Digging Deeper

by Bellora Quinn

  “Did Jake tell you what happened to Nolan?” the post boy asked, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper after some vocal appreciation of Mari’s new suit. It was a gorgeous McQueen two piece, in cerulean mohair silk, and he adored it.

  “No.” Mari looked puzzled. Jake had no love for his former workplace tormentor and he was sure that his lover would have mentioned it, had some misfortune befallen Damien Nolan. He hadn’t seen or heard about the creep since he had punched Nolan’s lights out during an altercation just before his departure from UCL. Mari did not consider himself a violent man, but after three years of ignoring Nolan’s barely disguised homophobia, he had been able to take no more. He had not been sure who was more surprised by the knockout blow, himself or Nolan. “C’mon. Tell all.”

  Toby looked delighted to be the conveyor of virgin news. He leaned forward across the desk, keeping his voice low.

  “They are saying—they being the canteen staff, mostly, and you know how none of them can keep their mouths shut—the rumor is that he got caught in the gents at the Carpenter and Carrot during office hours with his dick in some guy’s mouth.”

  Toby’s grin grew broader at this last snippet of information and Mari widened his eyes. He cracked up laughing and drummed his hands on the counter in delight.

  “I knew it! The lying toad! I always guessed he was a closet case.”

  “He’s denying it, of course,” Toby said in an arch tone, “but everyone thinks he’s lying. Apparently, Professor Michaelson who runs the CAD team gave him a written warning for skiving and bringing his department into disrepute.”

  “I love you, Tobias,” Mari declared, clapping his hands to either side of the post boy’s beaming face and planting a kiss on his forehead. “I owe you big time for this. Thank you. That’s the best news I’ve had in ages.”

  He was still amused by Toby’s story as he made his way over to Jake’s office on the fifth floor, planning to share the joy before he returned to work. But as he stepped out of the elevator, the smirk left his face. Two men in well-cut suits passed him on the way out, their heads together in deep conversation. They were both older and one was unknown to him. That was no surprise. The campus was enormous and in three years of working here, he still hadn’t met half its employees. As the other looked up from the document they were discussing and his steel-gray eyes passed across Mari dismissively, his heart stopped dead in his chest.

  He actually managed to take another couple of strides before his body came to a halt and he turned his head, imagining for a moment that this must be how it felt to take a fatal bullet. Just before the elevator doors closed, his gaze met those of Tomas Garcés Arregui—and his world came crashing down around him.

  The shock of seeing his ex, here, in London of all places, drove all other thoughts out of his head. His initial instinct was to find Jake, to tell him and share his outrage. As logic reasserted its control over his brain, he whirled around and hit the elevator button with enough violence that it hurt his hand. When the lift car didn’t come up quickly enough, he took to the stairs, racing down to the next level and the next, putting his head out to search for that jarringly familiar figure, rehearsing in his head the words he would have with the bastard for daring to follow him here and disrupt the life he was trying to rebuild in the wake of their ugly breakup.

  He reached the ground floor with a flush rising in his cheeks and still no sign of Tomas. Barely acknowledging the departing call of the security guy, he pushed through the barriers and the glass doors that led out onto Malet Place, looking left and right. Still there was no evidence that the man even existed outside his nightmares.

  Mari strode as far as the main road, where he stood in the gateway, pushing his hands into his trouser pockets as he scanned Torrington Place in vain. His shoulders slumped, some of the fight going out of him as he wondered if he’d been hallucinating. He deliberated whether to go in and talk to Jake, to see if he could find out more, or just head straight back to work.

  As he was making up his mind, a hand clapped on his shoulder and he jumped like he’d been electrocuted.

  “I thought it was you,” Tomas said coolly in Catalan, his lips twitching around something that wasn’t quite a smile. “I couldn’t be sure. You’ve…changed. Have you lost something, Dr. Gale?”

  All the erudite words that Mari had composed in his head crumbed to sand in seconds and he was left to stare in dazed incomprehension at the man beside him.

  Tomas hadn’t altered much at all in the three-and-a-half years since they’d last worked together. His choice of suit was still enviable. Today he wore an Armani two-piece with a double-breasted jacket and slimline pants, in buttermilk with bronze buttons. Coupled with his cream shirt and red and gold striped tie, it set off his Mediterranean tan to perfection.

  There was more white in his short dark hair and a few extra lines around those gunmetal-gray eyes, but other than that, he was weathering well.

  Mari noted, with some satisfaction, that he was not as tall or as well built as Jake. Something that he’d never previously considered was that there was none of the warmth in his eyes that he saw when Jake looked at him.

  All this flitted bat-like through his mind as he stood there staring stupidly at the only man who had ever left him lost for words on a regular basis. So much, in fact, that Tomas had to repeat his name, prompting him with a sly quirk of the lips.

  “Marijne?”

  He hadn’t heard that name in so long. The way Tomas uttered it was like a summoning. It twisted its barbs deep in Mari’s gut and left him breathless for a moment, unable to rationalize the rush of adrenaline that single word triggered.

  “Señor Arregui,” he managed to respond. “I…I didn’t recognize you.”

  That was a lie and Tomas must have guessed, but it was the best he could manage until his mouth reconnected with his brain. Why? Why the blazes did Tomas always manage to have this damned effect on him?

  He hesitated a moment before holding out his hand and he thought Tomas looked surprised, too, for a heartbeat, before taking it in his own and shaking it warmly. His grip was still strong and he did not let go immediately, but Mari pulled his fingers free as soon as he was able to.

  “You look well, Marijne. I was surprised to see you here. Professor Karden told me that you no longer worked for the college,” Tomas said with a half smirk. “He hinted at MI5. Of course, he thought he was being subtle, but that has never been his strong suit.”

  Mari blinked at him. “You’ve seen Emmanuel Karden?”

  “Naturally,” his former employer confirmed, though it seemed far from natural to Mari. “Karden has links to some of the finest academic minds in Europe—and connections in your government, too. His business and political connections segue neatly with my own. It was inevitable that he and I would meet at some point. I had hoped that I would see you, but when he told me of your promotion, I feared it was not to be.”

  Mari was wrong footed by that. He could not think of any reason Tomas Arregui might want to see him that didn’t involve a physical fight. When he had left Barcelona, following Tomas’ very public attempt to humiliate him, Mari had used his phone and his special talent for interfacing to break into this man’s personal IT system and send pictures of the pair of them, naked, in bed, to Tomas’ wife. He had no doubt that Tomas had neither forgotten nor forgiven him for this final act of defiance.

  “Are you recruiting?” he asked, in order to steer the conversation clear of anything personal and because Tomas didn’t seem in a hurry to be anywhere else.

  “Why? Are you looking for a job?” The man gave him that not-quite-smile again and Mari was quick to shake his head.

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea, even if I was,” he said as his brain began to recover from the shock. “And speaking of work…” He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of his department by the Thames.

  “Does that mean you don’t have time for a drink?” Tomas looked a shade disappointe
d. “Just a quick coffee?”

  “I…uh…I have to go,” Mari lied. “Stuff to do.”

  “Maybe later… I’m in London for a few days. Let me give you my number. Call me when you’re free.”

  Mari wanted to refuse but if he did, it would look like he was intimidated. He relented just to get rid of him, tapping the digits into his phone and sending the man a brief missive to confirm that he’d done it right.

  Tomas had always been like this, he remembered bitterly—skeptical of his abilities, always questioning him. He could block the number later. He had absolutely no desire to talk to Tomas Arregui. They had nothing whatsoever to talk about. Tomas had never wanted to talk when they were together. Why should today be any different?

  He turned this conundrum over in his head all the way back to Trafalgar House.

  What do you want from me, you bastard?

  The question nagged at him for the rest of the day. By noon, he had a headache, and by the time he went home, his stomach was churning and he texted Jake with an excuse and told him he would see him the next day.

  Chapter Five

  It was a lovely crisp fall morning and Jake appreciated the beauty of the leafy park turning all colors and the snap in the air as he ran. Yesterday had been stressful, even by Monday’s standards, and on top of the regular work-related distractions, he’d been preoccupied with Cordiline’s case. He’d wanted to discuss it with Mari and get his thoughts but Mari had texted him just as he’d gotten off work. Anni was feeling anxious ahead of her first session with her ‘new witchdoctor’, as Mari put it, and he wanted to pamper her.

  Jake was worried about her, too, but he could relate. The last thing he’d ever wanted when he’d been feeling low was visitors. So he’d stayed home the previous night and gone over the case files Cordiline had sent him.

  He was just coming up to the bench that was his and Mari’s favorite meeting place when he spotted Mari heading his way. Jake came to a stop first, taking a moment to admire his boyfriend’s long-legged gait. He’d never told Mari but he thought there was something very ethereal about him when he ran. The effortless way each foot landed and sprang back up made it seem as if he hardly touched the ground at all. Of course, Mari would probably just roll his eyes if Jake expressed that thought aloud, so he kept it to himself.

  “Mornin’, pard’ner,” Jake greeted him, in a hokey John Wayne accent.

  Mari raised one immaculate eyebrow and good humor twitched at the corners of his mouth. Pampering Anni must have included a trip to the salon because he was sporting a fresh cut, short around his ears, which made the longer top layers cascade around his face.

  “What gives, cowboy?” he inquired in a silky tone, making no attempt to play along in the foolish voices game. “Someone steal your horse?”

  Jake chuckled and gave him a kiss. “Nice hair. It looks good.”

  “Thanks.” Mari preened.

  Jake turned and they matched strides around the Outer Circle. Mari quizzed him about his meeting with Cordiline and Jake could tell he was trying hard not to sound like the jealous boyfriend, but he fell short by avoiding all mention of the inspector’s name. Jake still thought his jealousy was misplaced but a small part of him took secret delight in how possessive he was and the pains he went through not to let it show.

  “Their perp didn’t do it, then?” Mari concluded, when Jake had regaled him with the tale of his trip to Kentish Town. “What happens next, Kemosabe?”

  “Correction. I don’t think the man they arrested did it. That doesn’t mean I’m right,” Jake said. “I was hoping you could lend your help on that score actually. Do you think you could do some digging on him and see if there’s anything that raises a red flag—or if he’s as squeaky clean as he seems?”

  “I can do that,” Mari said.

  They ran for a few minutes in silence before Jake added, “Kemosabe is actually a derivative of a Potawatomi word. You got the right nation and everything this time.” He could see Mari’s grin from the corner of his eye and suspected he did, in fact, already know this tidbit, given his penchant for research. “Although it might make more sense for you to be Kemosabe, and me to play Tonto.”

  “Do I get to wear a mask?” Mari asked, pretending to think about this for a moment.

  “How about a blindfold instead?” Jake suggested, just to see the effect it would have.

  Mari’s eyes glittered wickedly and Jake didn’t need to ask if that suggestion pushed his buttons.

  “You are very naughty,” Mari said with a delighted smirk. “How on earth am I supposed to run when you make me think about things like that?”

  “Ah, you are on to my plan to keep you constantly distracted with sex,” Jake teased him. “Maybe I’ll finally be able to keep up with those damn long legs.”

  Mari gave him a sharp poke with one finger, trying to get him off balance so he could open up a lead and make Jake chase him. “Mama said to ask if you’ll come for lunch on Saturday. She seems to think you need feeding,” he relayed, looking back over one shoulder until Jake caught up. “She starts this ridiculous therapy today. I have to go with her to meet her new quack. That should be fun.”

  “Tell Anni I would be delighted to have lunch with her on Saturday,” Jake said and poked him back. “You should keep an open mind, Mari. For her sake, anyway.”

  “That’s what she says,” his lover sighed. “I can’t help it that the world is full of charlatans, though. Someone has to look out for her.”

  “I understand, babe. She knows you would do anything for her. But, she’s a grown-up and if you treat her like a child, she won’t be happy with you.”

  “I will be on my best behavior. I promise,” Mari lied blatantly. “What’s going to happen with the girl that got attacked? Does your tame policeman have any other links? Or anything he wants us to look at for him?”

  “Just the one guy I asked you to look into,” Jake said. “I went over the case files last night but didn’t see anything that stood out. If you come up with nothing as well, I may go speak with some of the victims. But I want to avoid that if possible.”

  Mari wrinkled his nose in agreement. They continued their run in silence for a while, making almost a complete circuit of the huge park, and it was beginning to get busier as they reached St. Andrews Gate.

  He had been so quiet that Jake already figured Mari had things on his mind, but he’d presumed it was his mother who occupied his thoughts. It wrong-footed him when, out of the blue, Mari said, “I saw my old boss yesterday.”

  “Yeah, you came in with me, remember?” Jake teased, thinking he meant Karden for a moment.

  “No…not Doctor Death!” Mari elaborated with a scowl. “I meant Tomas, the guy I worked for in Barça. He’s here in London. He came to meet with Karden as well, but I didn’t see him until I was leaving.”

  They came to a halt together, just as Mari finished speaking, and Jake took a moment to breathe. “The guy you worked for… You mean your ex? The one that was married and treated you like shit? Did you talk to him?”

  “That one, yeah.” Mari managed not to look too mortified at the reminder of what Tomas had already put him through. “Not exactly.”

  “Not exactly? Does that mean you just glared at him, or was he an asshole to you?”

  Mari shook his head and looked down at his running shoes, suddenly preoccupied with them. “No, he was polite. I was polite. He asked if I’d come for a coffee with him and I said I had to be somewhere.”

  Jake reached out and took Mari gently by the shoulders, stepping into his line of sight and forcing him to look up. “If you’re worried I’m going to flip out because you talked to your ex, you can relax. I’m not going to pull some jealous macho bullshit. Do you want to meet with him?”

  Mari’s eyes held his for a couple of heartbeats, unblinking. Then he lowered his head. “No. I don’t want to meet him. We don’t have anything to say to one another, Jake. That particular ship has sailed,” he said in clipped and
careful tones. “He… It took me by surprise to see him. That’s all.”

  Jake slid his hand up, curling his fingers around the nape of Mari’s neck and using his thumbs to caress his jaw. “Then, if he calls, you tell him that. If he says he wants to apologize, you tell him the best apology he can make is to leave you alone. And if he says he misses you and wants to fuck you, laugh and block his number.”

  Mari managed a humorless snort at that.

  “Tomas Arregui doesn’t do apologies,” he said in a darker voice. “That’s what worries me. He knew I’d be here. He wants something.”

  “He can go home to where he came from still wanting it then.”

  Jake saw the way that response curved Mari’s lips, ever so briefly. The warmth and humor was still there in his words as he leaned in to kiss Jake.

  “I love the way you think,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes. “Maybe I should have given him your number.”

  “I would be more than happy to talk to him for you,” Jake said, not even trying to hide his evil grin.

  “While I would love nothing better than the chance to eavesdrop on that conversation, I do think it would be unspeakably cowardly of me to delegate responsibility.” Mari sighed. He was still wearing a half-smile, though, and his fingers brushed Jake’s cheek tenderly. “He can’t touch me here, Jake. I’m well protected. Whatever he wants, he’ll just have to whistle for it, won’t he?”

  Jake pulled him in for a kiss and while they normally kissed each other goodbye after a run, before they both had to head off to work, this time he lingered, tasting his lips thoroughly and teasing Mari’s mouth open with his tongue. Instead of fending him off with a wink and going on his way, Mari slipped his arms around Jake and rubbed up on him, inviting a longer, slower kiss, uninhibited by the very public setting. He brushed his nose against Jake’s as they broke the hungry merging of lips.