Brighton Beckons

Chapter 2

That same Christmas Eve, many miles away, down in the Brighton CID headquarters, the newly appointed DI, Ben Jones, was in the process of clearing off the whiteboard. He and his team had just successfully closed another case. Even though his physical presence was grounded in this urban environment, his mind was miles away. Moments earlier, John Barnaby had sent him a Merry Christmas text containing a selfie-styled photo of himself with Sarah, Kate and Charlie who was holding Sykes the dog. They were all standing in the Barnaby's front garden as the snow gently fell around them. Ben smiled, as a wave of homesickness washed over him.

Exhaling deeply, he put the whiteboard rubber down and walked over to turn off his computer. From out of the corner of his eye, he could see his new DS, Harry Brooks, fast approaching. He glanced up in time as Harry called out, "Here Boss, catch!"

Ben's excellent hand-eye coordination sprung into gear, as he snaffled the projectile in his dominant left hand.

"What this?" he enquired, before unwrapping the festive paper. Inside was a new Dukes cricket ball.

"Told you I'd get you another one." Harry explained with a grin. Ben's green eyes danced playfully as he recalled how during an animated session of beach cricket, his own ball had been dispatched deep into the ocean. In hindsight, it would perhaps have been wiser to bowl with a cheaper tennis ball, but it had been a fantastic team-building exercise with his colleagues.

"Thanks, Harry!" Ben declared. "However, I reckon we should use a tennis ball in our next game of beach cricket. I'll save this for when we have another session in the nets.

"Sounds like a plan, boss," Harry returned before adding, "Are you coming to the pub do tonight?"

"Yes, but I'll likely leave early," Ben answered.

In all honesty he would just have preferred to go home to the bowl of pasta and beer waiting for him. He was getting too old and tired for an all-night booze up. However, he recognised and appreciated how welcoming his new team had been. It certainly helped to be a good friend of John Barnaby's. His old boss still had the respect of his Brighton colleagues and they had extended this courtesy to Ben. It didn't take them long to realise just how good of a detective Ben truly was. They also recognised that he had adopted a similar empathetic approach in questioning suspects which bore testament to his interactions with John.

….

Later, true to his word, Ben had a couple of drinks with the team before leaving, wishing them all a Merry Christmas. As he walked the few streets back to his 5th story apartment, Ben pulled the scarf tighter around his neck. He was lost in his own thoughts as he recounted what he had achieved over the past year. Yes, he had finally attained the promotion to DI which he had been sweating on for the past couple of years. It was an achievement mainly down to his sharp, analytical mind which had gotten him to this point much quicker than many in his age group.

However, now that his ambitious drive had gotten him to this new stage in his career, Ben was growing very aware of an emptiness deep within. It was a feeling which had intensified since he had left Midsomer. Of course, he knew it's perfectly normal to have feelings of homesickness from time to time, especially during the testing period of adjusting to a new environment…but somehow this feeling was more than just that. In his heart, he knew that it had everything to do with a certain pathologist.

He had always admired Kate, but in those few months prior to his departure, Ben felt a deep pull in his heart whenever he was around her. There were many occasions where he had tried to impress the highly intelligent pathologist. Often, his initial assessment of various cases were shot to pieces as he and John unraveled deeper motivations from which the perpetrators committed their crimes. However, he also just as often caught the amusement on Kate's face as she responded to his enthusiastic assertions. It didn't take long for his Gran to pick up on the fact that he harboured deeper feelings for Kate than those he had felt with previous girlfriends. Perhaps he mentioned her name that once too often in his Gran's presence; but more likely it was down to the myriad of local sources who confided in his Gran, making her the local authority of gossip in Midsomer.

After letting himself into his apartment and grabbing a quick shower, Ben retrieved some leftover pasta from his fridge and eased himself down onto his sofa. Switching on the TV, he found a replay of a recent cricket match being played in Australia. From the main window of his living room, he could hear the constant stream of traffic buzzing by.

As he twirled his fork around the pasta, Ben's mind wandered back to the time when he had surprised his friends by cooking a similar Italian dish. The occasion in question was John Barnaby's birthday last year. Sarah had jumped at his offer to cook a special dinner. Ben smiled as he recalled how Kate had invited herself over and had shooed the Barnabys out of their kitchen…

"Now guys," Kate began, "You have to give our 'chef' some space to work."

"Hmm, I see what you mean." John replied with a wry smile. He observed the ingredients which Ben and Kate had managed to spread around, covering just about every square inch of bench space. He also caught the sustained eye-contact between his DS and the Pathologist. Sarah saw it too. Taking her husband's arm in her own, she cooed, "Come on John, no need to be nosy."

That left Ben and Kate alone in the kitchen. From somewhere, Kate had retrieved a pair of aprons, one of which she promptly fastened around Ben's body before he had a chance to protest.

"There…now at least you look the part!" she smirked, brushing his arm gently as Ben pulled up his shirt sleeves.

….

That was the first real occasion where she had touched him, and it was the moment something deep was awakened within him. However, after months of good-natured teasing neither of them had purposefully addressed their feelings for each other. Not that there had been a lack of opportunity, the most recent being Kate's birthday a few weeks before he had left Midsomer. Yet the right opportunity never presented itself during that boozy party (to which too many people had been invited).

That night in question, Ben didn't have Kate to himself for any length of time except for when he escorted her safely back to her rental in the wee hours of the morning. When they reached her front door, she instinctively kissed him, full on the mouth.

"Would my knight in shining armor like to stay for the night?" she slurred, gazing up at him expectantly.

Despite the initial shock of her spontaneous kiss, Ben, ever the gentleman, smoothly declined her solicitous offer.

His Gran had bought him up to respect women and he would never take advantage of Kate, however much he secretly longed to take her in his arms and love her for the rest of their days.

….

As he got up to boil the kettle, Ben mused that he wasn't really asking for too much. All he longed for was to be in a loving and lasting relationship like that of both Barnaby couples. It had been a real privilege to get to know both pairs.

In one of the last conversations which he had with Ben; John Barnaby mentioned the importance of a stable home life in balancing a copper's lot in this world. In the few months before Ben left Midsomer, John had seen a cynical edge in the younger man's outlook on life, which had made Ben restless and uptight. Furthermore, John wasn't surprised that Ben's relationship with the firefighter, Susie Bellingham, had fallen through. Yet he really felt for his DS. John could see that Ben was trying too hard to find the right girl in all the wrong places.

At a pub, a few weeks after Ben had not heard back from Susie, he let his frustrations known to John. The older detective listened empathetically before saying,

"We see too much, in this line of work, Jones. It makes a real difference being able to come home to the sanity and love of a supportive partner."

"I know that sir." Jones replied, his Welsh brogue thick with emotion. "I see it on display every day with the way you and Sarah interact. It's just been so hard to find that level of connection with someone."

"What about Kate?" John probed knowingly. Although both he and Sarah were well aware of the feelings Ben and Kate had for each other, it mystified them as to why neither of the pair had acted on their feelings. Yes, John knew that on the surface, Kate has a blunt and no-nonsense manner about her, but underneath it, he realised that she operates from a deep level of warmth.

"She intimidates me." Ben admitted. "I mean…I'm way out of her league."

"Don't sell yourself short, Jones." John retorted. "Yes, I know she waltzes in and out of our cases with an urban efficiency, but I can see that she enjoys the enthusiasm of your 'country lad' charm. Why else did she make a point of emphasising that she wanted you at her birthday party. She invited tons of people, but it was you that she wanted to see."

"Yes, I got her hint loud and clear, and I was eager to test the waters with her, but I ended up missing my chance on that occasion." Ben rued.

"Well, I only know the version of events which I got from Sarah," John replied. "Apparently the following day, Kate mentioned to her how relieved she was that you didn't take advantage of her inebriated state. So, it sounds to me like you earned some good points in her book."

Ben could feel his neck and ears blush slightly as he returned, "Well…I would have hated myself had I slept with Kate under those circumstances. Not to mention the fact that my Gran would have given me a good tongue-lashing…she has her sources."

"Indeed, she does." John smirked. "Speaking of which, has Magic Mags offered you any further love advice?"

"Don't go there, sir," Jones retorted with a warning growl. "It's all a lot of rubbish, that star-chart stuff."

"Fair enough," John returned, "then my best advice is for you and Kate to go somewhere quiet, preferably away from our murderous villages, and to both lay your cards on the table. At least that way you'll be left with no regrets, wondering what might have been."

Ben nodded. "Once again, sir, I'm sure you're right."

"I usually am about these things," John smiled, nudging his friend, "and for that I'm buying us the next round."

….

As it turned out, Ben and Kate never got around to making the time to discuss their mutual feelings before he left for Brighton. It was a mistake Ben hoped to address as soon as possible; especially now that the settling-in period of his new position had quietened down. Even if it meant having to drive back up to Midsomer and then wrangling Kate in his car in order to take her somewhere quiet so they could have a good heart-to-heart. After all, he did have the next fortnight off work!

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