Page 21

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H arrison had kindly allowed Captain to ride in the police car with Ollie while Jarvis followed behind. The grumpy officer kept shooting wary glances at Captain in the mirror.

Cleary, the two officers hadn’t made that decision together, but Ollie was glad he wasn’t alone.

Captain kept cracking his neck, clearly tense. He held a small pot in his right hand, flexing his fingers around it.

“Jarvis gave it to me,” Captain murmured when he caught Ollie looking at it. “It’s moustache wax.”

Ollie frowned, staring at Captain’s top lip. “But you haven’t got a moustache…”

Captain smiled. “No, I don’t.”

Ollie waited for an explanation.

“It’s for the smell.”

“The smell?”

Captain nodded. “The smell of fire, smoke. It was starting to bother me. I don’t know how, but Jarvis could tell. I could smell it on Rory and Sebastian.” He shot Ollie a quick glance. “On you too.”

Ollie tucked his nose down to sniff himself. He couldn’t smell smoke.

“I think it’s more in my head than anything. Bad memories.” Captain spun the lid off the pot. “I didn’t think it would help, but rubbing it above my top lip is a great distraction.”

He swiped it across his skin to demonstrate.

“You get to breathe in Jarvis.”

Captain rolled his eyes. “I get to not breathe in smoke. Anyway…” He fixed the lid in place again and curled his fist around the pot. “How are you doing? Stupid question, I know.”

Ollie looked down at his hands. “I’m thinking… I’m thinking, what if Teddy gets angry?”

Captain’s brow folded. “Of course he’s going to get angry. One look at your face and we’ll all have to take cover.”

Harrison shifted in the driver’s seat, joining his angry colleague in shooting concerned looks in the mirror.

“No. I meant angry with me.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Pichard’s dead.”

Captain pulled a face as if to say ‘And?’.

Ollie didn’t look away.

“From what Jarvis told me, he’ll be relieved.”

Ollie scrunched his eyes shut. “But he once cared about him, loved him even.”

“And then Pichard trapped, manipulated and isolated him. You’ve got nothing to worry about on that front.”

“It’s complicated, though. Caring for someone…and them changing, and hating the changed version of them, but still being able to remember the good times no matter how fleeting or far apart.”

Captain squeezed Ollie’s thigh.

“I just worry he’ll look at me differently, knowing I—”

The pressure on Ollie’s leg increased, and something flashed in Captain’s eyes.

Ollie wasn’t as good at lying as he thought he was.

Captain clearly knew Ollie had omitted a few key details.

“Knowing I’m the reason he fell. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t have been on that scaffolding.”

“He was the one who took you up there. Serves him right that he fell off the edge.”

Captain released Ollie’s leg, and Ollie resumed his pondering while gazing out of the window.

When they arrived at the station, it was after one in the morning. Harrison took Ollie over to the reception desk, explaining the situation to the woman on duty.

“Oliver?”

Ollie glanced to the seating area where Seinfeld was getting to his feet, coffee cup in hand.

“Oh God.” Seinfeld shook his head. “What have you done?”

“He hasn’t done anything,” Captain snapped.

“You too?” Seinfeld asked.

Captain rolled his eyes.

Harrison pointed Captain towards a seat. “You can’t come any further.”

Captain bristled, but Jarvis quickly arrived and squeezed his shoulder. Captain relaxed his stance, but his eyes were hard.

“We’ll be here,” Jarvis said to Ollie.

“Thank you.”

Harrison took Ollie’s elbow and led him away from Seinfeld down a long corridor.

“Seinfeld’s still here…which means Teddy must be too.”

“Probably,” Harrison murmured.

“Can I see him?”

“Not until we’ve bagged up your clothes and taken your statement.”

A door off the corridor swung open, and Teddy stepped out with two police officers accompanying him. He didn’t look Ollie’s way at first but stared glumly at the floor.

“Ah shit,” Harrison hissed, pulling Ollie behind him.

Ollie tripped, his feet slapped against the floor, and Teddy looked up.

The two officers both grunted at Teddy’s abrupt stop and gripped his arms.

Ollie peeked out from behind Harrison’s back, who still tried to hide him from view, but it was too late, Teddy had seen.

His eyes were wide, like he didn’t believe what was in front of him. The shrill sound he made hurt Ollie’s heart, and he was shaking, twitching.

“You have to let me go to him,” Ollie whispered.

Harrison glanced over his shoulder. “What?”

Teddy began to struggle. His biceps tensed, and he curled his hands into the fists. The two officers holding him were telling him to calm down, calm down or they’d have to cuff him. Teddy didn’t appear to hear them. His gaze had locked on to Ollie, and it didn’t let go.

“Please,” Ollie said. “You don’t want this to get messy.”

“Okay, I’m trusting you,” Harrison murmured, resuming his walk. He tipped his head for Ollie to go ahead of him. Ollie rushed forward and threw himself at Teddy’s chest.

The two officers struggling to hold Teddy’s arms were flung away like they were nothing, then Teddy had his arms around Ollie. He turned Ollie away from the officers and smothered him against the wall.

Ollie looked up at him. “I’m okay.”

Teddy’s eyes called him out on the lie. It was obvious he wasn’t okay. He had deep set bruises beneath his eyes, a swollen nose and white tape holding a splint on his face.

“Okay, I’m not okay , but I am okay.”

Teddy’s eyebrows twitched, and his eyes watered. He cupped Ollie’s cheek, stroking a thumb over one of the bruises. The distress he was feeling didn’t wane, it got worse, and he began shaking his head, and screwing up his face, getting lost in whatever horror plagued his thoughts.

“He can’t hurt you anymore,” Ollie whispered.

Teddy stilled as he sucked in a breath.

“He can’t hurt me either.”

Ollie’s eyes fluttered shut when Teddy stroked the bruise beneath Ollie’s eye again.

“He can’t hurt anyone again. Ever.”

“Ollie…” Harrison said.

Ollie glanced his way and saw him shaking his head. He didn’t want Ollie telling Teddy what had happened to Pichard, and Ollie nodded in response.

“Mr Saul, you’re going to be taken to a holding cell,” Harrison said loud enough to pierce the bubble Teddy was in. Teddy didn’t take his eyes off Ollie but turned his head slightly to show he was listening.

“You’ll continue talking to detectives tomorrow morning. Ollie needs to come with me.”

Teddy growled, boxing Ollie in against the wall with his arms.

“Please, Teddy.” Harrison exhaled a breath. “Once we’re done, I will accompany Ollie to your cell, and you can have five minutes.”

By the looks on the other two officers’ faces, they didn’t like that idea at all.

Teddy let out another rumble to show he wasn’t happy with that arrangement either.

“He says ten minutes,” Ollie said with a small smile.

“Fine.” Harrison rubbed his brow. “Ten minutes.”

Ollie curled his fingers into Teddy’s T-shirt. “Don’t kick off. Promise.”

Teddy rolled his shoulders. His gaze shifted as he eyed the officers approaching from the sides.

“Please,” Ollie whispered. “They won’t let me see you if you do.”

Teddy pressed his forehead to Ollie’s, then backed away a step for the officers to grab his arms. They tried to pull him away further, but he didn’t budge.

Ollie pushed off from the wall and went to join Harrison.

He knew Teddy wouldn’t leave until he had, but he did glance back at Teddy as he headed down the corridor.

Tears shone on Teddy’s cheeks. His face cracked just before Ollie stepped from view.

Harrison asked him to change into a pair of black joggers, a black hoodie, and a pair of socks that might’ve been white once but had turned grey. His clothes were taken away in bags to be examined. They took his fingerprints, swabs, and hair samples. He knew he must’ve gone through the process before when he murdered his father, but he couldn’t remember.

Harrison said they didn’t need to take a mugshot because he hadn’t been accused of anything yet. The yet filled Ollie with unease, but he didn’t let it show.

He was pointed into a room where two other officers sat, then Harrison closed the door behind him.

Ollie exhaled a long breath, then started talking.

He told them everything that happened that night.

They asked him whether he’d had any interactions with Pichard before, and Ollie told them about the incident with Keith and Pichard driving him home from Hollybrook.

The officers stayed emotionless throughout until Ollie brought up Rory, the jacket and the fire. They became more invested after that, both leaning forward in their chairs.

By the time Ollie was done, his limbs were heavy with exhaustion. He’d run out of energy, and halfway through speaking a sentence, he gave up and hung his head. Neither officer chastised him nor asked him to repeat himself. They glanced at each other, then got to their feet.

“Harrison said I could see Teddy,” Ollie blurted, suddenly a lot more awake.

“He’s waiting outside to take you to his cell.”

Ollie shook both their hands, then stepped into the corridor.

“Can I still see him?” Ollie asked.

“Yes,” Harrison said, taking Ollie to one side. “But he’s been told.”

Ollie’s gut sank.

“He doesn’t know the details of what happened, but he knows Pichard is dead. The prison therapist—”

“Jarvis.”

“Yes, Doctor Jarvis has been speaking to him, trying his best to calm him down, but he’s agitated to say the least.”

Harrison bit his lip, staring at Ollie like he expected him to change his mind about visiting Teddy in the cell.

“Which way?” Ollie asked.

Harrison flicked his chin to the left.

Ollie started walking.

Harrison followed.

Ollie heard Teddy before he’d even turned the corner to reach the cells. Fists banged on a metal door, and there were snarls and growls before Jarvis spoke in a steady tone to reassure him Ollie was in no danger.

Jarvis stood up from his crouch. He’d been speaking to Teddy through the hatch and gestured for Ollie to take over.

“Can’t you open the door?” Ollie asked.

As soon as he spoke, the cell went silent.

Harrison rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure that’s—”

“He won’t hurt me. He’ll never hurt me.”

Harrison glanced at Jarvis, who nodded.

“Sit down on the bed,” Harrison said firmly to Teddy.

He closed the hatch, then peeked through the spyhole in the door. Satisfied that Teddy had backed off, he unlocked the door and stepped into the cell.

Harrison stood to one side, then gestured for Ollie to join him.

Teddy stood up from the bed, still clenching his fists.

“Teddy…” Ollie widened his eyes at his bloody knuckles. He took Teddy’s hands in his. “What have you done to yourself?”

Teddy pulled his hands back, grabbed Ollie around the waist and spun him around.

“Hey…” Harrison snapped, still stood in the corner of the cell.

Teddy ignored him and pushed on Ollie’s shoulders until he sat on the bed. Harrison looked edgy, one hand coming up to grab the radio receiver on his shoulder, but he stopped when Teddy kneeled on the floor.

“I’ve missed you,” Ollie whispered.

Teddy took Ollie’s face in both hands, tilting it one way and then the other to get a look at the broken nose from every angle.

“The doctor is waiting for the swelling to go down,” Ollie whispered. “I’ve got an ice pack.” He frowned, glancing at Harrison. “I think I left it in your car.”

Harrison waved the worry in Ollie’s eyes away.

Teddy shuffled back and picked up one of Ollie’s feet.

“No stubbed toes,” Ollie said, closing his eyes when Teddy pushed his hands higher up his joggers. His hand was warm on Ollie’s calf, caressing the muscle.

Ollie had to bite back a moan.

When he reopened his eyes, there was a question waiting on Teddy’s face.

“My muscles ache, that’s all.”

His body ached from head to toe. As soon as he felt the needle slide into his neck, he’d tensed up, straining every muscle.

Teddy’s hand roamed higher, pushing up Ollie’s joggers.

Ollie winced when Teddy touched his knee. He’d dropped to them hard to escape.

Teddy noticed his reaction and slipped the joggers up Ollie’s other knee too. There were no visible marks, but Ollie had a feeling bruises would bloom in the next few days.

Ollie reached to tug his joggers back down, but Teddy did it for him. He rubbed Ollie’s thighs, and again, Ollie had to fight the urge to groan. The heat of Teddy’s hands went through the fabric and soothed his tired muscles.

He tipped his head back, eyes fluttering shut again as Teddy massaged his legs.

Teddy gasped, and Ollie reopened his eyes in time to see him get back to his feet. He sat beside Ollie on the bed and reached for his neck.

“Oh,” Ollie murmured, realising what Teddy had seen.

There was a raised bump of bluish skin with a red dot in the centre.

Teddy brushed a fingertip over the mark.

“He…he put a needle in my neck.”

Ollie glanced at Harrison, fearing he’d said too much, but Harrison didn’t react.

Teddy wrapped an arm around Ollie and pulled him close. Ollie couldn’t resist pressing into him and breathing in his scent.

“He didn’t inject me, though,” Ollie murmured into Teddy’s skin.

It had been close, though, too close. If it hadn’t been for Rory’s jacket, if Ollie had been wearing one of his own, thinner, jackets, Pichard would’ve got him. He would’ve been found dead up there on scaffolding. Teddy would’ve found out. Teddy would’ve been distraught.

Ollie closed his eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Teddy tipped Ollie’s head back and kissed him.

Ollie relaxed into the familiar heat of Teddy’s mouth, the tickle of his beard, and the insistence of his tongue. He didn’t have the strength in his arms to wrap them around Teddy, barely had enough energy to move his lips and tongue, but it didn’t matter.

Teddy held on to him and kissed him like he was everything.

They spent the rest of their ten minutes like that, and when Harrison called time on their make-out session, Teddy unleashed a pissed-off growl in his direction.

Ollie snorted, kissing Teddy’s cheek. He forced himself up on weak legs. Teddy shot to his feet to help him stagger his way to the door. Ollie stepped out into the corridor, and after a moment’s hesitation, Teddy backed off to the bed and sat down. Harrison left the cell and secured the door.

“What happens now?” Ollie asked.

“You go home, and we’ll contact you in due course.”

Ollie raised his eyebrow. He couldn’t ‘go home’, not when the home he had been staying in had burned to the ground.

“Ben said you can stay at his place,” Jarvis said, pushing off from the wall.

“Ben?” Ollie frowned.

Jarvis smirked. “Captain.”

“Yeah.” Ollie rubbed his brow. “I know that.”

“You must be tired.”

“I am. But I actually meant, what happens now with Teddy?”

Harrison deflated. “It’s an ongoing investigation.”

“He didn’t do it. He’s been in prison for something he didn’t do for over ten years.”

“We can’t just let him walk out of here.”

“Why not!”

Teddy smashed his fist into the cell door.

“Perhaps we should move this conversation along,” Jarvis said, pointing down the corridor.

“I’ll see you again soon, Teddy,” Ollie said, tapping back. “I promise.”

Harrison led the way. “At this point in time, we have no evidence.”

“He wrote a whole book about what happened,” Jarvis said.

“I know that, but right now, that’s Teddy’s word against…Teddy’s word. He admitted to the crime.”

Ollie shook his head. “But—”

Harrison stopped and turned to face him. “I’m not saying I don’t believe him. But there’s a process. Everything you told us today will help Teddy, but it’s still an investigation, a historical one, and that’ll take time.”

“And meanwhile, he’ll have to wait in Hollybrook?”

“Unfortunately,” Harrison admitted.

Ollie slumped. “Do you have what he wrote here?”

“Yes.”

“Can I read it?”

“Absolutely not,” Harrison said. “It’s evidence.”

He led them back to reception, where Captain waited as far away from Seinfeld as he could get.

“We’ll be in touch,” Harrison said before gesturing for Seinfeld to follow him.

“You good?” Captain asked.

Ollie nodded. “I got to see Teddy.”

“I can tell. Your mouth now matches your nose.”

Jarvis checked Harrison had gone, then leaned over to whisper to Ollie, “You can read it.”

“Huh?”

“Teddy’s words.” He gave Ollie a weak smile. “He asked me to make copies just in case.”