Fic: The Art of Being Lost and Found (7/?), blue cortina, dakfinv
Title: The Art of Being Lost and Found (7/?)
Author: dak
Word Count: 1929 (this part); (9607 in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: mentions of suicide
Summary: Post 2.08. When the Guv goes missing, CID is saddled with an inept "interim" DCI. To find Gene, and the truth, Ray must team up with a hated enemy.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
Why was he the one driving up here, and in the rain no less? It was a near two hours drive to the deserted countryside where the asylum resided and this was not his responsibility. Tyler - no, Williams - was never supposed to be his responsibility. He never wanted Tyler - fuck, Williams - as his responsibility. Yet, somehow, that’s exactly what he was becoming.
Thankfully there was no traffic nor blocked roads, and Ray was able to make the journey in just over an hour and a half. He planned on being inside the building no more than five minutes. If the drive down was as smooth as the drive up, he could still make it home by nine.
He parked his car as close as he could and ran through the rain, heading straight into the musty building. One of the nurses was already waiting for him. She led him down the same corridor, up two floors in the same rickety lift, but this time turned left instead of right when they reached the third floor.
Heavy, iron keys dangled from her hand as she unlocked and locked each door they passed through in the dimly lit maze. Ray sighed. It had taken over five minutes to get this far. So, he’d spend five minutes with the nutter, then another five getting back out. Fifteen minutes total. He could still make it home by nine if the roads were clear.
The nurse finally stopped in front of an unmarked, off-white, metal door that had a tiny window at the top center. If only it were olive green, Ray would have mistook it for one of the cell doors at the station.
“He’s in here,” she informed as she shoved the key into the lock. “Shout if you need anything,” she opened the door, ushered Ray inside, then closed it and locked it behind him.
The light here was also dim, but Ray could see the outside rain through the high, barred window across the room. There were two beds all the way against the far wall - one on the left and one of the right. Only one was occupied.
“Lovely evening, don’t you think?” sighed the voice from the right-side bed. “It’s sad, but this room is almost nicer than my flat.”
“What the hell are you playing at?” Ray shouted, stomping over to Sam’s bedside. Sam went to itch his nose but couldn’t because his arms were strapped to the bed.
“Checkers?” he offered. Ray frowned and immediately marched to the exit. “Wait!” Sam called after him.
“Why?”
“Came all this way. Don’t you want to hear what I have to say?”
“I came cos they said you’d lost another of your loose screws, not cos I want to chat.” Ray put his hand on the door, ready to call for the nurse.
“I’m just as sane as I ever was,” Sam sighed.
“That’s what scares me.”
“Look, I only did it so you’d come.”
Ray lowered his hand and turned back to the bed.
“You swallowed a load of pills just so you could see me?”
“Well, it wasn’t that many. Just enough to make me pass out. Besides, it worked, didn’t it? You’re here?” he smiled.
“A sane person would’ve called and asked.”
“Would you have come if I’d just asked?”
Ray knew the answer was no, but he wasn’t going to tell Tyler that. It didn’t matter. His silence was as clear as any word.
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself, Ray. Promise. What would be the point? I have nothing to die for. Nothing to go back to,” Sam trailed off and turned his head towards the wall. Ray returned to his bedside and stood there impatiently with arms crossed.
“Alright then. What was so important you risked your pointless life so you could see me?”
“Way to make a suicidal bloke feel special,” Sam rolled his eyes.
“You said you din’t want to die!”
“Tact, DS Carling. One thing you’ll never learn, is it?”
“ ‘Less you forgot, Boss, I’m the one what can walk out that door any time I damn well please. So, if you’ve got summat to say, say it ‘fore I lose me patience.”
“Fine,” Sam sighed, then looked hopefully up at Ray. “Do you have those cigarettes?”
“You had your stomach pumped for a pack of fags you won’t even smoke?” Ray scoffed. “Fine. There you are, then,” he reached into his pocket and dropped a pack on Sam’s stomach before hurrying to the door.
“Yes! Well, no,” Sam called after him. Ray could hear him tugging at the restraints. “Wait, I mean, I’m not, it wasn’t...”
Ray banged on the door, ready to be released.
“It’s about Gene!”
Ray stopped knocking. The nurse opened the door.
“I thought of something that might help you find Gene.”
“Give us a mo,” Ray told the nurse.
“Make up your bloody mind,” she huffed and closed him back inside. Ray turned and leaned against the cold metal.
“Go on then.”
Sam’s shouting had left him out of breath. The ponce clearly wasn’t in the same shape he’d been in before he was sectioned.
“I...I was thinking, when I could, and I thought of someone who might know something.”
“What? A crim?”
“No. His girl.”
“Vera knows nowt.”
“No,” Sam sighed in aggravation. “His girlfriend. You know, bit on the side?”
Ray stormed towards Tyler.
“The Guv weren’t cheating.”
“Well, yeah. He was,” Sam laughed.
“No. He wouldn’t. Not on Vera.”
“Ray, you ever think you haven’t found him yet because you’re looking for the Guv and not for Gene?”
“He’s a good man. He wouldn’t--”
“He’s good. But he’s not perfect.”
“So, what’re you saying? He took off with some bird?”
“No. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Yeah? And why not?”
“Cos he’s a good man,” Sam sighed. “I know you don’t want to hear it Ray, but it’s true.”
“How do you know, hm? Why’d he tell you?”
“He didn’t,” Sam shook his head - the only part of him that could move easily. “Well, he sort of did. Well, I found out. He denied it, of course, then later he told me the truth. I promised I wouldn’t say anything.”
“When? When did he tell you?”
“I really miss interrogations,” Sam sighed. “I had my suspicions for a few months--”
“When. Tyler.”
“After Haslam’s murder. The night he hid at my flat. He thought, if he was going to gaol, he wanted someone to tell her what happened,” he confessed. Ray stared at him to see if he was telling the truth. All he saw was how exhausted Sam looked. He could barely keep his eyelids open and was adjusting his body in an effort to get comfortable. It was obviously a losing battle since his arms and legs were strapped down.
“Does Vera know?”
“Course not,” Sam shook his head. “He didn’t want to hurt her.”
“If he still loves her, why would he...”
“I may know the who, Ray, but I don’t know the why.”
Ray was about to ask who the “who” was when he noticed the small bit of blood dripping down Sam’s hand.
“What’s that?”
“Hm?” Sam asked, then looked down at his right hand. “Oh, that happens sometimes. From the straps. They’re not...properly maintained, shall we say. When they make them too tight...It happens,” he shrugged. “You get used to it.”
“How many times have they tied you down?”
“It’s either that or increase my medication. I’d rather have a clear head than healthy wrists,” Sam rested his head against the flat pillow. “Think they’ll be upping my dosage after this anyway, though. Yay,” he sighed.
“You’d do that for the Guv? Risk that so you could tell me...”
“Despite what you may think, Carling, I do respect him. I...I want you to find him unharmed, and if it means...Well,” Sam laughed. “What’s my life worth now anyway? A pack of cigarettes?”
Ray looked down and noticed his pack had fallen to the floor. He picked it up and put it in the drawer of Sam’s bedside table.
“Well then, Boss, since I’m here, might as well tell me who she is.”
“Ray, first, I, just...”
“What?” he sighed, his impatience rising again.
“Thank you for coming.”
*
The drive back to Manchester took over two hours. The rain had let up, but Ray was too bogged down in his own thoughts to bother driving the speed limit. What was he supposed to do with Tyler’s information? Technically, the case was RCS’s responsibility now. He could tell them and be done with it. But, he knew Litton and his goons wouldn’t keep quiet about it. They would tell anyone in earshot - including the Super - and cause a scandal that would hurt the Guv if - when - ever he was found.
No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t betray Gene like that. He’d confront the woman himself. The only people that need know about the affair were him and Tyler. Well, and the other woman of course.
How could Gene have done that to Vera? She was a lovely woman. Maybe not as pretty as she used to be, and she could be a bit, okay very, overbearing at times, but she cared about Gene. Always kept the house clean, pressed his shirts, had hot food on the table. Maybe she had turned cold in the bedroom. Men had needs and a hand could only do so much.
Ray didn’t know why he was so surprised. He’d cheated on girlfriends before. But, those relationships hadn’t been anything serious. His longest had been, what, two months? His dad had cheated on Mum, too. He remembered when she’d found that out. Ray could still pick broken glass out of the carpet when he visited for Sunday roasts, and that had all happened six years ago.
No, cheating was nothing unusual, but for some reason he never expected the Guv would do such a thing. He always seemed too noble for something so common. Maybe the nutter was right. Maybe he should start looking for Gene Hunt instead of DCI Hunt.
*
Ray knew that in missing person’s cases, time was always the most important factor. If you found a new lead, you followed it up right away. It could mean the difference between life and death.
In this case, though, Ray decided he should use, what did Tyler call it? Tact. One wrong move and the Guv’s reputation could be ruined, not to mention the chewing out Carter would give him if the DCI discovered Ray was still working the case. No, he’d have to be careful. He’d have to time it so no one would discover what he was up to.
He waited until his shift ended at five. Cartwright was still ignoring him and Chris was still moping, so no one would care if he didn’t turn up at the pub on time. He left the station and waited for her outside her building. She had to still be working and this was the only place Ray could think of to catch her, not knowing where she lived.
It was near midnight when he finally spotted her leaving the building. Thankfully, she was alone. Ray hurried forward and met her at her car. She was startled at first, then calmed down when she recognized who it was. He put his hand on the driver’s side door, preventing her from unlocking her car.
“We need to talk, Jackie.”
Author: dak
Word Count: 1929 (this part); (9607 in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: mentions of suicide
Summary: Post 2.08. When the Guv goes missing, CID is saddled with an inept "interim" DCI. To find Gene, and the truth, Ray must team up with a hated enemy.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
Why was he the one driving up here, and in the rain no less? It was a near two hours drive to the deserted countryside where the asylum resided and this was not his responsibility. Tyler - no, Williams - was never supposed to be his responsibility. He never wanted Tyler - fuck, Williams - as his responsibility. Yet, somehow, that’s exactly what he was becoming.
Thankfully there was no traffic nor blocked roads, and Ray was able to make the journey in just over an hour and a half. He planned on being inside the building no more than five minutes. If the drive down was as smooth as the drive up, he could still make it home by nine.
He parked his car as close as he could and ran through the rain, heading straight into the musty building. One of the nurses was already waiting for him. She led him down the same corridor, up two floors in the same rickety lift, but this time turned left instead of right when they reached the third floor.
Heavy, iron keys dangled from her hand as she unlocked and locked each door they passed through in the dimly lit maze. Ray sighed. It had taken over five minutes to get this far. So, he’d spend five minutes with the nutter, then another five getting back out. Fifteen minutes total. He could still make it home by nine if the roads were clear.
The nurse finally stopped in front of an unmarked, off-white, metal door that had a tiny window at the top center. If only it were olive green, Ray would have mistook it for one of the cell doors at the station.
“He’s in here,” she informed as she shoved the key into the lock. “Shout if you need anything,” she opened the door, ushered Ray inside, then closed it and locked it behind him.
The light here was also dim, but Ray could see the outside rain through the high, barred window across the room. There were two beds all the way against the far wall - one on the left and one of the right. Only one was occupied.
“Lovely evening, don’t you think?” sighed the voice from the right-side bed. “It’s sad, but this room is almost nicer than my flat.”
“What the hell are you playing at?” Ray shouted, stomping over to Sam’s bedside. Sam went to itch his nose but couldn’t because his arms were strapped to the bed.
“Checkers?” he offered. Ray frowned and immediately marched to the exit. “Wait!” Sam called after him.
“Why?”
“Came all this way. Don’t you want to hear what I have to say?”
“I came cos they said you’d lost another of your loose screws, not cos I want to chat.” Ray put his hand on the door, ready to call for the nurse.
“I’m just as sane as I ever was,” Sam sighed.
“That’s what scares me.”
“Look, I only did it so you’d come.”
Ray lowered his hand and turned back to the bed.
“You swallowed a load of pills just so you could see me?”
“Well, it wasn’t that many. Just enough to make me pass out. Besides, it worked, didn’t it? You’re here?” he smiled.
“A sane person would’ve called and asked.”
“Would you have come if I’d just asked?”
Ray knew the answer was no, but he wasn’t going to tell Tyler that. It didn’t matter. His silence was as clear as any word.
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself, Ray. Promise. What would be the point? I have nothing to die for. Nothing to go back to,” Sam trailed off and turned his head towards the wall. Ray returned to his bedside and stood there impatiently with arms crossed.
“Alright then. What was so important you risked your pointless life so you could see me?”
“Way to make a suicidal bloke feel special,” Sam rolled his eyes.
“You said you din’t want to die!”
“Tact, DS Carling. One thing you’ll never learn, is it?”
“ ‘Less you forgot, Boss, I’m the one what can walk out that door any time I damn well please. So, if you’ve got summat to say, say it ‘fore I lose me patience.”
“Fine,” Sam sighed, then looked hopefully up at Ray. “Do you have those cigarettes?”
“You had your stomach pumped for a pack of fags you won’t even smoke?” Ray scoffed. “Fine. There you are, then,” he reached into his pocket and dropped a pack on Sam’s stomach before hurrying to the door.
“Yes! Well, no,” Sam called after him. Ray could hear him tugging at the restraints. “Wait, I mean, I’m not, it wasn’t...”
Ray banged on the door, ready to be released.
“It’s about Gene!”
Ray stopped knocking. The nurse opened the door.
“I thought of something that might help you find Gene.”
“Give us a mo,” Ray told the nurse.
“Make up your bloody mind,” she huffed and closed him back inside. Ray turned and leaned against the cold metal.
“Go on then.”
Sam’s shouting had left him out of breath. The ponce clearly wasn’t in the same shape he’d been in before he was sectioned.
“I...I was thinking, when I could, and I thought of someone who might know something.”
“What? A crim?”
“No. His girl.”
“Vera knows nowt.”
“No,” Sam sighed in aggravation. “His girlfriend. You know, bit on the side?”
Ray stormed towards Tyler.
“The Guv weren’t cheating.”
“Well, yeah. He was,” Sam laughed.
“No. He wouldn’t. Not on Vera.”
“Ray, you ever think you haven’t found him yet because you’re looking for the Guv and not for Gene?”
“He’s a good man. He wouldn’t--”
“He’s good. But he’s not perfect.”
“So, what’re you saying? He took off with some bird?”
“No. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Yeah? And why not?”
“Cos he’s a good man,” Sam sighed. “I know you don’t want to hear it Ray, but it’s true.”
“How do you know, hm? Why’d he tell you?”
“He didn’t,” Sam shook his head - the only part of him that could move easily. “Well, he sort of did. Well, I found out. He denied it, of course, then later he told me the truth. I promised I wouldn’t say anything.”
“When? When did he tell you?”
“I really miss interrogations,” Sam sighed. “I had my suspicions for a few months--”
“When. Tyler.”
“After Haslam’s murder. The night he hid at my flat. He thought, if he was going to gaol, he wanted someone to tell her what happened,” he confessed. Ray stared at him to see if he was telling the truth. All he saw was how exhausted Sam looked. He could barely keep his eyelids open and was adjusting his body in an effort to get comfortable. It was obviously a losing battle since his arms and legs were strapped down.
“Does Vera know?”
“Course not,” Sam shook his head. “He didn’t want to hurt her.”
“If he still loves her, why would he...”
“I may know the who, Ray, but I don’t know the why.”
Ray was about to ask who the “who” was when he noticed the small bit of blood dripping down Sam’s hand.
“What’s that?”
“Hm?” Sam asked, then looked down at his right hand. “Oh, that happens sometimes. From the straps. They’re not...properly maintained, shall we say. When they make them too tight...It happens,” he shrugged. “You get used to it.”
“How many times have they tied you down?”
“It’s either that or increase my medication. I’d rather have a clear head than healthy wrists,” Sam rested his head against the flat pillow. “Think they’ll be upping my dosage after this anyway, though. Yay,” he sighed.
“You’d do that for the Guv? Risk that so you could tell me...”
“Despite what you may think, Carling, I do respect him. I...I want you to find him unharmed, and if it means...Well,” Sam laughed. “What’s my life worth now anyway? A pack of cigarettes?”
Ray looked down and noticed his pack had fallen to the floor. He picked it up and put it in the drawer of Sam’s bedside table.
“Well then, Boss, since I’m here, might as well tell me who she is.”
“Ray, first, I, just...”
“What?” he sighed, his impatience rising again.
“Thank you for coming.”
*
The drive back to Manchester took over two hours. The rain had let up, but Ray was too bogged down in his own thoughts to bother driving the speed limit. What was he supposed to do with Tyler’s information? Technically, the case was RCS’s responsibility now. He could tell them and be done with it. But, he knew Litton and his goons wouldn’t keep quiet about it. They would tell anyone in earshot - including the Super - and cause a scandal that would hurt the Guv if - when - ever he was found.
No, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t betray Gene like that. He’d confront the woman himself. The only people that need know about the affair were him and Tyler. Well, and the other woman of course.
How could Gene have done that to Vera? She was a lovely woman. Maybe not as pretty as she used to be, and she could be a bit, okay very, overbearing at times, but she cared about Gene. Always kept the house clean, pressed his shirts, had hot food on the table. Maybe she had turned cold in the bedroom. Men had needs and a hand could only do so much.
Ray didn’t know why he was so surprised. He’d cheated on girlfriends before. But, those relationships hadn’t been anything serious. His longest had been, what, two months? His dad had cheated on Mum, too. He remembered when she’d found that out. Ray could still pick broken glass out of the carpet when he visited for Sunday roasts, and that had all happened six years ago.
No, cheating was nothing unusual, but for some reason he never expected the Guv would do such a thing. He always seemed too noble for something so common. Maybe the nutter was right. Maybe he should start looking for Gene Hunt instead of DCI Hunt.
*
Ray knew that in missing person’s cases, time was always the most important factor. If you found a new lead, you followed it up right away. It could mean the difference between life and death.
In this case, though, Ray decided he should use, what did Tyler call it? Tact. One wrong move and the Guv’s reputation could be ruined, not to mention the chewing out Carter would give him if the DCI discovered Ray was still working the case. No, he’d have to be careful. He’d have to time it so no one would discover what he was up to.
He waited until his shift ended at five. Cartwright was still ignoring him and Chris was still moping, so no one would care if he didn’t turn up at the pub on time. He left the station and waited for her outside her building. She had to still be working and this was the only place Ray could think of to catch her, not knowing where she lived.
It was near midnight when he finally spotted her leaving the building. Thankfully, she was alone. Ray hurried forward and met her at her car. She was startled at first, then calmed down when she recognized who it was. He put his hand on the driver’s side door, preventing her from unlocking her car.
“We need to talk, Jackie.”