Page 85 of A Simple Mistake
“Explain it now, then.”Gareth released Jack and took a step back.“Come on.Kitchen.The place for hashing out problems.”
“Is it now?”Jack’s smirk said he was thinking of another place entirely.
Gareth considered that unnecessarily cruel and swatted him on the arse in passing.“Behave, or we’ll scandalise Daniel and Nico when they come hunting breakfast.”
Routine asserted itself as they reached the kitchen.Jack headed for the coffeemaker, Gareth for the stove, and before they’d properly settled, Nico and Daniel turned up, dressed for school.
“I like summer better,” Nico said instead of a greeting.“Then I can go running before school when I don’t feel like gym.Now it’s back to being dark at breakfast time.”
Gareth agreed.Summer days were longer and more productive.He didn’t look forward to commuting in the dark and only seeing daylight from his office window.
“Winter isn’t all bad.”Daniel sidled up to Jack, reached past him for butter and jam.“The kitchen is always warm and cosy.”
“Can’t disagree with that one, either,” Gareth chuckled and waited for Jack to state a preference.
Which he didn’t.In all the time they’d been together, Gareth had only learned that Jack loved to go running on foggy mornings.Maybe he’d never had the luxury of preferences.
They set the table, their weekday breakfast routine near flawless, even now when either Jack or Gareth routinely worked from home.Gareth kept an eye on Jack, wondering if he would share the results of his hunt.
He didn’t have to wait long.
“I almost woke you at two this morning,” Jack said when they were halfway through their breakfast.“Only Gareth stopped me.”
“I think you stopped yourself after putting horseradish in your coffee.You wouldn’t have been coherent.”
It was meant as light relief, but neither Nico nor Daniel fell for the ruse.“You’ve found something,” Nico said.“About Manville?”
“I did.”His gaze landed on Daniel.“You were right, you know?Itwasa comment from Manville that tipped off Pavel.I found it last night, along with a bunch of other stuff.Normally, I send finds like this to Baxter.”
He stopped there, clearly waiting for a question.
“But?”
“I think you two should choose whether I report this or not.Or at the very least, we should decide it together.”
“You would let him get away?”
Gareth had expected outrage from Nico.Instead, the question was soft and quiet.
“You’ve had enough on your plate this year,” Jack said simply.“After you took your video, we alerted the people who can block Manville’s access into schools.Adding yet another police investigation—”
“If it had nothing to do with us, would you report it?”Daniel kept eating, making it clear he knew what Jack’s answer would be.
Jack nodded.“I would.”
“Then you should report this, too.Inspector Baxter knows us already.And you won’t let us do this alone.”
“No, we won’t, but that’s us protecting you again.”
“I won’t be an arse about it,” Nico chipped in.“I’ve got it now.It’s not always easy, being protected.But letting you help doesn’t make us helpless.”
Gareth couldn’t hold back his grin any longer.“I wonder who taught you that,” he teased.“You’re far from helpless, both of you.Jack finding a link from Manville to Pavel?That’s down to you two.So, are we doing this?Sending Jack off to make Baxter’s day?”
Daniel nodded.
Nico did, too.Then he slapped his hand on the table, and they all laid theirs over his.
Jack added his last, and if he looked a little bit choked up about the vote of confidence, Gareth wasn’t going to mention it.
