This snippet is based on Life Born Of Fire. The song Lewis listens to is Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas.
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Sometimes, music has a way of really hitting home.
Robbie Lewis considers this as he sits on his sofa with a beer and a bag of chips. The radio is on, something mindless playing in the background. He sits there, picking at the chips, that are already going cold, thinking.
There's something wrong with James. Something about this case. Lewis can't get a handle on it, not yet. It goes beyond the fact he knew the victim. Robbie had to admit that he was taken aback when James pretty much sprinted out of the church. True, James doesn't like dead bodies, he's seen the lad's face when they speak to Laura sometimes. But still, James has never reacted that badly before.
Of course, it'd then come out that he knew Will McEwan.
Robbie frowns, he knows he should take James off of the case, despite what the young man says. But he can't bring himself to do it, because he knows that James will see it as a lack of trust. And truth be told, he'd feel better about this whole mess, if he can keep an eye on his sergeant. Which is a lot easier if the man is in the office with him. What ever is going on, Robbie hopes that James will explain soon.
And there is something going on. Standing outside the reverend King's house, Lewis knew there was something wrong. For a start, Hathaway was drinking one of those energy drinks. It normally coffee. Or a cigarette. Lewis has never seen him drinking energy drinks before.
Then later, when they went to the pub and Hathaway offered to look for Pherdocha's number. He couldn't pretend that he hadn't seen James knock that scotch back. He'd been surprised enough when James had ordered it. Lewis suspects that it wasn't James' first drink of the day.
Hathaway's behaviour, reminds him of Ken. When he went through his rebellious teenage stage. Drinking too much, out late. He doesn't reckon that James was much of a rebellious teen. He's probably catching up on it now, albeit a bit late. Stupid lad, knocking back drinks at all hours. Drinking on duty even!
He just hopes that James gets it out of his system soon. Whatever it is. He could ask of course, but he knows that could go one of two ways. Either, Hathaway will fob him of and insist that he's fine, or James will sock him one. Lewis is in no hurry to find out how good James' hay-maker is.
No, whatever is wrong, James will have to get over it himself. He just hope it doesn't affect the lad's work, he may be able to turn a blind eye, but Innocent won't.
Robbie gets up to heat up one of the 'pierce and ping's' he has in the fridge. He realises that he knows the song that's playing now. He sings along, he can't help it, its just one of those songs and sod it, there's no one there to hear him.
Its only during the chorus at the end, that the lyrics of the song really hit him. Square in the face.
Carry on my wayward son.
There'll be peace when you are done.
He does see James as a son doesn't he? He didn't really notice before, the feeling's crept up on him. But he has hated watching the man this past week. Hated watching him seemingly fall apart, hated the knowledge that the kid is less than happy.
James comes across as a youngster, and its nothing to do with the fact that Lewis is twenty-seven years his senior. He has a vulnerability that cuts Lewis to the quick, brings out his protective instincts.
Lay your weary head to rest.
Don't you cry no more.
He'd never have guessed that Hathaway would nearly be granted eternal rest a few nights later.
He'd never have guessed that he'd have to turn to the lyrics of a rock ballad for help, when James turns up at his house the night after he gets out of hospital, shaking and on the verge of tears.
The song makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up every time he hears it for a good few years afterwards.