Page 37 of Rookie Days

So, she’d gone to the trouble of looking up the info before tracking her down. Ellie’s trained investigator mind recognized intent and premeditation. The woman that she was experienced a little shiver of pleasure.

“I should have called you first, I know.” Janet stood behind her with her hands on her shoulders. “But I got the urge and just thought I’d act on it. Is it okay?”

“It’s… Yes.”Very okay.

“Keep your head straight.”

“What are you doing?”

“Hopefully, helping you to get rid of your headache.” Janet placed a cool hand over her forehead and the fingers of the other at the base of her neck. “You can close your eyes if you want. Do you have a fever?”

“No…?”

“Your neck is very hot. Inflammation. It’s okay, relax.”

Janet remained still, with both hands in the same position, for about half a minute. And just that felt so good… Ellie leaned back, which Janet encouraged until she was resting against her.

“Feeling alright?”

“Yeah, this is great. Thanks…”

“Don’t mention it. Now go with me on this.”

She started to move her head from side to side in a gentle and controlled motion, while her free hand stayed on the back of her neck or the top of one shoulder. Ellie breathed in deep, let it out in a longer exhale.

“Excellent,” Janet whispered. “Keep breathing for me, nice and slow. Gosh, Ellie, you are so damn tight everywhere!”

The sense of being held, kept in place, grounded, was out of this world. It occurred to Ellie, fleetingly, that she rarely felt this way. In fact, not even with the physiotherapist that she saw from time to time when she really needed to unlock, who charged her a small fortune for the privilege of not doing a lot.

“You should probably stop now,” she said.

“Why? Does this hurt?”

“No, but you’re going to make me drool.”

“Oh, that’s fine, you go right ahead.”

Janet moved her fingers to the sides of her temples, rubbing in slow circles. Ellie’s jaw went slack. She felt herself melt even more, and chuckled drunkenly.

“Nice?”

“Mmm…” Words deserted her. “Beyond.”

She did not open her eyes when Janet wrapped a close arm around her neck, even though the gesture was reminiscent of a Jiu Jitsu choke hold. But Ellie anticipated a much more enjoyable result, and Janet did not disappoint. One by one, as she stretched her in a careful, upward pull, Ellie felt the facet joints in her neck unlock and release. The relief was immense. She knew for sure that her physio had just lost herself a client.

chapter 12

Janet knew it was a gamble, showing up unannounced like this, and in more ways than one. She was not overly surprised at first, when she knocked on Ellie’s door, to discover that she was out. If the detective was anything like Quinn before she got married, her apartment would only be a place to crash in between long hours spent on the job. Quinn even used to sleep at the station in the past when she was really busy. Janet decided to wait twenty minutes. She was glad when Ellie showed up after only ten, though concerned as soon as she saw her. Her eyes were dull, the pupils slightly dilated, and her face unusually pale. The way she squinted at her, even as she tried to lie about the headache, was another obvious giveaway. More to do with not wanting to show weakness, Janet suspected, than a genuine desire to be left alone. If that were the case, Ellie struck her as the sort of woman who would not hesitate to tell her straight. Since she did not, Janet naturally took charge. It pleased her when Ellie offered no resistance. Now, following this impromptu chiropractic session, she filled a glass with water and passed it to her with a couple of extra-strength Paracetamol tablets.

“Take these,” she instructed. “Then go to bed and switch off your brain.”

Remarkably, Ellie swallowed the pills without even asking what they were. But she did clasp her wrist, and hold her gently back, as Janet moved past her to get her jacket.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes…”

“What about dinner?”

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