Fic: The Art of Being Lost and Found (8/?), blue cortina, dakfinv
Title: The Art of Being Lost and Found (8/?)
Author: dak
Word Count: 1046 (this part); (10,653 in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: none here
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 Part 7
“I was wondering when someone would come to see me,” she took Ray’s proffered cigarette and allowed him to light it for her.
“Didn’t know we had a reason to, till now,” Ray lit his own fag and leaned back against the car seat.
“So Gene can be discreet. Surprise, surprise.” Her voice sounded calm, but Ray could see by the nervous twitch of her fingers that she was worried.
“What I’ve been wondering is why you didn’t come to see us once you heard he was missing.”
“That would imply I had something to tell, Sergeant,” she replied, gazing out the window as she flicked ash onto Ray’s already soiled upholstery.
“How long?”
“From what I’ve heard, Gene’s been gone a bit over two weeks, now.”
“I meant how long have you been screwing him?”
“I know. But I don’t find that information relevant to this enquiry, Detective.”
“It’s relevant if I say it is,” Ray snapped, brandishing a finger.
“Are you threatening me? Just so you remember, I’m here of my own free will. Wouldn’t do you any favors harassing your best lead, now would it? But I guess that’s all you coppers are used to.”
“Yeah? And what makes you think you’re our ‘best lead?’” Ray scoffed.
“It’s been over two weeks, there’s been no news, and you’re letting me sit in your car. It doesn’t take too much investigating to realize you’re at your wits end.” she said with a sneer. Ray rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“What the bloody hell does the Guv see in you?”
“According to him, it’s my fabulous arse,” she smirked.
“Christ. No matter how desperate I was, I’d never shack up with a harpy like you.”
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let you. And what makes you think he was desperate? Maybe he just needed someone who understood him.”
“Or maybe you seduced him because you were so wet for it after he saved you from Reg Cole.”
“Or maybe his shrew of a wife was having it off with another bloke and he needed someone to make him feel wanted,” she huffed.
“Wait. What’re you on about?”
“Some detective you are,” Jackie sighed and shook her head. “Three month after Cole was arrested, Gene found out she was shagging this man from her bridge club, but he didn’t have the heart to confront her. Thought maybe she’d see the error of her ways and break it off herself. She didn’t.”
“So, he went to you?” Ray asked, still sounding disgusted.
“Am I so horrible?” she rolled her eyes. “I know how this makes me look, Mr. Carling - shagging a married man - but it’s not something I make a habit of. I don’t get many chances for a relationship. No man wants a woman who’s married to her job. So, I take what I can get, even if I already know it’s a dead-end,” she finished her cigarette and flicked it out the partially open window. “And it’s not just quick fucks. I do care about him, brute that he is, if that means anything to you.”
Ray offered another cigarette and she accepted.
“If you care about him, why hasn’t there been anything in the papers? Why haven’t you kicked up a fuss like you always do?” he questioned.
“Because he...” Jackie ended her sentence before it was finished, focusing on her fag instead.
“He what?”
“He told me not to,” she sighed, and wiped a hand across her forehead. Ray didn’t know what to say, so Jackie continued. “He came to me that Monday night. I wasn’t expecting to see him until Wednesday. Said his wife was giving him a load of grief and he needed to get away for a wee bit.”
“What time was this?”
“About eleven-thirty, at my flat. Wasn’t much news, so I finished my article and went home early. He was already there, waiting for me.”
“Then what?”
“Do you want all the sticky details or should I move on to the important parts?”
“Move on,” Ray quickly nodded.
“He was getting ready to leave, silent as the grave. Been like that ever since you banged your DI up in that looney bin.”
“No wonder there was no article on Tyler,” Ray suddenly realized.
“He asked me to keep it quiet,” Jackie confirmed. “I think he threatened every other reporter in the city, but me, he asked,” she smiled faintly, but it disappeared as she returned the cigarette to her lips.
“Back to that night,” Ray redirected the conversation. Jackie nodded.
“He’s buttoning up his shirt and mentions the request he made with DI Tyler. Says, if anything should happen to him, he didn’t want a big fuss over it. As much as I might not want to, I should leave it alone.”
“The next day he was gone. What time did he leave your flat?”
“Don’t know. Must have been around two in the morning.”
“The bridge club bloke, did Gene tell you his name?”
“Wouldn’t say.”
“And that stopped you?”
“It wasn’t my business. But...” Jackie sucked on the fag then blew out a puff of smoke. “Once I heard Gene was gone, I made it my business. The man’s name is Lawrence Hynes. He owns a bakery in Trafford Park. And, he’s still in one piece, case you were curious. I went to interview him, pretending I was writing an article on small business owners in today’s economy. He didn’t seem to be upset about anything, though he does have an unhealthy obsession with wheat buns.”
“Well, some detective you are,” Ray said, the thrill of a new lead already coursing through his body.
“I’m a reporter. It’s my job. You know, you might get the same results if you choose to speak to people with your mouth instead of your fists every once in awhile,” she tossed her second cigarette butt out the window, then climbed out of the car. “Sergeant?”
“Yeah?”
“If you do find anything, will you let me know?”
“Only if it won’t end up on the front page.”
“Guess I’ll have to wait then.”
Jackie slammed the car door shut and Ray switched on his engine. There was no way he was letting RCS in on this now.
Author: dak
Word Count: 1046 (this part); (10,653 in total, so far)
Rating: blue cortina
Warnings: none here
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 Part 7
“I was wondering when someone would come to see me,” she took Ray’s proffered cigarette and allowed him to light it for her.
“Didn’t know we had a reason to, till now,” Ray lit his own fag and leaned back against the car seat.
“So Gene can be discreet. Surprise, surprise.” Her voice sounded calm, but Ray could see by the nervous twitch of her fingers that she was worried.
“What I’ve been wondering is why you didn’t come to see us once you heard he was missing.”
“That would imply I had something to tell, Sergeant,” she replied, gazing out the window as she flicked ash onto Ray’s already soiled upholstery.
“How long?”
“From what I’ve heard, Gene’s been gone a bit over two weeks, now.”
“I meant how long have you been screwing him?”
“I know. But I don’t find that information relevant to this enquiry, Detective.”
“It’s relevant if I say it is,” Ray snapped, brandishing a finger.
“Are you threatening me? Just so you remember, I’m here of my own free will. Wouldn’t do you any favors harassing your best lead, now would it? But I guess that’s all you coppers are used to.”
“Yeah? And what makes you think you’re our ‘best lead?’” Ray scoffed.
“It’s been over two weeks, there’s been no news, and you’re letting me sit in your car. It doesn’t take too much investigating to realize you’re at your wits end.” she said with a sneer. Ray rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“What the bloody hell does the Guv see in you?”
“According to him, it’s my fabulous arse,” she smirked.
“Christ. No matter how desperate I was, I’d never shack up with a harpy like you.”
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let you. And what makes you think he was desperate? Maybe he just needed someone who understood him.”
“Or maybe you seduced him because you were so wet for it after he saved you from Reg Cole.”
“Or maybe his shrew of a wife was having it off with another bloke and he needed someone to make him feel wanted,” she huffed.
“Wait. What’re you on about?”
“Some detective you are,” Jackie sighed and shook her head. “Three month after Cole was arrested, Gene found out she was shagging this man from her bridge club, but he didn’t have the heart to confront her. Thought maybe she’d see the error of her ways and break it off herself. She didn’t.”
“So, he went to you?” Ray asked, still sounding disgusted.
“Am I so horrible?” she rolled her eyes. “I know how this makes me look, Mr. Carling - shagging a married man - but it’s not something I make a habit of. I don’t get many chances for a relationship. No man wants a woman who’s married to her job. So, I take what I can get, even if I already know it’s a dead-end,” she finished her cigarette and flicked it out the partially open window. “And it’s not just quick fucks. I do care about him, brute that he is, if that means anything to you.”
Ray offered another cigarette and she accepted.
“If you care about him, why hasn’t there been anything in the papers? Why haven’t you kicked up a fuss like you always do?” he questioned.
“Because he...” Jackie ended her sentence before it was finished, focusing on her fag instead.
“He what?”
“He told me not to,” she sighed, and wiped a hand across her forehead. Ray didn’t know what to say, so Jackie continued. “He came to me that Monday night. I wasn’t expecting to see him until Wednesday. Said his wife was giving him a load of grief and he needed to get away for a wee bit.”
“What time was this?”
“About eleven-thirty, at my flat. Wasn’t much news, so I finished my article and went home early. He was already there, waiting for me.”
“Then what?”
“Do you want all the sticky details or should I move on to the important parts?”
“Move on,” Ray quickly nodded.
“He was getting ready to leave, silent as the grave. Been like that ever since you banged your DI up in that looney bin.”
“No wonder there was no article on Tyler,” Ray suddenly realized.
“He asked me to keep it quiet,” Jackie confirmed. “I think he threatened every other reporter in the city, but me, he asked,” she smiled faintly, but it disappeared as she returned the cigarette to her lips.
“Back to that night,” Ray redirected the conversation. Jackie nodded.
“He’s buttoning up his shirt and mentions the request he made with DI Tyler. Says, if anything should happen to him, he didn’t want a big fuss over it. As much as I might not want to, I should leave it alone.”
“The next day he was gone. What time did he leave your flat?”
“Don’t know. Must have been around two in the morning.”
“The bridge club bloke, did Gene tell you his name?”
“Wouldn’t say.”
“And that stopped you?”
“It wasn’t my business. But...” Jackie sucked on the fag then blew out a puff of smoke. “Once I heard Gene was gone, I made it my business. The man’s name is Lawrence Hynes. He owns a bakery in Trafford Park. And, he’s still in one piece, case you were curious. I went to interview him, pretending I was writing an article on small business owners in today’s economy. He didn’t seem to be upset about anything, though he does have an unhealthy obsession with wheat buns.”
“Well, some detective you are,” Ray said, the thrill of a new lead already coursing through his body.
“I’m a reporter. It’s my job. You know, you might get the same results if you choose to speak to people with your mouth instead of your fists every once in awhile,” she tossed her second cigarette butt out the window, then climbed out of the car. “Sergeant?”
“Yeah?”
“If you do find anything, will you let me know?”
“Only if it won’t end up on the front page.”
“Guess I’ll have to wait then.”
Jackie slammed the car door shut and Ray switched on his engine. There was no way he was letting RCS in on this now.