On Thursday morning Dave packed ready for London, he Ubered for a couple of hours to pass the time. He was ready waiting for Sally to return from work, she dropped him off at the station, he kissed her, said he would phone that evening and would be back later tomorrow, Sally pulled him back for another kiss. She watched as he walked into the station. He phoned Jane Goodley as soon as he arrived in his office on Friday morning, she said for him to be at her house at 11:00. He went to see Howard, her deputy, informed him of his plans, “will you take her handbag, it was recovered from the van she was taken in?” Dave asked for a car to be available around 10:15. He was surprised to see a driver waiting in the car, he thought he would be driving, passing over the address, he sat back, closing his eyes. He opened them when the engine was switched off. He rang the bell, the door was opened by Ruth, who hugged him. “It’s good to see you again.” Jane was dressed and sitting on a sofa, he sat opposite, Ruth brought in coffee for them both. “How’s the shoulder?” “Bloody sore.” Ruth said she would leave them alone. “Jane, there are several parts to this meeting, firstly I want to know if you have been contacted by the Home Secretary or anyone else?” “No, only you and Howard.” “OK we will come back to that later. Do you want to talk about last Friday yet?” “I will, I’ve relived it in my head a thousand times. I will tell it from the start, there are parts I don’t want in the report, it doesn’t alter the facts,” “I didn’t mention it in my last report, and I won’t put it in this one.” She spent almost an hour going over the events, several times she cried. When she had finished, he went into the kitchen to make coffee, Ruth hearing him, came to take over. Returning to Jane, he carried on, “Since no one has bothered to contact you, I guess I will have to ask you,” “ask me what?” “At my last meeting, the question of your future was raised. Neither the Home Secretary nor the Prime Minister, wanted to talk about your future. I will ask what they wouldn’t. Will you be returning to work?” “I spent hours thinking if I wanted to or not, I could finish now, I have a good pension pot, there would be a large payout, it would be easy to walk away. But no, I have a job to do, why should I let some bastard with a grudge stop me doing a job I’m good at and for the most part enjoy doing, so I will be returning to work. It will take up to a month for my shoulder to heal, as soon as I feel like it I will be back in.” “My next question is nothing to do with work, do you want to tell me about how you and Ruth are.” “David, my private life has nothing to do with you.” “Jane you are talking with your work hat on, take it off and tell me, not as my boss, but as a friend, we are friends aren’t we?” He smiled at her as he said it. “There are times when I hate you, there is a certain charm you have.” “Can I say what Sally told me?” He was smiling even more now. “I’m not sure I want to hear this,” Dave lowered his voice and moved closer. “Sally thinks there is a bit of you that is in love with me, I told her it was rubbish.” She had now turned bright red. “I don’t know where she got that idea from,” “She’s a woman, she sees these things. Personally, I think she’s wrong.” He was enjoying himself. “Stop this nonsense now.” “So, how is Ruth?” “She will be moving in soon, we’re different people now, we understand each other better.” “I’m pleased for you both. When you return to work, you will be Miss Goodley to Sally and I, it will be a work relationship, no one will hear anything about what happened to you from either of us,” he was now on his feet, Jane stood as well, he kissed her on the cheek, he reached for her good hand, he squeezed it gently, she called Ruth to say Dave was leaving. He kissed her as well, “I hope you will both be very happy together, she looked quizzically at Jane, “you can’t keep any secrets from him, he has a way of finding out everything. David, thank you, and thank Sally, you saved my life. Thank you for being so kind,” He was embarrassed, “I was just doing my job,” “I’ve read your report, we’ll talk about it later.” With that he was gone, the rest of the afternoon was spent writing up the report, Sally would type it over the weekend, he would send it off when she had finished.
She was waiting for him at the railway station, driving home, she said there was something he had to look at after they had eaten. Over dinner she asked how the meeting had gone, “it went well until I enquired how the relationship was going. She told me it was none of my business. I told her, you suspected she was a little bit in love with me, she looked embarrassed. Ruth will be moving in soon, I wished them both well from the two of us. The report is in my briefcase, it has to be checked and typed ready to go. She is going to stay on, nobody has been in touch with her, not even to ask how she is.” They were drinking coffee afterwards when Dave remembered Sally had something to show him. “I was online going over my bank statements this afternoon, I checked our business account, you have to see it.” “Why?” She leaned over the sofa to reach her tablet, logging on, she passed it over, “open up the business account.” “Shit, where did that come from, there wasn’t that much a few weeks ago.” “Three weeks working plus a week of retainer money and your expenses comes to over £140k. Look at the last entry, there is a payment of £50k, have you put in an invoice I don’t know about?” “No, where has the money come from?” “I’m not sure, I can’t work out the reference.” Dave looked at the screen, “I’ve got it, remember when we were speaking to Richard Carlton, he said we couldn’t be publicly thanked for our work, I said something like ‘cash is always appreciated’. I think that must be it.” “Well, wherever it’s come from, it’s very welcome.”
In Manchester, Susan Dawson was also thinking about money, her husband’s body had been released and would be at a local undertakers tomorrow. There had been a steady stream of callers to the house, expressing their sorrow at his passing. She had played the sad widow well. Her plan was to put the house on the market the day following the funeral, if it sold quickly, she would either move in with her sister, or rent a small flat. The cash in the house had already been gathered and was in the spare bedroom, where she was now sleeping. Solicitors had been instructed to find a buyer for the company, again as soon as the funeral was over. She hoped to have everything sold within eighteen months, sooner would be better. A new life far away from Manchester beckoned, she would be a rich widow, still with some good looks, there was catching up to be done. Susan planned to have fun, not waste her money on men who might be after her for what she had. She wanted to find a man who would love her for who she is.”
Sally said she would be out most of Saturday, Olivia and her had booked a spa day. “I’ll go Ubering, earn some money.” She was up and gone by 08:30, Dave didn’t start until much later, his heart wasn’t in it, he would much rather have spent the day with Sally. He had the evening and Sunday to look forward to. For a relaxing spa day, Sally was worn out when she returned. She flopped on the sofa, I’m worn out, we never stopped, the first part of the morning was spent swimming, we were in the sauna afterwards. The lunch wasn’t up to much, all too healthy, it was a massage next, I had a full body massage.” He looked at Sally, it was a woman who did it, I kept my knickers on, not that there was much to them, I had a towel across my bum. It was knackering, not like the way you do it to me. There was afternoon tea, finally it was a manicure and pedicure, it was too much to do in one day, next time we will relax more.” “So, your tired,” he pretended to be fed up, “I have enough energy for later on.” Dave cooked, he opened a bottle of wine, Sally changed before dinner, she came downstairs wearing a short dress, she hugged Dave, his hand gently pulled up the bottom of the dress a short way, He guessed it was only the dress she was wearing. She reached round and pulled his hand away. “Later,” she whispered. They talked and ate, the bottle of wine was finished, Dave poured a gin for Sally and a whisky for himself. After coffees, she led him upstairs, “undress, lay on the bed,” he didn’t need to be told twice, he was on the bed naked, Sally still wearing the dress climbed on top of him kissing him as she moved up his body. In the morning, neither of them wanted to leave the bed, both had left briefly, but returned immediately. Sally’s head was on Dave’s chest, he felt a tear, moving her head, he looked at her. “They’re tears of happiness,” he laid her head where it had been, his hand caressed her back. It was well after midday when they finally decided it was time to get up. “I’m not going out today, after I have typed your report, I want to be close to you. It’s not insecurity or anything connected to work, I want to be with you.” With the report typed up, they sat watching an old black and white film on the TV, Sally’s head was in Dave’s lap. His hand was resting inside the tracksuit top she was wearing, he would occasionally tickle her stomach.
It was back to normal on Monday, Dave travelled down to London on Thursday evenings, returning on Friday, the time in London was spent reviewing and assessing cases, offering advice and for an hour each Friday morning, giving a talk in the lecture theatre to mostly researchers and on occasions, investigators. Sally hadn’t been down for several weeks, she said to Dave she would be down the next time he went and to book two extra nights. There wasn’t any more training for her to do, she was as good, if not better than most field workers. Her time was spent talking to researchers, she knew the job and had enjoyed it when she had done it. Like Dave, she offered advice. At 10:15, she was in the lecture theatre with Dave, “you haven’t any notes, what will you be talking about?” “I have an idea for today, it might work, who knows.” There were around fifty seated at 10:30, on the desk in front of him was a large box, it was full to the top, with soft foam question marks. He greeted everyone, asking those at the back to come down towards the front. It was difficult for him to see everyone. The lights shone down towards him, “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is David, I have many year’s experience of solving cases both here and at the MOD. Today, we will be discussing ‘thinking’, we do it all the time, often without realising it.” He stopped, the door at the back of the theatre had opened and closed again, “we started a few minutes ago, please do not be late the next time, sit down quickly.” He carried on from where he left off. Everything we do is the result of a thought. I have thoughts here on the desk. These are ‘questions’, a question is a thought you don’t know the answer to. We all like to think we can figure out the answer to questions, but we have been conditioned to think in a set way, often logical, because, usually the answer to whatever we are thinking is found that way. You are thinking in ‘the box’.” He held up the box of question marks. “Often to solve a problem you have to do this,” he took out each question mark and through it randomly, some hit the researchers, others fell across the theatre. “Many times, you have to think outside the box, you will have heard the expression many times, but what does it mean?” He spent the next forty five minutes speaking generally about cases he had solved by looking at the information in a different way. The last part was a question and answer session. Finishing he said if anyone wanted to speak to him personally he would be in his office until 16:30. “Next time, we will talk about money.” When they had left, he noticed other than Sally, there was one person still in the theatre, he couldn’t make out who it was, he moved to the side to switch on the lights. Sitting towards the back, was Jane Goodley, “Good morning Miss Goodley, please don’t be late next time.” “I wish I had lecturers like you, when I was training, there was nothing like the one you gave. Is there no end to your talents.” “I just talk, nothing is planned other than the start. I just wing it.” “Like you do for everything, you make it up as you go along.” “Pretty much so, it hasn’t done me too badly.” She was now down at the front, Sally who had been picking up the question marks joined them, “I will be having words with you later, Miss Fellowes.” Dave asked how the shoulder was, the sling had gone. “Much better thank you, it hasn’t fully mended, but it won’t be long.” “As I have said to you on many occasions, we have to talk, you are an asset I don’t want to lose.” “We are here until Sunday, join us for a meal, bring Ruth, I’m sure there isn’t much she doesn’t know by now.” “I’ll think about it. Miss Fellowes, will you be in my office at midday please.” Before she went in, Sally asked Dave if he knew why she wanted to see him, “I can guess, but I might be wrong, the only way you will know is by going to see her.” She was asked to sit down, “I want to thank you for what you did, I have read the report, there are many people here who couldn’t have done what you did. You also showed me kindness and compassion as did David. Most operatives are clinical, they have to be, get the job done, then get back out as soon as it’s over. You two, in my experience are different. I have never met anyone like David, certainly not someone who does the same job. “You have become like him. I have to maintain a working relationship with you both, I find it hard to do, with David, he knows how to get information from me in the most charming way, as you could tell, there is a little piece of me which more than admires him, but please don’t tell him, he will play on it.” “We have discussed Ruth, I think you should know, Dave wondered if we should check her out, not through her files, you will have done it already. He didn’t know whether he should see where she goes, who she meets, you know what he means.” “Thank you, for the offer, I don’t think it needs to be done. Tell David I asked you in here to thank you, nothing else.” Dave stopped what he was doing when she returned. “She wanted to thank me, that’s all.” Dave looked at her, “It’s a good job she isn’t bisexual, I might have a fight on my hands.” He sat back on his chair, “I’m not sure which one I would choose.” Sally playfully slapped him. In the afternoon she spent a few hours with the researchers, a couple came to see Dave to ask his advice, he said if ever they were stuck, imagine the scenario or person in their head, look round for different ways in or out. He stressed it didn’t matter how stupid an idea might be. They left just after 17:00, they hadn’t seen Jane again, that night they ate out at an Italian restaurant, during the meal, his phone had pinged, it was a message from Jane, ‘Invitation accepted, dinner for four, 20:00 your hotel’. Dave showed it to Sally then replied, ‘see you then’. “I haven’t brought anything to wear, you only have one decent pair of trousers with you. We will have to shop tomorrow.”
Sally was wearing a royal blue silk dress which finished slightly above her knee, Dave had bought a jacket, trousers and a shirt, he didn’t bother with a tie. Housekeeping had ironed their clothes, at 19:45 they were in the bar. Jane and Ruth looked like a couple who had been together for years, they were easy in each other’s company, Sally thought Ruth suited Jane much better than Alison did. There were kisses all round before Dave ordered drinks, they were brought the menus as they sat talking. A waiter called them through, Dave had asked for a quiet table, the restaurant was busy, hopefully by the time they were finished it would be quieter. It was general chat whilst they were eating, they were on the second bottle of wine when the dessert menu was handed to them. Ruth and Sally had a dessert, Dave and Jane had cheese, coffee was brought, Sally took bits of cheese from Dave’s plate, all except Ruth had brandy’s. The tables round them had gone, Jane sipping her brandy decided the time was right. “What do I have to offer to make you work for me?” The question had been directed at Dave, but she knew it would be a joint decision. “Move MI5 to nearer us, I might consider it then.” “I want you both, there would be an excellent financial package.” “Jane, we have talked about this before, we don’t want to leave where we are. Sally likes her job, her friends are there, I couldn’t take her away from the life she has. Besides, I like it there as well. I know my time in the field is limited, and eventually it will stop. If we were employed by you, we would have to obey the rules, a lot of what we do is not within the law. Once given a task, I carry it out using my own methods. That would go if I was employed. The last two operations were successful because I answered to no one, I called the shots, people did what I wanted them to do, there was no committee meetings to make a decision. Had it gone wrong, I would have been hung out to dry, made the scapegoat. I know the risks I take. I use people I trust, unknown to anyone else, I pay them well, they also understand the risks, but the benefits outweigh the risks for them. I could make a call now and have as many armed and ready to go men, as I needed in a couple of hours. I can have someone tailed, again within a couple of hours, being freelance has it benefits for both of us.” Ruth was looking at Dave in awe, she had never heard anything like it. “You know we are always on the end of a phone, I will do whatever it takes to protect this country from threats, either internal or external.” “I know about your loyalty and dedication, but I want you here.” It was Sally who spoke next. “I think Dave has made our position clear, you haven’t seen him when he is carrying out an investigation, it drains him, not the field work, it’s the mental process before there is any field work, he becomes the case, it takes him over, he is focussed to the point of exhaustion. I don’t want him suffering because there is nobody else as good, you should be working on having others thinking the way Dave does. It can be learned, I’m proof of that, nowhere near as good, but I’m getting better. Have Dave help out teaching, you saw him yesterday, he is inspiring.” Dave offered two days a week instead of the one he was doing now. Jane accepted, it was all she thought she would get. Dave ordered more coffee and brandies, he wondered out loud, “what has happened to the calibre of the staff and the recruits, it’s the same at the MOD, why is it, the best they have is an ex-sergeant and his partner, I was never the best, there were others better.” “No there wasn’t anyone better, I have seen reports and assessments you can’t access, don’t bother looking, you won’t find them.” “Is that a challenge?” “You don’t know, but the shit really hit the fan when you left the Army. There was an inquiry, people were bollocked, it was a stroke of luck when you moved in with Sally, she was one of the best researchers at the MOD, you know she was approached, but she fell in love and said nothing to the Major. Why do you think you get away with talking to people in authority the way you do. It’s only down to the fact you get results. There isn’t anyone nearly as good as you, and now with Sally you make a formidable team. You had worked out the most recent case, it was only because I was taken you had to carry out the rescue, had it been a day later, it wouldn’t have happened.” “In some ways I count that as a failure, you were shot, I should have solved it sooner.” There was no more work talk, it moved on to holidays, Jane and Ruth would soon be off to Italy for a week, Sally said they wanted another holiday to make up for the one interrupted. At 00:30 Jane said it was time to go, Sally felt wobbly as she stood up, she hung on to Dave. A car was called for Jane and Ruth, there were more hugs and kisses as they stood outside, while kissing Jane, Dave’s hand slipped down and patted her bottom. He smiled at her as she moved away. Sally wanted another drink, Dave ordered the drinks as she went off to the toilet, she handed him something when she came back. “What’s this?” “Don’t look, there my knickers, put them in your pocket, she smiled at him. She sat opposite Dave in the lounge, there was only one other couple talking, they were on a table much further away. Sally’s dress was shorter when she sat down, as they drank, she would move her legs, Dave could see her knickers were certainly not being worn. She did it as often as she dared, Dave said to drink up, they were in the bedroom as quickly as they could get there. Sally unzipped her dress, she let it drop to the floor, Dave scooped her up and put her on the bed, she sat up to unbutton his shirt, he was pulling off his trousers.
On the journey back to Loughborough, they discussed the meeting from the previous night, Dave told Sally he had patted her bum just before she left. The carriage was almost empty, “Dave, I think we have the balance about right, I do worry at times you do too much, but only you know when you should stop. We are building up a good bank balance for when you have to finish, hopefully we can buy somewhere together in the future. I love you so much, I’m so happy being with you.” “I’m glad we found each other, I can’t imagine life without you.” He kissed her at the same time as putting his hand on her leg, “no, not on a train, wait until we are home.”
Case Closed.
© 10210ken 2025
