Finding Myself

Chapter 23

"Jamie was angry about the wheelchair but as far as I knew he kept doing his job to the best of his abilities."

"Maybe, but there are things I'm finding that isn't up to scratch."

"I never said he didn't have short comings Derek."

"I'm sorry this must be very painful for you.  Your  son hasn't been dead a year yet."

"It's fine so you're locking down the country?"

"I have no choice the prime minister wasn't pleased with my order. "

That ego maniac who cares what he thinks the compromise old goat."

Derek sits up in his chair, "Say that again. Who has him by the balls?"

"I'm not sure yet Jamie was trying to find that out when he was..."

"I'm sorry."

He hears her crying, "I have to go I'll speak to you later."

"Okay."

He gets a text from Stiles it was a photo of her sitting on the sofa eating toast while watching tv.

Derek leaves his office, "Erica I'm going for a walk."

"How long will you be out sir?"

"An hour top.'

Derek leaves his office building to see two bodyguards waiting for him. He recognises them from his time in England when he chose them to be his bodyguards.  Now here he was finding himself while trying to stop a plague.

He walks up to them and two more guys dressed in everyday clothes join them. Nothing about what they were wearing screamed bodyguards. Derek turns and see one of his fellow police officers.

"Parker?"

He looks at him sheepishly, "Your original order was for me to return to England one week after you did sir."

"Of course it was," replies Derek not wanting to have a full conversation with him at that moment.

He walks down the street and passes the different shops of convent gardens. Then he takes a taxi to Portobello road and afterwards he goes to brick lane and hackney. Where he buys himself a beef patty. This feels so familiar to me he thinks to himself.

He checks his watch it was twenty to twelve, I have an appointment with the woman soon he thinks to himself. He calls Stiles, "We have an appointment today you didn't mention it."

"My mother is seeing you in my place.  Do you remember the address?"

"That's why that photograph was there wasn't it?"

"Of course,  mum is waiting for you."

"I'll see you in a bit darling."

Derek tells his bodyguards, "I need you to wait for Erica at the office. He calls his taxis and hIs driver smiles at him.

"Take me where you took me the other day after the ballet."

"Right sir I'll take you home."

"You're a Grant?"  Realises Derek.

"How else would I know where you live sir and I'm actually your wife's relative not yours."

Derek arrives home and wasn't surprise to see Stiles dress for the cold British weather. She put a cross body bag over her head. "I'm ready when you're."

They're driven to what looks like a warehouse from the outside. Stiles opens the door and they walk inside the building. Stiles takes his hand and leads him to her office.  He notices the large desk and the two chairs.  Stiles takes a seat behind the desk and Derek sits opposite her.  She pick up her phone and dials someone she put the call on speaker phone. "Danny I need a report."

Derek listens as Stiles calls all the heads of the British mafia and they tell her about the money laundering, drugs, guns and people trafficking. When Stiles ends her last call she sits back in her chair and looks at Derek.

"My report is done sir."

"My wife the mafia princess."

"Queen darling not princess."

"So how much do you remember. I know there is something else that will trigger your memories but you refused to tell me what. I'm just glad you remembered your training even if you  didn't remember doing it."

"I remember our times together, all our dates, you crying when you had to go to Italy then France. I remember visiting you and our steamy nights together. I remember us "

"Do you remember why you choose to work as the lowest rank police officer?"

"No but I did recognise one of the bodyguards as my coworkers.'

"You have always been protected if I had known about who Peter really was. Things would've been different I could've used him."

"Stiles he was already looking out for me."

"I know that,  what happens now?"

"The country will be locked down today and our living African president will get an unexpected visit today."

"From you surely not?"

"I'm not a fool my darling wife  and you're my right hand woman meaning I'm the boss. Call those leaders back I want them to know there's a new leader in town."

"Yes sir."

Stiles calls the leader of the manchester branch, "Hello Martin."

"Sir youuuuu are back."

"I never left what do you mean I'm back?"

"It's just we have been dealing with only the woman for a long time. I assumed something was wrong."

Derek sends a text message on his phone to someone. "Where do you think I was?"  He ask Martin.

"Like I told he other leaders I think you were in prison or got caught."

"If that's true how did the woman know to tell you my instructions. You have never seen me correct or met me?"

"No sir I have not."

"You hesitated a little Martin."

"Well the thing is?" Martin doesn't get to finish his sentence.

"I have him boss,"  says a new voice.

"Good find out what he knows and who else he has told his ideas to

Then lock up his wife  her being missing will make him talk."

"Will do sir."

Derek knew Stiles called the other leaders so they could hear the conversation, "I hope I have made myself very clear."

"Crystal sir." He hears from everyone.

"Good now what is this nonsense I'm hearing about county line drugs."

After the meeting Derek takes Stiles home. He kisses her goodbye, "I'll see you later darling. You lied to me it was you I saw not your mother."

Stiles says nothing but gives him a quick kiss then walk into their house and heads for the kitchen. She grabs a can of 7up and cut herself a piece of the Bakewell tart on the counter. It was still warm.  "This needs ice cream,"  she put some vanilla ice on top of the tart and digs in.

Danvers walk into the kitchen and Stiles checks her watch, "Shouldn't you be spying on someone?"

"I did what the master ask of me but someone tried to snatch a child. I tackled him to the ground and the police were called."

"Good job. You didn't know who you were spying on did you?"

"I was to observe ma'am but criminals give themselves away I'm afraid."

"That is true but it's barely half one how are you home already?"

"Our people arrested the man ma'am. It was his daughter he was trying to snatch."

"You know I don't buy that right?"

"Your husband knows the real reason I  was there ma'am."