HOUSE OF BROKEN SOULS Part 38
Warnings: This Chapter: None. Overall: Slash, sexually explicit content, graphic violence
The fiction includes a mental illness storyline. I am not qualified in mental health, everything I know about it is googled. It's fantasy folks, please don't shoot me though helpful criticism is always welcomed.
*Not real. The folks aren't mine. No damage intended.
Thanks to Lia (Cheebles) who is so patient with me!
Danneel stood straight and acknowledged Mrs Farra as she entered the building. Beth’s heels clicked across the lobby floor. “Tch. Danneel, get that display case moved out of here. It’s an eyesore.” Jensen’s godmother continued on her way, into the elevator, without seeing the bewildered look on the receptionist’s face.
***
Caitlin ate her breakfast and finished packing her few belongings. She grabbed her notebook and it fell to the page she had written the night before. She re-read it, startled by the words she didn’t remember writing;
I know some fantastic places to hide bodies. You have to remember.
She looked about the room that had been her prison for these last weeks, tore the page out of the book and ripped it into tiny pieces. She wasn’t staying here. Remember what?
***
Jared bent over his work, his tongue between his teeth, deep in concentration. He sketched an elevation, a whole building view and floor plans. He could use CAd but the sensation of graphite sliding over paper, creating new space, still gave him a thrill. He lost himself in the task in the quiet of his office, oblivious to the occasional grunt or whine as his dogs shifted at his feet.
***
Misha bent over the sweating man and banged loudly on the desk. Jensen stood silently at the back of the room, leaning on his stick, more for effect than purpose. “I wonder what your workmates and your wife would think of your habits? We could keep you here longer. Maybe the local press could be here when you left, a quick call, some mistaken facts. Huh. Should we do that?”
Jensen moved toward the desk and touched Misha’s arm. “Detective Collins, if you don’t mind, maybe I can talk to him?” Misha grimaced behind the man’s back, biting back a laugh at Jensen’s classic good cop to his bad cop routine. “We all know you did it. Really what’s the point in denying it? All we’re asking is why like that? There’s a lot of folk say it was consensual and who are we to argue with that if there’s no evidence otherwise? We haven’t arrested you yet, it’s just a friendly chat.”
“We should arrest him.” said Misha. “Then we can contact his wife to let him know he’s here. It might accidentally slip out.” he shrugged.
“Arrest me if you have the evidence. I get to call my lawyer. I ain’t saying no more.”
They both knew they didn’t have the evidence to go further with this. Misha nodded at Jensen to continue. “Look, it’s a lot of bother to drag you through the courts over a simple mistake with a hooker. It all seems silly doesn’t it?” he opened a file to one side of the desk and started to spread photographs out. “See, the problem we have is the pattern. It’s obvious to us that you’ve no gangland connections. You’ve certainly not been playing any games with drug lords, but..” Jensen tutted and shook his head “all these men did and just look at the size of the knife kink that someone has. You know we never found the person who did all this. Probably still out there. Likely gonna be pissed at anyone taking his trademark.”
Misha finished “Imagine if there was gossip about you. I would fear for your safety.”
The man turned a shade greyer as he saw the Murphy and Riordan pictures and his hands trembled as he lifted them to look closer. “It was agreed with her pimp.” he blurted out. They both sat down to listen to the man‘s story.
They let him go in the end, no hope of bringing a conviction.They didn’t choose to reassure him about the age of the crime in the photographs. Let him stew in his own fears.
“$3,000 dollars to scar her like this, for a sexual kick.” Misha felt sick.
“I still don’t get it Misha. Surely there was something else, some better reason she did this to herself, but, because she needed to remember - that’s just crazy and why this shape? Where has she seen it before?”
“Newsflash Jen. She is crazy.”
Something niggled at the base of Jensen’s mind, fresh in his consciousness from the events of the weekend. “Misha, do me a favor, check out if the Riordan/Matthews maiden aunt died, she’d be over a hundred by now. See if there was any property in the inheritance. Maybe there’s a way to track the girl down.”
“I am Robin to your Batman Sir!” quipped the blue eyed detective.
“ I can’t do this right now, she’s detracting from my main investigation. You can tell Jared what we‘ve got so far. When you go over, make sure he’s got his doors locked will you?”
“Done. You know we’ll keep up regular patrols past Madison House don’t you? You need to let us worry about protecting both of you. We’re depending on you to find the bastards, so you have to focus.” Misha left his office.
Jensen sipped coffee and cleared his desk. He closed his eyes and focused on nothing, a white void. He added details in a mental timeline, one at a time, sighting after sighting. When he started to falter he stood in front of the map, joining the pin dots, one after another. Everything stopped in the previous two weeks. Nothing. No sightings. None of his fake identities surfaced. Silence. As if he knew. As if he had worked out the PD’s game plan. As if he had found out about Jensen.
He took the paperwork out again, studied the details of the Fay and Nancy crime-scene. A television screen had been buried with them. HD, widescreen and big, with cables to connect to the internet. They had seen Laing torture his own victims in glorious high definition. Someone had to have acquired the TV and it was unlikely that the Painters or Laing had the cash for it. It had to be stolen. No doubt the Texas team were already on that but he mailed a note anyway.
The reply was fast and made him angry. He should have known this earlier. The screen had been purchased using a forged credit card. This one was new to him. He set about following it’s trail, losing himself in concentration for two hours.
Sarge came in with coffee and a lecture about getting fresh air and rest. He agreed that his advice was sound and the cop managed a brief look of smugness till Jensen crossed the room, opened the window a fraction, said “There that’s better.” and sat back in front of his screen, waving him away.
The credit card led to a car hire, led to a fuel purchase with another card. When he was satisfied he had followed every lead as far as it would go, he rang Chad. Rubbing at his temple and dragging up every fibre of calm he owned he started “Chad. He’s here and I think he wants us to know it. The trail is too obvious.”
“I know Jen. Misha rang. Are you sitting? Jared identified Laing from the mug-shots. He thinks he saw him in the car park at Glenview. I want you to go home now, or even better, to Jared’s. We’ve stepped up patrols, just make sure you’re armed. OK?”
“Caitlin?”
“She’s back at Madison House. Thought you’d like to know that there was no match to her prints or DNA at the Fay crime scene. The perpetrators weren’t tidy so the chances of her being involved is just about nil. She’s Jared’s responsibility and that makes her a target so we’ll be watching out for her too.”
Unconsciously Jensen breathed a sigh of relief. “Chad?”
“Yeah?”
“Are we bait here?”
There was silence and then Chad cleared his throat. “Not deliberately Jen. But you know, if he is here and has met Jared, chances are he’s coming for you. We can’t ignore that opportunity. Local PD are organizing a team for you, they‘ll be available for briefing in the morning.”
“Opportunity. I hate you Chad. I will be the next killer if Jared or any of my friends get harmed in any way. Do you understand me?” His hands were shaking.
“Go home Jen, there’s an unmarked car organized to take you.”
***
There was a soft light shining from the architect’s office. Jensen had the car stop by the office door and rapped on it, waving at Jared through the glass panel. Jared scooted his chair over to see and got up to open the door. There was barely time for the lock to click shut before Jensen was pushing Jared against the wall, mouth sliding over his, tongue darting between the readily parted lips. Jared took him into a close embrace and kissed back fervently.
“Mmm. Good evening.” Jensen took in the draughtsman’s table pooled in bright light. “You’re still working. Wow, look at that, I didn’t think anyone did that anymore.”
“I like to work in pencil sometimes, puts me closer to the design somehow. I’m using CAd for the formal submission but I haven’t done any new-building design in ages so here I am.” He sat on his chair and kicked back into the desk. Jensen placed his hands lightly on his shoulders, massaging gently. “I have to get this finished by Wednesday so you are not allowed to distract me, however clever your fingers are.” pointed out the architect.
“Do we get to talk about your safety at some point?”
“Our safety. That will be around the time that the Chinese, that you are going to order, arrives, and Caitlin and JD are here to eat it with us. I think they need to be in on this conversation, don’t you?”
“Yeah. OK. Can I?” he picked up the drawing to the side of the board and whistled “This is, I don’t know, unusual, but it’s so striking. Who is it for?”
“It’s a tender submission for Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. It’s for a new dementia center. I want to make it unique and intuitive to navigate, rather than depending on signs and memory. If that makes any sense.”
“and beautiful too. Jay, it makes perfect sense. So it has to be mailed by Wednesday then?”
“No, I’ll finalize numbers tomorrow and fly through with it on Wednesday. There’s a question and answer session with the financiers. Ten minutes, but it has to be done. I haven’t wanted to do anything like this for so long but this time I can feel it’s right. I want to do this one. I know I can make it stand out.” his face was lit with almost child-like enthusiasm. “I already agreed Caitlin can come with me. We’re going Christmas shopping and getting some things for Thanksgiving. It is Thanksgiving on Thursday remember.”
“Is that wise? What happens if she freaks out?”
“Doc thinks it’s a good idea, she’s been fine for a while, no problems with crowds, no alternate personalities. There’s a good possibility this is all her, without her memories. JD has taken her all over this city on trips, including a visit to the airport. So we go places, do things and see what surfaces.”
“and if she gets memory back while you’re away and freaks out?”
“I’m visiting a hospital, the Doc’s given me contacts. It has to be done sometime.”
“and it has nothing to do with the name of the hospital, ‘John’s Hopkins‘. Do you think it might be where she was originally admitted? Do you think she‘ll recognize something?”
“It’s one of hundreds of hospitals with the name John, but yeah it’s a long-shot and if I’m going to be there we may as well try it.”
“I could say no.”
“I wouldn’t accept that Jen. This is my vision, my business we‘re talking about.”
“You’re bossy.”
“This is business-me. You don’t want to mess with business-me, business-me is badass. Now go order me some food. There’s menus on the kitchen notice-board, I could eat a horse.” he nudged his boyfriend’s ribs. “I’ll be through soon, we’ll talk some more.”
***
Caitlin and JD sat with shoulders touching, they shared chopsticks and held hands. Jared beamed at them and back at Jensen. Harley and Sadie lurked at their feet pretending not to be interested in scraps, while nudging ever closer to Caitlin, who was sneaking the occasional piece of meat to them and looking innocently in the other direction. Every so often Jensen looked across at Caitlin to find her brown eyes fixed on him, some undefined emotion shuttered behind them. He shifted uneasily and looked away. Every instinct he had was shouting that she didn’t add-up, something wasn’t right and he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“This kung-po chicken is amazing.” said Jared, snatching the last mouthful between his chopsticks.
“Oh no you don’t” Jensen sprang at him, landing on his lap in an attempt to take it from the chopsticks. He grabbed it with his teeth and sucked it into his mouth with a mischievous grin. Jared wrestled playfully and their lips met for a long, lazy kiss. They pulled away and Jensen licked his lips suggestively “Tasty.” he said and they laughed together.
“So are you an item then?” Caitlin asked curiously.
“I love this man. Every. Single. Freckled. Part.” Jared kissed between words, working his way from Jensen’s chin to the skin showing in the V of his shirt.
“Oh. Right. If you could stay clothed, at least until we’ve finished eating, that would probably be best.”
“No fair!” chuckled Jensen.
JD cleared his throat and looked seriously at Jensen. “Jared said you needed to talk to us, something about your police work.”
Jensen set about explaining the situation to them, glossing over the most disturbing aspects of the crimes and emphasizing the need to be vigilant and stay safe. Jensen discovered that JD had a gun and the training to use it. It was agreed that even walking Harley and Sadie would be undertaken in pairs. Spray mace was pocketed and emergency numbers shared. Jensen had all of them study the photographs of Laing and Painter. They fell into a thick silence which Caitlin broke, “Jensen , how about you help me clear the dishes?” Jensen stayed Jared and JD with a hand gesture and followed her into the kitchen, carrying the dishes. She turned the faucet on and leaned against the counter as the sink filled. “What is it with you and me?” she queried bluntly.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Jensen was flustered.
“You’ll have to excuse me but I honestly don’t remember you well. I think we met, before Glenview, but it isn’t clear to me. Did something happen?”
“You were screaming and I shot the lock out of your door.”
“ No, I think..” she scrunched up her face as if in concentration “I think before then. You’re a cop. Did you ever arrest me, the Jane-me? You can say, I won’t be shy about it.”
“No. This wasn’t my beat Caitie. Why do you think that?”
She shook her head as if trying to dislodge memories. “I’m sorry. You make me so angry, so confused, as if you can’t be real. I saw you in my dreams, you know. Why would that be? I don’t know what I feel around you and I‘ve no clue why.”
“Was I heroic?” he snarked light-heartedly.
She shook her head. “You were dead and I was furious with you.”
“Oh. Well.” Jensen struggled for words. “You know I’m never going to hurt you don’t you Caitie?” he said gently.
“I know it. Jared tells me it and I trust Jared. It just doesn’t feel like that. Give me time.” She reached out to touch his hand. “I can see how you are together, it‘s wonderful, really. Do you love him?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then that’s what matters, he’s better around you. I can see that.”
“Do you love him Caitlin? Does our relationship upset you?”
“Of course I love him, he’s been wonderful, my rock. Romantically though, nope, I definitely go for older, straight men. Oh God, I hope I‘m not married. It could get messy.” She peeked through the doorway at JD and winked at Jensen.
“How long does it take to wash a few dishes?” Jared strode in and stood behind Jensen winding his arms around his waist and pulling him back into his chest. He breathed hotly on his neck and laved a path with his tongue from the back of his ear to the top of his spine. Delightful little shivers coursed through the detectives body. “Hmm” was all he could manage.
“We’re done.” laughed Caitlin. “Get a room.”
“As I recall it’s just down this this hallway.” replied Jared, manhandling Jensen toward it.
JD ambled across to join Caitlin. “You know I think we should go now.”
“Mmm, not gonna stop you.” Jared purred. “Make sure you lock up well and turn the intercom on, unless..” he looked at JD and back at Caitlin, “unless you have company of course.”
“I think I may have company.” Caitlin purred.
JD grabbed Caitlin’s hand and hugged her into him for a heated kiss as they left.
Jared’s door shut with a thud and they tumbled onto the bed together. He mumbled into Jensen’s skin as he kissed it. “You should stay the night.” He reached under his bed and produced a set of handcuffs and a gag. Jensen decided he didn’t much like his own apartment anyhow.
Continued in Part 39 here: anniespinkhouse.livejournal.com/11553.html