Opus Veda

Gemma felt uneasy in plainclothes, surrendering the respect - and the free drinks - uniform won her.

Her host demanded it though, and their invitation intrigued.

She entered the bar - a neon nest of secluded booths wired to a drinks carousel. It reminded Gemma of airport baggage collection in a way she found bleak. Music played, generic enough to avoid distracting, loud enough to separate conversations.

Gemma's host awaited in booth J. She found her there, staring at her drink in a sulky trance.

"Czesc, Katarzyna."

Kasia came to and shuffled aside.

"Hey, czesc… what do you wanna drink?"

"I'll get it," Gemma sat across from her, "fancy another?"

"No. Let me but it. Please let me feel useful detective."

"Alright, but don't call me detective while I'm off duty okay?"

She motioned to the neighbouring booths. Kasia huffed an agreement, finding Gemma's disguise unworthy of the name, too plain and blatantly an undercover cop.

Gemma pointed at Kasia's drink.

"What're you drinking there?"

"Double vodka red bull with a shot of Jägermeister."

"Jesus…" Gemma frowned at the fizzy brown broth, "what do you even call that?"

Kasia shrugged and swivelled the menu around. Gemma perused the beers and tapped one.

"Just a Pilsner for me, though I'll keep your choice in mind for the future. Looks handy for dodgy dates; you know the kind that's so bad you think about spiking your own drink."

"Oh yes? Why'd you think I ordered one for ours…"

Kasia's mouth curled into an unconvincing smile and faded as fast. Gemma saw a broken woman switched off to the world.

Something big had happened.

"So Kasia, why the call?"

"It's about the case you have on me, for my recent actions."

Gemma's eyes narrowed, "recent actions?"

"You know what they are."

"Your… landlord? Is that why I'm here Kasia?"

Kasia scowled. She had assumed the detective was following her as a revolution lead. Now Gemma had given away Ali Hogarth was chasing vengeance too.

More bad luck. Kasia swigged.

"What would happen to my daughter if something happened to me?"

"What would happen to you."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You finding out depends on what my daughter's chances are."

The booth's hatch dinged. Its flap squealed open with a spurt of lumpy dry ice. Gemma's lager appeared. She gratefully took it and sipped several times.

"If we locate a lost a child we take them into custody for a 'Safe and Well Check'. If we can't find suitable guardians to return the child to, they would be passed to social services. From there: foster care."

"Define 'suitable guardian'."

Gemma studied Kasia with a lilting head, "you had a tough time with parents."

Kasia gave a shy nod and looked away. Gemma sighed.

"Mine were rubbish too. Wanted to stick to the 'old ways' - me married and having babies, running the home while my provider provided.

And now I'm a lesbian spook! No matter how awful my job gets it will always be an act of resistance."

"You knew your dad?"

"He was as temperamental as my mum, but less… manipulative. They fought every night but it didn't matter to them, as long as the image of normal family life remained. Otherwise what would people think if they split up? Surely their children needed two present parents?" Gemma swished her beer and watched its foamy head disintegrate, "I'd have taken two houses of love over the one full of pain."

Kasia mumbled. Gemma raised her glass.

"Na Zdrowie Katarzyna. To the death and downfall of shit mothers."

Kasia toasted back.

"May we never become them."

They enjoyed some silence. Gemma waited for Kasia to settle, considering angles to loosen her up.

"If something happened to you Kasia, your daughter could enter my charge specifically. If she needed social services - and I hope she does not - I can guarantee she won't be sent to your mother."

"What about her relatives in Poland?"

"I can try putting her through emigration but from experience it rarely works."

"How old are you?"

Gemma stumbled. Citizens rarely went personal. Whatever Kasia was hiding, she was on the cliff's edge.

Gemma chose to play along.

"I'm 31 Kasia. Why?"

"Do you think you'd be where you are if you weren't born middle class?"

"...you're about to imply your circumstances led to your actions."

Kasia said nothing. Gemma knocked the table.

"I want another drink with you Kasia. Will you let me get this one?" she tapped the menu, "Kasia I know you've joined Revolution Britannia. I've seen you leaving their base, the writing was on the wall for you anyway. They're good at convincing the downtrodden to serve them aren't they?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Only while the downtrodden serve their interests..."

"Imagine so."

Gemma swept Kasia's body, the way she picked her nails, the way her eyes traced the past over the table.

She mirrored her posture.

"After I interviewed Ali Hogarth I had a chat with her daughters. The youngest kept singing the praise of one of Ali's invaders. A woman, who stayed with this girl and befriended her. I always speak to the children of a family, they're more impartial. And on the subject of shit mothers isn't hers?"

"Yea…"

"Although the older daughter was allegedly assaulted."

"Allegedly."

"I spoke to that girl too, on course to be as shit as her mum. I saw no signs of assault, she'll be outwitted with a little gaslighting."

Kasia stopped picking her nails and gripped the table.

"So: this woman entered a house invited, spent the time comforting one child, and did nothing wrong with the other?"

"Correct."

"Won't the landlord expect more?"

"I'll tell the landlord what to want."

"Sounds good."

"So Kasia, will you talk to me?"

Kasia finished her drink and slid it away.

"Not yet."

Gemma tried pushing her frustration back, "so why am I here Kasia?"

"All I need is time, it's not like I can go anywhere. I just wanna see my daughter a little while more. Can you give me that?"

"I've just ordered more drinks Kas-"

Kasia stood, slapped the table with a sharp clink, raised her fingers. A yuan sovereign gleamed.

Gemma considered making an arrest. Kasia had something bigger than a crooked landlord, and it led to R-B.

But no. Keep watching from afar, and see where she leads to.

Gemma stood too and beckoned for Kasia's hand. She pressed the sovereign into Kasia's palm and wrapped her fingers around it.

"I don't want your money, or the drinks. You stay. I'll be available whenever you need me."

Kasia nodded with a faint look of gratitude. She smiled at Gemma's finger.

"You're married..."

"Oh? Yes, engaged actually."

"Aren't you worried something will happen to you? At work I mean."

Gemma smiled back.

"Of course I am. But we all need purpose and belonging. Anyway, if I didn't have my job I wouldn't be worth much to my fiancé."

But Kasia's mind was elsewhere, switched off to the world. Gemma waved gently and left her alone.

We all need purpose and belonging. Kasia couldn't agree more.

And that's why she knew, she was taking Pierce's offer.