Opposing Forces (5 page)

He looked down at her. “Will I need to install plastic tumblers in his office?”

“Most definitely.”

Albert watched them being carted off to the cells with some amusement.  Maisie Carrington was the only person who had ever made the Chief lose his temper.  He wondered how he would take the news that she was back.

Steffen was in bed with Nadine when his phone rang.  He hated to admit it, but he didn’t mind the interruption.  It wasn’t great.  He didn’t get emotionally involved with women, so sex was just a bodily function he performed as and when he needed release. But he was very far from release with Nadine, in fact he could barely maintain his interest.

He sat on the edge of the bed to take the call.  “Grundberg.”

“It’s Sergeant Dufrais, Sir. My apologies for the disturbance but we have another situation down at the station.”

“Please tell me it’s not the Carrington woman?”

Albert hesitated a few seconds.  “Unfortunately, it is.”

Steffen swore under this breath.  Just what he needed to round off a truly disappointing evening.  “Send Sam around to pick me up,” he barked.

A short while later he was back in his office being briefed by Dufrais. 

“What happened this time?”

“We had a noise complaint about a party down on the shore at Belle Rive. It was a particularly large group so Dumont went down there with a few other cars.  He wasn’t too impressed to find it was Maisie Carrington’s party.  Apparently he didn’t like her getting a little mouthy and in trying to grab hold of her arm, ended up grabbing her breast.”

“Shit,” Steffen hissed.

“Oh, it gets worse,” Albert did his best not to smile.  “Maisie slapped him across the cheek and Dumont responded by punching her full in the face. She flew a good couple of feet. Then her boyfriend launched himself at Dumont and, well, another full scale fight.”

“And the rest of the guys in the cells?”

“Raiders players, a tennis player, two bankers, one diplomat’s son and several other well-known members of the city.”

“Are any of the officers present willing to back up Miss Carrington’s story?”

“Actually, Sir, the story came from them.  They’re the first to admit Dumont screwed up badly.”

Steffen rubbed the sides of his temples. “Show Miss Carrington up here.  There’s no point delaying the inevitable.”

“Yes, Sir.  I should warn you that she is just wearing a shirt.”

“A shirt?”

“A man’s one.  As Frankie Lavigne is without one, I guess it’s his.”

Of course, makes perfect sense, Steffen sighed to himself.

Steffen watched with fascination as Maisie entered his office. The shirt was too big for her, but it just covered her bottom. He had difficultly taking his eyes off her shapely legs. 

“Take a seat, Miss Carrington.” 

She sat on the sofa with her knees firmly together, only too aware how short the shirt was. “Let’s dispense with any niceties and get this over with minimum fuss,” she looked at him coldly.

“Quite so.  If I understand correctly, it’s personal assault you are filing for?” His tone was equally chilly.

“Yes.”

“It would have made matters a lot simpler if you had not struck Dumont.”

Her blue eyes stared at him.  “A hard slap across the face is the natural reaction of any woman when a man grabs her breast unsolicited. Police officer or not.”

“I do believe it was unintentional, Miss Carrington.” He felt he should at least try and fight his officer’s corner.

“So if I slipped and accidentally grabbed your dick, you would have no complaints?”

Steffen’s eyes rested on her a little too long.  Ignoring the black eye and bloody nose, with her wild golden hair, the short shirt which revealed just a hint of breast and almost all her legs, she was looking incredibly sexy.  At that moment in time, he would not have minded at all.  She saw the corners of his mouth twitch.

“OK,” she laughed softly. “Please don’t answer that.”

There was a timely knock at the door and Dufrais entered carrying a cup of coffee which he set down in front of Maisie.

“Thank you, Albert, you’re an absolute darling,” she oozed charm.

“No problem at all, Miss Carrington,” Albert beamed.

Steffen shook his head. She really could beguile people with her smile.  His most senior desk sergeant was running around after her like a besotted puppy. 

“Getting back to business, if we may, Miss Carrington.” Steffen was keen to get things sorted. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“Firstly, all those arrested are to be released without charge, as per last time.”

He shook his head.  “They injured my officers.”

“Your officers started the fight. Again.”

“What else?” he grunted.

“I want Officer Dumont dismissed.  Twice now he has been the cause of physical violence to both me and my party guests.  He is unfit to serve as an officer of the law.”

“I cannot dismiss an officer direct.  He will go before a Tribunal who will decide his fate, that I can guarantee you.”

“I will be filing a personal injury claim this time, which I will not be prepared to drop.  Jack Greyson will be in touch regarding that. I will defer to his advice on the sum.”

“You know I will have no option but to fight that claim?”

She gave a faint smile.  “No doubt, but with half the police force as my witness, it is a fight you will lose.  I will however stick to a realistic sum.”

She drained the last of her coffee and stood up. As she did, he got a glimpse of white lace and the soft curve of her butt.   She really could fire a man’s imagination. 

“Now I would appreciate if you could arrange for a car to take me back to my apartment.  As you might have noticed, I don’t have a handbag on me to pay for a taxi.”

“Of course.”  He stood up as well, he was starting to get used to being dismissed.  “Do you mind me asking, Miss Carrington, purely out of idle curiosity, why you are just wearing a man’s shirt?”

“I got thrown in the lake fully clothed.”

He tried to dismiss that image before it took hold in his head, but it was too late. As his dick responded to those thoughts, he was grateful he had on tight boxers.  If he was starting to find Maisie Carrington appealing, then it was a clear sign he definitely needed an evening of satisfying sex. Nadine was certainly not going to be called again.

Maisie selected a large pair of dark sunglasses as she and Julianne made it out later the next day to meet James and some friends at their favourite lakefront restaurant for lunch.  She got a round of applause as she walked onto the terrace.

“This woman is a true heroine,” James raised his glass in a toast.  “We fight, we get busted, she has a meeting with the Chief of Police and we get released with no charge. God, she is good!”

Maisie smiled and shook her head.  “You’re forgetting that I’m the one who usually comes off worst.” She removed her sunglasses to show her wonderful black eye.

Frankie slid the chair out next to him for her to sit.  “If I ever see the shit who did that to you again, I really will break ever bone in his pathetic body.”

She slid her arms around Frankie’s neck before sitting down.  “You were my hero yesterday.” She kissed him on the cheek. She would never forget how he launched himself at Dumont with such ferocity for punching her. 

He rested his hand on her leg after she sat down.  “He also ruined what was turning into a very interesting evening.”

Maisie looked away slightly embarrassed; had the police not turned up, something may well have happened between them.  But now in the cold light of day, she was not sure what she wanted. 

“Perhaps I might surprise you one of these days and turn up at your apartment wearing nothing but your shirt again.”

“I so wish you would,” he murmured.

Maisie noticed his hand was still on her leg.  “Move that any higher and I might just give you a matching black eye.”

Frankie laughed.  “You know I can’t resist a challenge.  But I shall try and behave.  As long as you promise to meet me for a drink during the week.”

“I think I can manage a drink.  Now let’s order, I’m bloody starving.”

Steffen waited until the next morning before dealing with Dumont.  He had had a brief night’s sleep and had considered the avenues open to him.  He needed to take an unbiased and neutral line.  Maisie was quite right though, he was not fit serve, but it was not down to him to fire the officer.  Looking at Dumont standing before him, he felt nothing but loathing, more so because he had struck Maisie full in the face.  He might want to wrap his hands around her throat and squeeze but he would never dream of punching her in the face.

“Well, Dumont, I did warn you that if you messed up again you would be facing a Tribunal.”

“But, Sir, I have witnesses that the Carrington bitch struck me.”

“That was in response to you grabbing her breast.”

“That was accidental and highly regrettable, Sir.”

“I’m aware of that. But your actions were completely unwarranted and sparked another major brawl, which again portrayed us as thugs.” Not to mention another lawsuit, Steffen sighed to himself.  “What in hell’s name possessed you to punch a woman in the face?”

“She hit me.”

“You’re a police officer. If someone attacks you, you are supposed to restrain not beat them up.” Steffen sat back and shook his head.  Maisie Carrington was going to turn him prematurely grey.  “Effective immediately, you’re suspended from duty on full pay and will go before a Tribunal to decide whether you are fit to serve.  You will be advised of the date and time.  Please hand over your badge and gun, Officer Dumont.”

Dumont looked quite shocked as he handed over his badge and revolver.  “This is bullshit, Chief. I was acting in accordance to the law.”

“You overstepped the line and brought disgrace to the Department.” 

“You’re making a big mistake, Sir,” Dumont growled.

“Is that a threat, Officer?” Steffen barked.

“No, Sir, just making a statement.” The venom in Dumont’s voice was clear. He turned and left the room.

Steffen looked at the other officer in the room. “Make sure he leaves the building, please.”

He sat back in his chair and sighed heavily.  Perhaps he should ask Maisie Carrington to advise him whenever she threw a party so he could make sure there was not an officer within a two kilometre radius.  The Department could not weather any more screw ups.

His eyes rested on the newspaper in front him, in particular the shot of Maisie.  She did look so incredibly sexy in just that shirt.  He let out a deep growl.  She was outspoken, impetuous and wild, everything he hated in a woman.  So why the hell did he have such a hard on for her?  He really needed to get himself laid. And soon.

Sabina was over the moon reading the letter from Lausanne University.  She had been invited for an interview.  Her place for the fine art degree was all but assured.

She needed to bring a copy of her birth certificate with her, and as her mother was still in Lucerne, she had no choice but to go looking for it in her father’s study.  He would be out for the most the day, and night most probably.

Rifling her way through each drawer, Sabina hoped to come across a stack of personal looking papers, not just boring government stuff.  Drawer number four looked a little more promising.  She fished out a large manila wallet and inside she saw the tell-tale signs of the red trimmed documents. As she removed her birth certificate, an envelope came with it.  She was about to push it back when the edge of a photograph became visible.  Curious, she pulled out the envelope and looked at its contents. 

Nothing could quite describe how she felt as she studied the stack of photos.  They were all of her father having sex with young women.  What made it even worse was, from the notes on the back of the pictures, he had taken the photos himself; it was almost as if he was making a catalogue of his conquests.  Judging from the photographs, some of them were taken a long time ago, a few appeared more recent.  But they had all been taken whilst he was married to her mother.

She sat down heavily on the chair.  Her stomach felt quite sick.  Sliding the photographs back into the envelope, she replaced the wallet in the desk drawer.  Something in the pile of papers on his desk caught her eye; it was from her mother’s lawyer. Whilst she was snooping, she might as well do a thorough job.  She eased open the envelope and her heart thumped as she looked at the contents.  It wasn’t the fact that her parents were divorcing, it was the photograph attached that almost made her vomit.  The redhead and her father were obviously mid-sex when the picture was taken, most likely by her mother, but it was the age of the girl, she couldn’t have been any older than herself.  What a fucking pervert her father was.  A noise in the hallway made her jump.  She stuffed the contents quickly back into the envelope and stepped away from the desk just as her father burst in his study.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” he growled.

“I needed my birth certificate.” She held up the official paper.

“Why?”

“For enrolment at university.”

“What on earth are you going to university for?”

“To finish my education.”

“Is there any point?  You’ll most likely be married off within a year or two.”

“I think not.  I want a career.”

“Doing what?” her father snorted derisively.

“I’m sure I’ll think of something, Father,” she glowered at him.  How her mother stayed married to this monster for so long was beyond her.

She stepped around him and retreated to the safety of her bedroom.  Her discovery had really altered her view of her father.  He was not just a cold, unfeeling man; he was sick.  He was having sex with girls younger than herself.  It brought her out in hives just thinking about it.  No wonder mum was away, she probably couldn’t stand the sight of him. 

Her interview was in a couple of days’ time but she suddenly felt uncomfortable being in the house alone with her father now.  She was seriously concerned that if he had too much to drink, she could end up his next victim, she was the right age after all. She decided against calling Steffen; she could well afford to stay in a hotel. An extra couple of days in Lausanne would give her time to register with some agencies to find a suitable apartment.  Student accommodation wasn’t really for her.

Hubert tossed his briefcase on the desk and flopped down in his leather armchair.  What a bloody nightmare of a day.  The House were giving him grief over his connection with a foreign investor, Bettina was apparently sticking to her guns about the divorce, and Jacqueline had seen this as a perfect opportunity to try and become a permanent fixture.  Not that he would mind waking up next to her regularly.  She had a great body and large breasts, just the thought was making him hard.  Perhaps later. 

He would play along with Bettina’s game; he was sure she would never actually divorce him, she was only trying to make a point.  She was a plain, cold woman, no-one would ever find her attractive.  That’s why he knew she would stay, women needed the security of a husband.

The disturbed papers on his desk bothered him.  What had that ridiculous child really been looking for?  He couldn’t imagine any university would take the girl, she was almost as useless as her mother.  In fact the only one of his children who had actually shown any promise was Steffen.  He had risen to a good rank, there was hope for him yet.

The last thing he wanted was his daughter running free from the fold.  Her future had already been planned, it had been agreed between him and Franz Von Gruber that she would marry his son, Charles.  He certainly did not want her foolishly thinking she could fall in love with just anybody.  He would speak to Franz to move matters along with Charles before Sabina disappointed him.

Glancing out the window he saw his daughter throw a bag into her car; he was curious where she was headed.  It was definitely time to offload her to Von Gruber.  On the bright side, with her so obviously away for the evening, he was at leisure to entertain Jacqueline.

Sabina had only ever stayed in Lausanne at Steffen’s residence and to be honest, she’d never got to see much of the city.   She had booked herself into a boutique hotel in the old city, La Rose d’Or, and was really starting to enjoy her new found freedom as Sabina Laroque.

She spent the morning exploring the city and talking to estate agents about apartments to rent.  Now it was time for her interview.  She bounced down a series of wooden steps towards the University which overlooked a large square.  The entrance hall was impressive with huge vaulted ceilings, it was stunning. Eventually spotting the signs towards the room she needed to go, she scurried down the corridor and turned right into an immoveable object.

A small squeal escaped as she looked into a delightful set of soft brown eyes. In fact his whole face was rather attractive. She recognised the grey uniform instantly and was a little surprised to see the officer had long blond hair. Obviously a new breed was coming through, one that might actually have a personality. She lowered her eyes quickly, feeling embarrassed for her clumsiness.  He still had his hands on her shoulders from where he had caught her and seemed in no hurry to release her.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry, Officer.” She felt quite flustered.

“For what?”

“Ploughing into you.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” he grinned.

She thought he was about to say something else when the registrar popped her head out the door.  “Miss Laroque?”

She gave him a parting smile and headed towards the woman.  “Yes, that’s me.”

Sabina thought the interview went well. They talked at length about the course, she gave a good insight into the knowledge she already had and why she wanted to study fine art.  At the end of it, the Registrar confirmed her place. 

“All I require now are your enrolment forms and sight of your birth certificate.”

Sabina handed those over and waited for the woman’s expression to change.  It did. 

“I prefer to go by Laroque rather than Grundberg,” Sabina explained.

“I’m so dreadfully sorry,” the Registrar blushed.  “Had I known you were a Grundberg, this whole interview would not have been necessary.”

“Which is why I use Laroque.  I want to be seen for myself, not my surname.  I hope my privacy will be respected.”

“Of course, Miss Grun…Laroque. Your personal details are confidential.”

Sabina was walking on cloud nine.  She had won her place on her own merits, not on her surname.  No-one could take that from her.

She was only too keen now to stay on in Lausanne, but her mother’s birthday party was in a couple of days and she could not miss that.  And after what Sabina had come across, her mother certainly needed her support.  Although maybe she still had time to do a little shopping. The boutiques in the old city were to die for.