leaned back with a tired sigh. It was six-thirty and they hadn’t gone to bed until after two, by which time they had both been awake for almost twenty-four hours. Alex watched from the corner of his eye as Conor fiddled with the gray metal band around his wrist.
“I have a bad feeling about this case. If the arson and murder are linked, that’s a huge escalation in a very short space of time.”
Alex grunted. “It could still be coincidence.” He yawned.
“It’s not likely though, is it?”
“No,” Alex admitted a little reluctantly. “We can’t rule it out but I wouldn’t place money on the two events not being connected.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I have a feeling this one is going to challenge the overtime budget.”
Conor sighed. “These cases just seem to roll into each other. We haven’t had any free time together for months. The work’s relentless.”
Alex looked across at him. “I’m neglecting you, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”
Conor rested a hand on Alex’s thigh. “Never. I’m not complaining, but it would be nice to get away for a few days.”
Alex couldn’t ignore the weight of Conor’s hand on his leg. His thigh muscle twitched.
“If you don’t move your hand, the likelihood of us making it to work without being involved in a major accident is very small. So unless your idea of quality time together is visiting me in the hospital…”
Conor chuckled but removed the offending hand, albeit after giving Alex’s thigh a gentle squeeze.
“Very kind.” Alex rocked his head from side to side until his neck gave a satisfying crack. “When this case is over, we can go down to Cornwall if you like. You haven’t seen your family for a while.” Alex knew that Rory and Maggie Penrissen weren’t Conor’s real family, but they were the closest he had and he thought of them as such. Alex really liked them both too, especially as it was all too evident how much they cared for Conor.
“That would be great.” Conor sounded really happy. “I’ll ring them tonight and let them know. Even if I can’t say exactly when it will be, Maggie will want to air the cottage and give it a good clean.”
“Crab sandwiches, sea air and you—the perfect combination.” Alex licked his lips at the thought. “It’ll be good to have something to look forward to.”
“It’s good to know that crab sandwiches come higher up the list than I do.”
Alex put on his best repentant expression, even though he didn’t feel that way at all. “Maggie’s crab sandwiches are sublime. You come very close, though.”
“You know you can’t pull off innocent, don’t you?” Conor fell about laughing, half-strangled by his seatbelt.
Alex gave him a pained look. “You are showing a remarkable lack of respect. There’s not enough discipline in your life—something I will have to rectify very soon.”
“Hey! I’m the one that’s just come off second best to a dead crustacean. Give me a break.”
“No. Punishing you is too much fun.”
Their arrival at the station saved Conor from any further reprimands. It felt good to hear him laugh and to remember that they had a life outside work. Alex resolved to make sure that the trip to Cornwall happened as soon as possible.
“Have a good day, love. I’ll be upstairs most of the day today. I have divisional budgets to sort out and a training roster to plan, on top of all the case work.”
“The pain of being a senior officer… You have my sympathy.” Conor grinned.
“You don’t sound very bloody sympathetic!”
“I’m just a lowly detective constable, sir. I can’t possibly comprehend the complexities of your job. I’m sure it’s very harrowing work.”
“Brat. Get out of here.”
Conor scuttled away, laughing. Alex would have liked to drag him somewhere quiet and give him a thorough spanking but that would have to wait.
* * * *
Sitting in his office later that morning, surrounded by an entire Himalayan mountain
“I have a bad feeling about this case. If the arson and murder are linked, that’s a huge escalation in a very short space of time.”
Alex grunted. “It could still be coincidence.” He yawned.
“It’s not likely though, is it?”
“No,” Alex admitted a little reluctantly. “We can’t rule it out but I wouldn’t place money on the two events not being connected.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I have a feeling this one is going to challenge the overtime budget.”
Conor sighed. “These cases just seem to roll into each other. We haven’t had any free time together for months. The work’s relentless.”
Alex looked across at him. “I’m neglecting you, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”
Conor rested a hand on Alex’s thigh. “Never. I’m not complaining, but it would be nice to get away for a few days.”
Alex couldn’t ignore the weight of Conor’s hand on his leg. His thigh muscle twitched.
“If you don’t move your hand, the likelihood of us making it to work without being involved in a major accident is very small. So unless your idea of quality time together is visiting me in the hospital…”
Conor chuckled but removed the offending hand, albeit after giving Alex’s thigh a gentle squeeze.
“Very kind.” Alex rocked his head from side to side until his neck gave a satisfying crack. “When this case is over, we can go down to Cornwall if you like. You haven’t seen your family for a while.” Alex knew that Rory and Maggie Penrissen weren’t Conor’s real family, but they were the closest he had and he thought of them as such. Alex really liked them both too, especially as it was all too evident how much they cared for Conor.
“That would be great.” Conor sounded really happy. “I’ll ring them tonight and let them know. Even if I can’t say exactly when it will be, Maggie will want to air the cottage and give it a good clean.”
“Crab sandwiches, sea air and you—the perfect combination.” Alex licked his lips at the thought. “It’ll be good to have something to look forward to.”
“It’s good to know that crab sandwiches come higher up the list than I do.”
Alex put on his best repentant expression, even though he didn’t feel that way at all. “Maggie’s crab sandwiches are sublime. You come very close, though.”
“You know you can’t pull off innocent, don’t you?” Conor fell about laughing, half-strangled by his seatbelt.
Alex gave him a pained look. “You are showing a remarkable lack of respect. There’s not enough discipline in your life—something I will have to rectify very soon.”
“Hey! I’m the one that’s just come off second best to a dead crustacean. Give me a break.”
“No. Punishing you is too much fun.”
Their arrival at the station saved Conor from any further reprimands. It felt good to hear him laugh and to remember that they had a life outside work. Alex resolved to make sure that the trip to Cornwall happened as soon as possible.
“Have a good day, love. I’ll be upstairs most of the day today. I have divisional budgets to sort out and a training roster to plan, on top of all the case work.”
“The pain of being a senior officer… You have my sympathy.” Conor grinned.
“You don’t sound very bloody sympathetic!”
“I’m just a lowly detective constable, sir. I can’t possibly comprehend the complexities of your job. I’m sure it’s very harrowing work.”
“Brat. Get out of here.”
Conor scuttled away, laughing. Alex would have liked to drag him somewhere quiet and give him a thorough spanking but that would have to wait.
* * * *
Sitting in his office later that morning, surrounded by an entire Himalayan mountain
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