The dangers of Smoking

Part II

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 46

Evie covered the face of the woman carefully at a nod from James.

"That's her" the man at his side said "That's my wife"

"Thank you sir" James said quietly as Evie closed the blinds, he didn't look at her.

"Why the police investigation?" the man asked "It's obvious she was off her head, did it herself"

James clenched his jaw at the statement. He had disliked this man on sight, the minute he'd roared up at his home, demanding explanations, shouting at his devastated son. James had been easing information from the boy, slowly getting him to open up to the scene that had greeted him in the garage. Working him through the pain and sorrow, regardless of the pain that gnawed at his own heart. With the appearance of his father the boy had withdrawn into silence again.

"Procedure sir" James said after a moment "We need to eliminate..."

"Humph!" James was cut off with a derisive snort "Always expected something like this, selfish bitch. She was always unstable, crying one minute, laughing the next"

James allowed the anger to well, and then pushed it down before he answered "Your wife was depressed?"

"Mad more like" the man replied.

James nodded sadly, he could understand someone being driven to madness by a loutish brute like this, understand only too well.

…...

"Gedge is in the cells" Lewis announced as he entered the office "Working our way through his alibi's"

"Good" James snarled "Does he have any?"

"A couple stand up" Lewis regarded him carefully "But he's not getting back out again James, he's going back to prison, you know that don't you?"

"Where he belongs" James huffed, and then as an after thought "Thank you"

"You're welcome" Lewis frowned at him "Are you OK?"

"Never better" James stood and picked up his jacket "Dr Hobson has ruled the last one as suicide, so as of tomorrow, I'm back on the homeless case, I assume you are too?"

Lewis nodded "You find anything interesting?"

"A couple of leads I want to follow up" he answered "Nothing solid"

"Pint?" Lewis suggested, he knew something wasn't right here.

"Thank you" James inclined his head "But I'm taking Evie home tonight I would think, now Gedge is off the streets"

Lewis watched him as he left, his mind filled with concern.

…...

In the days that followed, everyone sensed a withdrawal from sergeant Hathaway, he became sullen, introverted.

He worked diligently as always, either alongside Lewis or alone. He accepted the news that Gedge was back in a prison cell with barely a nod, never mind the relief Lewis expected from him.

Evie seemed to come out from under a cloud, Lewis noticed, except when James was around. She became watchful, almost fearful.

Leaving the police station to trace a lead that James had thrown up, Lewis cracked.

"James, what the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" he demanded over the roof of the car.

James stared back, surprise an innocence clouding his features "Wrong sir?"

"Yes, wrong" Lewis snapped "Ever since...ever since this Gedge thing you've been bloody awful, hardly talking, sulking for want of a better word"

"What do I have to sulk about?" the words were benign but the challenge was there.

"Is everything OK with you and Evie?"

"Not that it's any of your business" James replied, slamming into the car "But yes"

Lewis took the passenger seat "I'm just concerned..."

"Well there's no need for your concern" James started the car and pulled out aggressively.

"Right!" Lewis held a hand in surrender "Though if you could drive a little more carefully, I'd like to get there alive"

James shot him a look of pure irritation before flooring the accelerator needlessly, sending the car shooting forward.

…...

Evie slammed the spoon down onto the work top and picked up her keys.

Three days had gone by, three days where she'd hardly had a word from James, never mind seen him properly. When she did, fleetingly at work, he was quiet, withdrawn. He'd resisted all attempts at talking, retreating mentally.

Evie worried, she knew that he was struggling with something, but also that he wouldn't tell her if she asked. For her part, she worried that he was having second thoughts about being with someone with so much past, someone who's past would always threaten a future. But she couldn't identify with this man that had completely moved away from her, who shunned her almost.

He wasn't that person, she felt, or at least hoped that he would be honest about it, be straight with her. The feeling that this fairytale had come to it's inevitable conclusion almost broke her where she stood.

But, she would try, one last time she decided. She wouldn't ask him, just try one last time to reach him, and well, if he continued to push her away, then she would know without a doubt that he'd finally realised what she had known all along. He was far too good for her.

She walked the distance to his flat, trying to bolster confidence, remembering all the things he'd said to her. That he loved her, that she would never know what she meant to him because he would never have long enough to show her. She tried so hard to believe in that, in the words that he'd spoken, in the love he had shown her over and over.

It was hard, she had been relieved when Gedge had been summoned back to prison, and guilty at that relief. But it meant that her life was returning to normal and she wouldn't have to face the prospect of feeling exposed and vulnerable again for a while. If Marcus had killed the homeless man, and if he had been stalking her, she would never need face it again she realised.

She pondered the night out that was planned for the following weekend with her workmates. James would be leaving for Manchester and the inspectors course on Monday, to return Friday, so she had said she would go, because he wouldn't be here. As she approached his flat, she realised she may need that night out, a chance to drown her sorrows. And then she dismissed it, thinking again of the loving way James had with her, the way he watched over her, the way he accepted comfort from her when he didn't even realise he needed it.

But as she rang the bell, self doubt and fear crept back, she almost turned and ran away again, away from the pain she feared she was going to face.