by S M Mala
Still there had been no more incidents and the publicity around it was dwindling. The stories of potential riots in August seem to be hitting the headlines. Then again, it was the Samaritans and the general public didn’t think it was sexy enough for their long term interest.
The haze of euphoria over his promotion had died down and he was left in a very large office with a whole lot of people who worked for him.
But he’d just prefer to be in bed.
With Ruby.
Again, he felt turmoil about his decision and mainly, what he’d said. Every time he re ran the scene again, he’d squirm in embarrassment knowing he’d lied and hurt her at the same time.
And she’d kept her word.
Five weeks he hadn’t heard from her and for all that time, he was deeply unhappy.
It didn’t stop him doing a thorough search on Hugh Yates.
Meeting the man bugged him. Every time he found something, it made him realise Hugh was the journalist good guy, the one who would get to the bottom of it all. He headed the team that got some of the Commissioner’s colleagues, including her lover the ex-Commissioner, prosecuted.
He sat back in his chair, flipping down his laptop lid and looking at some papers to his side.
Again Scottie wondered if he had jumped the gun and made an almighty mistake when it came to Ruby. She never got the chance to tell him her side of the story
And something about Hugh and Helen Trott didn’t quite make sense.
The Commissioner was walking past his door then she popped her head around.
‘Fancy coming for a drink?’ she asked cheerfully.
‘Yes,’ he said, wanting something to dull his hurt when thinking about Ruby.
‘Ten minutes in ‘The Hen’?’
‘Sure,’ Scottie said, smiling brightly, just wanting to get drunk.
Hours later, he got his wish.
He didn’t know how much he’d drank but his body felt numb. The other officers had gone off and he found himself in a private member’s bar, courtesy of Helen Trott.
They were in a corner so no-one could see them.
She was laughing hard and, for a moment, he yearned for female company and thought about Ruby for the umpteenth time that day.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, looking pissed and smiling. ‘You were all happy and now you’ve got your sad face. Since before your promotion, it’s an expression you’ve worn a lot. Anything troubling you?’
‘Things,’ he said, letting out a miserable sigh.
‘What’s the problem?’
Scottie smiled for a moment and thought he didn’t have anything to lose.
‘I met this woman and fell in love but she wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t her fault but it was.’
‘Already that sounds a little confusing,’ she replied, ordering a few more drinks.
‘Knowing I was getting this promotion and how it might complicate things, I decided to call it a day. She was really upset and I never intended to hurt her but I did. Since the deed was done, I’ve not felt good about it. I might have made a terrible mistake and I miss her so much.’
‘Sometimes you have to sacrifice the things you want,’ Helen Trott said, putting a gentle hand on his thigh. ‘This career is unforgiving if you make a mistake, believe me.’
‘You were married once and happy, weren’t you?’
‘I married an amazing man. He was a wonderful, supportive husband but he died of a heart attack. It seems I’m doomed by that disease because my last partner passed away due to the same thing. That was down to stress and I blame others for that.’
Scottie gulped hard, knowing Ruby was probably one of them.
‘Tell me about Sidney Murray. I hear he was one of the best Commissioners the Met ever had. He left a legacy.’
‘Pity he didn’t leave me anything,’ she said, staring into her glass. ‘Oh, we had a great life but it was all cut too short. He had other things to focus on. His work and family. Some people took up too much of his time but he was a good man, he had responsibilities.’ Helen Trott stared at him. ‘You’re a good man and I’m pleased you’ve put your job first.’
‘I’ve put that first since I joined,’ Scottie shrugged, finishing off his drink then starting the fresh one. ‘To the cost of my relationships with the mothers of my children and the kids. I’m trying to make it up to Riley but Katya’s a lost cause. Too little, too late, as they say.’
Next thing he knew, she kissed him.
Helen Trott’s tongue was in his mouth and he had to pull away.
‘We could keep this so casual, you and I,’ she said, looking straight into his eyes. ‘No one need ever know. I can feel there’s an attraction between us.’
‘You’re my boss and I couldn’t do that,’ he replied, feeling a panic build. ‘You’re bloody gorgeous but I don’t want to compromise anything.’
She laughed and shook her head, sitting up straight.
‘Sometimes you’re too decent to be true.’
‘Sometimes I wish I wasn’t decent at all.’
Forty One
‘It’s all speculative, that’s how papers sell and websites get hits,’ said Ruby, smiling at Diane when they were sat in the office on a break. ‘Two people dead and nothing since then.’
‘I asked Scottie about it and he’s saying nothing,’ said Diane, eating a cupcake. Ruby tried not to squirm on hearing his name. ‘Did he ever ask you out?’
‘Pardon?’ she replied, trying not to reveal anything in her expression.
‘I could tell he fancied the arse off you at my party. Then that thing about the pub. He didn’t call you? I told him you didn’t like coppers so that might have put him off.’
‘Or maybe he was put off because I used to be a journalist?’
‘He’s not that shallow!’ laughed out Diane, shaking her head and wiping her mouth with a napkin. ‘Our Nana Gwen can’t stand the police, thinks they’re all corrupt. She wasn’t very happy when she had to be taken to his promotion shindig. You do know he’s the new Assistant Commissioner for Special Crimes? Goodness, how would you? Nana said she couldn’t stand the stench of pork in the place and demanded Uncle Jack take her down the pub instead.’
‘Your Nana Gwen sounds funny,’ smiled Ruby, her heart squeezing for the man who didn’t love her and would rather prune her with his gardening shears, than have her in his life.
‘You know what? I’d have fixed you up with Scottie years ago if I didn’t know your dislike for the police. I think you’d both get on really well.’
‘It wouldn’t have lasted,’ she said, realising it had been seven weeks since she’d seen him and he’d have probably forgotten about her. ‘Anyway, Billy’s taking me as a plus one to some charity work thing tomorrow night. His wife refuses to go because he gets slaughtered and she doesn’t know anyone.’
‘What charity is this? Those bloody newspapers never donate to our charity, do they?’
‘It’s one that helps teenagers in London. The idea is to meet the community greats or something like that and form a good working bond.’
‘Which you think is a waste of time?’
‘I think people who go there are doing it for their own publicity, not for the charity.’
‘Cynical child.’
‘God, I wish I was back on holiday,’ she groaned, letting out a miserable sigh. ‘I’ve got heap loads of work to do. People and their problems, aye?’
‘It’s all out of the goodness of your own heart!’ laughed out Diane. ‘How was your week away? You look all bronzed and gorgeous.’
Her friend finished off the other half of the cupcake in one fail swoop.
‘Theo enjoyed Ibiza. There were kids clubs galore and I caught up on all my reading. I even contemplated reading Hugh’s book, about investigating corruption on the force, but realised it would be full of bullshit like him.’ Ruby laughed for a moment, remembering her head was full of Scottie when she was away. Her heart sank. ‘And now that child of mine
is off with his father to Greece. Jesus, only I could have a kid so well-travelled. In less than twenty four hours I had to wash all his bloody clothes and repack and he was off, without a second look.’
‘And did his dad give you a second look?’ Diana said mischievously.
‘I don’t care,’ sighed Ruby, given what her son had told her of other trips. ‘I think Hugh’s happy.’
‘But you’re not?’
‘Why’d you say that?’ she asked, sipping her tea and flashing a glance at Diane.
‘Dunno, just something’s not quite right.’
‘Don’t do that on me, the counselling stuff. I do it nearly twenty four hours of my life and I don’t need to ‘talk’ to anyone.’
‘‘Tell it how it is’. Why did you call your newspaper section that when you’re a bloody hypocrite and not willing to talk to anyone?’ laughed Diane.
‘Because I prefer to listen to others and try to console them with my fresh honesty. I don’t need anyone else to tell me what’s wrong when I know what it is.’
‘Which is what, madam?’
‘I’m a lost cause,’ she grinned, going to the desk and picking up her bags to leave.
She noticed a line was ringing and the others were on calls so she answered.
‘Hello the Samaritans,’ she said, putting the ear piece on.
‘I need to talk to someone,’ the voice said but it sounded like there was interference on the line.
‘How can I help you?’
Ruby sat down and leaned back in her chair.
‘Why do you think you can help me?’
‘You rang me, I didn’t ring you.’ She knew it was a crank call. ‘Try me and find out.’
‘Are you scared I’m gonna kill you?’
Then she heard sniggering in the background.
‘Look you little brats, we can trace all the calls to the branch and I’ll have to inform the-.’
The line went dead.
‘Bloody kids,’ she said, taking the head piece off and making a log of the numerous hoax calls they’d received before walking out.
Ruby encased herself in the summer sunshine, feeling the warmth against her skin.
Standing on the pavement, she didn’t know what to do.
She had nothing planned until the following night.
Walking slowly down the road, she thought about Scottie and shrugged off the feeling of hurt for a second, realising she was dwelling too hard on the whole thing.
What was done was done.
Then she realised tears were springing to her eyes. Ruby felt immediately angry with herself for even thinking she could fall in love with Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Scott.
The whole thing was unbelievable in reality.
Too simple and stupid.
A bit like how she was feeling right now.
Forty two
‘I know you don’t like these sort of things but you get used to them,’ Helen Trott said. They were stood in a pub, getting a quick drink before heading to dinner. ‘Given what you’re in charge of, it’s important we’re not seen to judge certain parts of the community.’
‘I understand,’ replied a disgruntled Scottie, while knocking back his scotch. He wished he could have met Sebastian beforehand, knowing he too was going to this boring dinner. ‘We don’t have to stay long, do we?’
‘There’s a table for us. Listen to the speakers and then, I thought, maybe we could go for a few drinks afterwards. What do you say?’
He noticed the twinkle in her eye and knew he couldn’t be rude. After the impromptu kiss, he didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. It was too much of a risk and he realised he wouldn’t be the first one to have kept her company in between the sheets. Scottie knew of two others, both married and not a million miles away, who had done the honours.
‘I’d love to but I’ve got Riley coming round tomorrow. I have to be relatively hangover free,’ he lied, knowing his son had bailed out on him to go to a friend’s birthday party. ‘Maybe another time?’
‘That’s a shame,’ she said, looking flirtatiously at him. ‘You look very gallant in your uniform. It does make a change from your t-shirts and jeans though I’m not complaining on that front either.’
‘I’m still not going to wear a suit to work,’ he said and pulled a face, watching some of his other Assistant Commissioners give disgruntled glances. ‘I think they’re a bit jealous you’re giving me all the attention Commissioner Trott. You’re going to have to share yourself around.’
‘Some people have accused me of that too.’
She laughed for a moment, turning to speak to the others as he stood there, knowing all he wanted to do was get blind drunk and crash out.
But this was part of his job.
He had to face the fact that it was going to slice into his free time.
For a minute he wished he was anywhere else and then he thought about her, wondering what she was doing.
Scottie shook his head.
This was his life from now on.
The thing is he didn’t feel truly happy about how it was turning out.
Forty three
‘You look hot,’ Billy laughed out when Ruby walked up to him outside the large hotel. ‘Seriously, if I wasn’t married and didn’t have any taste, I’d be in there.’
‘Then you’d get a hard slap, wouldn’t you?’ she smiled, giving his rosy cheeks a quick kiss before entering the place. ‘Now remember if I get shit faced, throw me into a cab.’
‘Your wish is my command. You know there are a lot of old friends from days gone by in here. How are you going to cope if they ask about Hugh?’
‘Everyone knows we’re divorced, not the reasons, but I can cope. Jesus, it all started over two years ago and it took us this long to sign the papers because…’ she started to laugh. ‘He was too busy!’
‘You know I hate to say it-.’
‘Then don’t.’
‘He did something wrong but paid his penance and gave you the divorce. Can’t you find it in your heart to forgive him?’
She looked at Billy, knowing he had sincere intentions.
‘I like your loyalty to him even after you left his rag. Do you know what he did?’
‘Haven’t the foggiest!’
‘Then no.’
‘He slipped up?’
‘Under my roof and in my bed. When he thought I was manning the phones to help others in need, the only ‘need’ he had was to pork someone else!’ she hissed. ‘And you know what? He did it on my new Warren Evans bed and mattress. That’s an ethical company and he did something immoral! I threw that thing out when I booted him through the door. I made him pay for a replacement.’
‘The thing I love about talking to you, is that you remind me never to cheat on the missus. You think you’re bad? She’s told me what she’d do and it’s scary.’
‘That makes me feel less guilty about rejecting Hugh Yates every time he thinks I’m going to forgive him.’
‘You have to admit, he stayed faithful to you up until then.’
‘Is that what he tells people?’ she sighed, shaking her head from side to side. ‘He’s a journalist, isn’t he? He knows how to bend the truth to his own benefit.’
They walked towards the entrance to the room where the function was being held and went through to the bar.
Then she did a double take.
Sebastian was standing at the bar smiling over at her, looking surprised.
‘Ruby! And don’t you look delicious. I didn’t expect to see you here,’ the tall man said. She just wanted to slap him. ‘And Billy? It’s been such a long time!’
Sebastian shook the smaller man’s hand.
‘Good to see you Sebastian,’ grinned Billy then turned to Ruby. ‘Do you want a large one?’
‘Yep,’ she replied, glaring at Sebastian. ‘Don’t say a word. Your friend did the honours and kicked me in line. It’s all forgotten about. You should have told me he was one of her golden balls.
’
‘You mean golden ‘boys’?’
‘I know what I mean,’ Ruby sniffed for a moment then started to smile. ‘And I’m here because I know Hugh’s away and Billy asked me. He thinks it’ll stop any chance of me getting snuffed if I’m prevented to speak to people on the helpline.’
‘I did think about you, little one, and what was going on,’ he said seriously. ‘You just be careful.’
‘Please! You sound as bad as the ex. It’s all died down and it was a weird co-incidence.’
‘Two murders is a ‘weird coincidence’? And you were a shit hot reporter once?’
‘There you go,’ Billy said, handing her a large gin and tonic. ‘You know I’m going to have to mingle?’
‘She’s safe with me,’ Sebastian replied and took her arm, guiding her into a corner.
‘I’m not talking to you about anything, especially him,’ Ruby replied. ‘The fact I even met you for lunch all that time ago shows I’m a forgiving person. He dumped me a day later which was a ‘weird coincidence’ too.’
‘I wanted to warn you. I didn’t really expect you’d break up, though you now know how absurd it would have been,’ he said quietly. ‘You have to see it from his point of view.’
‘He didn’t even give me a chance to explain. I was shocked he could be so cold.’
‘Look, there’s something you need to-.’
‘Sebastian!’ some old bloke said. ‘Long time no see.’
‘Hello there,’ he said putting out his hand as Ruby smiled then quickly walked away.
‘Ruby, I need to tell you something!’ Sebastian shouted behind her.
There was nothing he could say to make her feel any worse.
The room was packed and it was easy to hide. She bumped into a few faces from the past and chatted away happily.
They had been placed at a table with all the other journalists, making it a little raucous.
Ruby felt happy and relaxed.
Even the speeches weren’t that dull and dinner was good.
All in all, she was having a pleasant time.
Then she stood up to go to the ladies and, as she did, she saw him sitting down in a group with the uniformed policeman. He looked up and spotted her.