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 18
"Hello" Evie smiled "Twice in one..." she stopped and gaped at him "What have you done?"
"Had an argument with a stone" he grimaced "The stone won"
"Ouch" she said turning her head to one side.
"Dr Hobson sent me in here for patching up" he said, his tone apologetic.
She stood on tip toes to get a better look "You'd be better off in A and E" she told him "But I'm guessing you refused to go, you'll have to sit down, I'm not 6ft 20 like you"
"6ft 3" he corrected, sitting on a chair as she got the first aid kit.
"Still nearly a foot taller than me" she said, pulling gloves on and pressing gently.
He turned his head away as she started to clean it, and she pulled it back, needing to get a better look.
"Looks clean" she mumbled "I'll put some steri strips on it and a dressing, but you're going to have a hell of a bruise"
"Mmm hmmm" he said.
She looked at him, he'd closed his eyes.
"Do you feel OK?" she asked sharply "Sick? Dizzy? Tired?"
His eyes snapped open "No" but his face coloured "I didn't want to be branded a perv"
She realised that his eyes had been in line with her chest, where the scrubs tapered into a 'V', and indeed, if he'd wanted to, he could have had an eyeful.
"Oh" she laughed and then shrugged "Well if it eases the pain..."
He coloured, but smiled, giving a furtive glance around he placed a hand on the side of her face and drew her down, kissing her.
"That does" he murmured.
He let go of her face and she started to dress the wound "That could be a concussion talking" she said lightly.
"It could be" he agreed "Or it could just be that I wanted to kiss you again"
She applied the last dressing and stepped back, looking at him.
"I don't mind either way" she said shyly.
He stood, and she blinked up at him.
"Thanks" he said quietly.
"Any time" she replied.
"I have to go" he said, not moving.
"OK" she replied.
"But I'm going to ring you" he promised.
"OK" she said again.
He kissed her on the cheek and left, Evie stood there for a minute before she roused herself and put the equipment away, smiling.
…...
"Mrs Jackson" James closed the door behind him and sat opposite her, deliberately lounging in the chair.
"You can't keep me here" she replied.
"Oh I think you'll find that I can" he smiled at her, his special brand of smug that he knew would infuriate her "That's what 'under arrest' means"
"And what exactly" she shot back "Am I under arrest for?!"
James regarded her "You tell me"
"Forgotten?" she taunted "You should get that head seen to again, I think they missed something, your brain perhaps?"
"I'm fine" he said in a measured tone "But thank you for your concern, it's touching"
She snorted with disgust "Get on with it, I need to go, I have a child at home"
"Oh yes, I've met Jenny" he sat a little straighter, folding his arms "Spirited young lady. Though I must say, I found your mother in law most entertaining"
"Oh spit it out" she muttered "You want to know about the money"
"Yes, I do" he folded his arms again "And what you and your husband were doing at the Charitable Homeless Shelter that needed police intervention, and if your husband killed his father. Shall we start with that?"
"Peter?!" she laughed bitterly "He hasn't got the guts to kill anyone, not even for money"
"Have you?"
"Yes" she stared straight back at him "But if I was going to kill one of my parents in law, Malcolm wouldn't have been my first choice, trust me"
James changed tack "So what were you doing at the shelter?" he asked "That you were so desperate to get away from?"
"We saw Malcolm's solicitor" Mrs Jackson replied "And he said that while Malcolm's money had remained untouched, Peter didn't stand to benefit from it, nor Mary"
"Oh I bet that annoyed you" James surmised.
"Not as much as being told he'd left it all to that Graham woman" she said "For that shelter, he didn't even stay there according to her"
"Not enough to be recognised anyway, according to the manager"
"Yes" Mrs Jackson laughed "She's lying, why would someone leave close to a million pounds to a shelter he never stayed at? Even if he was totally bonkers"
James gathered himself and stood "Maybe" he said "He was the sanest out of all of you"
"When can I get out of here?" she asked as he had his hand on the door "You've met my daughter, there's probably a wild party at my house as we speak"
"You'll be charged with resisting arrest and threatening behaviour" James told her "But don't hold your breath, custody is busy, teenage party out of hand I believe"
And he swung out of the door.
…...
James headed for the office he and Lewis shared, it was almost dark he realised. Another day gone by without him noticing.
He dropped into his chair and glanced up as Innocent and Lewis looked at him.
"She give you anything?" Lewis asked.
"Apart from attitude?" James sighed "She says that Leverick left his money to the shelter, to Mrs Graham, and Peter Jackson wasn't very happy about it"
"No" Lewis agreed "He's not"
"But she reckons he doesn't have the stomach for murder" Hathaway continued "But she does. Though she insists she'd rather do mother in law in than father in law"
"Nice sentiment" Innocent commented "So do you have anything to tie them to the murder?"
Lewis sighed "No evidence but no alibi's either"
"Then lets see if a night in the cells shakes things up a bit" she told them "We can hold them with what went on this afternoon for now...Hathaway, what happened to your head?"
"Uniform being even slower than I was" he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, he thought he may have to give in and take some painkillers after all.
"I'm not going to even try and decipher that one" Innocent said "Have you been checked over?"
"Yes ma'am" he sighed "I'll live"
"Oh good" she beamed at him as she left "Dead coppers are a bad PR image"