That meant he could well be in the Domini’s pocket.
But I’d seen the flashes of concern, real concern, in his eyes and hoped to hell he wasn’t.
Thackeray put his hands into his pockets before saying, ‘I cannot authorise or expedite that.’
Fuck.
I held my expression steady.
He added, very quietly, ‘But I can fail to notice if you manage to get in and clear the records up afterwards.’
I exhaled. ‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me,’ he said gruffly. ‘Just don’t get caught and don’t get dead.’
I tilted my head. ‘Is that an order, sir?’
‘Yes,’ he snapped. ‘If this goes wrong,’ he warned quietly, ‘if you get too close to something delicate and someone decides you’re a problem … they won’t necessarily come at you head-on. They’ll come after those you love.’
My stomach tightened. Images flashed uninvited. Mum and Ava washing dishes in the kitchen. Rupert’s grin as he said something stupid. Grant and Julian beaming at being officially ready to adopt.
And Robbie.
Robbie could handle himself, of that I had no doubt, but the thought of harm coming to him because of me caused a physical stab of pain in my heart.
I forced my voice to stay level. ‘Understood.’
Thackeray’s eyes held mine for a moment longer, and in them I saw something I didn’t see often from him.
Not something as strong as fear but definitely concern.
Then it was gone, shuttered behind his usual austere authority.
‘Close the file,’ he said, back to business. ‘And Wise?’
‘Sir?’
‘I think you need a couple of days off after that vicious attack. Go home. You’re off the clock for the next forty-eight.’ His gaze flicked, once more, to my cheek. ‘Next time someone hits you, report it. I want the name.’
I blinked. ‘So you can write them a strongly worded reprimand?’
His mouth twitched. ‘So I can decide whether they need to be caged or killed.’
There it was. The reason Thackeray had lasted as long as he had in a job that ate good people alive.
He cared. Somewhere deep, deep down. And he was fierce as hell.
‘Yes, sir,’ I said softly. ‘Sir, before you go? Do we know how many doppelgangers there are in the world? One? A thousand?’
He shook his head. ‘We have no idea. But one is more than enough.’
He’d get no arguments from me on that score.
Thackeray opened my office door, stepped out, then paused without turning.
‘Inspector?’
‘Sir?’
