The dangers of Smoking.
The dangers of smoking are widely known, by smokers and non smokers alike. Detective Sergeant James Hathaway knows them, accepts them and lives with them. Except one. No one thought to warn about that one did they?
Chapter 14
Evie hit pause on the TV as her door bell sounded, frowning she looked at her alarm clock, a quarter to midnight. She swung her legs out of bed and headed to the door.
She opened it cautiously, seeing James staring at his feet.
"You shouldn't answer the door at this time of night without asking who it is" he advised.
"Police spot check?" she asked lightly.
"Something like that" he replied with a grim expression.
She opened the door wider and he pushed himself off the frame and entered. She closed the door and looked at him. He looked tired, and defeated.
"I'm sorry" he sighed, looking around, seeing the flat in darkness except the hall where they stood and the bedroom lamp on "You were in bed"
"Watching a film" she explained, tilting her head and frowning "Is something wrong?"
"No" he replied and then changed his mind "Yes"
"Is it..." she faltered, feeling impending disappointment as she studied him, he was having second thoughts "Tonight?"
"The first half" he said, a smile lighting his features momentarily "Was more perfect than I dared hope"
She returned his smile and he saw relief, realising too late what she'd thought.
"And the second half?" she prompted.
"Was awful" the look of defeat was back.
She reached out, taking his hand in hers and leading him into the bedroom.
He followed and stopped short, letting his fingers slide from hers as she went to her bed.
"Been a long time since I've been in a ladies bedroom" he remarked "One that was alive anyway"
She got back into bed and smiled at him shyly, then patted the space next to her.
"More comfortable in here" she replied quietly.
He sat on the edge of the bed and kicked his shoes off. She noticed that somewhere between dropping her off earlier and now, he'd dressed in the suit again. He sat next to her, knees drawn up.
"What were you watching?" he asked.
"Rom com" she answered "American actors pretending that life is perfect"
He nodded, running a hand over his face "I'm sorry I had to go"
"Was it really bad?" she replied.
Again, he nodded "The baby, the sudden death one?" he stared straight ahead of him "Father killed the mother tonight, I had been on the first investigation so..."
She didn't answer with her voice, just shifted her position to look at him properly.
"Domestic violence" his voice was angry, but controlled "And now those other kids...they have no one. They fought, because social services told them to sort themselves out or the kids would be removed "
Again, she didn't answer, but she saw his eyes appeared full, his expression bleak and his shoulders drooping. She read between the lines.
"Were they OK?" she asked "The children?"
"Still filthy and half starved" he replied "And terrified. I put it into action, the social services investigation and now..."
"Now they know someone cares about them" she replied.
He sighed, looking at her properly for the first time, she could see guilt, regret, vulnerability.
She reached over and put an arm around him, he leaned into the comfort, realising that was why he'd come, it was what he needed. He shuffled lower and rested his head in her lap.
She stroked his hair gently and he gave a sigh of contentment, he felt peaceful almost, laying here. He picked up the remote and pressed play, curling his fingers around hers when he'd set it down.
…...
James woke as the ache in his back became more insistent, and he shivered slightly.
He eased away from Evie carefully, but she sensed the movement and opened her eyes.
"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.
"Just after 2" he replied, levering himself from the bed.
"Don't go" she asked.
He looked at her eyes wide, hair spread out on the pillow.
"Unless you want to" she added.
"I don't" he admitted.
"Then stay"
He nodded, pulling his shirt over his head and undoing his belt, as she reached over and flicked the lamp off.
He slid into the bed, wrapping himself around her, she shivered slightly.
"You're freezing" she whispered.
"Shared body heat" he replied, tucking his face into the back of her neck.
He allowed all the tension to ease out of him as he lay. He'd not felt tired at all when he'd arrived, he'd been wound up and stressed. He had been somewhat surprised to remember that he'd only managed to watch around 20 minutes of the film before falling asleep.
Evie sighed, hugging his arm closer and sliding her lower leg between his.
"How's the end of the evening now?" she asked.
"More perfect than I dared to hope for" he replied sleepily, pulling her closer before drifting into sleep again.
…...
"Shit!" Evie jumped and flailed an arm onto the bedside table for the alarm as it screeched.
James looked startled to be woken by a curse she thought.
"Sorry" she grimaced, voice thick with sleep. He moved against her, not quite fully awake and she saw colour flood his face before he all but leapt from the bed and into his trousers in one movement.
"James?" she asked, vulnerable without knowing.
He stopped in the action of pulling his shirt on "I don't want to make you late for work" he explained, poorly.
"Oh" she replied, looking away.
He sighed, but continued dressing, his back to her. Finally he turned, seeing her staring absently at the ceiling.
"Thank you" he said softly.
Two words, two small words that betrayed a wealth of gratitude.
"You're welcome" she replied.
Two more words, that betrayed a wealth of emotion.
…...
James stared through the window of the interrogation room, fists clenched, jaw clenched. Everything was tight, angry.
"Do you want to do the honours?" Lewis asked quietly.
"No" James replied.
Without answering Lewis opened the door and closed it quietly. He spoke to the wretched man that sat at the table. James could only hear his voice as a murmur, but he knew what was being done. The man was being formally arrested and charged with the murder of his wife.
Coming out of the room, Lewis wasn't surprised to see that James had vanished, outside he guessed. Entering his office, to his surprise James sat at his desk, glaring at the computer screen.
"Take 5" Lewis suggested kindly "I know that wasn't easy for you, last night"
"I'm fine" Hathaway replied "We have another case that's no so open and shut"
Lewis sighed, 'He's fine' he thought to himself.
James was slightly confused, he was a lot closer to fine than he had been for a long time, he'd found it easier to put the events into perspective this morning, and to accept that he couldn't be everything to everyone. He'd settle for being everything to one person, maybe.
...
A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews, I am thrilled to hear what you think and grateful that you take the time not only to read, but to review too. I hope you continue to enjoy this, it has a long way to go yet, but I am pleased with it so far :)