Bad Advice

by S M Mala

  ‘You got what you wanted. You broke our marriage so run along and do the same to another unsuspecting bastard,’ Ruby whispered, shutting the door and looking at her shaking her hands.

  Helen Trott was the only person who could have that effect on her.

  Then she saw Scottie standing by the study door.

  ‘Theo, I have to speak to the police officer for ten minutes. Will be you be okay?’

  ‘Sure,’ he replied and flashed a glance over his shoulder in Scottie’s direction.

  Ruby walked quickly up to him as he stepped back into the room. As soon as the door was shut, he flung his arms around her waist and they started to kiss. Within seconds his hand was up her top, squeezing her breasts.

  ‘Oh god, I’ve been worried,’ he said.

  She felt a little faint after the mouth to mouth.

  ‘I like it when you’re worried.’ She pushed him away. ‘My child is in the next room.’

  ‘Can I speak to him?’

  Slowly she eyed him up and down, examining his face, the t-shirt and jeans topped with a leather jacket. He looked very sexy.

  ‘Are you going ask him where he was in the early hours of the morning?’ she grinned. ‘I know where I was, so I hope no one asks me.’

  ‘And what was that about ‘Assistant Commissioner what’s your name’? You were moaning my name for the past two nights,’ he said, moving closer and grabbing her buttocks, squeezing them tightly. ‘When are we going to see each other again?’

  She went on her tip toes and kissed his chin, sighing.

  ‘Come and talk to my son. I’ll make you a cup of tea then you can go.’

  ‘I’m worried about you,’ he said, grabbing her face gently between his hands. ‘Can’t you just take time off while we try and track down this mad man?’

  ‘You sound like the ex. He was saying the same thing, spouting that Theo was scared. Listen Scottie, if I do that then whoever is doing this will win. People still need my help.’ Ruby let out a little sigh, touching his hands. ‘Do you put your hands on my face to pull my skin back and imagine what I’d look like with a facelift? I think I’ve rumbled you.’

  ‘I hold your face in my hands because it’s very precious to me.’

  ‘A romantic copper? Who’d have thought?’

  Seventy four

  ‘Theo, this is Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Scott but you can call him Scottie,’ Ruby said cheerfully as he followed her back into the kitchen where her son was sitting.

  ‘Hi,’ he said and smiled weakly, continuing to eat his pizza.

  ‘And you know who he’s related to?’ she continued. The child shook his head from side to side, looking at him quizzically. ‘Auntie Diane! This is her cousin.’

  ‘I like Auntie Diane,’ Theo smiled brightly and Scottie realised the handsome kid looked like Ruby. ‘She never said she had a cousin that was a policeman.’

  ‘She doesn’t like policemen,’ he replied. ‘Can I sit down?’

  Theo nodded as he sat opposite.

  ‘I hear you’re worried about what’s going on with the people in the Samaritans,’ Scottie said gently. Ruby turned to look at him for a moment, putting the kettle on. ‘I’ll make sure your mum is safe.’

  ‘It’s dad who’s upset about it,’ Theo replied and glanced over at his mother who smiled sympathetically back. ‘He thinks mum could get hurt. I told him he shouldn’t worry as we have security. My dad works for a newspaper and he finds out things that other people don’t know so that’s why he’s worried. I can look after my mummy, my mum.’ Scottie smiled seeing the boy wanted to show he was grown up. ‘She doesn’t go out much so we’ll be safe here.’

  ‘I’m sure you will,’ grinned Scottie. ‘She’s very lucky to have you.’

  A cup of tea appeared in front of him. Ruby walked away and sat at the top of the table, between the pair of them.

  For a moment, he looked at her stare lovingly at her son then smiled to himself.

  ‘Did she force you to call her ‘Auntie Diane’?’ asked Scottie. ‘She tried to make me call her the same thing when I was little, all because she was older than me.’

  ‘How is she?’ Ruby asked quietly.

  ‘Really heartbroken. She popped to the offices this morning when we were there. It was upsetting.’ He sipped his tea, flashing a glance at Theo who was looking at him. ‘I got Larry to pick her up.’

  ‘Can we go back in yet?’

  ‘Not for a few days,’ he said smiling at Theo. ‘How was your pizza? I’m starving.’

  ‘Do you want me to make you something to eat?’

  ‘That’s fine, thanks. I’ll head off after I have my tea.’

  Ruby got up and walked into the kitchen. He needed to get back to the station later, to find out if there were any clues. Before he knew it, a sandwich appeared on the table with crisps.

  ‘You need brain food. It’s cheese. I couldn’t be bothered to open a tin of salmon,’ she half smiled. ‘And you’re getting this service because you’re Diane’s cousin.’

  ‘What was that lady doing here?’ her son asked.

  ‘She wanted to speak to me,’ replied Ruby, frowning.

  Scottie could see she was immediately wound up.

  ‘I’ve seen her before,’ Theo said.

  ‘You’ve probably seen her around,’ she scowled.

  Scottie started to eat his sandwich, mostly to stop him from smiling.

  ‘Can you keep a secret Theo?’ sighed Ruby for a moment and grinned.

  The boy nodded, shoving his last piece of pizza into his mouth. His mother got a napkin and wiped the tomato sauce off his cheeks and lips.

  ‘And you can’t tell dad, just yet. He’d just makes a fuss,’ continued Ruby. ‘Do you promise me?’

  Theo nodded. Scottie took another bite of his sandwich.

  ‘The reason I’m very safe is that…’ she raised a finger, pointing it towards Scottie. ‘… he’s my boyfriend.’

  Scottie choked.

  Seventy five

  ‘I’ve got to remember not to tell you things when you’re eating. You have a habit of spitting out your food,’ Ruby said, seeing his face go bright red as he coughed, taking a sip of tea. ‘Are you okay?’

  All she could hear was Theo laughing and looked at her son’s equally red cheeks.

  ‘Sorry to break it to you like this, Theo, but I wanted you to know. I don’t want to lie.’

  Eventually Scottie stopped coughing. He leaned back in his chair, putting his fist over his mouth.

  ‘Excuse me,’ he mumbled, still slightly choking.

  ‘He’s a very nice person. Scottie has a son a bit younger than you and a daughter, who’s a teenager plus an adopted son who is in his twenties.’

  ‘Like how Grandpa Sidney adopted you?’ asked Theo, who she noticed was grinning at Scottie.

  ‘That’s right,’ she said. Scottie seemed stunned. ‘So therefore he’s a good man, for a copper.’

  ‘Ruby!’ moaned Scottie as Theo started to laugh.

  ‘They’re all good people, policemen, except for a few of them,’ she said quietly. ‘Are you alright? You don’t mind me telling Theo, do you?’ For a moment she wondered if he choked because he didn’t want her son to know. ‘He can keep a secret… sometimes.’

  ‘I can keep a secret,’ her son replied, his smile beginning to fade for a moment. ‘Why don’t you want dad to know?’

  ‘Because he’d just worry about it.’

  ‘He’d be upset.’

  She quickly darted a glance at Scottie.

  ‘I wouldn’t hurt your mother, ever. I really like her,’ Scottie said quietly. ‘And, hopefully, we could get to know each other. I want you to like me but my own teenage daughter isn’t that impressed, so I can take the knocks too.’

  ‘That’s not what I mean.’ Theo started to go a little pink and Ruby knew what he was going to say.

  ‘I’m not going to get back together with your dad. You do know that, don’t you?’ she gently
said, stroking his hair. ‘If there was a chance we could’ve stayed together, I would have taken it but so much has gone on. I still love your dad, that won’t change, but it’s different now. I’ve found someone I really like and he can make me happy.’

  ‘But mum, after all you said about policemen?’ the boy exclaimed. ‘You said they were untrustworthy and corrupt.’

  She heard Scottie clear his throat for a second as she did the same, her more through sheepishness about her statement.

  ‘I said some of them were and that a majority of them were good. Like Scottie. He’s a good policeman.’

  ‘I certainly am,’ he smiled.

  She could just tell he’d been in this situation before whereas it was all new to her. Her heart swelled with love for him even more

  ‘I’m in very safe hands.’

  Those hands were all over her body a few days later when Scottie appeared on her doorstep at lunchtime.

  Ruby was still overcome by the shock of seeing him on television a few hours earlier.

  ‘Can you stop molesting me?’ she laughed, trying to get to grips with him in his uniform. ‘Scottie, people will see.’

  Dragging him in, he threw his hat across the room onto the sofa.

  ‘It has been over forty eight hours since we made love,’ he said, pushing his body against hers and smothering her mouth with his.

  She kissed him back but his buttons were pressing into her skin. Gently she pushed him away. His cheeks were the same colour as his lips, very pink.

  ‘Can you take your jacket off? You must be hot. I got the surprise of my life when I saw you on the box. You did look handsome,’ she smiled. He shook his head, scrunching up his nose. ‘To be honest, I wasn’t listening to you, just licking my television screen.’

  ‘I’m not a sex object,’ he replied with half a smile, then started to unbutton his jacket. ‘I’ve been thinking about you all night and day.’

  As she was about to help him, he lifted her up and placed her on the side of the kitchen counter, pushing up her skirt.

  ‘Why the rush? Can’t we go upstairs?’ she asked while his mouth was mauling her neck. Ruby tried to help him undo his jacket as he undid his tie. ‘Will you slow down? These buttons are hard to-.’

  ‘I need you,’ he said, kissing her face.

  She realised he wanted a quickie. Unzipping his fly, she pulled out his surprisingly stiff dick out.

  ‘You see it needed to be released,’ he said and, again, he caught her by surprise.

  Scottie pulled her hips against his and pushed her knickers to the side, plunging straight in when she wasn’t prepared. Ruby jolted from the shock but could tell he didn’t mind if she wasn’t slippery enough.

  Within seconds she was.

  Holding onto his jacket, his body was radiating heat as he humped her really fast. Ruby was trying her hardest not to slip off the granite work surface. He smothered his mouth over hers, pushing his tongue in and leaving long lingering kisses.

  She knew this wasn’t about her. He seemed to be stressed out. His hips were frantically moving as if trying to find some relief. Ruby just hung on for dear life not wanting to slip off the shiny surface. Burying his head in her neck, she felt his extremely hot breath and heard him let out a long, groan before he shook in her arms.

  Taking the initiative, she pushed off his jacket, realising he was hot, perspiration coming through his white shirt.

  ‘What a welcome,’ she whispered into his ear, holding him close. ‘I missed you last night.’

  His face was still in her neck and she could feel he was regulating his breathing before pulling his head back, looking straight into her eyes.

  ‘I love you,’ he said, staring hard. ‘I love you very much.’

  ‘I know,’ she grinned, stroking the back of his neck and kissing his chin.

  ‘And I’ve been worried sick. Doing the press conference and knowing you could be a potential victim scares me.’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  Ruby couldn’t speak for a moment.

  Since hearing about Chonika, she felt uneasy and wondered why someone would target their branch. The offices were still out of bounds. There was a mood of unrest. Diane had called her to say the funeral wouldn’t take place until the following week.

  The cause of death was confirmed as an injection but she was none the wiser what it was, other than poison.

  The man who knew all the answers was currently pushing his groin into hers on the work surface.

  ‘You’re not fine, I can tell,’ he said, reaching over for some kitchen towel and pulled out, gently placing a few sheets between her thighs and wiping himself dry. ‘I can’t stay long.’

  ‘I figured that out.’

  After dabbing, she then threw the tissues to the side and gently zipped him up, making sure there were no remnants of their juices on his fly.

  Then he took her face in her hands, looking directly into her eyes.

  ‘It’s a serial killer. You would have heard if you hadn’t been licking your screen,’ Scottie said, in all seriousness. ‘The pattern is with Samaritans, past and present who also have links to advice columns via the net and press. You fit the bill of a potential victim. Ruby, I don’t want to alarm you but you have to be very careful.’

  Closing her eyes for a moment she knew what he was saying.

  ‘I need to work. I’m not a kept woman, much to the shock of my ex, I have to earn money. I’m lucky I can work part time but I won’t give up my job at the paper up because of this. I certainly won’t turn my back on people who need me,’ Ruby replied, seeing Scottie frown. ‘The people who died they-.’

  ‘Murdered,’ he corrected. ‘They were murdered.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I did some research into each one and they’re not the good guys. You know one of them, Derek Rawles? He had an affair with someone who called up on the helpline.’

  ‘How do you know this?’ Scottie seemed surprised.

  ‘Have you guys looked into anything at all?’ she asked. He slowly released his hands and smiled. ‘I’m very good at research and I snooped around, emailed a few people I know in the Samaritans and at the papers. It’s pretty easy when you get to know how.’

  ‘You’re trying to show me up?’ Scottie asked, stepping back and unbuttoning his shirt. ‘Interesting.’

  ‘I am,’ she grinned.

  ‘Don’t go doing something stupid, do you hear me?’

  ‘Your Nana is right about me being bait though.’

  ‘Seriously, don’t put yourself at risk.’

  ‘Just do your research and you’ll see they’re not all squeaky clean, contrary to what’s being reported except for one person. Chonika. She was a church loving, young woman who cared about her community and wanted to make things good. That’s the only one that doesn’t make sense-.’

  It was hard but she couldn’t stop the sob that came to her throat as Scottie wrapped his arms around her.

  ‘I’ve got to leave soon,’ he whispered into her hair. ‘I’m going to let my shirt dry out and, in the meantime, I’ll kiss you better, okay?’

  ‘Okay,’ Ruby sniffed, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. ‘Theo didn’t say anything after you left the other day. He kept giving me funny looks and I don’t know if he’s upset or bemused because you’re a copper. You were very good with him.’

  ‘He’s a gorgeous boy like his mum.’

  ‘How comes you got here so quickly?’

  ‘I’ve got a car outside to take me back to the office. I said I wanted to see you because I needed to warn you of our concerns. I also know the Commissioner wouldn’t come. I told them you seemed to be very open with me.’ Scottie laughed. ‘It’s a good cover.’

  ‘And you still haven’t figured out, in all this, how we’re going to be together?’ she asked, feeling a sinking in her gut. ‘As you told me via your gardening skills, maybe we have to nip this in the bud.’

  ‘No,’ he said, shaking his head, removing his sh
irt and placing it on the back of a chair, then returning to help her down. ‘I’m not doing that. I love my job and I love you. I will have both. I just haven’t figured out how I’m going to tell the Commissioner, that’s all.’ Scottie glanced away for a moment then grinned. ‘Do you think your ex will be happy when he finds out about me and you? Are you sure Theo’s not going to say anything?’

  ‘He’s a good kid, he can keep his trap shut,’ she said, eyeing him up and down. ‘When are we going to spend time, alone?’

  ‘Aren’t we alone now?’

  Scottie moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing her on the lips. Ruby wasn’t going to let the opportunity go and pulled him down to the sofa, getting a good feel of his chest and body.

  Her tongue searched his mouth while he decided to get to grips with her body, squeezing her breasts. She groaned in appreciation. Slowly, he pulled away and sniffed his armpits.

  ‘I smell,’ he grimaced.

  ‘I don’t care,’ she replied, trying to pull him closer as he moved back.

  ‘Let me freshen up,’ the man sighed, jumping to his feet and sprinting away.

  ‘Honestly Scottie, don’t waste precious time!’ Ruby said letting out a frustrated sigh.

  She stood up and placed his shirt in the sunshine, discreetly sniffing it and smiled.

  The knock on the door startled her.

  ‘Who is it?’ she shouted, looking up at the ceiling, hoping it wasn’t Hugh.

  ‘It’s me!’ bellowed Jacinta. ‘Come on, let me in.’

  Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door and opened it to her friend, who just barged past.

  ‘You free for lunch?’ she asked, throwing her bags on the floor and walking straight into the living room.

  Jacinta stopped when she saw the shirt and just as Ruby was going to explain, Scottie came down the stairs, topless, with a grin.

  ‘Oh my!’ her friend said. Ruby noticed Jacinta’s very big smile. ‘Hello Assistant Commissioner Scott.’

  ‘Stop dribbling,’ Ruby whispered and stood next to Jacinta, looking up at her very wide eyed mate as she ogled him.

  ‘Call me Scottie,’ he replied, walking up to her and greeting the woman with a kiss.