In The End Box Set | Books 1-3 Stevens, GJ (story books to read TXT) 📖

“Ms Carmichael,” the secretary said in his trademark low voice. He was still wearing a shirt, the loose top button and missing tie his only nod to the season. He stood with the opening spread just wide enough for his thin body, making no motion for me to enter.

“Jessica, please,” I replied with my on-camera smile.

“What is it that cannot wait until my office reopens?” he said, the deep lines around his mouth curling to a glimpse of a smile.

“How’s Mrs Secretary?” I said, and watched as he tried to pull the door tighter against his body.

“The family is well, thank you,” he said. “Is this a social call?” he replied, raising his brow.

“No, sorry. Business.” His brow stayed raised. “Invasion of the Bodmin Snatchers?” I added and watched as the smile fell from his face, his gaze shooting behind me.

I turned as I saw one of the protection officers looking my way, turning back to see the secretary shake his head. I glanced back to the van for effect.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Is that your final comment? I have a source,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

His face had paled and his hands were shaking. This man had signed off war. He’d signed off benefit cuts to put millions into poverty. He’d taken money for the party that should have gone elsewhere and he’d done it with a smile. Still, the professional liar couldn’t keep this down.

“Shit.” I let the word slip. “Shit,” I said to the percussion of my heartbeat. Fear for Toni ballooned in my chest, excitement bubbling through my brain.

What the hell have I stumbled into?

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll just have to take the crew and find out for myself.”

“Jessica,” he said as I turned, but I didn’t look back. “Leave this alone.”

For a moment I thought I heard a tremble in his voice.

With my heels clicking on the paving, I watched as the two officers headed in my direction, only diverting when at arm’s reach. The gates slid open.

The call came through before we’d left the curb. Stan again, this time his temper boiling over.

I held the phone away from my ear, cringing at words shouted down the line. Watching the road as we headed back to the office.

This was big, bigger than I could have known, but it looked like it might cost me my career. I wasn’t scared of losing my job. Turning the other cheek was my fear and letting something big out of my grasp. There were other channels. Other stations. If I cracked whatever this was, I’d have my pick.

I wasn’t scared of going it alone. It was just a little bigger than I expected.

We sat in silence as the miles rumbled by like a countdown to my fate, not knowing what waited for me as we headed back to the office. Stan with a torn-up contract probably.

I thanked them both, apologising for taking them out of the warmth, but when they both looked back, confused, I told Mike to stop the van.

Dan jumped as his phone rang, handing it over after he answered the call.

“It’s for you,” he said, his face screwed up. The screen showed a withheld number, but it was Stan’s gruff voice on the line.

“Stick with it, but you’re on your own kid,” he said, before the line went dead.

Handing back the phone, the two conversations tangled in my head and I watched as the tall door mirrors lit up in a sea of flashing blue lights.

3

The strobe of blue light grew as we slowed, the phone’s tone ringing in my ear only twice before the flat voice answered.

“How’s your Christmas going Mrs Commissioner? Did you get any unexpected presents this year?” I replied.

The call went dead before she spoke and before I had a chance to make myself blush by describing the details of the photos of her locked in a naked embrace with a man who wasn’t her husband.

With the empty echo still in my ear, I watched in the tall door mirror, counting in my head the few moments I imagined it took for her hurried call to connect and for despatch to find the right car.

It was a full twenty seconds before the police car behind veered right as it neared, its lights winking as if still not sure if it would cut across at the last minute and bring us to a stop. As it sped into the distance I knew I’d burnt another bridge and it would only be fair to burn the photos hidden in my safe deposit box.

Mike continued to brake.

“What the fuck?” he replied as we slowed to the curb, his voice as always sounding on the edge of a cough. That along with a scar on his throat reminded everyone of his surgery just as I joined the team.

“Let me out,” I said, motioning for Dan to shuffle out of the way. He glared back with a furrowed brow, but without moving to let me by.

“What are you on to?” he said, shaking his head with none of the usual cheer in his voice.

I turned to him, his face hanging with the same fixed expression.

“It’s big, but I need to do this alone,” I replied.

“And your friend?” Mike said. “Is she in danger?”

I nodded. It was all I could manage, knowing the words would force tears I didn’t want to show in front of my colleagues.

Mike and Dan swapped looks across me and the van pulled away from the curb.

“Where are we going, boss?” he said with his cheer returning.

“Cornwall,” I replied, my head already filling with ideas while Dan recovered from his double take at my words, Mike nearly choking on his