Only The Good Die Young, Book 1

Chapter 3

“Right, Kathryn, we’re releasing you pending further enquiries. You are to return here to Sun Hill in two weeks to possibly face further charges,” Bob Cryer said, while filling out a form.

Jim Carver stood on the left side of Katy, while Sergeant Cryer returned her propero heo her and had her sign the relevant forms.

“Where’s John?” Kathryn asked Jim.

“Sergeant Boulton has left,” Jim said, tersely. “Gone home for the night. Don’t worry, he’ll be in touch about the other matter.”

“Oh…ok,” Kathryn said, quietly. She signed the sheet and Jim escorted her out.

“Where’s the nearest tube station?” she asked.

“It’s a bit of a ways. Make a left out of the yard and get a number 103 to Tesco’s. Sun Hill tube.”

“Thanks Mr. Carver.”

It was raining softly.

“Kathryn?” said Jim, warming slightly to her.

“Yes?”

“Take care out there.”

Jim watched her walk through the yard and away. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt afraid for her.

As Katy waited for the bus, a blue Ford Mondeo pulled up beside the kerb. The window rolled down.

“Get in.” It was John.

Katy opened the car door and slid into the passengers’ seat. John pulled away from the bus stop and drove off.

“What happened today in the cells, that’s not on.” John started.

“Oh come off of it John. You weren’t exactly an unwilling party.” Katy was hurt and visibly annoyed with him.

“Yeah but you sliding up to me and flirting with me almost landed me in it. It’s bad enough Bob Cryer knows but if anyone else finds out I’m in deep shit, Katy. I can’t afford to have my DI or DCI find out, or god forbid anyone else higher up.”

“Oh yeah. The precious career.” She rolled her eyes. “I hope it keeps you warm at night. I hope it satisfies you in bed, and cooks you breakfast in the morning and washes your clothes for you and looks after you when you’re ill. I hope it does all the things I did and I hope it does it better for you.”

“Katy, please.” John said, irritated, “Stop being childish.”

“Stop trying to pretend you feel nothing for me, when you and I both know you do! I love you John! I’ve always loved you, and I’ll love you forever! At least I can say it out loud. Pull over. I want to get out.” loo looked out the window.

“Not in this neighbourhood. At least let me take you home.”

“Do you remember what happened the last time I let you take me home?”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” John asked, angrily.

“It just means that it might put you in a situation that may put you at risk to your marriage vows to your job. I don’t want to be the “other woman” between you and Lady Law and Order, so why not let me out?”

“Katy… stop it.” John looked over at her and had to stop himself from touching her arm, pulling her towards him, kissing her beautiful neck.

“No, John. I’m sorry I came back. I’ll go now.”

They were stopped at a red light. Quickly, Katy popped the lock and opened the door ever so slightly. As the light turned green she jumped out and slammed the door shut just as John accelerated away. She ran for it, through two lanes of traffic, onto the pavement, and away down an alleyway before John could double back to find her.

John didn’t know what happened. One minute he was trying to restrain himself from grabbing her hand and kissing her fingertips, the next minute she was out of the car before he could blink.

‘Damn it!’ he thought to himself, ‘Why did I have to come off that way? Why did I have to do that to her?’

He made a quick U-turn through a few lanes of traffic, incurring many horns honking and rude gestures. Up and down Canley High Street and the side streets he drove, looking for her before deciding that she had probably got the tube as they were close to the station when she jumped out. He decided to wait for her at her home address.

“Boulton to Sierra Oscar?” John said into his radio.

“Go ahead, John.” June Ackland answered from the CAD room.

“Can I have the address for Kathryn O’Sullivan? She was in custody earlier today.”

“One minute.”

John rolled his eyes. They wereslowslow in that bloody CAD room. He pulled over and waited for June’s response.

“Sierra Oscar to Boulton?”

“Go ahead June,” John answered back

“She lives at 4, Arlington Crescent in Greenwich.”

“Thanks June.”

John drove down Canley High Street and headed towards Whitechapel High Street past the City Poly, on his way to Greenwich. Going under the Thames through the Blackwall Tunnel, his palms started sweating, and his mouth was dry. It was one thing to have her there in the car, but another thing to be in her house, where no one could stop what’s coming between them. The car smelled of her perfume, and even after almost 20 hours in custody she still looked gorgeous.

‘That was Katy though,’ John thought, ‘Always so together with herself, always gorgeous, never letting herself go.’ It was half of her mystique, really. John remembered that she had the nickname “Catwoman” given to her because she was the best female cat burglar in London.

‘And she’s better looking than Michelle Pfeiffer,’ John thought, ruefully, ‘She wanted me and I was the man that let her go. What was I thinking? I remember when she asked me to give up the job for her and I said no. Just because she wouldn’t give up burgling…’

Pulling up at her address, he was surprised to see that she had her own cottage, a very cute, old seafarer’s house, with ivy growing up one side, in view of the Thames. He could see her old flat across the water from the front of her house. He parked around the corner and walked up to her front door, looking at heowerowers which were in bloom. John noticed that a light was on in the house and reckoned that she might have just got home.

John rang her bell and waited. No answer.

He knocked, “Katy? Open up. It’s me.”

“Go away, John before I call your DI and tell him that you’re harassing me,” Katy shouted through the door.

“We’ve got some unfinished business.”

She opened the door but left the chain on. “Any business between the two of us is finished.”

“There’s still the matter of the heroin.”

“Of course. You want me to play the old trick, don’t you? Go and buy some while you watch, nick the seller and me, so it’s not police entrapment, and then let me off. Well, find yourself another jerk to do it. I’m not playing.”

“Do you want to get sent down for the burglary, Katy? You know you’re facing 20 years with all your previous.”

“I couldn’t care less, John. I want nothing to do with you, that heroin, or anything else. Justve mve me alone.” Katy went to shut the door.

“Katy…” John put his hand in the way. “Katy… I don’t want you to get sent down.”

“What do you care? You won’t be there for me when I get out.”

“Katy, listen. Can I come in please?” John’s heart was racing and his mind was foggy, clouded by love, lust and other forces that he couldn’t identify. If he did get inside, he had no clue what he would do.

“No.”

“Please? Let me in please.”

Katy looked im fim for a long moment. She unhooked the chain and opened the door. He walked in and looked deep in her eyes. She pushed the door shut and he caught her arm, grabbing her. He pulled her towards him and held her tightly to him, his lips upon her lips, kissing each other, unsure at first and then passionately, with all the pent up desire and longing that was the culmination of seven years apart.

Katy’s legs gave out on her and she collapsed into John’s arms. John was pushed back against the door and they slid down to the floor, still kissing each other frantically, deeply, unable to get enough of the feeling of being in each other’s arms again, kissing each other’s lips again, feeling loved, wanted, and desired by the person that loved them.

“Katy…” John whispered between kisses, “Katy I love you.”

“Do you mean that John?” Katy pulled away and looked at him, her heart leaping inside of her.

“Yes… I mean it. I love you Katy. I always have. I always will.”

Katy remembered the first time that John told her that he loved her. It was the night that they had met, and it was for her love at first sight. ‘Who would have thought,’ she wondered, ‘that I would fall head over heels for a ginger plod, and not even a full plod but a probationer!’

That night, he took her back to Canary Wharf, regardless of the fact that he lived in Islington. When she put her arm in his, as they walked along on that cold evening, he didn’t shy away but welcomed her closer to him. As they got on the tube, in the half-deserted carriage, she took his hand and he squeezed back. By the time they got to Tower Hill and changed for the DLR, they were laughing and stealing kisses from each other. In her flat, they became lovers for the first time, and in between their bouts of passion, he told her that he loved her. She told him not to be so silly, as they had just met.

“No, I’m not being silly,” John said, adamantly, “Kathryn I love you. You are unlike anyone that I’ve ever known in my life and I can’t help myself. I am in love with you.”

“John, you can’t love someone just on the basis of a one night stand.” Katy said, looking at him, his gorgeous red hair, beautiful brown eyes and boyish smile. She knew in her heart what he was saying, as she felt it too, within her.

“Is that all this is to you? A one-night stand?” John was visibly hurt.

“No… this is more. I feel it too.” Katy acquiesced.

John smiled warmly at her, and rolled over on top of her, just like the way he had tackled her to the pavement hours earlier. “Then tell me you love me, Tell me that you feel like I do.”

“I do love you John. I never believed in love at first sight before but I do now.”

Katy sighed, happy with the memory of their first time together, and wrapped her arms around John’s neck, gazing in his eyes, as they laid together on the floor. As he kissed her neck and ear, she whispered, “I love you John. But we shouldn’t do this.”

John sced ced her with a kiss. He stood up and picked her up in his arms, and took her into the living room, which was off of the hallway. Laying her down on the sofa, he set to work on the buttons on her blouse. As he slipped it off of her shoulders, he remembered every curve, every inch of her beautiful skin as he had kissed it a million times before. She was so gorgeous, luminescent, that John almost wanted to cry.

“Why did I ever let you go?” he said, quietly.

Kaook ook John’s face in her hands and gazed in his brown eyes, full of love, passion and fire. She reached behind herself and unsnapped her bra, sliding it off of her and away. John reached up to cup her large breasts in his hand, so familiar and yet, so new and wonderful. She leaned towards him and kissed his lips, his chin, his nose and down his jawbone. John shivered as she ran the tip of her tongue down his neck.

“You always did enjoy it when I did that,” Katy said, laughing and doing it again.

John looked at her and grinned, “You’re dead...”

Katy giggled and tweaked his nose. John pushed her back against the arm of the sofa, and crawled on top of her. He rubbed his palms over her sensitive nipples, never taking his eyes off of her eyes. Katy reached up and unbuttoned his shirt. She ran her fingertips down his muscular chest, caressing him softly, lovingly.

John bent down to kiss her nipples, sucking them gently in his mouth. Katy moaned and ran her hand through his soft red hair. John kissed his way down her body, making her spasm with pleasure, over the flat of her stomach, to her belly button. He unzipped her trousers. She arched upwards to allow him to slide them down and remove them. Katy gasped softly and her skin broke out in goosebumps as he touched her pubic hair and rubbed her slit through her panties. She could feel his hard bulge pressing against her leg through his trousers.

Katy’s lips met his in a passionate, long kiss. She ran her fingers along the waistband of his trousers, to the fly. Unzipping him slowly, she rubbed her hand along his boxers, feeling his hard erection grow. John stood up and slid his trousers and boxers off, standing in front of her naked and gorgeous. He knelt down next to her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, and pulled her off of the couch on to the floor, on top of him. Katy steadied herself on top of him, pushed her panties to one side, and slowly slid herself onto his hard member.

John shred red and felt waves of pleasure coarse through his body as she slowly moved up and down on top of him, riding him, controlling him. She looked in his eyes and he watched her body, her beautiful breasts, rising and falling. She felt so good, so familiar and so wonderful intertwined with him, making love to him. Her fingertips teased his body, flicking over his nipples and down, caressing him, loving him. She was moving so slow on him that he felt like he could burst. He couldn’t take this teasing, agonising slow lovemaking much longer.

John pulled Katy down and rolled over, placing himself on top. He thrust into her, quickly yet gently, speeding up the pace, unable to control himself. He gazed into her eyes and kissed her as he took her, his passion overflowing. She lifted her legs to allow him in deeper and that was all it took, John felt himself start to orgasm in her. He moaned as he felt himself pulsing and exploding deep within her. Kissing him passionately, Katy felt herself almost ready to come. She reached between their bodies and touched her clit, and it was all she needed to bring herself to an orgasm, her vagina spasming around him. Breathless, they collapsed in each others’ arms, and held each other until the shaking passed.

John looked into Katy’s eyes and said, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“So have I,” Katy said, touching his cheek, “You’ve been working out, haven’t you?” she said.

John just smiled and said, “You’re still so soft and beautiful.”

“You look terrific,” Katy said. She noticed the tiniest flecks of blonde in his hair, and smiled,

“You are terrific.” John said, grinning at her.

“So are you,” Katy said.

They got up off of the hardwood floor, and John took a look around her house. It was beautiful, decorated in a French provincial style. John’s curiosity peaked as he recognised a vase on her fireplace, which was identical to the one that was stolen out of the British Museum four months ago. A circular was sent around describing the vase, with a photograph, and for the police to keep alert for it. Picking it up, he noted the security sticker on the bottom that told him what he needed to know.

Turning, still holding the vase, he smiled as Katy walked back in the room, “So you did over the British Museum four months ago?”

Katy feigned innocence, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’d like it if you put down the antique vase I was left by my auntie.”

John laughed, setting it back where it was; “I suppose it looks better on your fireplace than it did in that museum.”

Katy handed John a large scotch on the rocks, “Here’s to times past, and times to come.”

“I’ll drink to that,” he said, downing it in one, feeling the fiery liquid scorch his insides as it eased its way down.

“So,” John began, “How much of this house did you buy legitimately, and how much did you steal?”

Katy shot John a look, “Don’t start, please. Why ruin what we just did?”

“Just curious, that’s all.”

“Well, you know what, John? I don’t feel I should have to answer to you or anyone about my house and the contents herein.”

“I just want to be sure your place isn’t so hot it’s under surveillance.”

“Again, with the precious career! God forbid, one of your colleagues spots you in this house screwing your bit of rough!” Katy was getting upset with John’s attitude.

“Come on Katy, I don’t mean it like that.”

“Well, it sure seems that way. I don’t know why you bothered to even come here John, if you’re so paranoid that you’d be seen with me.”

“You know why I came here. Surely that should mean something to you?”

“Yeah, but it’s not enough, John. Not enough to put me before your career.”

John hurried into his clothes, quickly putting his boxers and trousers back on, “I don’t know why I cared about you. You’re a selfish cow, Katy, do you know that?”

“No John, I think you’re the selfish one. Sending me away, forcing our love to die for the sake of a crummy promotion, not caring about my feelings one way or another, and now breezing in here, using me like some kind of cheap streetwalker, and walking out on me again. You’re a very selfish, cruel man, John.”

John buttoned up his shirt. He turned to look at her, tears in his eyes, “Isn’t it enough that I love you? You just can’t accept that I made a mistake, can you? But you never offered to quit burgling. You never once offered to stop to keep our relationship.”

“You never asked me to John,” Katy said quietly, “All you had to do was ask me and I would have stopped in a heartbeat for you.”

“It’s too late, Katy. Too late for us. You won’t forgive me and I can’t trust you.”

“You can trust me. If you want me to stop, I’ll stop. It’s a very little thing when compared with having you,” Katy started to cry, “I love you John. I want you with me, not just tonight but forever. I’ll stop forever, for you, as long as you’re here with me.”

“But you still won’t forgive me so what’s the point?”

She reached for him and touched his cheek, “John… I forgive you. I understand why you did it. I don’t agree with it but I know in my heart that not a day has gone by when you didn’t think of me, and I know I thought of you every day as well, and always will do. I’ve spent seven years without you, and I’m not prepared to spend a second longer.”

Through their tears they found each other’s lips and kissed each other tenderly, with all the love, passion, and commitment that they had for each other. Katy took John by the hand and led him upstairs to her bed.

* * *

In the darkness, John held Katy in his arms and listened to her sleep. She was always so peaceful looking when she slept, unlike the hurricane that she could become during her waking hours. He had no idea what he was going to do. Yesterday at this time he had a plan, a goal, a future in the Met. He was on an obbo, ready to take down some bank robbers. Out of all the potential burglars in London, why did he have to nick his ex-girlfriend, who he nearly married. The past 24 hours saw him putting his career, reputation, and heart on the line for the sake of this woman, and the way he felt about the job at this moment, he didn’t care less. It was because of the job that Katy would be eventually forced away from him after they busted up the heroin ring. She was right, it wasn’t her vocation as a burglar that made a difference to him, it was the job that drew the line in the sand between him and her. Katy could, and would, give it up for him. He always knew that, even seven years ago when he left her. But because of her past it was forbidden, her record too long, her crimes too many, for her to be the wife of a detective sergeant. If he married her he could count out any form of security clearance that he could ever hope to obtain. He would also have to transfer away from Sun Hill, to another nick where she had not been arrested and wouldn’t be known to any of the officers. But still there would be the risk of someone transferring in who may have arrested her in the past.

John sighed and kissed her forehead. She nuzzled closer to him and he squeezed her. Katy opened her eyes and looked at him.

“It’s not going to work is it?” she said.

John kissed her lips gently and said, “Shhh. We’ll find a way.”

“I know it’s not. There is no other way. As much as I wish there was.”

“I could give up the job for you.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Yes.”

“John, I could never ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking me. I’m offering.”

“But the job is your life. It means everything to you. You were born to be a detective.”

“Well, I can do something else. Not security, those guys are wankers. But maybe private investigations.”

“Still, wouldn’t it matter?”

“Not as long as I didn’t start to investigate you.” John kissed her nose.

“Who else would you get though? You can’t open up a firm on your own back.”

“Don Beech might come in with me. He’s another DS. Jim would do it if the price was right. For that matter, I might even get my DI in.”

“So you would open up a firm of ex-cops, and not expect them to care that your wife was a known burglar?”

“If you were serious about giving up the nicking, I’m sure they’d get used to the idea.”

“I always thought it was ‘once a crook, always a crook,’ with you guys.”

“When they get to know you like I know you they’ll change their minds.”

Katy rolled over on her side and looked in his eyes. She ran her fingertips down his muscular arm. “I think you’re being a bit optimistic, love.”

“I don’t. I know these guys. They’re alright.”

“So let me get this straight. You’re going to open up a private investigation firm, with three ex-policemen, just so you can be with me, an ex-burglar. What sort of job can I have?”

“You can work in the firm as well. With your surveillance skills, and your knowledge of outsmarting alarms and staking out premises, you’d be a valuable asset.”

“John, get your head out of your arse,” Katy teased him, “And even if somehow you did get it off of the ground, with those three guys, how would you go about getting work? It’s not the most lucrative of professions, especially with a payroll of five.”

“Payroll of two. Me and you. Bring them in later once we get established.”

“It all sounds terrific, John, but I’m afraid it might just be a dream.”

“It can be our dream, Katy. We can hold that dream until we can act upon it.”

“It’s a lovely dream.” Katy kissed him softly and closed her eyes. John listened as she relaxed again and slowly fell back to sleep.

‘It’s a lovely dream, indeed,’ John thought to himself. ‘The plain reality is that she’ll get sent down for five years, and in that amount of time I can be DI, with a steady wage.’ He closed his eyes and listened to Katy breathe until his breathing matched hers and he fell asleep.