The Escape (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 2)

by Claire Merrington

  “Jane has he fallen asleep?”

  “Yeah he has. Poor little soldier couldn’t hack watching all the film that he made us watch bless his heart.”

  “Always the way hold up I’ll come get him and carry him to bed.”

  Perry managed to slide out from underneath Jane without jostling her too much so he could collect Parker up in his arms without waking him. As he relieved the weight of Parker from her side she stood and followed them through to his room where she waited and watched from the doorway. Perry laid Parker down into his bed and tucked him in with a kiss to the forehead for his little champ. Parker stirred enough to ask for Jane. Which filled Jane’s heart with a sense of pride and overwhelming love for Parker. Jane went over to him and tucked him in tighter and gave him another kiss on the forehead. With that Parker buried himself deeper into his cover and drifted silently back of to sleep. Perry was watching from the doorway.

  “Your great with him you know. Perhaps you should reconsider having some children because you make a great mum to him. He really has taken a shine to you. Now I really am stuck with ya. My son likes you too much.”

  “Haha Perry. But no he is a great kid, so smart and funny. I have no idea where he got that. I’m really taken with him to so I suppose I’m only really sticking around for him.”

  “Nothing to do with me then.”

  “Hmm you’re a perk I suppose. But you never know like I said I never gave children a thought before. Perhaps now it is something I want to think about.”

  “Well once Thaddeus is caught maybe we will discuss it for now I’m more than happy to keep practicing.”

  “And that”

  As Perry spanked Jane on her bum

  “ Was for your cheeky comment earlier. Just a perk?"

  Jane let out a quiet giggle both of them knowing that it was only a joke. They both had realised the depths of the feelings they had for each other. They took themselves back off to bed and slipped off into a relatively easy sleep. After the stress of the day the evening had been pretty perfect. Jane now hoped her sleep gave her a restful night.

  Chapter 5

  Jane awoke in the comforting embrace of Perry’s arms. As she had been cocooned in the safety of his bed. As she rolled over to face him hoping to catch a peaceful glimpse of him resting she found she had already been beaten at the mark. She found Perry awake laying there watching her. How long he has been doing so, Jane had no idea, but she found something quite comforting in the knowledge that he was watching over her.

  “Hey angels nice to see you awake how did you sleep?”

  “Surprisingly well is everything ok? Are my new escorting police officers outside? Is Parker still asleep?”

  “Relax Jane it is only six thirty in the morning. The shift change on the goon squad happened a little while ago. Everything is fine. Parker is still asleep and will probably be sparko for the next half an hour when I’m going to need to wake him up to get him ready for school. Which is when my mum will pick him up.”

  “Ok sorry I guess I am still feeling quite edgy. Its like I am sitting on a ticking time bomb. I know something is going to happen and every fibre in my body wants to stop it before it does. But I don’t know where to turn first. I just wish we knew where Thaddeus was at least and what his game plan is.”

  “I know its ok Jane you don’t have to explain. You have every right to be a tad edgy. But I promise I wont let anything happen to you ok. Anyway while Parker is still asleep I’ve got something serious I want to talk to you about.”

  “Sure anything. But if it is a real serious conversation I may need a cup of coffee first.”

  “Don’t worry its not a question of your brain but one of your heart. And I know you don’t need coffee for that. You have a heart of gold. Its just your brain that needs a kick start with caffeine in the morning.”

  Jane patted him playfully on the arm for teasing.

  “Ok but is everything alright? I haven’t done anything wrong have I?”

  “No, no Jane everything with us is perfect, its great even. Its just something we touched on last night has had me up thinking that’s all and I just wanted to know how serious you were about considering it. I know I said we would wait to discuss it once we have Thaddeus locked up in his little cage again. But I don’t want to get my hopes up. I mean I always wanted a big family. But just so you know I am set on us no matter what your answer is. So don’t feel pressured at all. I just want to know where my hopes stand on the matter.”

  “Perry you’re babbling.”

  “Sorry I’m nervous.”

  “Why are you nervous its me that you are talking to? Look when my ex husband first asked me about children I said no before even really thinking about it. At the time I couldn’t see myself being a mum. I was still so selfish in how I wanted to spend my time. And with my family history, which I suppose, played a part in my choices, and my career at the time as well. Which I was still trying to make a name for myself, and forge a career. My career was and is still very important to me. It took a lot of hard graft to get where I am. And at the time when he asked I just wasn’t ready and he was. So I said a flat no before considering a compromise or asking for more time on the matter. So we know how that ended. But now my career is where I want it and seeing you as the great dad you are to Parker. And me getting to spend time with him I have realised that there is a maternal instinct there. It’s made me realise that there is a want there. So you can have hope that is something and the timing we can talk about more. But my age is playing against us.”

  “That’s not my only question for you. I’m glad the want is there because I was serious when I said you would make a great mum and one day I hope that’s a role you get to fill with Parker more. And your age isn’t an issue, well just yet. But anyway my other question again just so I know where I stand. Marriage is that something you would consider again? Like I said don’t panic I’m not asking just yet. I pictured something a bit more romantic than in my pyjamas. But I wanted to know if it was a question worth asking?”

  “You know if someone asked me that before I met you my answer would of be no, no way, never again. But you have changed my outlook on life completely in a way I couldn’t have imagined. I now want things and have envisioned things for myself that before I wouldn’t of even dreamt about. I now hold things dear to me that I never worried about before. So yes Perry that question is one to ask, it will be worth it.”

  “Good I just wanted to clear up where this was heading you know. I have got quite attached to you just like my boy has. So you know I love you.”

  “I love you to Perry. I have one question and I hope it doesn’t spoil the happy mood too much. But what happened to Parker’s mum?”

  “Well I was a dealer and well she was an addict. She got clean for a while long enough to fall pregnant with Parker and carry him to full term. But from the minute he was born she started using again. I hoped that the nine, ten months of her being pregnant and not using would be long enough to get her clean and off the stuff. But she started disappearing days at first then whole weekends so I knew she was using again. She would come home full of new promises that she would get better. That she wanted to be there for Parker. So one day I happened to leave her home with him on her own you know I had work to do, wheeling and dealing, making connections. Well anyway when I came home I found her collapsed in the bathroom with a needle in her arm and Parker had been left unattended. It really freaked me out you know anything could of happened to the little mite. I took her to the hospital and she was going to be fine. They even started her on some new rehab treatment. But it didn’t last. By the time Parker was four she was gone and she hasn’t come back. I figured she has probably over dosed somewhere. You know I may have been a drug dealer but my son means everything to me. I would never put him in harms way.”

  “I know you wouldn’t. I’m sorry you know if you want me to look into it I can. All I need is her name and date of birth and I’ll be able to look across the
system see if she has been incarcerated at all or the over dose. I can get you the information.”

  “No you know what its ancient history. It would be different if Parker asked after her I would want the truth then so I knew what to tell him but he doesn’t. So until that day comes I’m not bothered she left behind the best thing and the only thing I need from her.”

  “Ok I get that well you know where I am if the situation on it changes. So what are your plans for today Mr Fierce?”

  “Well drive you to work with our goon squad tail. I may stick around for a bit once we get to the station and listen for the updates on the search for Thaddeus. As long as none of the team has any objections. Then I suppose study for that test. I’ll be back to pick you up and were stay in a hotel tonight so I’ll sort out a reservation.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I should probably jump in the shower and start to get ready.”

  “Yeah go ahead I’m going to go start breakfast anyway ready for when the kid wakes up. So don’t be too long.”

  With that Jane pecked a kiss on Perry’s cheek as they both hopped out of bed and headed in different directions. Jane remembering she had to grab her toiletry bags of the side before jumping in the shower. Jane loved the shower or bath for that matter as it was the one place where her mind was truly clear enough for her to think. As Jane let the water cascade over her body easing the tension from her muscles her mind began to wander. Not to the innimate threat of Thaddeus but to the conversation she had just had with Perry. Had she really just discussed the possibility of them having a baby and getting married. It seemed mad that the seven months that they had officially been together, well since everyone else was aware that is, the time had flown by so effortlessly, that it felt like much longer. Jane was still shocked that she could make such a decision within that time. Especially when she couldn’t with her ex husband. But there was no doubt in Jane’s mind she wanted those things. And she wanted them with Perry. Jane finished off her morning routine in the shower and stepped out to get dressed. Jane didn’t have her usual amount of selection that she would have in her own closet so she threw on the first light dress and jacket combo that she could find. Hoping it was going to be another warm day like yesterday. Deciding to finish off her hair and makeup after she has eaten breakfast Jane plodded off to the kitchen to see if Perry needed any help getting it ready. To Jane’s delight Parker was already awake. Jane sat on the breakfast stool next to him and Perry handed herself her first cup of morning coffee. As Jane sat there Parker again began to regale her with stories that she intently listened to. His enthusiasm as he was telling her about things he had done with his dad. The time they went fishing, and camping and his favourite to Disney world. Parker got himself so excited talking about Disney world he was practically begging for his dad to take him back because he wanted to show Jane and take her on his favourite rides. Perry couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm and to what Jane suspected the thought of her on some of those rides.

  “I’ll look in to it kiddo and see when we can go but no promises ok. Now settle down and eat the rest of your breakfast. We got to get you ready for when your Nan comes to pick you up for school.”

  “Oh cant you and Jane take me to school today?”

  “Not today kiddo but were sort something out for another day I promise. But I will be there to pick you up.”

  “Ok”

  “Good lad come on then champ go get dressed.”

  Jane and Perry sat and ate the rest of their breakfast by the time Parker came out from getting dressed, Angie, Perry’s mum had arrived to collect him. The love and affection that flowed between the two of them was clear to see and it was lovely and obvious to see how much Angie doted on Parker. Jane and Perry cleared away the mess from breakfast once they were done and got ready to leave for the day. Jane checked in with the patrol car when they went outside. Jane wanted to make sure that everything had been clear throughout the night and to double check that they were going to be escorting her to the station. The two officers that were outside had come onto shift at six o clock that morning and at shift changeover the area had been clear and the leaving officers had no incidents to report. Everything had been fine throughout the night and they were to still escort her to the station. Jane gave them a thank you and a courteous nod as she headed of to take her seat in Perry’s car. The day was still nice and bright and warm as the day before it but it didn’t feel Jane with as much happiness as it should. They did make most of the way to the station without any incident but a few streets from the turning that they needed to take Jane, Perry and the escorting police officers were all playing close attention to a car that had been behind them for quite a while. The escorting police officers phoned through to Jane and decided it would be best to drive down a turning before the one they wanted to see if the car still followed. They directed Perry in which turning to take, as it would lead them round in almost a complete circle. The car still followed behind them as they went down the first street and pulled into the second. The police officers decided it would probably be safer to pull over and watch the car go by. Jane made a note of the registration as the car went by. So they could keep an eye to check it didn’t follow them anywhere else. They waited for near on ten minutes parked up in the same spot making sure that the car didn’t do another lap round to find them. The apprehension was almost overwhelming. Jane could feel her heart racing in her chest from adrenaline but she tried to remain calm and practical, it may be nothing to worry about at all. When they were all comfortable that the vicinity was clear they headed on the rest of the way to the station. By the time that they had made it to the car park and inside the close confines of the station house all of them had nerves that were shot. Jane still thought it was an overreaction on all of their parts. It probably was an innocent driver who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It did however seem a little strange that the car had been following them from near Perry’s house. And even into the small side roads that didn’t lead anywhere. It didn’t help either that the car windows were very heavily tinted so you couldn’t see who was driving. They were illegally tinted so if the car was spotted again they could pull it over for an actual reason rather than suspicion. The escorting police officers that were with Jane had made note of that. But they didn’t feel comfortable leaving Jane and Perry unattended just in case, as that was their duty to escort her. Perry had followed Jane through into the police station and had gone over to pour Jane a cup of coffee. Jane hadn’t realised up to that point how badly she was shaking from the adrenaline and fear. She scolded herself for letting the panic take over again for a second day in a row for what could have basically been no reason. She had always prided herself on being a strong confident woman. Jane believed a part of that might have died within her when Thaddeus had had her strapped to that bed being tortured by his band of thugs. Jane could hear the Superintendent yelling at the police officers. Jane felt rather guilty, but her supervisor seemed hell bent on admonishing them for appalling work and incompetence. He was telling them that they could thank their lucky stars that their mistakes didn’t catch up with them. The Superintendent put the order out to all mobile units to keep an eye out for the suspicious vehicle, which was a Vauxhall Insignia with the registration number MO59PNO. It can be pulled over on suspicion of having too heavily tinted windows. But that they needed and wanted all information on the registered keeper and driver of the vehicle.

  “Detective I’m sorry about that any further suspicious vehicles will not get that close to you again. Your escorting officers should of known how to deal with that situation better and for that I’m sorry. I should have made sure they were all briefed on such protocol. I’m sorry for the scare but I am sure it was probably nothing.”

  “Thank you sir but there is no need to apologise. I’m sure it was probably nothing just a case of the driver being in the wrong place at the right time and a little bit of over cautiousness on our parts. But it is better to be on the safe side a
nd we have probable cause to pull the vehicle over anyhow. Are there any updates on the search for Thaddeus?”

  “Some the CCTV security footage from the train station has arrived this morning. So PC Eric Stone and PC Jack Collins are scanning through that now. Although I expect it will probably take them a while. The phone company yielded that it was a pay phone that the call was made from. So unfortunately it does mean that we cant track calls made through phone towers that he would be pinging off of with using that app like we hoped. We have how ever got a trap and trace left open on your phone in case he does ring again. The station phone provider has also been made aware that we may need further access to our records so they have made that easier for us to do. So there shouldn’t be so much of an issue with that in the future. We have started to try and look into known associates of Thaddeus that he knew from before to see if he has been in contact with any of them again.”

  “Ok shame about the phone but at least we have got the time that he phoned. So a phone booth would give us a location and then we would know where he was at when he made the call.”

  “Exactly. Perry seen, as you are here you helped us before with tracking some of Thaddeus associates. Have you still got any contacts that you can safely ask?”