Let The Rain Fall Down

Too Many Questions With Only One Way Of An Answer

Lucas took the eldest daughter and little boy to school, I had the feeling that it was the first time the children had been back at school since the accident. They were nervous and clinging to Lucas who seemed loathed to let them go...

I sat in my car and watched them, they were still such a strong family unit despite everything they were going through, the children' uniforms were clean and ironed – Lucas' suit was immaculate. I couldn't help but notice the amount of women checking him out but he didn't seem to notice anything, he kissed the children goodbye and headed back to his car that was parked two cars ahead of me. He walked past my car, and I noticed something, he wasn't wearing his wedding ring any more – I guessed he was having it cleaned, there would be no reason for such a devoted husband to remove it.

I had to leave and return to the small flat I was renting to get changed and pick up a few things, I had brunch plans with a friend and they hated to be kept waiting. I had to try and convince my colleague to come with me as well but I wasn't sure how to do it without mentioning Lucas North to her...

* * *

The grid was a hive of activity when I got there after dropping Aeryn and Caleb at school, we had the name of the car owner and the time he was flying back into the country this afternoon. What I'd failed to mention to the lackey yesterday was that thanks to Tariq, we had identified the car earlier yesterday morning – and the person who owned it was the son of a known member of parliament, this was going to be difficult putting it mildly. After last night with Chloe' diary though, I didn't care who it was or who they were related to, I needed answers and I was going to get them. I couldn't help rub my hand over where my wedding ring had been until last night, the white mark on my finger where it had been screaming out its absence.

I was constantly distracted by the entries in Chloe' diary, I'd sat up into the early hours ans read the last fourteen entries of her diary ending with a brief one she'd done the morning of her death. There were entries that didn't seem to make sense, she'd had meeting with this person only known as J, twice a week and at random times – it was only that one entry where she'd said about telling me the truth. Then there was the piece of paper I'd found Eloise drawing on this morning, she'd found it by the sofa, my name was on the front of the envelope and I was sitting at my desk twirling it around – did I want to know what was in it? Was it the letter telling me she'd met someone else, after Elizabeta, after the heartbreak of losing Maya, could I handle the knowledge that a woman I'd loved had met someone else and didn't want me any more?

Placing the letter on my desk I walked out, I had more important things to do that have my heart ripped out by the cold hearted truth of Chloe' confession. I needed to get the ball rolling on what needed to be done and Dimitri was the man I needed to ensure everything went smoothly. I knew I'd got people' backs up when I'd promoted him to chief of Section D – people thought he was too young and it was me using an element of favouritism by promoting my best friend over someone such as Ruth but the truth was, Dimitri had proven he was the best person for the job.

'Dimitri I want a team at the first class arrivals lounge – discreetly of course observing everyone and everything, I want Edward Callaghan to think he's escaped our attention. Place Beth there as something, a waitress for the bar would be best – Mr Callaghan is known for his love of whisky and I'm sure after an eighteen hour trip he's going to want a drink once his feet on Terra firma. I could lay money down that an attentive blond will appeal to the masochist tendencies that man possesses. I know it'll be hard for you to handle seeing her like that but we need to do this... I don't care what that idiot from the Yard said, Callaghan knows something about that accident and we need to know what.

As for the children, I've placed one of our junior case officers in each of the children' classes, Sophie Mathias and Jamie Anderson – they've been fully debriefed and are there as cover teachers. It's unfortunate that the regular teachers were taken ill with severe and as of yet unknown allergic reaction to something and were held at Kings Hospital in an isolation unit.