Lost and Found

Part Seventeen

It took about an hour for James to seem any better. Not healed up, but the werewolf part of him seemed to have settled down and stopped causing him additional pain.

More than half asleep, his head lolled against my shoulder, breath warm on my neck. He looked exhausted and part of me wanted to let him stay where he was, for us to fall asleep together on the sofa. Which was, I decided, completely sappy and totally not like me at all. It was, however, a good sign of how knackered I was. Which meant I needed to do something about it or we'd both wake up sore and miserable in the early hours of the morning.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, hoping that talking would be enough to wake him.

James mumbled something indistinct, then looked at me with bleary, sleep-filled eyes. "Sorry, I must have nodded off. Did you ask me about the case?"

I shook my head and tried not let my sleep deprived brain think about how, under other circumstances, his tousled hair and sleepy eyes would be a nice sight to wake up to. "I asked if you were okay, if there was anything I could get you?"

He thought about it for a moment, then said, "Better, thank you." He gingerly touched the cut on his cheek. "A little sore and rather tired, but that's to be expected. I really should be on my way, I've taken up quite enough of your evening."

"If you want to go home I'll drive you," I said, hoping that he didn't. "But I've got sofa bed here and we really need to talk. If you're up to it, that is." I didn't add that if he wasn't up to talking then he probably wasn't up to driving either.

James looked towards the door, then took a rather shaky breath, hands clenched tight in his lap. "I owe you that, I know know I do. I'm sorry, but I can't talk about how I am who I am. Not now. Please believe me when I say I know it isn't connected to the case, I am absolutely certain of it. If I'm honest it is the only thing about any of this that I am sure of."

I wasn't entirely sure I should believe him, however nicely he asked. I was willing to let it be a conversation for another day, as he looked genuinely freaked out at the prospect of having to talk about it. It was also because if I pushed the matter I was all but certain that he'd leave and whatever trust we'd had would be gone for good. "Okay, but the note on your boat and Mr Tats are still up for discussion."

James looked confused. "Mr Tats?"

"The tattoo guy from the carpark." I got up off the sofa and stretched, muscles protesting as I did. "Before that though do you want a tea or a coffee or something?"

He thought for a moment, then said, "Tea, thank you. Unless you have anything stronger."

"Not unless you want to try some of the worlds worst peach schnapps," I replied. I couldn't even remember who'd brought it to my housewarming party and after a few of us had tried it nobody wanted to claim responsibility. I should probably bin it really.

"Ah, well then tea would be nice, thank you." He managed a small smile. Shy and a little nervous, it looked the most genuine I'd seen from him. I found myself wishing he do it more often.

Sitting on the sofa, mugs of tea in hand, I realized I'd have to take the initiative and start the conversation or we never get anywhere. "Okay, so without talking about your past, what do you think he was warning you off from looking into? Calvin's disappearance or something else? And what about the note left on your boat? Do you think that was him too?"

James cradled the mug in his hands. "I think we should work on the idea that it is connected to Calvin's disappearance. While it could be in relation to another of my cases, perhaps the counter-demonstration work, the dampening charm he used at the carpark would seem in keeping with what little we know about Calvin and Joe's abductions."

While it was the right word, as there really didn't seem to be a chance that either Calvin or Joe had gone willingly, it brought it home that I was totally out of my depth on this. "We should go to the police," I said.  "All this, abductions, threats, violence and who knows what else. We don't have any authority to deal with this, do we? What would we do if we found Calvin? If Mr Tats is keeping him prisoner somewhere, we can't go breaking in. He could call the police on us."

"He won't," James said with a weary finality. "I know his sort and that's what he is relying on."

Maybe I was being a bit thick or perhaps I was over tired, but it didn't seem to make much sense. Not unless James had been holding a lot more back from me.  "His sort? Just what the hell is he?"

"Somebody who believes that he is above the law. There are a number in the werewolf community that feel that way."

"You included, I suppose?" It was a little more snappy than I'd intended, but from what I'd seen of how he worked it would fit.

"I work with the law when they let me. You've seen how dismissive they've been of this case, is it any wonder then there are such attitudes?"James replied. He winced as he tried to find a more comfortable position, finally giving up with a grimace. "Historically it was a great deal worse."

"But we aren't historic," I said, feeling like I was being the only rational person in the room right now. "Seriously you're like ten years older than me tops. I get it that things change, but we're hardly talking lifetimes here, are we?"

A look crossed James face. Hurt? Angry? Scared? I wasn't quite sure as it soon faded. "If all you are going to do is call me names then I shall take my leave."

"I didn't call you anything," I replied. I wasn't going apologise or back down, but I didn't want him heading off into the night when he looked like a stiff breeze might knock him over. "All I'm saying is that now we've got an idea who might be behind it, that they've threatened you, that maybe Odd Squad might listen. Seriously intimidation and violence? You shouldn't have to put up with that."

James was quite for a moment, his face downcast and turned away from me. "My life is what it is. I make no apologies for it, Nathan. If you can't work in the only way that I've found works then I think it's time we stopped working together."

"I'm not saying I'll not try your way," I said exasperated. "I'm saying we should report this and then if it doesn't work, if they still refuse to listen we'll do it your way. We'll have covered our backs, so it does come back to bite up then we can say we honestly tried." I put my hand on his arm, trying to reassure him. "I mean it. I'm with you on this all the way, whichever way it goes."

"Thank you. I..." He made a damp, swallowing sound. "I think it's getting late and we're all a little overwrought. I would rather like to try to sleep now, if that is alright with you, and continue this in the morning."

The was a wet edge to James' voice and he kept his face turned from me. I was rather glad that he had as I wasn't all that great with people crying. I had a tendency to either say exactly the wrong thing or hug them. Neither usually went down all that well. Letting go of his arm, I replied, "Yeah, sure. Look why don't you go use the bathroom, freshen up a bit and put the sofa bed down."

"Thank you." James awkwardly rose from the sofa and looked around.

"Bathroom's at the top of the stairs on the left. There's a spare toothbrush in the cabinet."

He nodded his thanks and then slowly made his way up the stairs.

Alone for the moment, I turned my attention to the somewhat temperamental sofa bed that occupied a chunk of my small living room. It functioned okay as both sofa and bed. The problem was the in between stage that involved a lot of glaring, as well as some swearing and a good amount of threatening to take it to the tip.  Tonight however it was a welcome distraction from thinking about the conversation with James that I knew still lay ahead of me.