by Sam Skyborne
“And did you tell this to the police?”
“No.” Sasha said shrugging. “No-one asked. And besides, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. They don’t really bother with us unless they are looking to blame the gay and trans community for something.”
Toni thanked Sasha sincerely for her help.
“Come round again, any time,” Sasha said. “The show is on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.” Sasha winked at Toni.
Again Toni could feel her cheeks colour.
Once back in the main bar and dance floor area Toni noticed that the crowd had hardly dissipated since before the show. If anything it had got busier.
She had had a few drinks during the evening and was busting for a pee. She made her way towards the toilets. This was not an easy task with all the people in the way.
On the wall ahead she saw the sign point to the toilets on the other side of the rear exit. She followed the direction of the sign with her eyes and saw a long queue extending out of two doors. As she observed the queue, a man came out. He had short mousey blond hair. For a moment she thought he looked like someone she recognised. In fact he looked like the cop, Kevin, the one who partnered with that pain-in-the-arse prick, Dwight. She saw him head to the rear exit.
What was he doing here?
Toni waded through the crowd to the exit, but when she got there, there was no-one. The exit was clear.
Unable to put off her need any longer, she went to join the queue to the toilets.
Fifteen minutes later, once she finally had her turn and was inside the restroom, washing her hands, she heard a commotion coming from outside and then two police officers stormed in.
“Everybody stay calm, put your hands where we can see them.” Officer Dwight Forelly said.
Oh great! Just what she needed: a narcotics raid of the club on the night she just happened to be there. The cops will have a field day with this one.
Just then Dwight caught sight of her.
“Oh, look who we have here!” he chimed. “So the rumours are true?”
“Give it a rest, Dwight!”
“Fancy seeing you here twice and on a fine night like tonight,” he mocked her. “You couldn’t hack catching Narcs, so you decided to join them?”
“Check all the cubicles and don’t let her out of your sight,” he said to another younger police officer behind him. “In fact, cuff her and take her down to the station.”
“You got to be kidding me. You can’t arrest me! On what grounds?” Toni was livid.
“Oh yes, I can.” He beamed her a sarcastic grin. “On the suspicion of drug dealing. Yeah, my sentiments exactly. How far the mighty have fallen.”
“Dwight, you can’t be serious. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to deal,” Toni tried to shout after his swaggering retreating figure.
Lizbeth and Maxine walked through the park and then turned left along the canal path. It really was a beautiful night. The large plump moon more than adequately lit their path, bouncing off the smooth water’s surface. Apart from the odd canal boat that still had lights on inside, there was no sign of any other people.
After they had been walking for about twenty minutes Maxine felt Lizbeth shiver. She realised that Lizbeth must be chilled in her thin evening dress so she took off her own leather jacket and draped it around Lizbeth’s shoulders.
“If you're cold I'll just have to warm you up,” Maxine whispered in Lizbeth’s ear, sending another shiver down her spine.
“Is that so Detective Bennett? You think you could warm me up?” Lizbeth teased.
When they reached the low bridge over the canal, Lizbeth suddenly stopped. Maxine looked at her concerned. “Lizbeth? You okay? What's wrong?”
Lizbeth shook her head. “Kiss me,” she said softly.
Maxine looked puzzled.
“Please, kiss me.” Lizbeth said again.
Although Maxine had encouraged the exhibitionist side to their encounters and Lizbeth was a more than willing participant so far, Maxine knew Lizbeth was naturally a very private and shy person. So for her to take the initiative and show affection in public like this was a welcome but unusual surprise.
Maxine stepped in closer. She took both Lizbeth’s cheeks gently in her hands and lent in to kiss her deeply.
When they finally moved apart for air, Lizbeth wordlessly resumed their slow stroll along the canal.
A few minutes later they approached a clearing next to the canal that was surrounded by a hedge and in the corner, placed in the centre of what must be a little sun-trap during the day, was a bench.
Lizbeth made a decision. She took Maxine's hand and led her to the bench.
Maxine was somewhat bemused but delighted by Lizbeth’s sudden assertiveness.
Once at the bench Lizbeth made Maxine sit down. Then, facing her, she lifted her skirt slightly and straddled her lap. She lent in and kissed Maxine. What started off as a long slow kiss soon rose to a frenzied, deep hungry exploration of mouths.
“Lizbeth,” Maxine broke the kiss breathlessly, “you are playing with fire. I do not know how long I can keep my hands off of you.”
“Then don’t,” Lizbeth purred in Maxine’s ear, nipping her earlobe.
Maxine pulled away unsure if she had heard and understood correctly. There was no mistaking the dark desire in Lizbeth’s eyes.
“Lizbeth, I—”
“Do it!” Lizbeth took Maxine's hand singling out her middle finger and placed it in her mouth, sucking at the tip and then drawing it deeper into her mouth.
Maxine, was mesmerised.
Lizbeth finally released the finger and guided Maxine's hand down between her legs and up under her skirt.
Maxine spread her own legs. She lightly ran the tips of her fingers over the soft warm flesh of Lizbeth’s outer labia, then slid up and down the silky wet centre.
“Uh” is all Maxine could manage.
Lizbeth moaned softly digging her nails into Maxine's shoulders. Then, as she circled her entrance Lizbeth leaned in and pleaded. “Please! Take me!”
“Yes!” Lizbeth hissed as Maxine slid deeper. Lizbeth moved her hips involuntarily forcing Maxine’s fingers to plunge deep into her.
Lizbeth knew she was growing wetter and wetter probably soaking Maxine’s hand.
Maxine wound her other arm around Lizbeth's waist to steady them both as she began a rhythmic pumping motion, taking care to make enough contact where she needed it. Lizbeth’s hip thrusts matched her rhythm, pushing down for every upward movement.
Maxine could feel Lizbeth was very close. She considered selfishly drawing out this exquisite feeling and making it last by teasing Lizbeth but she sensed that now was not the time! Lizbeth needed her hard and fast.
As if sensing her thoughts Lizbeth hissed, “Yes! Fuck me!” before she bit down into Maxine's neck.
Maxine obeyed and thrust hard and deep inside Lizbeth, curling her fingers to connect with that ribbed sensitive spot—once, twice and with the third sending Lizbeth crashing over the edge.
Maxine held her close as she stiffened, shuddered and then relaxed into Maxine’s supportive frame. They remained like that for a long moment.
CHAPTER TEN
Saturday
Was it just her bad luck that she happened to be in the wrong place at the time of a drug raid on The Vox? Either way she did not look forward to the aftermath. She knew that arsehole, Dwight, would make it his business to try to pin the two bags of coke found in the cubicle she had used on her. If he could not achieve that then he would undoubtedly go out of his way to cause her maximum personal and professional embarrassment.
She was not wrong.
Dwight deliberately dragged out her arrest, forcing her to wait until everyone else had been processed, and then made the proceedings as painful as possible.
“Let’s put the cat amongst the pigeons,” he said as he finally shoved her into the overcrowded cell of people from the club, making it seem as if she were the cause for their detention.
At 7.30am she was taken to an interview room where she had to endure a further two hours of Dwight and his pathetic sidekick, Kevin, insulting her intelligence by playing good-cop bad-cop in an attempt to get her to admit to drug possession and dealing. When they finally had enough of their sport and she threatened to call her lawyer and sue them for harassment and unlawful detention, they let her back into the cell for a ‘cooling off’ period.
A further two hours later she was finally allowed out.
By that stage her phone had died and she had no money on her. She borrowed a quid from a street-person called Elsa, whom she knew from her days working at the Met. Elsa was regularly stationed near the police station entrance and as a result Toni had subsidised her lunch almost every day during her time in the Force.
She found a nearby phone booth. It was filthy and she almost hurled from the stench of urine and other bodily fluids that billowed out as she opened the graffiti covered door.
She rolled down her sleeve and pulled it over her hand, using it as glove to pick up the receiver. She popped the quid in the slot.
Instinctively she dialled Lizbeth’s number. But as it rang she slammed down the receiver.
Before she would not have hesitated to call Lizbeth. But not this time. Things were different now.
She dialled the only other number she knew off by heart.
“Hello,” Lawrence’s voice crackled through the rubber handset.
Twenty minutes later Lawrence pulled up outside the police station and, after borrowing a pound from him to pay back the street-person, Toni hopped in his car.
Lawrence wanted to take her home to get showered and have a rest, but she refused. Instead she asked him to drop her off at the office, where she always kept a clean set of clothes in a locker in the purpose-built changing rooms in the basement that serviced the building users who chose to cycle to work.
Having a debrief in the shower, in order to save time, was not entirely a new experience for Lawrence. Even so, he still sat with his back to the shower cubicle. It was not really necessary as the cubicle doors were barely translucent. But, the tricky part always came at the end when he had to back up to the shower to pass Toni her towel.
Toni was certainly not body conscious or shy, but Lawrence felt it was improper to see his boss and colleague in the buff.
Toni finished regaling Lawrence with the events of the previous night at the club, but deliberately glossed over the humiliating meal Dwight and his partner had made of her interview.
“These guys seem to really have it in for you,” Lawrence said. “It probably didn’t help that they were also the two responding officers to your flat burglary.”
Toni popped her head over the cubicle door. “Seriously? They were there?”
Lawrence nodded. “Yeah, that’s a real strike of bad luck.” He chuckled at the situation but, when he realised he was the only one who found it amusing, he stopped. Toni had frozen and was staring into the middle distance over the cubicle door.
“What?” Lawrence asked.
This seemed to snap Toni back to reality and she shook her head. “Nothing. I think I saw something, that’s all.” She continued to wash. “Actually Lawrence, could I ask you, maybe with Three’s techy help, to look into Dwight and dig up anything that looks suspicious.”
Lawrence always bristled at the insinuation that Three had better cyber skills than he did. But on this occasion, he decided to let it pass. “You can’t be serious!” he said. “You think Dwight is somehow relevant or suspicious?”
“No… Yes…. I don’t know.” Toni rinsed the shampoo from her long dark hair. “It is just a feeling, but something seems off about them. There just seem to be too many coincidences and they pop up in too many pertinent places.”
“Toni, you sure it is not just a bit of paranoia?”
If anyone else on the face of the earth had dared to suggest that to Toni, she would have instantly flown off the handle.
“It might be. But, that still does not mean there isn’t something to be paranoid about. Find out everything you can for me please, just in case.” Toni turned off the shower and stuck out her hand indicating she needed her towel. “Oh, and you might as well add that little rat of a character, Kevin, in the mix too. I doubt he is capable of an independent thought that has not been vetted by Dwight, but just to be sure.”
Lawrence averted his eyes and reaching backwards, handed her the towel. “I could probably do a basic social media and circle of influence check quite quickly to find out their affiliations.” He kept his back to the cubicle. It was not unusual for Toni to step out the shower without a towel around her. She might not be fazed by her nakedness, but he certainly was.
“That will be a good start,” she said.
He could hear her putting on her clothes behind him.
“Now in other news,” he continued. “After last night’s incident, The Vox has officially been closed down, pending the narcotics investigation. Seems like those protestors have succeeded. Pity some idiot had to go and do drugs in the toilets and help the CUL in their mission.”
“This whole thing smells odd too.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It is still early days but between you and me it smacks of a fit-up.” Toni pulled the last of her clothing items, her t-shirt, over her head.
“Why do you say that?” Lawrence said cautiously. He knew Toni had had a very sensitive history with fit-ups in the Force.
Toni thought back to the crowd of CUL supporters protesting outside The Vox. She remembered Lucille’s rather harsh words about what the club had become. Her experience so far did not testify to Lucille’s view, but it was early days yet.
“I don’t know,” Toni said, pulling on her trainers without undoing the laces. “It’s another gut thing.” She grabbed her dirty clothes and marched past Lawrence out of the changing rooms.
Lawrence trotted after her.
“Based on what?” Lawrence tried to be gentle but make sure he was heard. “Toni you know better than anyone else you can’t throw that F word around without some pretty solid evidence, and even then you, better than anyone, knows what happens.” He knew she could be a bit of a loose cannon sometimes. She did not always think things through before she spoke.
Toni entered her office, hung her towel haphazardly on the corner of the whiteboard and then rounded her desk, flopping down into her chair. She rubbed her red eyes. “You’re probably right. Maybe I’m just seeing ghosts where there aren’t any.”
“Why don’t you go home and get some rest,” Lawrence encouraged.
Just then they both became aware of rapid, clacking footsteps coming down the corridor. They both recognised them.
“Oh no. You didn’t!” Toni chided.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. She had already rung me six times by 7am this morning, worried stiff, wanting to know if I knew where you were. I could not keep schtum any longer. She must have guessed this is where you would end up if you had not gone to hers.”
Toni threw Lawrence a chastising look.
Lizbeth rounded the door. She was uncharacteristically dressed in sweatpants and matching track top, albeit designer, looking like she was on her way to the gym. Toni knew she must have left home in a hurry or been somewhat distracted as that was not an outfit Lizbeth would normally want to be seen in out in public.
Toni saw Lizbeth clock her and Lawrence as she walked in, but she chose to address Lawrence first. “Lawrence, do you mind giving us a minute.”
Toni had not seen Lawrence move that fast in ages. Before Lizbeth had advanced into the office enough to close the door behind her, Lawrence had squeezed past her and was halfway down the corridor.
Lizbeth, in a deliberately controlled manner, closed the door firmly. She turned on her heel. Toni could see this was not going to be good. She dropped her chin in her hands and waited for the inevitable.
“Toni Mendez, you do not play fair,” Lizbeth started. �
��I realise the past few days has not been easy for you. A lot has happened and been revealed and I understand that it might be hard for you to adapt and process these changes. I understand your prejudices and I have tried to give you enough space and considered your feelings sometimes over and above my own.”
“I—” Toni tried to interject but was halted by Lizbeth holding up a single finger to stop her.
“But, I’ve now had enough! You, who presents as my best friend, have shown me and my personal life very little respect and consideration. That I have tolerated. But this, complete disregard, disrespect and downright petulant behaviour I will not put up with any longer.”
“But—”
Again Lizbeth held up a finger.
Toni sat back and crossed her arms, surrendering to the onslaught.
“You are not a teenager any longer. Grow up and grow a pair.”
“I—” Toni self-consciously unfolded her arms.
“You cannot leave people waiting up all night, worried sick about you, just because you have personal issues with their private life and choices. That is cruel and unkind and incredibly immature.”
Toni sighed and watched Lizbeth rant and pace in front of her desk. She had never seen Lizbeth this upset before.
She waited.
Finally, Lizbeth stopped pacing, having clearly said everything she had no doubt been rehearsing in a rage in the car on the way there.
Toni still just looked at her.
“Now you may speak,” Lizbeth finally said.
As Toni opened her mouth Lizbeth added, “But think carefully what you say next, as this will determine whether we have a future as friends, or not.”
Toni closed her mouth, feeling a bit like a fish. She swallowed and started again.
