'Black and White' - The White Bridge Crime Series 2 - LGBT, manXman

20

Rex drove them both to the police station and took Eli up to the major investigation suite.

An investigation into a serial arsonist was covering the whiteboards now, instead of the White Bridge Rapist case.

Rex was thankful for that; he didn't want Eli seeing the photographs of the other victims.

Cole was pacing the room impatiently, waiting for them to arrive. He looked up as they came in and gave Eli a brief smile.

"I'm coming with you for this one." He told Rex, who made a face at Eli behind his boss' back. "Since Dom's not back yet."

Rex nodded.

"There's tea and coffee on the trolley there, if you need anything. And there are some takeaway menus in Rex's desk drawer, if you get hungry." Cole told Eli.

"I'll be fine, thanks." Eli smiled at Cole and settled into a chair with his book.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Rex said, before leaving with Cole.

*

About an hour after Rex left, Eli heard the door to the investigation suite open. He looked up, half-expecting Rex, and saw instead a tall, blonde-haired woman.

"Hello. Rex mentioned you were up here. Would you like a cup of tea or something? I'm Francis, by the way. I'm a receptionist downstairs."

"What're you doing here this late?" Eli asked, going over to the tea trolley and turning the kettle on.

"I'm on the late shift tonight. How about you?"

"Well, I..." Eli paused, realising he didn't have a suitable cover story. "I'm Rex's cousin. I'm staying with him for a few days. I only arrived tonight, and didn't have a chance to go home before Rex was called out."

"Oh... You don't look like his cousin," she said doubtfully.

"I'm adopted." Eli blurted the first explanation that came to his head, realising Rex was black. "I've been abroad for a few years. I'm staying with Rex while I get settled again."

"What's your name?"

"David." Eli gave his father's name.

"You know, you look ever so familiar." Francis smiled at him. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"No," Eli said cheerfully, making two mugs of tea. "I've been in Spain for three years. My parents retired there. I went to help them move their things in, and ended up staying."

"I'd love to travel. But my brother-"

Francis cut off abruptly.

"He doesn't like me going too far," she said after a moment. "He's... ill."

Eli nodded understandingly.

"Well... I'd better get back to work."

"Alright. It was nice meeting you." The receptionist disappeared back down the stairs.

*

Francis sat back down behind her desk, unable to shake the feeling that she'd met David somewhere before. She answered two calls and had started filing the day's paperwork when she realised where she'd recognised him from.

Heart thumping in her chest, she pulled up the recent articles of the local newspaper and scanned them quickly.

Then she found 'David's' picture.

Feeling faint, she picked up the phone.

"Tyler? It's me."

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Her brother growled. "I've had a long night."

"I know. But listen to me. The fifth guy, Eli Shan. He's alive. He's upstairs right now."

"What?" Her brother spat.

She heard a loud clunk as he dropped something heavy on the other end of the line, before he cursed loudly.

"He's staying with Rex Barnett, one of the lead detective's on the investigation."

"What's his address?"

"Give me a moment, and I can find it. What are you planning to do?"

"Never mind me. You call the newspaper. Tell them Shan's alive. Give them any information they need. But make sure you're anonymous. Don't tell them where he's staying though, I need to get there first."

"Tyler... Rex is a big guy. Bigger than you."

"So?"

"So, I'm saying be careful. It's not usual for victims to stay with the detectives investigating their case. They could be... close."

"I don't care if they're joined at the fucking hip." Tyler snarled. "Shan caught a glimpse of me. He could probably identify me. He has to die. And if the detective makes things awkward, then he will too."

"Alright. I'll send you his address in a minute. Let me call the papers first."

Francis ended up leaving a voicemail for the newspaper's editor, which he'd get in the morning, before she found Rex's address in his personnel file and faxed it to her brother.