27

(Three Weeks Later)

Dom and Rachel entered The Dinner Table, carefully sidestepping piles of empty paint tins, and went across the admire Tom and Freddie's work on the bar.

The entire bar had been remade and reinstalled by the company Adrian had originally hired.

Tom and Freddie had begun painting the walls three days ago, after the masses of builders Dom had hired were finally finished rebuilding the interior walls, and patching up the exterior ones.

Rachel grabbed a paintbrush and ran to help Freddie paint the back wall behind the bar.

Dom went to join Tom at a small table.

The manager was flicking through a catalogue of table, chairs, cloths, cutlery and everything else a restaurant could possibly need.

"What do you think of these tables?" Tom asked Dom as he sat down. "I think Adrian would like them."

Dom glanced at a photo of dark wooden circular tables, with white legs, and nodded dumbly.

"Are you alright?" Tom asked Dom gently.

Dom shrugged.

"I've been better," Dom said quietly. "But I'm trying to keep it together... for her." He motioned Rachel, giggling with Freddie at the back of the restaurant. "She cries herself to sleep every night."

Tom squeezed Dom's shoulder sympathetically.

"Are you any closer to finding him?" Tom asked.

Dom shook his head.

"We found them on CCTV driving through Nottingham, but lost them once they left the city. We've got nothing."

Dom sighed heavily and ran a hand over his eyes.

"When's his birthday?" Dom asked Tom suddenly. "Christ..." He murmured. "I don't even know his birthday."

"It's the fourteenth of September," Tom said quietly. "You've still got time to find him."

"And Rachel?"

"Next week," said Tom. "The eighth of august."

Dom watched Rachel painting for a while, before he turned to Tom.

"We've got to sort out a party for her," he said decisively. "We can do it this Saturday, at my place. I'll make a cake!"

Tom looked slightly alarmed at Dom's suddenly enthusiasm, but nodded agreeably.

"Freddie and I can do some food, make some large pizza's, stuff like that."

"I'll ask some kids from her class. Do you think about... three o'clock on Saturday?"

Tom nodded agreeably.

Dom pulled out a notepad and began listing what food and drink he would have to buy.

*

That Friday afternoon, Dom took Rachel shopping to buy a new dress for her party.

She had asked to have some friends stay over for a sleepover afterwards, and Dom had readily agreed.

The house was too quiet at night, without Adrian dancing around the bedroom after his evening shower.

"Dom? Can I have this one?" Rachel asked him, dancing over with a pale blue dress in her hand.

Dom smiled at her.

"Have you tried it on?"

She shook her head.

"Well, go and try it on first. If it fits, you can have it."

He watched her run off to the changing rooms and spent a few more moments browsing for a new shirt or two, before going to wait outside the changing rooms.

Rachel came out a few minutes later, wearing the dress. She twirled happily for a moment, before looking up at him with big blue eyes.

"I like this one."

"Alright."

Dom dropped a kiss on the top of her head and pushed her gently towards the changing rooms.

"Get changed, and we can buy it for you."

"Thanks da-" Rachel stopped, looking confused for a moment, before she blushed. "Thanks, Dom."

She disappeared into the changing room before he could answer.

*

Dom swerved neatly around the group of giggling girls that came charging through the kitchen and out through the back door.

A moment later, Mia's heavy paws pounded past him, barking loudly in excitement as she ran after the girls.

Dom watched her through the window for a moment, before turning back to Rachel's cake and continuing to ice it carefully.

Just as he finished, Tom and Freddie staggered into the kitchen, each carrying a load of heavy pizza boxes. They slid them onto the counter and set about slicing the pizza's quickly and setting spare pizzas to keep warm in the oven.

"The cake looks fantastic, Dom." Freddie came over to look at it. "What is it?"

"Sponge cake and butter icing." Dom replied. "Simple, really."

He yawned widely, and slumped against the counter.

"You want a drink?" Freddie asked sympathetically.

Dom shrugged half-heartedly.

Freddie shot Tom a look and went to find Dom's liquor cabinet. He came back a few minutes later with a bottle of whisky and a glass.

Dom gratefully took the glass and swallowed the drink in one go.

"I'll go and watch the kids for a while," Freddie said. "Keep an eye on him," he whispered to Tom, causing Dom to scowl.

"I can hear you."

Freddie stuck his tongue out and disappeared.

"When did that happen?" Dom asked quietly, pouring himself another glass.

"When did what happen?" Tom asked.

"You and him." Dom nodded towards the doorway Freddie had exited through.

"How do you know there's anything happening?"

"The way you look at each other." Dom grinned at Tom. "It's pretty obvious."

Tom rolled his eyes, and smiled.

"The night of the fire," he said quietly. "Freddie came to pick me up after I'd finished talking to you guys, and took me back to his place... One thing just led to another."

Tom opened one of the pizza boxes, took a slice, and pushed it towards Dom.

"Any news?" He asked, more out of routine than from hope that the police had new information.

Dom shook his head.

"Nada," he said quietly.

"Well... he's not in a hospital anywhere, is he? Otherwise he would have been flagged as a reported missing person, and hospital would have called us. So that's something, right?"

Dom shrugged.

"Providing Jamie hasn't just killed him and buried him in a marsh somewhere," Dom said, downing the rest of his drink.

Tom stared at him for a moment, before he shook his head.

"He hasn't killed him," he said firmly. "He hasn't."