Face in the Frame

by Heather Atkinson

“No problem. Marcus here can take you, can’t you Marcus?”

  “Aye I suppose Sir,” he reluctantly replied.

  “Good boy,” smiled Pete. “God it’s good being a DI.”

  “I’ll be where you are one day Sir,” added Marcus.

  “What, pissed in the back of a polis car after being interviewed as part of a murder inquiry?” quipped Brodie.

  “I’d be proud,” said Marcus with an indignant sniff.

  Brodie barked with laughter. “That’s fucking priceless. You’ve got a fan Pete.”

  Marcus’s eyes narrowed through the rear-view mirror. “You wantin’ a lift in the morning?”

  “You can’t back out now, your lord and master has ordained it,” said Brodie, staring out of the window, already tiring of the conversation. The McVays had tried to set him up for murder and done a piss poor job of it and it worried him what else they had in store for him. Thank Christ Pete had come along and demanded they go drinking together otherwise he’d probably be banged up in a cell by now wearing nothing but a paper suit.

  Pete’s house did nothing to lift his spirits. It was devoid of anything personal as well as half-empty of furniture, making it feel cold and unlived in. Not that he spent much time here anyway but it was still depressing. His ex-wife, the dragon queen, had got almost everything in the divorce, a fact that still made Brodie’s blood boil.

  “Right, I’m off to the fart sack,” announced Pete with a stretch and a yawn the moment they were through the door. “You can kip in the spare room.”

  “Look at the time. Is there any point going to sleep?”

  “It’s alright for you being your own boss, coming and going as you please but some of us have responsibilities and a job they want to keep. I have to be back in work at eleven and I’d like to be reasonably awake. If it hadn’t been for you I could have been in the land of nod hours ago.”

  “Fair enough,” said Brodie, watching him stomp upstairs.

  Rather than go to sleep Brodie plonked himself down on the couch and switched on the telly.

  “And you can turn that bastarding thing off,” Pete bellowed down the stairs at him.

  “Sorry,” he called back, leaving the television on but putting it on mute. On the screen was some crap American comedy that was actually funnier with the sound off.

  The next thing he knew he was being woken by the blaring of a car horn.

  “What prick’s making that noise at this time?” he grumbled before turning over and flopping face down on the couch, hoping to sink back into oblivion quickly to escape his stonner of a headache. Daylight was filtering in through the window and he had no wish to look at it.

  “What fucking dick is making that racket at this time of morning?” stormed Pete, thundering down the stairs in just his boxer shorts, his huge hair mussed up and flopping about his face.

  Brodie raised his head and grimaced at the sight of his friend’s nakedness. “Urgh. Whoever it is is going to bring their breakfast back up.”

  “Shut it you sarky prick,” shot back Pete, peering out of the window. “Oh look, it’s PC Prat.”

  “You mean kissy-arse? Is he back all ready?” mumbled Brodie, already dropping off again. “Argh,” he cried when Pete violently shook him. “Stop it, I’ve got a headache.”

  “Tough, Princess. Get your lazy arse up and out the door before that tit wakes up the entire street. He’s here to take you to pick up Cass.”

  Just as Pete knew it would, this statement had Brodie leaping up off the couch.

  Once upright he clutched at his head. “Ow, ow, ow.”

  “I’ll get you some Paracetamol,” sighed Pete, wandering into the kitchen.

  “It’s all your fault, you and your bloody tequila,” Brodie shouted after him before wincing again.

  “You’re such a delicate little flower,” said Pete, returning with a packet of tablets and a glass of water.

  Brodie snatched them off him, tossed two tablets into his mouth and gulped down the water in one go.

  “Better?” said Pete.

  “Jeezo, give them time to work,” retorted Brodie.

  “Now you’ve enjoyed my hospitality you can bugger off.” When Marcus beeped his horn again Pete stormed to the window, threw it open and bellowed a string of expletives at him. A neighbour added to the cacophony by telling him to keep the noise down. “And you can shut it too,” Pete yelled back at him before releasing a grunt of annoyance and retracting his head back inside. “Do one Brodie before I have the locals on my doorstep with torches and pitchforks.”

  “Aye I’m going, you tetchy ogre,” he said, a final parting shot before departing, slamming the door shut on a fresh string of expletives.

  “Oh crap, did I piss the boss off?” said Marcus when Brodie jumped into the passenger seat.

  “Yep, big style but he’ll get over it.” When Marcus just sat there and chewed his lip with an anxious look Brodie added, “don’t worry, he’ll only make you suffer for a little while, just until he retires.”

  “Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” he replied, setting off a little too quickly, eager to escape the wrath of his superior.

  Brodie walked into the hospital alone, telling Marcus to wait in the car. He didn’t want to freak Cass out with a uniform, she was going to be feeling fragile. Brodie was proud of how sensitive he was being. However, when he arrived he found her having a row in her room with someone, looking the complete opposite to fragile.

  “You, do one,” Brodie told a purple-faced Oliver.

  “Not until she admits she’s lying,” he cried, pointing at Cass.

  “You think I made this up?” she said, gesturing to her stitched jaw.

  “Lucas said you slipped in the bathroom and banged yourself. He was only trying to help.”

  “What a load of shite,” shot back Brodie, glad the Paracetamol had kicked in because he intended to do a lot of shouting. “That prick is a complete freak. Those faces in his exhibition were real you know? Well, not all of them. Some of them were casts but some of them were real live people.”

  Oliver blinked at him in astonishment. “Have you actually lost your mind?” He grimaced and wafted the air around him. “Or drunk more like. Go home, you’re a mess. I’m talking about the allegation of assault this tart has made against Lucas.”

  Brodie grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back against the wall. “Your innocent wee pal almost took down me and one of my associates single-handed. Tough career criminals and respected hard men have tried that and never got close to what he did. Now I know what you meant about his violent outbursts.”

  Cass rounded on Oliver. “You knew what he was capable of, didn’t you? Why didn’t you warn me?”

  Oliver’s shocked expression dissipated into nastiness. “You never deserved him and finally you’re done. He’s seen through you, you cheap slag. You toyed with his affections then you dumped him.”

  “I did not dump him, I love him,” she exclaimed before checking herself. “I mean I used to loved him, I just didn’t want to move to London. Did that deserve having my face cut off? No but he thought it did because Brodie was right - Lucas Thorne is a murdering bastard and one day we’ll prove it.”

  Oliver’s smirk was positively reptilian. “No you won’t.”

  Brodie banged him off the wall. “You know, don’t you? You know what he’s been doing. Admit it.”

  “Brodie,” said Cass.

  He recognised the warning in her tone and hastily released Oliver when a nurse entered the room.

  “I’d appreciate it if you would leave,” said the scowling nurse. “Miss Carlisle is free to go and we do not tolerate violence on hospital grounds. This officer will escort you off the premises.”

  Brodie burst out laughing when a sheepish Marcus walked into the room. “Thanks hen, he’s our lift.”

  “What happened to your car?” Cass asked him. “Finally collapsed did it?”

  “I’ll explain later.” Brodie looked back at O
liver. “We’re not done.”

  “Yes we are. Lucas’s lawyer will have him out in no time.”

  “Not if I have anything to do with it. Come on Cass, let’s get away from the stink.”

  Together they walked past the bad-tempered nurse, Marcus trailing behind.

  “What is going on?” said Cass.

  “Later,” said Brodie, indicating Marcus with a nod of the head.

  They didn’t speak until they’d been dropped off at Cass’s flat and they were safely ensconced inside together.

  “So you going to tell me what’s going on now?” said Cass.

  “You sure you don’t want to rest first?”

  She cocked her eyebrow. “I was a soft jelly yesterday but that was the shock. I’ve not broken.”

  What a woman he thought. “Okay hen, sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  He sat her down and explained everything, Cass’s eyes widening as he went on.

  “Oh shit,” was all she said when he’d finished.

  “Yep.”

  “But why set you up? I could understand Malc and Tam setting up Toni or vice versa but why you?”

  “Buggered if I know but no doubt I’ll find out at some point.”

  “Well, if Jez Law and Mikey Maguire are coming to town the body count’s only going to get higher.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “You’re finding this exciting, aren’t you?”

  “Well, maybe a bit. At least it’s taking my mind off Lucas.” She looked across the room and all the blood drained from her face.

  “What is it?” he said, slightly panicky, hoping she didn’t have a dead body in her living room too.

  “That’s Lucas’s shirt hanging over the back of that chair,” she said sadly, nodding at the small table with four chairs in one corner of the room. “He spilt red wine on it the last time he was here. I washed it for him and never got the chance to give it back.”

  “Want me to get rid of it?”

  “Please,” she said quietly.

  “I’m so sorry hen. I just want you to be happy.”

  She gave him that odd searching look again before saying, “thanks.”

  He spotted a large piece of paper spread out on the coffee table before them and picked it up. “What’s that?”

  “Nothing,” she said, hastily reaching for it but she was too late.

  Brodie stared at the paper, feeling his temperature sore. It was a charcoal drawing of Cass. And she was completely naked.

  “Sorry hen,” he said, quickly replacing it on the table, blushing so furiously his cheeks felt to burn.

  “Lucas drew it,” she said in a tight voice.

  “It’s errr…very good.”

  To his surprise she looked right at him. “Why are you blushing? It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.”

  Brodie thought his head might explode as he recalled that one magical night they’d shared together, the perfect curve and contour of every part of her incredible body flashing through his mind. He looked right back at her, his heart pounding, frantically trying to work out whether or not he should tell her how he felt about her.

  They both frowned when there was a knock at the door.

  “You expecting anyone?” he said flatly, annoyed at the interruption.

  “Nope,” she replied, looking away.

  “It could be reporters, fucking cockroaches. I’ll get rid of them.”

  Brodie strode to the door, determined to get rid of whoever was intruding on his alone time with Cass. When he peered through the spy hole he realised that wasn’t happening.

  “Go away Toni,” he called through the door.

  “Now that’s not very polite. Open up please.”

  “No.”

  “I come with news that you really need to hear.”

  He sighed and looked to Cass.

  “Let her in,” she said resignedly. “She won’t go away until we’ve heard her out.”

  He opened the door and in she flounced wearing a knee length black coat, short clingy skirt and blouse unbuttoned almost to the navel.

  “No Caesar? Have you finally worn him out?” said Brodie.

  “I want to show you that I come in peace and to tell you that the body in your grotesque little flat was nothing to do with me. Really you need to sort yourself out something better, a corpse could only improve it.”

  “If you’ve finished insulting my interior design skills then you can do one. Cass needs to rest.”

  She walked round him to Cass, concern etched on her face. “Dear Cassandra, look what that animal has done to your lovely face.”

  “Thanks Antoinette,” she said flatly, completely unmoved, knowing Toni felt no genuine emotion apart from anger, lust and greed.

  Toni turned her attention back to Brodie. “I came to say that body in your flat was put there by Malc.”

  “Makes sense,” he replied. “He’s the only one stupid enough to come up with a divvy plan like that.”

  “He’s a little hurt that you’ve taken my side in all this.”

  “How many times do I have to say it? I’ve not taken anyone’s bloody side. I don’t give a shit but for some reason you all want me involved.”

  “That’s because Mr Brodie you have done yourself no favours. With your organisation’s less than legal behaviour you’ve inveigled yourselves with the criminal underworld of this city, so now we see you as no different from us.”

  Brodie’s nostrils flared with indignation. “How dare you.”

  “It’s true. You flout the law every day of your working life and it’s only thanks to your police contacts that you haven’t been arrested. You’re a vigilante.”

  “Aye I am and proud. You gave me that load of old fanny about a high-ranking polis wanting Pete to back down just to reel me in. You knew I’d go straight round to Malc’s and tell him to back off.”

  “You’re right, I did because I’m a naughty girl. You have powerful friends whose secrets you protect and who owe you. That makes you powerful and you’re in this along with the rest of us and for that reason everyone is waiting to see what you’ll do. That’s why it’s important you choose a side.”

  “Thanks for the ego boost hen but we both know you’re being well over the top.”

  “No I’m not. Deep down you realise that, which is why I want to introduce you.”

  Brodie looked around the room and shrugged. “To who?”

  “Come in boys,” called Toni.

  Cass’s front door opened and both her and Brodie’s jaws dropped.

  “I don’t fucking believe it,” said Brodie.

  “Did you have to bring them to my home?” sighed Cass, shaking her head.

  “Brodie MacBride and the lovely Cassandra Carlisle, meet Mikey Maguire and Jez Law.”

  The two handsome, strapping, dark-haired men in very expensive suits both nodded solemnly, looking all business.

  Toni’s smile was sly. “Your reputations proceed you boys.”

  “Ah jeezo,” said Brodie, dragging his hands down his face. “This city is fucked.”

  “Isn’t Ryan here?” said Cass, disappointed.

  “Why do all the ladies say that?” sighed Jez. Women went wild over his older brother, despite the fact he was very happily married.

  Jez’s eyes alighted on the drawing of Cass that was still spread out on the coffee table and his eyebrows shot up. Mikey and Toni followed his line of sight, Mikey deciding to be a gentleman and pretend he hadn’t noticed while Toni released a purr of pleasure and snatched it up.

  “Oh my Cassandra, you’re everything I dreamed you would be and more.”

  “Give me that back,” said Cass, grabbing it out of her hands and rolling it up.

  “Was that produced by the talented hand of Mr Lucas Thorne?”

  Cass just nodded, cheeks red with embarrassment and outrage.

  “If you like I can make him suffer while he’s in prison?” offered Toni.

  “I
’ll think about it,” was all Cass replied.

  “Why have you brought this pair to me?” said Brodie, indicating Mikey and Jez.

  Toni tossed back her head. “I told you it was time to pick a side. I just want to be sure you choose the right one.”

  “It’s nothing to do with me,” he countered.

  “And I say it is,” she yelled, black eyes flashing. “You were seen going into Malc’s club with Tam, it’s all around the houses.”

  “That’s why you sent me, so you could strong arm me into this mess,” he yelled back, furious.

  “Everyone thinks you’re siding with those two manky bawbags. Now it’s time to show me where your loyalties lie.”

  “I don’t have any loyalty to you, Tam or that big melon-headed bastard. Don’t you get it?” bellowed Brodie, getting seriously angry.

  “You don’t have the luxury of staying out of this one Brodie, it’s too late.”

  “So that’s why you brought Pinky and Perky here,” he said, gesturing to Mikey and Jez.

  “What the fuck did you just call us?” demanded Mikey in a strong Mancunian accent.

  “Mr Brodie has a very unique way of speaking,” said Toni. “He’s also utterly fearless. I’ve still not decided whether that makes him the bravest man I know, or the stupidest.”

  “That’s right Toni, I’m not afraid of you or Ant and Dec.”

  Mikey’s fist slammed against the wall. “I’m getting sick of this dick’s mouth.”

  “Yes, that’s the effect he has on most people but I’m one of the very few who can appreciate his considerable talents,” said Toni, resting a hand on Brodie’s chest.

  When Brodie knocked her hand away Mikey and Jez leapt to defend her, while Cass jumped to Brodie’s side.

  “Now everyone just calm down,” said Toni, standing in the middle of the four of them. “This is a first, me peacemaker.” The amused smile vanished. “Pick a side Brodie. I won’t ask again.”

  Brodie released a grunt of frustration, staring hard at two of the most dangerous men ever to come out of the north of England standing here before him and Cass, ready to do whatever damage Toni told them to. Then he looked to Cass, the person he treasured most in the world and knew what he had to do. “Fine,” he sighed. “I’m on your side. Happy now?”