Page 86 of A Simple Mistake
No Running
InspectorCliveBaxterarrestedBarrington Manville two weeks later.Verifying Jack’s data, putting a case together, and obtaining a warrant hadn’t taken nearly as long as Gareth had supposed.And Baxter had kept them informed.
Aidan and Alex joined them for their mini-celebration and they’d all eaten far too much, from grilled steaks and sausages to potato salad and coleslaw.The plates of chocolate eclairs and strawberry tartlets were bare, and Daniel and Nico had said their goodnights and gone to bed.Gareth counted that last as a massive win, even with the chance of Daniel’s nightmares waking them later.
In the nearly six weeks since Jack’s birthday, the boys had spent each night at home, and Gareth was grateful the break-in hadn’t cost them all the progress they’d made.He blamed that result on Jack’s insistence—from the very beginning—that Daniel and Nico made their own choices, whether they discussed what to have for dinner or whether to testify in court.
Now, with another crisis handled, they allowed themselves to relax.Even Jack was halfway to being drunk.Not that anyone could tell from his diction or the subjects under discussion.The only way Jack showed his inebriation was by being a little more outspoken than usual.Which was—of course—why Conrad was needling him.Getting Jack to give his opinion without censoring every word twice first was always entertaining.Though judging by Aidan’s face, he hadn’t expected what came out of Jack’s mouth.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Conrad.”Jack snagged another beer from the table and popped the top.“You can sound as snarly as you want, but you’re no delinquent.You’ve made a business out of bending the law exactly because you believe in the law.You’re a straight-and-narrow guy.Just like Gallant, never mind his awesome B&E skills.”
“Is that so?”Aidan sounded amused rather than offended.
“It is.If you want to see delinquents, look at Alex and me,” Jack advised, completely serious.“We’ll kick arse, take names, and deal with the consequences after.”He shrugged.“You need… not sure how to define that… you need a…”
“Spine of steel.”
“Yeah, sure, but that’s for after, when the consequences come calling.No, you need a disregard for the law to break it like we do.You need to believe in something beyond the law.And you don’t.”
“What about me, then?”Gareth wondered.
Jack narrowed his eyes.“I’m still on the fence about you.I used to have you in the straight-and-narrow bucket right alongside Conrad, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Would you mind?”
“Mind what?That you bat for justice while ignoring the law?I can’t really berate you for something I do myself.Only thing I’d say is—don’t do it because you think you have to keep up with me.Do it because you believe it.Otherwise, you’ll tie yourself in knots.”
And wasn’t that the truth?
Gareth couldn’t remember the reasoning that had led him into Purple Line, but Rio’s comment about letting the past interfere with the present had stayed with him.And he’d decided that while they navigated the aftermath of Manville’s betrayal and Pavel Mitrovic’s kidnapping attempt, he’d stick to things he knew.
He and Jack were protectors, committed to keeping others safe.They only differed in the way they went about it, and Gareth had started to question that.Whether those questions led anywhere, only time would tell.It wasn’t a choice he needed to rush.For now, he’d enjoy having his family and friends around him, safe and sound, and leave fights and worries for another day.
The morning commute had become so familiar, Gareth no longer calculated average waiting times, possible top speed, or volume of traffic at a particular roundabout.Instead, he planned his workday, made lists, or—as on this morning—brainstormed ideas for Nico’s birthday.When the phone rang, he picked up the call with the smile.“Hi Pauline.And how are you on this sunny Friday morning?”
Judging from the sounds coming from his speaker, Pauline was already at work.
“It’s the last Friday of the month, so how do you think?The factory is going ballistic and it’s mayhem dialled up to 11 around here.”
“And how can I help with that?”
“By staying well away.I wouldn’t let any of you near my production controls, I’d be too worried about things blowing up.”
“Right.”
“You know it’s true.But you can help me with a bit of information, if you don’t mind.”
“Information?”
“I’ve been hearing a rumour that Barrington Manville has been arrested.Confirm or deny?”
“A rumour, was it?Rather than Daniel and Nico sharing the good news with their friends?”
“So it’s true?”
“It’s true, yes.But try and keep it quiet if you can.It’s an active investigation.”
“That’s one of the reasons I’m calling.”All the teasing had vanished from Pauline’s voice.“I was hoping we could use this to get rid of Fenton.”
