Chapter 20

There was no other word for it.Andy was magnificent.Luke sat next to him in the brightly lit but sparsely furnished police interview room as his hero took charge.It was almost as if he—and not the uncomfortable looking detective constable—were running the interview.Luke could just imagine Andy,the army lieutenant,dealing with his troops,showing them who was in charge.

“What progress have you made in your investigations?”

“Er,well,we’ve very little to go on.I—”the young DC shifted in his seat.

“What does the CCTV show?Mr Matthews was attacked in a well-lit urban area.There are bound to be cameras.God knows they’re everywhere these days.”

“I’m not sure.I—”

“Have you even bothered to check?”Andy interrupted.

The policeman shuffled his papers.“I’m not the officer who was assigned to this case.”

“So we’ll talk to whoever is.”

“I’m afraid he’s out…on investigations.”

Andy continued to grill the detective,much to Luke’s amusement.After another five minutes of evasion,Andy demanded to see the Detective Inspector.

“He’s uh—”

“Don’t try and fob me off with some cock and bull story about how he’s also out on investigations.Blokes of his rank hardly ever get out from behind their desks.”

“Sir,I—”

“Either I see someone in charge,or I’ll be having a word with Harry Simons at New Scotland Yard.He was my commanding officer in the army and he and I—”

The young detective constable sprang into life,his face going rather white,Luke thought.“I’ll er,see if DI Summers is free.”The man stood up and was out of his seat before Luke could blink.

“Oh,wow,”Luke said,not even attempting to hide his admiration.

“I just hope they don’t check too closely.Harry might be a Chief Superintendent,but he was a useless twat in the field.I couldn’t stand his guts,and the feeling was mutual.”

Luke began to laugh,but a sharp pain in his ribs soon stopped him.

****

As they walked across the car park,Luke was glowing.Andy had run rings round the police,though the inspector was harder to browbeat.However,he did promise to look into Luke’s attack.At Andy’s prompting,the man had written down Andy’s address and phone number,and,after further badgering,agreed to call if there was any progress.

Andy had seemed somewhat mollified.

“But they probably won’t do anything,”he told Luke as they reached the van.

“You were great in there,bloody amazing.”

Luke wanted to reach out,cuddle up to and generally feel closer to Andy,but didn’t feel comfortable doing so in the middle of the car park.

After Andy had unlocked his vehicle,Luke thought he’d have another go at moving Lassie,who had stayed in the van.

“Come on,girl.”

But the old dog still wasn’t having any.She gave him a look,turned her head away from him and stayed put.

“Told you,”Andy said,getting into the van at his side and scratching the dog behind her ears.

Disappointed,but still pumped after the interview,Luke got in beside Lassie,belted up and sat there while Andy started up his van and drove into traffic.

The van’s ancient and strange looking tape player was pumping out some dirge from the sixties or something.Luke looked over at Andy as he concentrated on negotiating traffic.The man was so complex;he seemed to blow hot then cold.One minute he was keeping his distance,not wanting to touch him,the next he was all protective and“Let me deal with this,”like when they were at the police station.

Luke leaned back and continued to ponder.The steady noise of the engine—plus the quiet playing of the tape deck—lulled him into a half-sleep.

“We’ll stop off at the services in a bit.Stretch our legs and maybe get something to eat.Okay?”

“Sure.”Luke yawned.

“You all right?”

“Just sleepy.”He’d taken his full dose of painkillers for the morning,thinking he’d need all the help he could get for the journey.However,they had the side-effect of putting him to sleep.

“A walk should help clear your head.”

****

The motorway services had a good salad bar,so Luke was happy.He was less happy that Andy insisted on paying,but the man was adamant.

“Okay,but I’m paying the next time we eat out.”Luke stared at him.

Andy shrugged,“Fine,but you’ll have to wait a while;I hardly ever eat out.”Was that a smile on his face?

Andy picked up his tray—as well as Luke’s—and they found an empty table at the back of the eating area.Luke noticed that Andy sat facing the room,allowing Luke to sit opposite,with his back to everyone.It could have been pure chance,but Luke chose to believe it was another example of Andy looking out for his wellbeing.

During the meal,Andy said very little;Luke just concluded the man didn’t want to talk much,so after a few stalled attempts at conversation,he gave up and they ate in silence.

“Want a pudding?”

“No,thanks,”Luke said.

“Pity,‘cause that chocolate cake looked really nice.”

Bastard,Luke thought.If he had one weakness,it was chocolate.“Well,maybe just a small piece,then.You gonna let me pay?”

Andy shook his head before standing up and going back to the serving hatch.

****

On their way back through the services,a group of loud football supporters in their early twenties walked toward them.Luke stiffened and slowed down.Andy merely threw an arm over his shoulder and steered them both into a nearby newsagent’s until the group passed.

“Okay now?”Andy said softly.

“Uh huh.”Luke so wanted to kiss him for his concern,for dealing with the situation quietly,calmly and without fuss.

“We’d best get back to the van.I want to be home in time for afternoon feeding.”

****

The rest of the journey to Yorkshire was just as quiet as before.Luke had no idea what was going through Andy’s head.The man was still doing the hot and cold thing.First there was quiet and reserved Andy during lunch,then when Luke had felt threatened while they were leaving the services building,out came protective Andy.Luke knew which one he preferred.

“Are you in time to feed the pigs do you think?”Luke asked,more for something to say than anything.

Andy looked at his watch.“Should be.We’d best stop off at Tom and Paddy’s first,though.Otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Yes,okay.”In truth,Luke just wanted to get to Andy’s and rest.The painkillers were starting to wear off and he was getting uncomfortable.

Andy seemed to know what Luke was thinking.“We won’t stay long.”He put a hand on Luke’s knee.“If I don’t pop in,they’re bound to come up to the farm and will hang around for ages.”

Luke smiled,not just at the brief contact,but at Andy’s foresight in dealing with his friends.

****

As Luke expected,Tom and Paddy were all over both Andy and him when they arrived.Andy reminded them of Luke’s ribs,which lessened their enthusiasm a little.

“God,Luke,what happened?”Tom asked,holding him at arms length.

“You should see the other guy,”Luke joked,but no one—including himself—found it funny.

“Are you hungry?I can make you a sandwich,or there’s some—”Paddy started,but Andy cut him off.

“No,thanks.I want to get back to the pigs and Luke’s not feeling well because of the journey.”

This started another round of concerned questions from the couple.Luke was grateful for their attention;they were good people;Andy was lucky to have such friends.However,he was tiring rapidly and for the most part just let their attentions wash over him.

“I take it there weren’t any problems while I was away?”Andy asked.

“No,‘course not.Number 12T farrowed as expected.Mother and babies are all doing well.”

Despite his fatigue,Luke had to smile at Tom’s choice of words.

“How many?”Andy asked.

“Ten.And they’ve got all their fingers and toes.Well,toes anyway,”Tom said,grinning at Andy.

“Thanks for stepping in at such short notice.But when I heard about Luke I had to—”

Paddy waved away Andy’s thanks.“No problem.You just make sure you look after your man.”

Luke felt a warm glow wash over him.This was the first time anyone had identified him as Andy’s.