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 54
"Ah Lewis!" Innocent called along the corridor.
"Ma'am, we're on our way out" Lewis apologised, James standing quietly next to him.
"Can it wait?" she demanded.
"Not really" he replied "Burned out car, body present"
"Right" he gaze flicked over Hathaway "I just wanted and update on the Gedge and homeless cases"
"The flowers" James ground out "Are accounted for. My mistake, I apologise Ma'am"
"Oh" she noticed his demeanour and puzzled for a moment "And this Graham woman?"
"Confessed to the first two, working on the last one. Have the team going through the paperwork now" Lewis replied "Can I fill you in later?"
"Of course" she nodded "Off you go"
James strode away, but Jean caught Robbie's eye 'He OK?' she mouthed.
Lewis shook his head and she responded by holding her hand to her face, in the international symbol for 'call me'.
He nodded once and followed, extending his stride to catch up with his sergeant.
…...
"Think we need a well earned trip to the pub tonight James" Lewis said in an over bright voice as he drove.
"If I start drinking" James replied in a monotone "I may not stop"
"Been there" Lewis sympathised "How about grabbing some dinner, later?"
"Thank you sir" James said respectfully "But I'll pass tonight"
"Shouldn't really be on your own" Robbie said quietly.
"Why?!" James demanded savagely "It seems that's what the future has in store for me, might as well get used to it"
"James..." Robbie tried.
"Please" James held his hand up as a physical barrier to his friends concern, he just couldn't take it right now "Sir, can we not talk about it?"
"As you wish" Robbie said quietly, giving him a worried look.
…...
The crime scene was as any other. Both officers and SOCCO had attended such scenes before, white tents, paper suits and the tang of acrid smoke and death in the air.
Only for James this wasn't usual. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be on his boat, sailing away into the sunset with the woman he loved. Not here, looking at burned undergrowth and the remains of a car.
He gave a snort of humourless laughter and donned the police blue suit, ready to try and divert himself.
Laura took one look at James and turned to Lewis frowning.
"Don't let him..." she advised, too late.
"What?" Lewis followed her line of sight where James stood rooted to the spot, staring at the car in front of him, or more specifically, the singed numberplate that lay a few feet away.
James turned, his eyes boring into Laura "Is it her?" he demanded.
"I don't know" Laura answered quietly "Right height...a woman but too badly..."
"Burned?" James supplied in a monotone "She's too badly burned to recognise?"
"Yes" Laura said quietly.
James stared at her as Lewis looked confused "Who?!" he asked.
"The car" James replied, withdrawing his phone "Is Evie's"
"Oh God" Lewis sighed.
"James we tried her phone..." she said "I had hoped, when she didn't answer and then I got here and saw...I hoped she was with you"
"Well she's not" he snapped, slamming his phone back into his pocket savagely.
Laura looked at Robbie and he sighed again "It would seem" he told Laura "That Evie ah, she was cheating on him. He found her in bed with that lad from your place...? Gordy...?"
"What?" It was Laura's turn to looked shocked "When?!"
"Last night" Lewis spoke to her, but kept his eyes on James as he just stood staring as they brought a body bag past him silently.
"Well Gordy was a no show today..." Laura ventured "But there's only one body and it's definitely female"
James jumped into action at her words, running to the car.
"James?!" Lewis stumbled after him.
"If this is a mistake" James almost howled "And she's alive at her flat with him, I'm going to do what I should have done last night and beat the living daylights out of the little bastard..."
"Jim!" Lewis stopped him bodily getting in the car "Let me drive"
…...
"I know what you're thinking" James said as Lewis floored the car on their way to Evie's address.
Robbie shot him a glance between concentrating on the road.
"That I shouldn't care" James continued "That she's dead"
"It's not confirmed..." Lewis tried and then stopped himself, false hope was the last thing James needed right now "James, of course you care. No matter what she did, you love her"
"It's not that" Robbie could feel the weight of his gaze as James turned to look at him "Something is not right"
"How do you mean?"
"I don't know" James replied "Maybe it's just wishful thinking"
"That's natural" Robbie reasoned "You don't want to accept what she did, or that she's..."
"Dead?" James supplied harshly "No, I don't"
…...
James knew it wasn't right as soon as his key opened the door to her flat. The curtains were drawn still and it was sunny, a beautiful day. Even if, his mind shied away, but even if she was still in bed, she would have opened the curtains. It was something she did, something he loved about her. How many times had he woken to her sliding back into bed surrounded by sunlight? It was what had prompted him to call her 'Little Angel'. No, he thought, this was wrong for a start. And if she was...his brain wouldn't link the picture of Evie in his mind with the charred remains he'd left behind, then she would have been up and about and she'd have never left the flat in darkness. She hated darkness. Of that James was certain.
He threw the bedroom door open, and that was the second thing, she was a light sleeper, and just the act of him creeping through the front door was usually enough to wake her. But she lay there, the same position as the night before, un moving.
"Evie?!" he called urgently leaning over her, relief going through him as he felt a pulse. Lewis puffed into the bedroom.
"Is she here?" he asked.
James didn't answer at first, he was lifting her from the bed, none too gently in his haste.
"The car!" he said shortly "An ambulance will take too long! We can get her there faster!"
"What's wrong with her?" Lewis followed, extracting the car keys again.
"I don't know" the panic was evident in James' voice as he navigated through the flat "But I don't think we have much time..."
For the second time that morning, Lewis had the sense not to argue.