by J. S. Law
‘I still don’t get this,’ said Dan, standing beside him and looking down towards Blackett’s office. ‘I still don’t understand why everyone, independently, chose me.’
‘I don’t either,’ he said, as though that might make Dan feel better. ‘Maybe that lot’ll come up with something?’ He nodded to a procession of officers that was starting to gather outside Roger Blackett’s outer office. ‘Apparently the Chief of the Defence Staff is coming today, along with a whole host of other bigwigs: Second Sea Lord and more. This is getting scrutiny from the right people, Danny. Most of the authority figures in the Royal Navy will be in that conference room today.’
‘Maybe they’re all in on it?’ joked Dan.
John laughed politely.
She turned to look at the officers who were beginning to arrive. She watched as Captain Harrow-Brown waited to greet them.
He stood at the door that led through Blackett’s office to the conference room and reached out to shake hands with an officer that she didn’t recognise.
Beside her John moved, suddenly standing up straight, posturing as he looked over her shoulder.
Dan saw Aaron Coles striding towards her, his wide frame now blocking her view.
‘I’d like to speak with Lieutenant Lewis, please, Master at Arms,’ Aaron asked, speaking to John as though he needed his permission.
‘Well, I’m here,’ said Dan.
‘Alone,’ added Aaron.
John eyed him, the menace obvious in his body language.
‘It’s fine, John, really,’ said Dan. ‘Could you wait for me, though, down by my car?’
He looked down at her and nodded. ‘I’ll just wait right there,’ he said, pointing at a bench further along the corridor, but still in view.
Dan knew he was really speaking to Aaron, who shrugged as though he couldn’t possibly care any less.
‘What do you want?’ Dan asked.
‘I thought we might make peace?’
Dan reached into her pocket, pulled out a broken, luminous friendship bracelet and held it out, offering it to Aaron.
He looked down at it and smiled. ‘My friendship bracelet,’ he said. ‘Thanks, I was in trouble for losing this.’
Dan just looked at him, weighing him up before she spoke. ‘It must have fallen off your wrist and into my bag while you were choking me in the bomb-shop,’ she said, as matter-of-factly as she was able. Her breathing was quickening and she cast an eye off to the side, turning so that she could see where John was sitting, watching. ‘I assume it was Maddock that did the talking. You were just there for support.’
‘Come on, Dan. Don’t be sore,’ he said, smiling. ‘If I hadn’t been there then things would have been much, much worse for you. Jago was out of control. To be honest, we were all a little worried about him and what he might do. We don’t really like the attention that someone like that brings, but he served a purpose.’
Aaron stepped forward a pace and Dan, despite herself, retreated one.
‘I just wanted to say, though, that I will answer a question for you, one I know’s been bothering you,’ he said, not trying to approach any further. ‘Why you? Why did you get this case?’
Dan watched him closely.
‘You were selected for this because we needed an investigation that would fail. We needed an investigator who was so damaged and discredited that they couldn’t help but hit a brick wall everywhere they went. One that would have the credentials, such that the investigation couldn’t later be called foul, but who simply couldn’t succeed in the environment in which they were working.’
He stepped forward again.
This time Dan stood her ground.
‘Of all the investigators available to us, you were the one, unique in your own way, that we felt certain couldn’t succeed. Strangely, this was the very same reason that Walker contacted you. He knew that, as a woman, you were the only investigator in the SIB that couldn’t possibly be part of our little club. He took a chance on you and it turned out he was right, didn’t it? To an extent, I mean.’
‘Couldn’t be part of your brotherhood, you mean?’ she asked.
He seemed to consider her words, a wry smile building on his lips. Then, emphatically, ‘Yes, you were the one investigator who could never be part of the brotherhood, if you wish to call it that.’
He laughed.
‘I’m telling you as a friend, Danny, you’d be doing the right thing to keep quiet and forget about this.’
Dan’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
‘I tell you this, because I hope that having had this conversation, and with you knowing what happens to those who’ve tried to disrupt us, you’ll be convinced not to pursue this any further.’
‘And Whisky tried to disrupt you?’ asked Dan. ‘Didn’t he? He killed himself on board Tenacity deliberately to bring me here.’
Aaron laughed. ‘You think a lot of yourself; maybe you’re right to,’ he said.
He paused and seemed to think about whether to go any further.
‘Whisky knew he had to die because he tried to leave and didn’t heed the warnings until it was far too late, though it does seem his final act managed to attract you to Tenacity, doesn’t it? But I don’t think he stepped off that platform just for you. I think he stepped out into space with a rope tied tight around his neck, because we couldn’t trust him any longer, and if he’d lived, he knows we’d have come for him next, and if he’d run, it would’ve been his kids after that. So he died for them, really, which is kind of romantic and beautiful when you think about it.’
‘What?’
Aaron looked at her, his face suddenly serious. ‘This is an honest, me to you, get-out-of-jail-free card, Danny. Now you know what you need to know to take this very seriously, and it’s a special, one-time offer of a warning; there won’t be another.’
He leaned in close to her and goose pimples chased each other up and down her spine.
‘We’ll be watching you, Dan Lewis.’
Dan raised her fingers into a pistol-like shape and fired at him. ‘Gotcha,’ she said.
Aaron laughed again.
‘It’s on you, Dan,’ he said. ‘It’s all on you now.’
He turned to leave, then looked back. ‘May I ask a question?’ he said and waited.
‘Sure.’
He held up the bracelet. ‘Why didn’t you submit this as evidence?’
Dan shrugged. ‘It wouldn’t have helped. I could have picked it up anywhere.’
He nodded. ‘Of course.’ He turned away again and began to walk back towards the conference room.
‘Aaron,’ Dan raised her voice so he could hear her.
He turned back.
‘I’m coming after you,’ she said.
Aaron Coles smiled and turned away. ‘Sounds like I’ll see you ’round then, Danny.’
