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 27
James fought a valiant battle with his eyelids, but he even knew he was losing, and fast. He blinked widely, trying to focus on the TV. He played idly with Evie's hair as she half lay half sat against him.
Evie pushed herself to sitting upright and looked at him, he gave her a defeated smile, stifling a yawn.
"Come on" she stood "I don't have any hope of moving you when you finally fall asleep"
James wearily pushed himself from the sofa, sliding his hands around her waist, resting his tired head on her shoulder.
"I had hoped to be a little more romantic tonight" he apologised.
Evie stroked the back of his hair softly "I'd rather you slept" she said truthfully "You look exhausted"
"Compliment accepted" he gave a short laugh.
She chuckled "You know what I mean" she said shyly "And anyway, studies have shown that early morning sex is more effective than caffeine..."
He lifted his head and looked at her, liking the way she was still bashful about sex, about him "Hmmm" his eyes hinting at mischief "We could test that theory, and see if it's in the 10% of studies that aren't complete rubbish"
She reached onto tip toes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him closer as he tightened his hold on her. She kissed his cheek and pulled away with a shy smile, heading for the door. James followed.
How many times had he been this exhausted and still lain awake? He wondered. Too many to mention, but he knew tonight would be different, because Evie would be beside him, and he didn't have to face the morning on his own.
…...
"Do you need a lift to work?" James called as he tied his tie.
"No, cars fixed" Evie said, coming back into the bedroom "But thanks"
"I could anyway...?" he gave her a sly smile through the mirror "Because then I'll have an excuse to give you a lift home again...?"
"Do you need an excuse?" she asked in a soft voice, though she didn't look at him, so she didn't know he had crept up behind her until he grabbed her waist. She froze, gasping in shock and James dropped his hands.
"I'm sorry..." he ventured.
"It's fine" she gave him a smile, turning to face him "Just made me jump"
James looked at her, he could have kicked himself for being so stupid, he knew her well enough to realise that she was covering her initial fear at his prank.
"But OK, a lift then" she rambled, and he wondered if she would have agreed if he hadn't done what he had, but he let it ride.
He smiled "Ring me when you are finished"
…...
"Oh shit!" Evie cursed, phone in hand.
"Hope not" Dr Hobson returned, having come into the coffee room unseen "Rather unhygienic in here"
"Oh!" Evie's face coloured darkly at being caught swearing by her boss "I'm sorry Doctor..."
Laura waved it away with an idle hand as she put the kettle on "Much worse has been heard by these walls, trust me" she laughed "Coffee?"
"I'll make it..." Evie replied automatically.
"I'm not so high and mighty" Laura returned "That I can't make a cup of coffee. Problems with your phone?"
Evie relaxed a little at the doctors friendly manner, not that she wasn't friendly, just a consummate professional.
"I have managed to wipe all the numbers out of the phone book" Evie sighed "And I have no idea how"
Laura laughed "Well I can't help you" she replied "I'm OK with my own phone but it took me ages to fathom it out...Hathaway's good with the techno stuff, he's the one you want"
Evie's face had just recovered from it's last infusion of colour when another started, and Laura smirked to herself as she readied the cups.
"I er, I have some numbers written down" she muttered, sliding from the room "I'll manage"
"What about your coffee?" Laura called after her.
"I won't be a moment!" Evie replied, making her way to her locker. Truth be told, there was only one number she was bothered about losing.
…...
Evie looked as the locker room door opened, Gordy stopped short when he saw the content of her locker on the floor and Evie standing on a chair stretching her hand into the furthest reaches of the top shelf.
"Lost something?" he asked.
"Yes" she replied "I'm sure it was here..."
"What is it?" he asked.
"Just a..." she bit her lip "Someone's phone number. I've managed to wipe all the contacts out of my phone"
"Must be important" he remarked, opening his own locker "For you to search like that"
Evie stepped down and moved the chair, putting her belongings back into the locker slowly, but she didn't reply. Gordy made her uncomfortable, and she wasn't entirely happy about being in a room alone with him.
"If you like" he closed his locker and looked at her "I can have a look at the phone? Did you back up your contacts?"
Evie frowned "A friend set it up" she admitted, discomforted as she was, the temptation was strong to hand her phone over.
"Or you could look through your texts?" he offered "You might know who they were from and assign a name to them?"
She bit her lip again, and Gordy laughed "You wiped everything didn't you?"
"I think so" she answered "I tried looking at the texts and calls, all gone"
"Let me see" he held out his hand "Sounds like you've done a master reset, sometimes though, the numbers are still on the sim"
Temptation overrode caution and she handed him the phone, continuing to put things away.
"Nice phone" he commented, tapping away "Though this 'friend', can't be much cop, they haven't backed your numbers up. All gone I'm afraid"
Evie frowned at his statement, but took the phone back as he offered it to her.
"Well thanks for trying" she said with a sigh, relieved as he nodded and left again.
She closed her locker and leaned against it, cursing herself that she was so utterly stupid that she'd not written James' number down somewhere else. She was stumped.
…...
In the end, it was the fibres that provided the case to case link that gave Evie the perfect excuse to solve her problem.
At 16.55 she put her head around Dr Hobson's door.
"I have something Inspector Lewis needs on a case" she said "Is it OK if I go? I am going into town anyway, was going to drop it off at the police station"
"Yes fine" Laura replied "See you tomorrow"
"Thanks" Evie smiled as the doctor continued with what she was doing, distracted.
…...
"Sir?" Julie put her head around the office door "Someone from Dr Hobson's team to see you, says she has some new evidence on the homeless case?"
"Humph" Lewis replied, beckoning with a hand, not looking up.
Evie slid into the room, shuffling further as Julie attempted to shut the door, but she was in the way.
James was conspicuous by his absence and Evie felt disappointment loom as Lewis looked at her.
"Oh, personal service" he smiled "I'm impressed"
"We got a request to run these two fibres again" she slid the file onto the desk with a smile "They match. Whoever transferred the blue wool fibres to the last dead homeless man, also transferred them to the Barrinau crime scene"
Lewis opened the file and perused the content looking up at Evie "Thanks" he said "I appreciate the rush on it, I know you're busy over there, flu season and all"
Evie smiled "Well, I'd better be going..." she sighed.
"Thanks again" he stood, opening the door for her "And um, if you go out and do a double left, you'll find smokers corner"
Evie blinked at him as yet again, her face coloured and she mumbled a thanks as she all but ran from the office.
"Blimey" Lewis chuckled to himself as he shut the door "Perfect for you, Hathaway, just as bloody awkward as you are"
…...