HOUSE OF BROKEN SOULS Part 19
arnings: 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.
A big thankyou to Lia (Cheebles) for all her help ((hugs))
Over the next week life slipped into some sort of order for Jensen. He would roll out of bed, swallow a cocktail of prescription drugs and add some hangover cures.
Mornings started with coffee before he switched on his laptop and completed a few hours of editing. At lunchtime he called at Jared’s door and if the architect was in they would find a table at Harvelle’s, tease Ellen and Jo and sample the snacks. Sometimes they would discuss Caitlin with Jensen picking Jared’s brains on small quirks in her behavior or her apparent knowledge of the building trade. Mostly the talk was of sport and the news. If there was a reason why they always chose a large table and maintained personal distance it wasn’t mentioned.
Afternoons were spent in a dusty side-office at the downtown police station where Misha worked magic in organizing all the resources Jensen could need, including sending the old desk-sergeant in with regular coffee top-ups.
Jensen made rapid progress on the leads he had uncovered on ‘The Player’ the year before Laing had torn his life apart. At the time he had been convinced that Laing had organized another Player in Baltimore. There had been cam sightings and a parking ticket which were sidelined when the investigation was narrowed to focus on just one Player. Jensen contacted Chad and launched straight into the details, “I’ve got two missing persons. I need everything and I mean everything on them, however irrelevant it may seem.”
“Shoot.”
“I've sent all the info, you should be getting it now. I’m looking at Fay Greenway, 25, Nursery School Teacher, missing since 29th December 2008 and Nancy Albright, 6, missing since 2nd January 2009. Neither has ever been found. At first glance there’s no connection, but get this, Fay spent three weeks, just before the Christmas break, at Nancy’s school, covering for a sick teacher. I can place Laing within streets of that school during that time and again in Baltimore, in the first week of January, when he was spotted on the bus station cams.”
“You think they were the pawns?”
“I’d put my last bottle of Jack on it. Laing visited to size them up and set them up. I’m sure of it.”
“When I said we needed you Jen, I wasn’t joking. We’ll get a team to Baltimore. How are you doing? I know the kiddie stuff can be intense.”
“Look I’m fine, just trust me and run with this yeah?”
“We’re on it. Take care Jen.”
***
A rota was organized for visiting Caitlin. Jared and Jensen visited her on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. JD visited Wednesday and Saturday. Ellen and Jo promised to drop in whenever their heavy schedule let them.
One evening Jensen spied Jared through the plexiglass of his office door and wrapped up his work. He closed the door with a rattle, looking up at the younger man. “You just can’t keep away from this place can you?” he asked with a smile.
“I was passing by. Sarge says there’s a dog to go to the shelter. I said I’d take it to get it settled. The shelter is on the way home. You should get a ride with me.”
Jensen grinned wolfishly at his suggestion and winked. Jared flipped a playful slap to the back of his head. “Not that sort of ride.”
The detective settled into the back of the SUV with the anxious mongrel and they chatted comfortably about dogs until it was dropped at the shelter and then Jensen joined the architect in the front of his car. With their physical distance reduced, the conversation faltered.
Jensen broke the silence first, “I saw the Farra Building the other day. Didn’t you design that?”
For a moment the Jared’s hands seemed to grip the wheel over tightly and his knuckles whitened. His jaw squared and his mouth became a tight line. “M’yeah.”
“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t see one of those dinky models of it in your office, that’s all.”
Jared stared at the road ahead with excessive concentration and his expression was guarded, “I was inexperienced. I just see the mistakes I made.”
The detective tried to lighten the mood, “Well I like it,” he said, “but I guess if the roof leaks …”
A small sigh escaped the brunette’s lips and he joked, “The roof does NOT leak and if it did, it would be a water feature,” before changing the subject abruptly. “Why don’t you have a car Jen? Do you drive?”
“I used to drive before. Well, before y‘know. Then I couldn’t and now it doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Sometimes I, uh drink.”
There was a long silence while Jared digested the answer and realized what an insensitive question he’d asked, “Oh. Right. Sorry.”
Jensen was sure he could hear the digital clock ticking as he fiddled with a thread in his pants and he spoke just as Jared reached to turn the radio on, “Misha said you’ve always helped out at the precinct, since you were young. Did you want to be a cop when you were little?”
Jensen didn’t imagine the swerve as Jared took his eyes off the road and looked at him. He lunged to hold on to the dashboard as the tall man righted their vehicle.
“What exactly did he say?”
“That you’d been there since you were twelve. Was your mom or dad on the force?"
Jared seemed to be holding his breath as he took smaller, safer glances at his passenger. “My mom died when I was twelve,” he breathed out now.
“Oh hell, I’m sorry man, I didn’t mean to…”
“S’okay. I guess it does look odd. That time. It’s not something I’m real comfortable discussing.” He focused on the road ahead, turned up the radio a notch and they fell into silence for the rest of the journey.
Some evenings Jared challenged Jensen to X-Box games and they settled on his oversize furniture, grasping the controllers. The banter would come naturally as they egged each other on, or attempted distractions. If, at times, they sat a little close, legs and shoulders hot and flush against each other, nothing was said but after a while one or other of them would suddenly end the game. Jensen would make his excuses to return to his own apartment and crack open a bottle of whiskey before bed. Jared took to running harder and faster. He stopped most nights and asked Hal to look after the dogs awhile.
If their friendship seemed strained or frustrating it didn’t matter to them. They enjoyed each other’s company. Jensen understood that he was a crippled mess who drank too much. Jared knew that Jensen deserved more than he could give. Neither of them was prepared to risk their camaraderie by asking for more.
Continued in Part 20 here: anniespinkhouse.livejournal.com/6642.html
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.
A big thankyou to Lia (Cheebles) for all her help ((hugs))
Over the next week life slipped into some sort of order for Jensen. He would roll out of bed, swallow a cocktail of prescription drugs and add some hangover cures.
Mornings started with coffee before he switched on his laptop and completed a few hours of editing. At lunchtime he called at Jared’s door and if the architect was in they would find a table at Harvelle’s, tease Ellen and Jo and sample the snacks. Sometimes they would discuss Caitlin with Jensen picking Jared’s brains on small quirks in her behavior or her apparent knowledge of the building trade. Mostly the talk was of sport and the news. If there was a reason why they always chose a large table and maintained personal distance it wasn’t mentioned.
Afternoons were spent in a dusty side-office at the downtown police station where Misha worked magic in organizing all the resources Jensen could need, including sending the old desk-sergeant in with regular coffee top-ups.
Jensen made rapid progress on the leads he had uncovered on ‘The Player’ the year before Laing had torn his life apart. At the time he had been convinced that Laing had organized another Player in Baltimore. There had been cam sightings and a parking ticket which were sidelined when the investigation was narrowed to focus on just one Player. Jensen contacted Chad and launched straight into the details, “I’ve got two missing persons. I need everything and I mean everything on them, however irrelevant it may seem.”
“Shoot.”
“I've sent all the info, you should be getting it now. I’m looking at Fay Greenway, 25, Nursery School Teacher, missing since 29th December 2008 and Nancy Albright, 6, missing since 2nd January 2009. Neither has ever been found. At first glance there’s no connection, but get this, Fay spent three weeks, just before the Christmas break, at Nancy’s school, covering for a sick teacher. I can place Laing within streets of that school during that time and again in Baltimore, in the first week of January, when he was spotted on the bus station cams.”
“You think they were the pawns?”
“I’d put my last bottle of Jack on it. Laing visited to size them up and set them up. I’m sure of it.”
“When I said we needed you Jen, I wasn’t joking. We’ll get a team to Baltimore. How are you doing? I know the kiddie stuff can be intense.”
“Look I’m fine, just trust me and run with this yeah?”
“We’re on it. Take care Jen.”
***
A rota was organized for visiting Caitlin. Jared and Jensen visited her on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. JD visited Wednesday and Saturday. Ellen and Jo promised to drop in whenever their heavy schedule let them.
One evening Jensen spied Jared through the plexiglass of his office door and wrapped up his work. He closed the door with a rattle, looking up at the younger man. “You just can’t keep away from this place can you?” he asked with a smile.
“I was passing by. Sarge says there’s a dog to go to the shelter. I said I’d take it to get it settled. The shelter is on the way home. You should get a ride with me.”
Jensen grinned wolfishly at his suggestion and winked. Jared flipped a playful slap to the back of his head. “Not that sort of ride.”
The detective settled into the back of the SUV with the anxious mongrel and they chatted comfortably about dogs until it was dropped at the shelter and then Jensen joined the architect in the front of his car. With their physical distance reduced, the conversation faltered.
Jensen broke the silence first, “I saw the Farra Building the other day. Didn’t you design that?”
For a moment the Jared’s hands seemed to grip the wheel over tightly and his knuckles whitened. His jaw squared and his mouth became a tight line. “M’yeah.”
“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t see one of those dinky models of it in your office, that’s all.”
Jared stared at the road ahead with excessive concentration and his expression was guarded, “I was inexperienced. I just see the mistakes I made.”
The detective tried to lighten the mood, “Well I like it,” he said, “but I guess if the roof leaks …”
A small sigh escaped the brunette’s lips and he joked, “The roof does NOT leak and if it did, it would be a water feature,” before changing the subject abruptly. “Why don’t you have a car Jen? Do you drive?”
“I used to drive before. Well, before y‘know. Then I couldn’t and now it doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Sometimes I, uh drink.”
There was a long silence while Jared digested the answer and realized what an insensitive question he’d asked, “Oh. Right. Sorry.”
Jensen was sure he could hear the digital clock ticking as he fiddled with a thread in his pants and he spoke just as Jared reached to turn the radio on, “Misha said you’ve always helped out at the precinct, since you were young. Did you want to be a cop when you were little?”
Jensen didn’t imagine the swerve as Jared took his eyes off the road and looked at him. He lunged to hold on to the dashboard as the tall man righted their vehicle.
“What exactly did he say?”
“That you’d been there since you were twelve. Was your mom or dad on the force?"
Jared seemed to be holding his breath as he took smaller, safer glances at his passenger. “My mom died when I was twelve,” he breathed out now.
“Oh hell, I’m sorry man, I didn’t mean to…”
“S’okay. I guess it does look odd. That time. It’s not something I’m real comfortable discussing.” He focused on the road ahead, turned up the radio a notch and they fell into silence for the rest of the journey.
Some evenings Jared challenged Jensen to X-Box games and they settled on his oversize furniture, grasping the controllers. The banter would come naturally as they egged each other on, or attempted distractions. If, at times, they sat a little close, legs and shoulders hot and flush against each other, nothing was said but after a while one or other of them would suddenly end the game. Jensen would make his excuses to return to his own apartment and crack open a bottle of whiskey before bed. Jared took to running harder and faster. He stopped most nights and asked Hal to look after the dogs awhile.
If their friendship seemed strained or frustrating it didn’t matter to them. They enjoyed each other’s company. Jensen understood that he was a crippled mess who drank too much. Jared knew that Jensen deserved more than he could give. Neither of them was prepared to risk their camaraderie by asking for more.
Continued in Part 20 here: anniespinkhouse.livejournal.com/6642.html