Part 2
�So they let you out did they?� June asked coldly.
�Yes, bailed pending further enquiry�s. I�ve been suspended of course.�
�Of course. I�d better be getting off to work then.�
�Is that all you�ve got to say on the matter? I was expecting you to scream, or shout or at least say something?�
�Oh believe you me Jim Carver I have plenty to say, but right now I think that holding my tongue might be the only chance we have of salvaging anything out of this mess.
�So we still have a chance then?�
�I don�t know. Look Jim, I love you very much, I always will. I once said that it didn�t matter to me whether you were drinking or not, and it doesn�t, but burglary? Jim, I couldn�t believe it when Gina told me, tell me that it isn�t true?� Jim looked away, unable to look June in the eye.
�I�m sorry, I�ve got myself into a right mess.�
�Well I kind of guessed that when I couldn�t get any money from our account yesterday. Why on earth didn�t you tell me? I am meant to be your wife!� June shouted, raising her voice for the first time.
�I know. Look June there�s something I have to tell you.�
�I am sure there is, but not now, I�ll be late for work. We can talk after my shift, but then I want you to leave. What ever it is, you promised me that there would be no more secrets.�
�So we�re over then?�
�I�m not saying that, but I need time to think things through.�
�Fair enough, I can�t ask for any more than that. But what I have to tell you is important.�
�I�m sure that it can wait till tonight.� June rose from her chair, and put on her coat.
�I�m afraid it can�t, your life�s in danger!�
�You what! What on earth have you done?�
�I�m afraid I owe quite a lot of money to Mark Davies. He�s given me until 5pm today to pay up, or he�s going to come after you.�
Davies? Are you off your rocker? How many of his victims have you met after his heavies have given them a going over? Yet they are always too scared to talk. How much did you borrow?�
�Eight grand, but with interest I now owe twelve.�
�Oh Jim, why? I thought that we were ok financially? Our salaries easily cover our outgoings, or at least I thought they did. Tell me why!� June screamed. Jim didn�t answer.
�I said tell me! Don�t I have a right to know why my husband has got me into this?�
�I�m sorry, things just kind of got out of hand, I just wanted things to be perfect between us.�
�What do you mean, I thought we were ok?� June asked quietly, before sitting back down.
�Yes of course, I don�t mean like that. I wanted to be able to give you everything that you had ever wanted. I know it might sound old fashioned, but I wanted to be able to provide for you, to take care of you.�
�Oh Jim that�s very sweet of you, but you�ve known me for years! You know that I�d never be able to be a sit at home housewife, we�d probably die of food poisoning for a start!�
�Well that�s true, and I know that you�re happy in your job. I�d never ask you to give it up, no matter how much I worry every time you go out on the beat. It�s just that I feel as if I�m not pulling my weight. You earn quite a bit more than me, and we even live in your house.�
�You�ve still got time to make Sergeant too.�
�Nah it�s too late for me now. Even if by some great stroke of luck I get out of this mess, my drinking will always be held against me.�
�But I thought that you were happy as you were; particularly now that your back in CID, and that you didn�t want the extra responsibility that went with promotion?�
�Well I was on my own then, I didn�t have any responsibilities.�
�And anyway why on earth did you need to borrow the money? I mean apart from the honeymoon, we�ve hardly splashed out that much lately? And before you did borrow the money, don�t you think that you should have talked it through with me first?�
�But I didn�t want you to find out.�
�Find out what?�
�I�ve, erm, got a gambling problem,� Jim said quietly, unable to look his wife in the face.
June looked at the man she loved, barely able to think of what to say. Part of her wanted to lash out at him; after all she had been through these past few months, this was the last thing she needed. But this wave of anger quickly subsided, and then all sorts of questions began to flood through her mind. The biggest one for her was why he had not felt able to tell her sooner, perhaps he didn�t trust her?
Hurt and confused by her silence Jim went on, � I�m sorry, you don�t know how much so. Once I know that your safe, I�ll leave Sun Hill and get out of your life for good.�
�No Jim don�t do that, I want to help you through this, however long it takes,� June begged.
�But I�ll always be an addict June. I�m scared that after last night I might start drinking again. It wouldn�t be fair on you to put you through all of this.�
�Don�t you think that that is my decision to make? I love you so much Jim Carver, and even if we can�t be together as a couple anymore, I will always be there for you as a friend, if you�ll have me?�
�I don�t deserve you June.�
�Well one step at a time yeah? I think that we had better decide how we are going to deal with Davies first, don�t you? Did you tell them why you were in that house last night? I know you well Jim, you�d never do anything like that unless you were really desperate.�
�I was, I couldn�t think of any other way of raising the money. I had blown the last money I had on horse racing, and I was fairly drunk by then.�
�You could have spoken to me, I�m sure that together we could have come up with the money.�
�But I thought that if I did then that would be it, us over for good.�
�Did you report Davies then?�
�I didn�t tell the Brixton lot about Davies, as I doubt that the burglary charge will stick. I was seen running out of the house, and being a copper they seemed to believe my story about chasing after the real burglar. Thankfully I wasn�t caught with anything on me, but if it will protect you then I�ll go and tell them everything now. I�ll just get changed, then I�ll go down to Sun Hill to see Jack. I�ll get him to set up an obbo.�
�No Jim, you�ll lose your job at the very least. You need your job, you live for it. No we�ll try and raise the money, and if not then we�ll disappear for a bit while we sort things out.�
�But what about your job? I don�t think Gold would be too pleased if you just vanish.�
�I�ll put in for a transfer, and go on sick leave in the meantime.�
�Ok, if that�s what you want? But are you sure that you want to give up your life at Sun Hill for me, especially after all I have put you through?�
�Well to be honest I have been thinking about it for a while. To tell you the truth you are all that has kept me there for a while. So many bad things have happened at Sun Hill, I need to put that all behind me and move on.�
�What about Gabriel, your son?�
�What about him, I�ve told you time and time again that I want nothing to do with him. Why can�t you just accept that?�
�I�m sorry, it�s just that if it was me.�
�Well it isn�t you is it! Just drop it will you!�
�Of course.�
�Right well I�ll just go and phone Gina, tell her that I�m sick and I�ll not be in today. Then we can decide what to do.�
Jim went over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water, before taking a couple of aspirins and sipping at his water. He knew that he owed it to June to be strong today, after all this was his fault. Despite drinking last night, he didn't feel the need to do so again. He had to concentrate on June, that was all that mattered to him right now. He was worried about her, and not just because of the immediate danger she was in.
She had not been the same since she had found out the truth about Gabriel, and he couldn�t work out why. She was a lot colder; less sympathetic to her colleagues then she used to be.
Yet with him it was so different. It was like she was trying to hang on to him at any cost. She had turned a blind eye even though he had been home late a lot recently, and her reaction to all of this was not how he would have imagined at all.
The June he had known for years was so independent, she would never have let a man treat her the way he had done lately, and let him get away with it. Just then his thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking heavily on the door, Jim�s heart started racing.
�June don�t answer it, it could be him,� he cried, as he went to join her in the living room.
�Jim I know that your in there, I watched you come in,� Mark Davies shouted. Then his men started to kick the door in.
�Oh god, what are we going to do?� June cried, holding onto Jim�s hand in fear.
�Call the police.�
�What about your job?�
�Never mind that, just do it!� Jim shouted, before going to confront Davies as he made his way into the house. Davies, seeing what June was doing barged past Jim, and knocked the phone out of her hand, before pulling it from the wall.
�It�s not 5pm yet, why are you here?�
�Well I�ve learnt never to trust a pig, have you got my money then?�
�Not yet, but I promised you that I�d have it before five didn�t I?�
Davies grabbed hold of June by the throat, and she screamed. Jim moved towards them, but one of Davies lads held him back in an arm lock.
�Well I�ll just have to take your lovely wife as insurance then. And don�t think of calling the cops, as they�ll never get to her in time. I�ll release her once you have given Tom here the money. But after 5pm, I�m afraid that I�ll have to dispose of her. I can�t be seen as a soft touch can I now?�
�Why? You�ll have every cop in the country looking for you if you do,� Jim cried, his fear evident.
�I�ll be well out of the country before the body is even found. Yes it�s a bit of an inconvience for sure, but I�ve been thinking about retiring to the sun for a while now.�
Jim looked at June; he could see how scared she was. Tears were flowing down her cheek, and she called out his name as Davies began to drag her out of the door. Scared for her, he went to try and fight Davies, but as he did so Davies showed Jim what he had been hiding in his pocket, a shot gun.
TO BE CONTINUED��