Chapter Text
Chapter 23: Resolution.
With McFarlane’s help, as the weeks advanced, the police was able to locate Wolverton, whose real name was Abraham Lloyd, and he wasn’t all that sophisticated at all, but just a labourer who worked in the new transport lines, and had access to the dynamite used to demolish buildings at times. And then, things got more and more surprising and interesting, because Lloyd drove them to Jeff Whittaker, who took them to Peter Gillespie, Jonny Rokeby’s former lawyer.
“So it was Gillespie,” said Robin as Strike caught up with her two weeks later, as they enjoyed a small little date at Robin’s after taking her from rehab one morning. She was doing better and they’d been romanticising for a while, slowly starting to date in secret.
“Yes,” agreed Strike.
“But why? Your father…?”
“No, it doesn’t seem like the Rokebys have anything to do with it all. At least not directly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” said Strike, beer in hand, and smiled softly at Robin, “they fired Gillespie, which apparently got him very pissed off. Al told me it had something to do with me after all, because Rokeby and him argued about me all the time, Al thinks it’s because Rokeby wanted to approach me and rekindle things, if you can say that when there’s nothing to ‘re’ kindle, and Gillespie was against that, so Rokeby fired him. Then apparently Gillespie’s anger rose towards me after he found out I had become so rich, and he went to Whittaker, the other man he knew would want me dead. He had made a lot of money through his years working for the celebrities like Rokeby so paying Whittaker wasn’t a problem. Whittaker knew Lloyd because they’re both from Whitechapel, and then they only needed Ethan, it was Lloyd’s job to locate him and convince him, and Gillespie did all the actual plan, Whittaker passing the orders to Lloyd so none of their rats would know who was the big boss.”
“And people don’t ask questions when they’re offered that much money.”
“Exactly.”
“So Lloyd put the dynamite as well?”
“Yes. Stole it the night before,” explained Strike. “They’re all under arrest now, facing very serious charges, won’t see the light of day for a long while according to Ilsa. Can’t say I’m not quite happy about it.”
“What about Ethan? For what you said,” said Robin, as Strike had told her bits about everything while she was busy with her recovery, and still unable to return to work or be without any oxygen aid, even if it was just a little bit. “He seemed like a good man who was just desperate to help his family and didn’t know where he was getting into.”
“He learned the lesson, made a deal with the police and got off on ground of having been manipulated and bribed into a crime, and having repented by collaborating. He’s quit his job, will work for Royal Mail instead, he said he couldn’t bear to look at his boss in the eyes again even if the company never knew he’d stolen from a client.”
“So the car dealers won’t know who stole from them?”
“Well Wardle says they’ve been told that the police caught the thief, but that it’s someone who’s helping the police solve bigger crimes, so they can’t divulge his identity. Instead, Ethan gave the money he was given, at least the majority, the rest had already been spent in his family, to the police, to give it to the car dealer as some sort of compensation fine. Things worked okay in the end. And you’ll be okay.”
“Yeah,” Robin half smiled. Her doctors were happy with her recovery, and so was she, even if it hurt and it was a pain in the arse to deal with. But she would be lying if she didn’t admit Strike’s company and the recent romance between them hadn’t helped her tremendously to deal with things. “Thanks, Cormoran. You’ve done a terrific job, all on your own, and allowed me so much time to recover at my own pace… without mentioning,” she added, with a smirk, caressing his cheek, “your magical kisses.”
“They’re good uh?” Strike chuckled, leaning to kiss her. He’d never get tired of that. “Mackenzie’s been dying to play with you, I told her when you get better we’ll all go to St Mawes and sail, and play… I thought we could take her to Skegness if you want. To the donkeys.”
Robin smiled at the thought. She truthfully saw Mackenzie with warmth and affection, like a second niece and almost like her own daughter. She loved her, liked her as a person, and knew she’d do whatever it took to keep Mackenzie safe. Perhaps it was the love she felt for Strike extending to his offspring, but Robin still wanted to experience with Mackenzie the things she’d loved as a kid herself. To bond, to have each other, to enjoy life as a trio.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” said Robin, kissing him again. “I miss playing with her. And uh…” she blushed heavily. “I’m kind of excited about the possibility of playing with you too, once more, when the doctor gives me thumb’s up.”
For the way in which she blushed so heavily, Strike had absolutely no doubts about what she was talking about, and he felt aroused just by the mere thought.
“Me too,” he kissed her cheek softly. “But for now, this is more than perfect. Just having you alive, with me, having a drink and snuggling on the sofa is perfect.”
“It is,” Robin nodded, enjoying his affection. “So how are you doing with the rich life? With all that’s happened you haven’t had big chances of doing anything?”
“Well I sold the BMW, the Lexus is more than enough, and I’ve been looking to buy a little house with a garden for Mackenzie to play in and for a little pool where we can rest on hot summer days after work. I’ve also been looking at modern legs,” said Strike. “They’ve got some really cool bionic prosthesis that would make my life so much easier, improve my work performance, improve my quality of life quite a lot and reduce pain and stump swelling. They’re rather expensive but…”
“Health is the first thing to invest in,” Robin encouraged him, squeezing his hand. “I love you, and I want a long, happy life with you and that stump of yours. So get the fancy leg, robot man.”
Strike snorted a laugh.
“That’s better than hopalong,” he joked, making her giggle. It was how her brother Martin sometimes called him. “But I agree though. I want to run with Mackenzie, to teach her things, to do life with you in big awesome ways… I want it all. I love you too.”
“Who would’ve thought that we’d ever be thanking Matthew for anything?”
“Not me,” Strike kissed her a bit harder. “Now, how do you want to celebrate? Maybe we can’t do any big things, but I can still lick you up…”
“As tempting as that is,” said Robin with a chuckle, leaning into him on the sofa as they snuggled with a blanket. It was a day off and the office was empty. “I’ve got something else to tell you though. Something important.”
“What is it?” asked Strike.
“Wait here,” Robin pecked his lips and got up, slowly moving to a drawer she had under the TV. She opened up and pulled out a small envelope. “I was feeling a bit nauseous, so the doctor did some extra tests, he was concerned there was a complication. We found this instead,” she handed him the envelope and, curious as he was, Strike nearly ripped the envelope in half, pulling out a small ultrasound picture.
“Oh,” Strike stared at it, shocked and stunned. “Robin… does this mean…”
“I’m pregnant, just a few weeks along,” said Robin nervously. “It’s still so tiny and I might still lose it, specially considering I have so much recovery ahead… but I thought you should know. You’re the only one I’ve had sex with in the last few years Cormoran, and I know it was just once and it’s totally a joke from the universe considering the Herberts but… that baby somehow survived everything and is alive, and is well, and is ours. So as terrified as I am… I think it’s here for a good reason. I think we should have it. Probably a him actually, there are mostly men in both our families so… I don’t know…”
Strike sat in silence for a long moment, staring at the picture, and then he looked up to Robin as if he’d been hit on the head.
“Mackenzie’s getting a little brother or sister,” he mumbled, and Robin grinned, nodding and sitting with him.
“If you want. I know this was never our plan, but…”
Strike beamed, shaking his head.
“To hell with plans. Everything went completely against plans over and over and I earned a beautiful daughter, a wonderful, perfect partner, and now…” he touched her belly gently. “You sure is in good health?” Robin nodded, grinning.
“So far so good. My doctor did say we should keep ultrasounds close together just to make sure, after the injuries and the surgery I had so… next ultrasound is next week and you should come.”
“I will,” Strike nodded enthusiastically. “Love, we’re having a baby.”
“We are,” Robin kissed him softly. “Good then?”
“Oh, more than that,” Strike pulled her into his arms lovingly. “And I know you’re going to be such a perfect mama, because you already are. Mackenzie sees you like that, I’m sure of it.”
“She calls me Auntie Robin.”
“Just for now,” Strike kissed her lovingly, over and over. “When can we tell her?”
“A couple months or so,” said Robin, “when it’s safer… can we do it together?”
“Yeah, oh, Christmas gift!” Strike realised. “We can tell her then. She’s so going to flip.”
“In a good way right?”
“Are you kidding? She loves babies, keeps trying to take the Herberts’ baby home,” Strike laughed. “We made a baby in just one try.”
“We did!”
“I fucking love you Robin. Look at us, our little family, our little agency… us against the world. Couldn’t get any better.”
Robin hummed thoughtful, caressing his cheek.
“Are you daring me to make it better?”
“What do you think?”
“I think… I’ve got forever to make it better than you ever imagined. Than we ever imagined,” said Robin happily, and Strike beamed at her.
“Forever sounds great by me, love.”
THE END