Page 78 of My Christmas Billionaire

“What’s happening?”

He stands and I say in an even voice. “I need to report in to work. I’ll let you know what’s happening when I know.”

He leans down and whispers urgently, “You don’t have to. We can pretend the case isn’t solved and string it out for a bit.”

“No, Robert.” I roll my eyes. “That’s not how it works. I need to close the case and return to my job. That doesn’t mean I’m not returning here this evening; it just means that life will change for us during the day.”

“Not today, though. Please wait until after Christmas; give us that at least.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

I peer past him and note Sam watching us with curiosity and I wave my hand and say pleasantly, “It’s good to meet you, Sam. I’m so happy things worked out. I’m sorry to dash off, but you know, work gets in the way.”

He smiles and waves back with a pleasant, “It’s good to meet you, Jessica.”

As I make to leave, Robert grabs my arm and whispers, “This changes nothing. I love you and we will make this work.”

“Of course we will.” I press a light kiss on his lips and smile, “Just for the record, I love you right back. Now go and build bridges and let me do my job.”

* * *

It doesn’t take longto reach the station and as I walk into the familiar space, I catch the eye of the desk sergeant and smile, causing him to stare back, appearing a little stunned. “Morning detective.” He mumbles respectfully, and I grin.

“It’s a good one, don’t you think?”

He shrugs. “If you say so. I’ve got three in the cells, a wife nagging me to pay her attention and kids who want stuff for Christmas that cost more than the national debt. I’ll be happy when I get a day off and Christmas is over.”

“Scrooge.” I wink as I head off, noting how different things are already. I don’t pass the time of day with anyone and always studiously ignored my colleagues. Now I’ve learned the value of communication and friendship, I am not going to revert to my old ways.

The office hasn’t changed, and I can almost taste the tension and frayed nerves that run on alcohol and adrenalin. I thrived in this atmosphere. Loved the tension, using it to fuel my hunger for solving crime and bringing down the bad guys. But if I’m honest with myself, all I ever did was step aside and allow the more senior detectives to head out into the field and grab the glory. My hard work sent them there, but it was soon forgotten when they took the credit as the arresting officer.

I never got to speak at any trial. Never got the satisfaction of seeing the results of all my hard work through to the end and now I’m heading back as one of them. The person who ticked another one off our list and caused the stamp of ‘case closed’ to be imprinted on the paperwork.

Nobody looks up as I pass, and I don’t blame them. I never engaged with them anyway, so I may as well be invisible, and it’s all my fault.

As I knock on Detective Inspector Ranauld’s door, his gruff ‘Enter’ wraps me in familiarity and makes me smile. It’s as if I’m coming home, but now there’s a huge part of me that wants to change the address.

“Jessica. Please tell me it’s done and you’re back.”

“It’s done and I’malmostback.”

I take the seat opposite him, and he raises his eyes.

“Almost back. I don’t understand.”

“It’s simple. I solved the case and am owed leave. Now is the perfect time to take it before I’m involved in another case.”

“And you think that’s your decision to make?”

He regards me with a blank expression, and I nod. “I do. You see, Inspector Ranauld, I’ve worked every Christmas since I started. I never complained and always volunteered to cover for everyone else. I rarely take holidays and am always one of the first in and one of the last to leave at night. By my reckoning I’m due several weeks of rest days owed and annual leave that has built up, so yes, I am taking this Christmas off and will return after the New Year because I’ve earned that right.”

I regard him coolly and for a moment he just stares before a spark of admiration lights in his eyes and he grins.

“Agreed.”

“So, I can…”

“Take the rest of the year off, detective. You earned it.”

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