengthen with each word she spoke. "Now what do you want?" she demanded. "I have work to do and an officer to find. So, say what you have to say and get out!" Her eyes spoke volumes as she glared at Glasgow.
He slowly got out of her chair and mockingly dusted the chair and desk. Glasgow waved his hand and gave Innocent a deep bow. "My Lady, your chair awaits you," he cooed. "I have a confession to make, Jeannie," Her eyes narrowed at the sound of him pronouncing the name she hates. "Jean," he corrected.
"I am not a priest, Glasgow," she snapped. "And if you ever did confess to a priest, I am sure his ears would catch on fire listening to all your sins."
"Why thank you, Jean," he smiled evilly. "I'm glad you remember the fun we use to have."
"The times with you were anything but fun. Dangerous and risky would described those days. And those days are long gone never to return," Jean kept calm and was trying to keep the conversation away from their past and on the present.
She casually reached underneath her desk to turn on a hidden recorder. She learned longtime ago to record any conversation with Glasgow. "What do you have to tell me?"
"Humm, that sure does look like my old school teacher," trying to toy with Innocent. Glasgow continued to drag out his visit. He could see she was starting to loose control. He could see her eyes glisten with tears and her jaw tighten with anger.
"GLASGOW," Jean said through clinched her teeth. Teeth clinched so tight she thought she they would break.
"All right. Don't get your knickers all in a wad," he tested her. "Jimmy Fitzroy escaped" he blurted out.
"Leave my knickers out... What? How can a dead man escape from the grave? You told me he killed himself," Jean's voice was starting to break. She no longer was in control of her emotions. "You identified his body."
"Well, I lied. We're good at lying, remember Jeannie? Jean." Glasgow stood up pacing the office. "His family were and still are powerful people, Jean. I let them..."
"You let that murdering bastard go home to his family?" she was now leaning across her desk, her hands balled into a tight fist. Her fingernails were cutting into the palms of her hands "He tortured and killed PC Kindly. He played games with Hathaway. He still is haunting James. And now you stand here telling me he is not dead. You let him go home! Home to mummy and grandad?"
"His father was very persuasive and very generous," Glasgow explained. "They promised to keep Jimmy.."
Fuming Jean leaned further on her desk almost climbing on top. She grabbed the corrupt chief by the his jacket to stop his pacing. "He's a killer. He deserves life in prison. Not life at home with his family. Life without parole. Now he has escaped. Escaped from WHERE?"
"He was receiving treatment at Broadmoor Hospital and well … escaped last week," Glasgow could not look Innocent in the eyes. He knew he was in trouble. "We need to find him, quickly and quietly. His mother is prepared to make this worth our trouble, Jean."
"I tell you what you are going to do, Glasgow," Jean released her grip on him. "You are going to clean your mess up by yourself. You are going to internal affairs." Glasgow started to protest but Innocent pointed to the microphone hidden in the plant on her desk.
Glasgow lost his temper and slapped the plant off the desk. He then locked her office door. "Look Bitch. If I go down..." he threaten.
"No! You look," Innocent was no longer intimidated by his rank. She no longer feared him doing anything to her career. She despised trash like Glasgow. "You do not scare me. I have not done anything wrong. This is your doing, Glasgow, not mine. Not anyone else only you. Now, who was the dead man you identified as Fitzroy?" She demanded.
Still trying to figure out how to get out of this mess, Glasgow sat tapping his fingers absently on the edge of her desk. "I don't remember. Some bum. Nobody important. No one ever missed him." He waved his hand in the air flippantly.
Both Innocent and Glasgow jumped when someone banged on the door. "Open up, Glasgow," they banged hard on the office door, rattling the handle viciously. "Unlock this door," demanded the man. He continued to bang even harder.
Chief Superintendent Innocent cautiously walk to the door keeping her eyes on Glasgow. Still with her eyes on him, she unlocked the door to let in internal affairs officer Frank Powell. "Glasgow, I like you to meet Frank Powell from Internal Affairs. He would love to have a long chat with you."
"Hello, Glasgow. This has been a long time coming," Powell held Glasgow's elbow and escorted him from Innocent's office. "Thanks for your help, Chief. We finally have the evidence we've been needing."
"Glasgow, if you know where James.." her eyes pleaded with him. "Please!"
The soon to be ex-Chief Constable Glasgow looked at her, "Jeannie if I knew where that boy was I would tell you." He slowly walked to her, standing close enough to catch her minty sweet breath. "I don't know where James nor Fitzroy are, I only wish I did." He dropped his head down to his chest and his shoulders slumped, defeated. "I'm sorry, Jean."
A sour taste sat in her mouth. The sour taste only a dirty cop leaves in your mouth. "How many people have you hurt, Liam? How many people are hurting like James?" She did not expect any answers. "Get out of my office, you piece of trash." Jean slammed the door and slumped heavily in her chair.
Tears fell onto her desk, "I'm sorry James." She flung her arm sweeping her desk clean, scattering papers across the room. Jean grabbed a tissue, her purse and her suit jacket and she stormed out of her office. Out of her Kidlington station.
She drove for hours aimlessly around Oxfordshire. Tears flowed freely. Innocent kept wiping her face with the tattered soaked tissue. Her car sputtered to a halt, out of petrol. Loosing all control of her emotions Jean laid her head on the steering wheel and screamed.
Finally out of breath, hot and hoarse from screaming, Jean fished from her purse her mobile. "Hi, It's me. I need a lift," she told her secretary. "I'm on A 417 Near Shellingford." She listened to her secretary, "I don't know. I just drove around until, until I ran out of petrol." She listened again, "Okay, I'll be here, I'm not going anywhere."
Jean tossed the mobile on the passenger's seat and sat back looking at the stars through her open sunroof. "When did it get dark," she asked herself out loud. A star shot across the sky and silently Jean made a wish. A lone tear escaped.
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