Chapter 4
She could still feel her arms burning from the imprint of Lisa's hands on them as she…
Well, not manhandled exactly.
Manoeuvered, that was it.
Manoeuvered her away from that jumped-up slimeball sticking his knife in, as he was wont to do.
She'd been seconds from decking him hard enough to knock his teeth backwards through his neck, peppering the windows of the office like a shower of bullets.
It had been a very long time since she'd felt that safety catch flick up.
That streak of hot quicksilver pouring through her veins, charging through her carefully constructed failsafes.
Mere moments from a red mist descending.
And then an altogether different kind emerged from the cloud to reveal those piercing green eyes she'd idly found herself falling into every now and then.
Sharp, tactical as she noted the detective persona swiftly superseded the friend.
For a a few seconds though, there was something else simmering beneath her flinty recce across her body.
Carla hadn't quite unpicked it yet but it was something she'd first spotted last night.
They'd decided to switch things up and Carla had mentioned popping into the Chariot Square ahead of her business meeting.
She wasn't going to let her hard work be derailed by some shoddy service. Especially not when she was the one organising it.
She said as much to Lisa in her invitation.
“High-maintenance, are we?”, the detective teased as they headed towards her car.
“Not that that's got anything to do with business but fine, why not. Have all my secrets, why don't you?”
“You're the one that's been on about me looking you up in the system.”
“Well, there's only so much that's going to tell you anyway. And it's probably too much already. Are you sure about driving?”
She watched her blonde ponytail flick back as she shrugged.
“Got work in the morning so I'll stick to lemonade for this turn.”
“Oh great, and here I thought you could share the load so I can make it through tomorrow without my head needing unscrewing.”
The bullseye shuddered with a clang, as Lisa laughed.
“Not sure what's safe for me to say in response to that.”
“You pleading the fifth? You've got some cheek.”
She strode over to the passenger door.
“Besides, I thought that was American anyway.”
Lisa unlocked the doors and threw her a smirk.
“No flies on you, Ms Connor. Now shift your arse before that changes.”
Stunned at her sharp response; her mouth dropping open slightly, Carla did just that, sliding into the seat.
It was heated; nothing but the best for Weatherfield's finest then.
Truth be told, she welcomed it; the evenings had been creeping into darker and chillier territory over the last few weeks.
The shift into an otherwise-unflattering-on-any-other-human rotation of blocky-knit sleeveless jumpers on DS Swain had been noted.
She had no right to make something so hideous look that good.
It was maddening.
“So, what's her ladyship up to this evening?”, she inquired, finding herself interested in hearing how her 'protégé' had taken on her advice.
The responding eye roll was less severe than usual.
Something to celebrate at least.
“Watching a film with Dylan.”
“Oh. Sean's lad?”
“That's the one”, she answered, a vague hint of uncertainty prompting a miniscule fold of an eyebrow.
Not that Carla noticed.
“He's a good kid. There's plenty worse hanging around the street these days.”
“Yeah, and she likes to make a habit of including herself in that cohort.”
Hands clenched the wheel slightly as the blonde let out a steady exhale.
“Still, she at least tells me who and what she's at now. Not like before.”
Daring to look away from the road for a moment, she shot a grateful look her way.
“Can't think why she started doing that all of a sudden.”
Carla could feel a blush arrowing across her cheekbones.
Not willing to give yet more away, she made a show of checking her nails.
An action that elicited a strangled cough from her friend.
Weird
“No idea. Maybe she's finally seen the light and realised how lucky she is to have you.”
Lisa barked out a laugh.
“In your dreams.”
Before she could stop herself, the brunette picked up the thread of banter.
“Bit big-headed to think you're featuring in my dreams, Swain. As it is, fairly sure your daughter’s got pride of place in my nightmares. One of you in my head is enough.”
“Oi! Watch it, or I'll throw you out of here to leg it on your own.”
“Oh yeah, all five foot and a fist of you? I'd like to see you try.
The flecks of grey in the detective's eyes darkened dangerously.
“Guess that's another false assumption for you to labour under then. I can bench 120, no problem.”
Good to know
She didn't need to think too carefully about that image.
At all.
Nor about how Lisa could m-
Stop
“Me and my assumptions, eh. At the rate I'm racking them up, it's a wonder you've stuck things out this long. Lots else to do in Swain's World, I'm sure.”
Seeing the detective looking a little ruffled at the last remark, Carla scrambled to keep herself from prodding too hard at the blonde's infinity loop of armour.
“I'll know where to look if I'm in need of a handywoman then.”
The brunette winked at her through the mirror.
“Between work, wrangling teenagers and filling up your gym subscription of course. And ferrying the local ratbag to the nearest source of decent alcohol, you'd give Superwoman a run for it these days."
Lisa chuckled, as she pulled into the hotel carpark, shaking her head at her colourful description.
“If we're calling this ferrying, then I'd best ask you how I'm supposed to retrieve my payment.”
Carla could feel the heat of the confined space thickening between them, as the blonde continued.
“After all, can't have you going in through the pauper's entrance."
She gave the brunette a long- though it was probably shorter in reality than how it seemed - once over.
“You wouldn't quite fit the bill.”
Something about Hades and Charon vaguely pulled at Carla's mind.
She couldn't quite remember the details- Roy had gotten her a book about it a few years back, encouraging her to ‘broaden her horizons’ beyond her usual reading material. She'd idly skimmed through it over a coffee one Sunday morning and it had been interesting enough to finish.
But feeling the detective's penetrating gaze resting on her out of the corner of her eye, she found herself wanting to recollect those details.
If only to see what other response she could provoke from this pint-sized enigma.
“Seeing as all I can offer is lemonade, my delightful company and my undying gratitude for your assistance, detective, I'll leave it with you to see if that'll fit your bill.”
Unclipping her belt, she picked up her bag.
“We can discuss payment afterwards.”
The answering grin she received from Lisa was broad, cheeks dimpling with genuine pleasure.
“Sounds great."
Carla felt the gun recoil fizzing though her arms.
A silver bullet burned under her tongue, as the pair of them headed inside to the bar.