by Lyn Gardner
As she stood in her disheveled bedroom, she shook her head at the mess, and with a sigh, went about picking it all up. Gathering the dirty clothes that he had left strewn all over the room, she tossed them on the floor of the closet and then straightened the bed. Fluffing her pillow, she wearily climbed under the duvet, and letting out a slow breath, she thought about the assignment she had been given. Protecting a witness for a few days wouldn’t be a problem, but knowing that she’d be working with Alex Blake again, caused Maggie’s blood pressure to rise.
Entering the police academy two years apart, they hadn’t met until they had both been assigned to a kidnapping case three years before. While Maggie had heard dozens of stories about the cocky, live-on-the-edge Detective Inspector, nothing could have prepared her for meeting Alexandra Blake. Tall, beautiful, and with short black hair that had a style all its own, Maggie’s first thought was that Blake looked more like a runway model than an Inspector. Even though she had felt dwarfed by both the woman’s height and her beauty, Maggie had been the consummate professional, and with a handshake, they had become partners on the case.
At first, they were like oil and water when it came to how they approached the case, but in only a few days Blake’s pigheadedness and Campbell’s professionalism began to compliment the other. When Blake would rant and rave, Campbell would calmly read through the facts, and then reeling Blake in, they’d discuss the case again. Methodically, they’d go over everything, and as they did, more clues were uncovered, more witnesses were found, and the powers-that-be were impressed.
Blake’s ability to walk the fine line between right and wrong grated on Maggie’s sensibilities throughout the assignment, but Maggie put her personal feelings aside. For fourteen days she worked the case like she had been taught, and surprisingly, things went rather smoothly, but on the fifteenth day, everything went to shit.
It hadn’t been her finest moment, and as Maggie stared at the ceiling and thought about that damp and dreary night so long ago, she blanched at the memory. She regretted the words that she had spoken, as well as the slap that had sent Blake to the ground, but Maggie had done what she had needed to do…at least that’s what she told herself.
With a sigh, she leaned over and switched off the light. With the help of two paracetamol, her headache had dulled, and closing her eyes, she prayed that tomorrow would be a better day.
***
Yanking a sweater from its hanger, Alex tossed it on the bed, and then stormed across the room toward her dresser. Snatching some underwear from a drawer, she balled them up, and one by one, hurled them at the bed.
Alex Blake had worked for the Met since the age of twenty-two. Born and raised in Surrey, she had grown up among the rich and famous, and before she had reached the age of eighteen, two modeling agencies had offered her contracts. Tall, slender, with eyes the color of cinnamon and cheekbones to die for, she could have easily graced the covers of numerous magazines without a care in the world, but Alex did care. She cared too much. Sitting around the breakfast table discussing the world with her parents, she learned of the wrongs and rights. She saw the grainy photographs in newspapers and read the words, and they horrified her. Alex Blake didn’t choose her career. It chose her. So turning her back on the glitz and glamour of monthly publications filled with makeup advertisements and emaciated models, after graduating university, Alex joined the Metropolitan Police Service.
It took her seven long years to reach the rank of Detective Inspector. While her sights had been set slightly higher, and she believed she would attain them in a shorter amount of time, something always stood in the way: her attitude.
Alex was a good cop. In fact, she was an excellent cop. When it came to aiding victims, Alex was as caring as a mother would be to her newborn, but when it came to the criminal element, she was not. Driven, stubborn, and willing to cross the line if need be, more than once, her desire to catch the felon overshadowed acceptable operating procedures. Her overzealousness resulted in formal reprimands being placed in her file on more than one occasion, and once, her inability to control her temper resulted in a two-week suspension. However, Alex had a saving grace, and she knew it. She had the uncanny ability to study a crime scene and memorize every single detail.
While her fellow officers would spend hours poring over photographs or return to the scene of the crime for just one more look, Alex could see it all in her head. A dustless spot on a table where once sat a picture frame, or bedroom slippers now under the bed instead of next to it, were sometimes missed in a photograph, but they were never missed in her mind’s eye. On occasion, her unorthodox methods would send shivers down the spines of some, but her drive and attention to detail had earned her the respect of not only her peers, but also her supervisors. They had learned to accept her quick temper and sharp tongue, and so had her friends.
Having spent the last few minutes watching Alex stomp around the bedroom mumbling expletives under her breath as she looked for clothes, Paige Harrison smiled. “Has your clothing done something to offend you in some way?”
Glancing over her shoulder at the statuesque blonde standing in the doorway, Alex growled, “I’ve got two bloody days until my holiday starts, and they’re sending me on a fucking babysitting trip!”
Before Paige had a chance to say a word, Alex’s tirade continued. “I’ve got enough bleeding paperwork on my desk to keep me busy for months, but does that matter? No! No, they think my time will be better spent traveling to bum-fuck nowhere just so someone’s nose doesn’t run!”
“I thought you liked your job?”
“I love my job!” Alex barked. “I love investigations. I love the hunt. I love catching the bad guy, but I don’t love babysitting. Hell, I don’t even like kids!”
Trying her best to lighten the mood, Paige joked, “Yeah, I can’t see you playing with dolls to pass the time, unless, of course, they’re the blow-up type.”
With a huff, Alex glared at her best friend. “For Christ’s sake, Paige, it was just an analogy!”
Thinking back over the past fifteen years, Paige hid her grin as she mentally tried to count the number of times Alex had lost her temper. Deciding that she didn’t have enough fingers and toes to keep track, Paige leaned against the door frame and waited for Alex to calm down.
They had met at university, and before the first semester had ended, they became the best of friends, and prior to the second one ending, they had become lovers. Although their career choices differed, both were passionate about what they wanted from life, and it was that passion which ignited their lust for one another…at least for a little while.
Spending much of their time helping each other study or cram for tests, when their work was done for the night, they’d put down their books and talk about their dreams. Young and invincible, they rattled on for hours about what they wanted from life, before falling into bed and making love through the night.
At first, it was a perfect co-existence. They gave and took from one another exactly what they needed. They shared love, laughter and a few tears, but as one year passed and then another, things began to change. Focused on her career, Alex spent much of her free time studying police procedures and investigative techniques, and when she wasn’t reading, she was working out.
While the Metropolitan Police Service had its fair share of women, men were still in the majority. Believing that some would label her a member of the weaker sex, Alex decided to prove them wrong. Never considering herself a fitness freak, she nevertheless worked her body until it was honed. Between the miles she ran on a treadmill, the mountains she climbed on an elliptical, and the weights she lifted until she could bench press twice her own, she gave herself a rock-hard physique while still maintaining the curves that announced her gender.
At times, Paige joined her in the gym, trying her best to share Alex’s interests, but that became increasingly difficult by their third year in school. Majoring in business, Paige’s goal after graduation was to open a nightclub
where the lesbian and gay community would feel welcome. Preferring to spend her free time visiting the numerous pubs and nightclubs in the city gathering ideas for her dream club, it was inevitable that their interests would eventually pull them apart.
One night, after Paige had come back from a night on the town, they sat and talked honestly about their relationship. They decided that they would always be friends, but their romance had come to an end. After making love one last time, they held each other close, both wondering where their lives would take them, and in the morning, they parted as friends. Neither ever regretted their decision, and over the years, they rejoiced in the other’s accomplishments and love affairs, and offered comfort when things didn’t go as planned.
Standing in Alex’s bedroom, watching as her friend’s face seemed to get redder by the minute, Paige decided to try to offer comfort.
“Maybe you should have taken me up on my suggestion to come to the club last night. It might have helped you unwind.”
“Oh, that would have been a great fucking idea!” Alex yelled as she threw her backpack on the floor. “That’s all I would have needed today! Go to work with a hangover. Great idea, Paige! Bloody marvelous!”
Taken aback by Alex’s outburst, Paige tilted her head as she stared back at her. Crossing her arms, she waited patiently until Alex, in all her fury, returned to earth.
A few minutes passed before Alex finally looked up, and seeing the expression on Paige’s face, her shoulder’s fell. Realizing that she was being a prat, she walked over and kissed Paige lightly on the cheek.
“I’m sorry, babe. That was wrong. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s only for two days, Alex,” Paige said. “I don’t see why you’re so wound up about it.”
Glancing at the bed in the corner, Alex sighed. “I wanted to be here for Sandy.”
Smiling, Paige said, “Alex, I’ve already said that I’d stay and keep an eye on her. I promise not to leave the flat until you get back tomorrow night.”
A weak grin appeared on Alex’s face as she walked over and retrieved the backpack. With a loud sigh, she began stuffing it with the clothing that she had tossed on the bed.
Chuckling to herself as she watched Alex push the wadded up clothes in the black satchel, Paige asked, “Does this have anything to do with Campbell being assigned to the same case?”
“I don’t give a toss about her! It’s Sandy I’m worried about.”
“I just remember the last time—”
“Paige, that was three years ago.”
“Yeah, but you two didn’t exactly get along, now did you?”
“I don’t know how anyone can get along with her!” Alex said in a huff. “She’s so by-the-book it’s fucking unbelievable. She’s got to have that bloody thing shoved up her ass, as much as she can quote it, chapter and verse, all the while prancing around in her sensible shoes and power suits like she’s about to be made Chief or something!”
If there was one person on the planet that knew Alex Blake, it was Paige Harrison. She had seen all of Alex’s moods through the years. She had seen her high on life and down on love. She had seen her smile wide when a case had been solved, and she had seen her cry like a baby when a victim had been found just a little too late. There wasn’t much that Alex could hide from Paige, no matter how hard she tried, and right now, Alex was as transparent as glass.
“You like her, don’t you?”
“What?” Alex blurted as she looked up. “Who?”
“You know who…Campbell.”
“Paige, you’re daft! She’s a pain in the arse, and if she was any straighter, she’d be a fucking lightning rod!”
Paige’s eyes went wide. Snickering, she said, “Oh, she must be gorgeous to get you this worked up.”
“Fuck off, Paige,” Alex said as she disappeared into the bathroom to gather her toiletries. Emerging a few minutes later, when Alex saw the knowing expression on Paige’s face, her mood softened. Paige was right, and they both knew it. Preferring not to talk about the woman who she would be spending the next two days with, Alex quickly changed the subject.
“You’re going to take care of Sandy for me, right? I mean, don’t leave her alone or anything, and don’t forget the doctor’s number is on the fridge.”
Rolling her eyes, Paige said, “Alex, I know where the phone number is, and I already said that I wouldn’t go anywhere until you get home. She’ll be fine. I promise.”
Seeing Alex pull yet another sweater from her wardrobe, along with a long, black leather coat, Paige asked, “What the hell are you doing? It’s not that cold outside.”
“I was told to bring a warm coat and pack for cold weather,” Alex replied, stomping out of the room.
“Where are you going anyway?” Paige called out as she walked to the corner of the bedroom and knelt by the small bed on the floor.
“I’ve got no fucking idea!” Alex yelled back from the lounge.
Grinning, Paige leaned over and patted the head of a very pregnant five-pound Yorkshire terrier named Sandy. Giggling as the dog returned her affection with a few quick kisses, Paige whispered to the black and tan ball of fur, “Your mum is a complete nutter, but one thing’s for sure, she loves you more than anything else in the world.” Pausing for a moment, she remembered Alex’s tirade when Detective Inspector Campbell’s name had been mentioned. Smiling to herself, Paige leaned over to place a kiss on Sandy’s head. “At least, I think she does.”
Once again, the little dog anointed Paige’s face with lick after lick of love, before putting her head down and covering her nose with a paw.
Chapter Two
Walking through the concourse, Alex ran her fingers through her short black hair. As directed by her chief, she had taken a taxi to the airport, and once passing through security, she had been escorted down several corridors to a small lounge and was instructed to sit and wait. Noticing the vending machines, she quickly ordered up a large black coffee, and since no one was around to tell her different, defiantly lit a cigarette. Although Alex was certain that smoking was not allowed, she inhaled the mentholated smoke and smiled, enjoying the fact that she was knowingly breaking a rule…just for the sake of breaking it.
It wasn’t long before boredom set in, and with nothing but housekeeping and gardening magazines to read, she walked to the windows which ran the length of the back wall of the room. Taking a seat, she mindlessly watched as the workers on the tarmac loaded and off-loaded luggage. About to have the last drag of her cigarette, Alex heard the door open, and glancing over her shoulder, she watched as Maggie Campbell walked into the room.
During the ride to the airport, Alex Blake had made herself a promise. She would not push buttons. She would not start an argument, cast a dirty look, or make a derogatory comment. However, defense mechanisms are just that: ways of preventing people from getting too close or from seeing the truth, and as far as Alex was concerned, she had no intention of allowing Campbell to do either. Alex had learned her lesson the hard way, and even though she thought Maggie was the most beautiful woman that she had ever laid eyes on, the woman was undeniably straight. End of subject. Time to push buttons.
Quickly giving her the once over, Alex held back a snicker. Matching the description that Alex had given Paige earlier that morning, Detective Inspector Maggie Campbell’s choice in clothing defined the word nondescript. Wearing a dark-gray jacket with trousers to match, and a pair of black, ankle-high, featureless boots, the only bit of color not in the shade of mourning was the maroon cowl neck sweater that Campbell wore underneath the suit.
Curling her lip in disgust at the smell of cigarette smoke in the air, Maggie cast a dirty look in Blake’s direction. Having enjoyed an occasional cigarette during her days at university, Maggie had never been offended by the smell, but smoking in public places was now against the law. She knew it, and so did Alex Blake.
Unable to hold back a smirk at the silent reprimand she was being given, Alex took one f
inal drag before dropping the remainder of her cigarette into her half-empty coffee cup. Tossing it in a nearby rubbish container, she returned to her seat near the window. Glaring back at Maggie, Alex slowly blew the smoke above her head.
Despite being bothered by Blake’s total disregard of the law, the dull throb between Maggie’s temples was all the headache that she could handle at the moment. Simply shaking her head in disgust, she placed her coat and handbag on a nearby chair and headed to the vending machine to get a cup of tea. Pulling a bottle of over-the-counter painkillers from her pocket, she tapped out two, and as soon as her tea was cool enough to drink, she quickly washed them down. Closing her eyes for a moment as if hoping they would work instantaneously, when they didn’t, she let out a long breath and pocketed the bottle. Refusing to look in Alex’s direction, Maggie walked to the small seating area in the middle of the room, picked up a magazine and sat down.
Alex stopped just short of laughing out loud at the cold shoulder she was being given, but after three years, she had become somewhat used to it. Working in the same department, it was inevitable that they’d occasionally see each other during the morning meetings, or while refilling their coffee mugs, but in all that time, Maggie had never said a word, and Alex had been thankful for the silence. She regretted what she had said that fateful night, but every time she found herself wanting to apologize, Maggie would throw one of her patented condescending looks in Alex’s direction. Without saying a word, Alex would walk away, all the while telling herself it was the way it had to be.