by Clare Revell
“Go on…”
“Yes, Numbers 31. Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. But Vanessa isn’t guilty of anything, so she doesn’t need to be made clean. Let her go. And then I can pay for my mistakes. Just you and me, that’s what you want, isn’t it?”
Scuffling and a gasp came from inside. Then, a raised voice. “OK, she’s coming out.”
Craig thought fast. He waved to the snipers to take up their positions. He didn’t suppose they’d get a shot, but just in case.
The door opened a tiny bit and DC Bradbury was shoved though. She fell to the ground, her ankles and wrists bound. As the door shut, two officers ran over and pulled her clear.
Craig ran to her side. “Are you hurt? Did he do anything?”
She shook her head, shaking under the blanket a paramedic wrapped around her shoulders. “He didn’t touch me. He was more interested in the DI.”
“What can you tell me? I need tae ken the layout, what’s going on in there.”
“There’s a window to the side and the back. That’s the only door, but there’s petrol everywhere. He’s covered the DI in it.”
“Where is she?” He showed her the floor plan he’d drawn with John’s help.
Bradbury pointed. “She’s here.”
Craig stifled his groan. She was in the middle of the room. There was no way he could get to her and keep the element of surprise. “OK. Go to the hospital and get checked out.” He moved over to the fire chief. “She says there is petrol everywhere in there, including over my officer. You need to start putting foam or something on lodges eight and eleven to minimize the damage should this go up. And get ready to put this out as fast as you can.”
“Aye.”
Craig went back over to the shed. The stench of petrol was incredibly strong now.
“Fraser.”
Craig turned to find McCaskill sidestepping the departing ambulance. “Sir.” He filled in quickly. “Firearms are no longer an option. One spark could set this whole thing off.”
“Do you still have a line open?”
“Yes, but he’s no longer communicating.” Craig handed over his phone. He moved swiftly to the window and rubbed his sleeve over it to clear it slightly. His heart leapt into his throat as he saw Milly on her knees. Platt walked around her holding a knife at her.
Heedless for his own safely, Craig knew he had to act. He moved rapidly to the door and pushed it open. Fumes hit him full in the face and he coughed.
Platt gripped Milly, yanking her to her feet and holding the knife to her throat. “Come any closer and I’ll kill her.”
Craig raised his hands. “I’m no armed. I just want tae talk, that’s all.”
Platt pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit it.
Craig waited for the explosion, but it didn’t come. Thank You.
“One more step and we’re all history. I’ll drop the lighter.”
“Oh, just do it,” Milly said. “Or are you all mouth and no trousers? You’ve been promising me you’ll kill me hours now, so cut the waffle and just do it. My career is over. You really think they’ll keep me on the force after this debacle?” She looked at Craig. “I’m assuming Sweeny Todd’s outside.”
Craig held her gaze. “Aye, he is. But keeping his distance.”
“Good.” She coughed as the hold on her neck tightened.
Craig took another step.
“I mean it.” Platt looked at him.
“Then do it already,” Milly grunted. She twisted, jerking free from Platt’s grip. She kicked his feet out from under him, giving him an upper cut to the jaw with her cuffed hands at the same time. He landed on the ground. Milly knelt on his back to keep him down.
The lighter slipped from his hand, arcing towards the ground. Craig moved fast, catching it and closing it before it hit the pool of petrol. He slipped, landing on the floor.
“Got your cuffs?” she asked.
Craig nodded and reached behind his back.
Milly turned Platt over and cuffed him. “Consider yourself under arrest,” she said. She sucked in several deep breaths. “Sir, read him his rights.”
“With pleasure.” Craig hauled the man to his feet and did so. Platt shoved him, trying to get away. Craig reacted, hitting him hard and fast and sending him, stunned to the floor. Kneeling beside him, Craig patted him down, searching for the keys to unlock Milly’s cuffs. Finding the keys, he rose and unfastened Milly. He hugged her. “Are you OK?”
She hugged him back. “I’m fine.”
“Then let’s get out o’here.” He lifted Milly into his arms, praying she wasn’t going to argue.
“Not so fast.” Platt’s voice came from behind him.
Craig turned.
Platt stood, lighter clenched tightly in his cuffed hands. “I’ll do it. You’re both covered in petrol. You’ll burn.”
Craig backed away, prayers falling from his lips. Milly clung to him tightly. There was a click and a flare as Platt started the lighter.
Craig turned and ran, waiting for the explosion and searing pain to engulf them. “Get back, it’s going tae blow!” he yelled as he reached the doorway.
A massive explosion rocked the air; flames leaped high into the night sky.
Craig flew through the air, the back of his neck prickling. The ground came up to meet him with a jarring thud. Something heavy and cold landed on him.
Screams echoed from behind him. Fireman rushed around with hoses as they started to fight the blaze. Two ran inside the blazing building.
Craig sat up and pulled Milly towards him. “Are you hurt?” he asked. “I didnae hurt you, did I?”
“No,” she held his gaze.
“Good.” He stood and helped her over to the ambulance. “Go and get checked out.”
“I want to stay.”
He shook his head. “For once, lassie, just do as you are told and dinnae make me repeat myself.” He softened his voice, his lips brushing her ear. “Please, Milly.”
She looked at him. “Will you come with me?”
“I cannae do that. I have tae stay here. I’ll meet you in my office as soon as you’re discharged for a debriefing.”
She looked shocked. “Tonight?”
“Aye, tonight. What I have tae say tae you cannae wait until morning.” He shoved a tenner into her hand. “This will pay for the taxi. Dinnae be late.”
“I know, you hate people being late.”
He chuckled as he set her in the ambulance. “And dinnae you forget it, lassie.”
15
Milly buttoned her jacket and waited for a taxi. Craig’s brother had been the doctor on duty and had seen her as soon he’d seen her name on the board. He’d found her scrubs and allowed her to use the staff showers once he’d checked her over and pronounced her fit to leave. She was just tired and hungry. Hopefully, Craig wouldn’t keep her long.
She drained the bottle of water she’d been given and tossed it into the bin. She leaned against the hospital wall, looking over the lights of the town in front of her. Beyond that lay the darkness of the Sidlaw Hills, supposedly the remnants of some super-volcanic eruption way back in the beginning of time.
The taxi pulled up and Milly got in. “Barrack Street Police Station, please.” She closed her eyes, dozing and praying the entire journey. Once she’d paid and got out of the taxi, she made her way inside and over to the front desk.
Sgt. Salmon let her in. “The DCI is in his office waiting for you, guv.”
“Thanks.” She headed up to her office first. She shoved everything into a cardboard box and then sat down. Ripping a sheet of paper from her notebook, she wrote out her resignation. He wouldn’t want her now, and besides, her job here was done.
She took a deep breath, and folding the paper, headed down the corridor to Craig’s
office. The door was ajar and a single desk lamp lit the room. Craig sat at his desk, his head in his hands.
Her heart leapt at the sight of him, but what good was it now? It, whatever it was or could have been, was over. She reached out and knocked.
Craig looked up. “Come in, Jenson. Shut the door.”
Her stomach sank as she did as he asked. She trudged across the floor. “You wanted to see me, sir.”
“Aye.” He fixed his steel blue gaze on her and she shifted. “I should fire you. You disobeyed a direct order tae go home and leave the case alone.”
“I went home,” she objected.
“No, you went tae the lodge. I told you tae go home to Headley Cross. You also hid things from me, things about the case that mattered. You left oot the killer was a cop and that he was on your force and that you had history.”
Milly rolled her eyes. “I tried, but, you insisted it was a copycat. I assumed Platt was dead, that he’d died in the original fire. So there was no point telling you my suspicions or our history and how I took his job, which isn’t true by the way, because you didn’t give two figs about my thoughts.
“I didn’t know for sure it was Platt until after he’d knocked me out and locked me up. He told me that Maddox had inadvertently been feeding him information. They were dating, apparently. He took her in a fit of temper when she went to arrest him.” She tilted her head. “And if you were really that fussed, you could have checked the records, anyway.”
“Those files were doctored, remember?” He held her gaze. “The reports were edited, names and facts removed after you filed them. MaryAnn’s real name was only the tip of the iceberg. I had McCaskill go over them and compare them with your original notes.”
She sighed. “So you didn’t trust me either?”
“Dinnae put words in my mouth, lassie. I was doing my job.”
“So was I. Anyway, you can’t fire me.” She threw the letter onto his desk. “I quit.”
“Excuse me?”
She folded her arms. “You heard me. I quit.”
Craig snatched up the letter and read it, the hardness of his eyes increasing. He ripped up the letter and marched around the desk towards her.
She stood her ground as his hands gripped her arms tightly. “What are you—?”
She broke off as he leaned forwards and kissed her. A deep, passionate kiss that she was powerless to resist. His hands were on her arms, her waist, in her hair and resting on her cheek. She moved backwards with him, until her back hit the wall. When he broke off, he seemed as breathless as she was.
“I’ve never been kissed like that before,” she managed.
Craig did that cute eyebrow raising thing. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
He kissed her again, this one making the other seem almost insignificant. Finally when he broke for air, he rested his forehead against hers, his fingers gently moving against her ear and hairline. “Tell me something.”
“Anything.”
“What is your real name? I have tae know what Milly is short for.”
She shook her head. “Anything, but that.”
“Very well, then I shall have tae retract my offer.”
She frowned and tried to move away, but he held her firmly against the wall. “What offer?”
“I cannae have a DI on staff, never mind a wife, when I dinnae ken what her name is. I’m pretty sure there’s something in the marriage vows about her legal name.”
Milly stared at him, gobsmacked.
He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. “I want you tae be my wife,” he said, his full Scottish brogue coming through. “I love you so much that ma heart fair bursts and ma head spins whenever I’m in the same room as you. The world just disnae make sense without you. Will you marry me?”
Milly held his gaze. Her heart pounded and her head spun. This hadn’t been at all what she’d expected when she’d been summoned to his office. Yes, she wanted him more than anything, but she needed to be sure it was what God wanted and the right thing to do.
“You suspended me,” she said.
“I had tae. But that was work. This has nothing tae do with work. Besides, without you looking over his shoulder, Vickery got careless.”
She swallowed. “You can’t say that.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I can. He made a mistake and tried tae cover it. Now, you need tae answer my question. Will you marry me?”
“I have a rule. Never to marry anyone until at least the fifth date.”
His face was a picture. “We’ve had…four,” he said, probably counting them in his head.
“Two dinners over a briefing don’t count. Nor does going to church.”
“Fine. Two dates then. So three more and you’ll think about it? And the job offer? I need a DI I can trust, especially now I’m a sergeant down and a team that will need some serious help to come tae terms with this case. The job is yours if you want it.”
Milly thought quickly. “It’s Marigold.”
Craig frowned. “Huh?”
“My name. It’s Marigold.”
Craig smirked. “As in the washing up gloves?”
She hit him playfully on the arm. “No, the flowers, and if you’re going to mock me, then I’m out of here.”
He held her arms, pinning her against the wall with his firm body. “No, you’re no going anywhere,” he whispered. “Marigolds are my favorite flowers. They mean winning grace, did you know that?”
She nodded, her heart melting as his thumb rolled gently across her lips. “Something we both have done as Christians.”
“Aye, but do I have the hope of winning your heart?”
“My heart has been yours for a while, you’re just too pigheaded to see it.” She paused. “Pig—cop, get it?”
He groaned. “So it’s a yes?”
“Yes to the job.” She cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, Craig Fraser. But, like I said, I never marry a man without at least—”
“—five dates,” he finished. He swung her into his arms and kissed her. “Then, may I suggest dinner and date number three? Because I’m no a patient man and I cannae wait to put a ring on your finger, and take you home as my bride.”
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