Enigma

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  13:20 hours

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ Stuart said. ‘To think we were driving all over London with his knife in the car the whole time.’

  ‘Clever, really.’

  ‘Yes, very clever,’ Stuart said. ‘And delighted to see my plan worked out as anticipated.’ He began to wrap the long red and grey scarf round his neck. ‘And hoped,’ he added.

  ‘I just have to drop this tiepin off at Sullivan’s office and then we’ll go back to your place.’

  ‘Actually,’ Stuart said, as he reached into the back and front pockets of his jeans and shirt replacing his pen, notepad and recorder. ‘That went better than I expected.’

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ Love said. The thoughts he had running through his head pushed themselves to the front.

  Now the interview was over he had only one person on his mind.

  Should he go and seek her out? Damn the woman! Christ, when she’d been standing inches away from him and he could smell her perfume, subtle, musky, he’d just wanted to kiss her until her head was spinning. And then when he’d grabbed her round the waist, that small waist! Damn! He couldn’t leave things as they were, he had to go and make amends.

  ‘Stuart?’

  ‘Yeah, partner?’

  ‘Here.’ He handed him the keys to the Volvo. ‘You go on, get the heater working and wait for me I’ll just be a couple of minutes.’

  Stuart grinned. ‘A certain lady doctor, Love?’

  Love shook his head and shoved his fingertips into his jeans. ‘If it kills me, mate, which it probably will.’

  Stuart turned to walk to the lifts whilst Love decided to take the stairs. It was only a couple of flights down to Sullivan’s office and Julie’s. He had no idea what to say to her. He could start by apologising but boy oh boy!

  Did that dame ever rattle him?

  His steps echoed as he ran down the staircase, came to the third floor, pulled open the heavy fire door and stepped out into the corridor. He strolled along until he came to James Sullivan’s office, knocked, went in, no receptionist and no sign of Mr Sullivan. He stepped back out into the corridor. Julie Cooper’s office was just a few doors away. He ran his hand through his blond fringe, took a deep breath, and a few moments later was knocking on her door.

  ‘Come in.’

  Love turned the handle, popped his head round the door. ‘I come in peace.’

  Doctor Cooper was sitting at her desk. She’d been writing some notes on an A4 notebook, looked up at the sound of Love’s voice, blushed, shut the book and put down her pen.

  ‘Want to throw me around some more, Detective Love?’

  ‘Can I come in?’

  ‘Please,’ she said, indicating to the chairs in front of her desk. ‘Why not?’

  ‘I just want to apologise for earlier,’ he said. He walked over to her desk, he stood looking down at her. Her hair was all tousled like she’d been running her fingers through it. She looked messy and very cute. Love imagined that’s how she would look in bed after… he interrupted his thoughts, and coughed. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it but…’

  ‘But I was asserting my authority which clashed with your own and you didn’t like it.’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  She stood up and walked round the desk to face Love. ‘We clash, Detective Love, you are somewhat opinionated and want to get the job done to the best of your ability and I am exactly the same.’

  ‘Opinionated?’ he repeated, and grinned.

  She took a step closer, and smiled. ‘Absolutely.’ Her body inches from his. ‘And I’m sorry if I was rude earlier.’

  Damn the woman! She was turning him inside out. Love stared down at her face. Not conventionally pretty but the end result was certainly attractive. She was standing so close to him he could see the gold flecks in her eyes. On her eyelids she wore a soft dove grey smudge. It was frosted and some of the glitter had fallen on to her cheeks causing them to sparkle and shimmer. His gaze flickered over her lips covered in a pinkish-purple lipgloss. Her mouth parted and the tip of her tongue ran slowly over her bottom lip. Christ! He wanted to grab her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Keep things professional, he told himself, don’t even go there, not on the job.

  ‘I see that Mr Sullivan isn’t in his office.’

  ‘No, that’s right, but I’ll be seeing him soon.’

  ‘Oh, really?’

  ‘Yes, why?’

  ‘I have something that belongs to him I just wanted to return it.’

  ‘You can give it to me and I can pass it on.’

  ‘He’s on duty later?’

  ‘Well, not really, he’s coming in to meet me for a meal and…’

  ‘To meet you!’ Love took a step backwards.

  ‘Yes, we’re going to have something to eat.’

  The news shocked him like he’d been hit by a bus. ‘I didn’t realise you and he were so close.’

  Julie Cooper frowned. ‘What business is it of yours?’

  Love turned to leave. ‘I guess none, Doctor Cooper, excuse me.’ He hesitated, turned back, fished inside his pocket, brought out the small plastic bag containing Sullivan’s tiepin. ‘Here,’ he said, as he handed her the package. ‘If you wouldn’t mind perhaps you can pass this on after all.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll do that.’

  ‘Would you please sign a receipt for it,’ he said. ‘I like to keep things professional and do the job properly.’

  She leant over her desk, scribbled something down on a pad, tore off the sheet and handed it to Love. ‘Implying I don’t?’ Her eyes were sparking.

  He shook his head. ‘Lady, how you want to interpret that is entirely up to you,’ he said. ‘But it sure looks like we have nothing but misinterpretations and misunderstandings going on between us.’

  ‘I couldn’t agree more,’ she said.

  ‘Well,’ he said, and strode over to the door and pulled it open. He paused with his hand on the handle. ‘At least we agree on one thing.’ He walked out closing the door firmly behind him.

  He was so exasperated he nearly walked straight into the man coming out the lift.

  ‘Why, Detective Love, how are you?’

  Love looked into the face of James Sullivan. He inclined his head. ‘Mr Sullivan, how are you?’

  ‘Fine, thank you,’ he said, and smiled. ‘Did you want to see me?’

  ‘Yes, actually, I did,’ Love said. ‘To return your tiepin but I left it with Doctor Cooper.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I hope that’s all right as she mentioned she was seeing you later.’

  ‘Yes, that’s quite all right,’ he said. ‘A few of us are meeting up at the hospital cafeteria for a late lunch.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, we try to get together at least once a month to catch up and talk about cases over a leisurely meal.’

  Suddenly, Love’s mood lifted. What he wanted to do was to go rushing back into Julie’s office sweep her off her feet and kiss her until she was dizzy. Instead he smiled, shook Sullivan’s hand, and said, ‘Have a good day, sir, goodbye.’

  ‘Goodbye.’