Bound Together - Charles Whiteman x OC

Chapter Four

We were stood outside Lee Cozens door when Whiteman went to open it. But it was locked.

"Fuck. What now?" He said while looking around cautiously.

"Here, give me a second" I said while squatting down to the lock. I took a hairpin out of my hair and started picking the lock.

"Where did you learn that Ryan?" Whiteman said with a smirk.

"Well, I was unemployed for a year with no where to stay and sometimes I had to take up the residence of vacant townhouses" I said wistfully.

"You squatted? That is very un-police officer of you Constable Ryan!" Charles said with a slight laugh.

"Shut up. You know nothing of what it was like." I said angrily. I'm so sick of people laughing at me and not taking me serious. I did what I had to do back then to survive, although that one night...nevermind. After our row, I eventually got the door open. Charles muttered a slight apology as he shuffled past me into the small apartment.

When we got into the apartment Charles sat down by the hearth and opened a cigar box. I stood behind the door and we didn't have to wait long till Lee Cozens sauntered in. Lee Cozens was a grotty man. He was shuffling around his apartment till Whiteman spoke out.

"Tell me something, Cozens," Cozens jumps and spins around to look at Whiteman. Thankfully he hadn't spotted me yet.

"How does a low-life, convicted rapіst like you get his hands on top-notch cigars? You're only just out the clink." Whiteman questions Cozens.

"You know how it goes, Whiteman. Friends in high places. Churchill's favorite brand," With this remark Cozens looks around the room and spots me. "Constable Ryan! Good to see you, I knew when I saw you that day in the lane, that it wouldn't be the last" Cozens said with a gross smile.

"Shut up, you perverted animal" I say fiercely.

"Stop playing hard to get Constable, you know you want a bit of this" He slowly began making his way toward me. I drew my knife from pocket.

"Cozens I swear if you come a step closer I'll kill you. Be quiet and listen to what Whiteman has to say to you" I snarl.

"So...a body was discovered in the boot of a Wolseley after last night's raid" Whiteman says and with this he enacts our plan.

"What's this?" Cozen asks suspiciously.

"It's a gear knob, stupid," Whiteman exclaims. "Thought we'd go into business together."

"Oh" Cozens says as he laugh nervously and looks around the room. Then Whiteman pulls out his gun and puts a bullet through his head. I flinch at the noise. He looks at Cozen's corspe with a smile. We carefully sneak out of Cozens flat ensuring it looks like he took his own life.

We got back into the car and headed toward the police station. I stayed in the car while Charles put the new gear knob in the black Wolseley. He came back to the car and turned to me,

"Fancy a nightcap?"

We headed into the police station and I sat down on his desk as he poured us both a small glass of whiskey which is hard stuff to come by now a days. Then the phone began ringin. Charles and I shared a knowing look as he picked it up.

"Well?" The woman said.

"I planted fingerprints in the Wolseley. Case will be closed by sunset tomorrow. I'll bury the files." Charles said with a nod to me.

"Good." The woman said relieved.

"Maybe when all this is over, I can take you for a drink sometime. Nice to put a face to the voice." He said with a cheeky grin.

"Know you are loved, Sergent Whiteman" the woman said plainly.

"You just couldn't help yourself Whiteman" I said with a laugh.

"Why? You Jealous Ryan?" Whiteman raised an eyebrow at me.

"Ha! You wish." I said and hit his arm lightly.

"Tell me more about yourself Cathrine. How do you go from squatter to police constable?" Charles asked me. It's refreshing to have someone actually care about how I came to be here because it wasn't easy.

"Well I'm from Dublin, if you couldn't tell from my accent, and I immigrated here, by choice, in 1937 to become a police officer. Ireland still won't allow women on the force so I've no plan to go back any time soon. When I came here in 1937, I was told by plenty of people that I didn't belong here, it was constant and then there were the signposts or just the plain verbal abuse when people heard my accent. I wouldn't let that discourage me. But for a whole year I was basically homeless and had to turn to squatting in houses. Thankfully, I was never caught otherwise I wouldn't be here today. I guess in a way it was all worth it, I mean I've an apartment, a job and a good friend." I said with a smile.

"Good friend? Cath, come on we're a bit more than that" Charles said as he came closer to my face. I begin to lean in, just to wind him up.

"I'd say we've graduated to partners in crime by now." I pat his chest then throw back the end of my drink. I hop off his desk and go and grab my stuff.

"Goodnight Whiteman, thank you for another slightly terrifying night!" I say as I walk toward the door.

"It was my pleasure, Cathrine!"

I walk out of the building with the biggest grin on my face. God that idoit is actually growing on me.