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Jul. 28th, 2013 10:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiery_ringFizz was kind enough to drive Carlotta back to the police station the following morning to pick up Will. They left Molly in the capable hands of the bear handlers, who had just found out they were expecting their own baby and were keen for a bit of practice.
"Don't worry, at least he's somewhere safe." Fizz says, looking at her friend's anxious face.
"I know." Carlotta nods. "He's not had terribly good experience with the police. Look, don't tell anyone..."
"Of course I won't." Fizz says. "Do you want me to wait for you?"
"Maybe just long enough for me to make sure we can get home?" Carlotta says. "Thanks awfully, Fizz."
"Don't worry, it's been rather fun going to see your circus." Fizz says. "We should get together more often now you know where I live."
Carlotta gives her a hug, and heads into the police station. A single officer is sitting at a desk, behind a sign labelled 'PC Parsons'.
"I've come to pick up my husband please." she says.
PC Parsons looks up at her, with distaste.
"Oh, the drunk. We had an interesting night, between him throwing up and screaming."
"I'm sorry about the vomiting. He can't help the nightmares." Carlotta says, trying to keep calm.
"You can't have him anyway, I have to call the prison." the officer says, looking back at his newspaper.
"The prison? For being drunk?" Carlotta asks, raising an eyebrow.
"He's on a suspended sentence, love." PC Parsons says, with a nasty smile. "Soon to be one less hooligan on the streets."
Carlotta stares at the officer. Gracious, she'd forgotten about that, and hadn't any idea that such a minor offence could count against him.
"Unless of course." The officer continues, with the same nasty smile. "We come to some arrangement. What with it being Sunday, I might be able to find some way of mislaying his paperwork, for a war hero and all."
"What kind of arrangement?" Carlotta asks, suspiciously. This doesn't sound good.
"Well, there's only me and a couple of others who know he's here." the officer says. "Twenty pounds each ought to keep them quiet, so make it sixty."
"Sixty pounds?!" Carlotta gasps. "That's half a year's wages."
"Thought you two were at some rich party." the officer says. "You're asking us to put our careers on the line, love. Of course, if you don't want to cough up, he'll probably do all right getting sober in prison."
"We haven't got sixty pounds." Carlotta says.
"Well how about you go and find thirty, and then bring the rest later." The officer says.
***
"You went back for our takings and gave him how much?!" Will asks, aghast, when they're outside the station. "Carlotta, he's as bent as a horseshoe, I heard them taking a bribe of forty pounds from the party host to lock me up in the first place."
"Look, we'll work it out, I'll talk to Father, or Teja." Carlotta says. "We still owe him thirty pounds or he'll come after us again."
"That's blackmail, I ought to tan his hide." Will says grimly.
"For heaven's sake, don't get into any more trouble!" Carlotta says. "He's not going to want to lose the money so he'll keep his mouth shut."
"We don't have thirty pounds, you ought to have let me go to prison." Will says, groaning. "I'm so sorry, Carlotta, this is all my fault."
"We'll get through somehow." Carlotta says. "This isn't your fault, Will, we've been had. And they say our games are crooked..."
"Don't worry, at least he's somewhere safe." Fizz says, looking at her friend's anxious face.
"I know." Carlotta nods. "He's not had terribly good experience with the police. Look, don't tell anyone..."
"Of course I won't." Fizz says. "Do you want me to wait for you?"
"Maybe just long enough for me to make sure we can get home?" Carlotta says. "Thanks awfully, Fizz."
"Don't worry, it's been rather fun going to see your circus." Fizz says. "We should get together more often now you know where I live."
Carlotta gives her a hug, and heads into the police station. A single officer is sitting at a desk, behind a sign labelled 'PC Parsons'.
"I've come to pick up my husband please." she says.
PC Parsons looks up at her, with distaste.
"Oh, the drunk. We had an interesting night, between him throwing up and screaming."
"I'm sorry about the vomiting. He can't help the nightmares." Carlotta says, trying to keep calm.
"You can't have him anyway, I have to call the prison." the officer says, looking back at his newspaper.
"The prison? For being drunk?" Carlotta asks, raising an eyebrow.
"He's on a suspended sentence, love." PC Parsons says, with a nasty smile. "Soon to be one less hooligan on the streets."
Carlotta stares at the officer. Gracious, she'd forgotten about that, and hadn't any idea that such a minor offence could count against him.
"Unless of course." The officer continues, with the same nasty smile. "We come to some arrangement. What with it being Sunday, I might be able to find some way of mislaying his paperwork, for a war hero and all."
"What kind of arrangement?" Carlotta asks, suspiciously. This doesn't sound good.
"Well, there's only me and a couple of others who know he's here." the officer says. "Twenty pounds each ought to keep them quiet, so make it sixty."
"Sixty pounds?!" Carlotta gasps. "That's half a year's wages."
"Thought you two were at some rich party." the officer says. "You're asking us to put our careers on the line, love. Of course, if you don't want to cough up, he'll probably do all right getting sober in prison."
"We haven't got sixty pounds." Carlotta says.
"Well how about you go and find thirty, and then bring the rest later." The officer says.
***
"You went back for our takings and gave him how much?!" Will asks, aghast, when they're outside the station. "Carlotta, he's as bent as a horseshoe, I heard them taking a bribe of forty pounds from the party host to lock me up in the first place."
"Look, we'll work it out, I'll talk to Father, or Teja." Carlotta says. "We still owe him thirty pounds or he'll come after us again."
"That's blackmail, I ought to tan his hide." Will says grimly.
"For heaven's sake, don't get into any more trouble!" Carlotta says. "He's not going to want to lose the money so he'll keep his mouth shut."
"We don't have thirty pounds, you ought to have let me go to prison." Will says, groaning. "I'm so sorry, Carlotta, this is all my fault."
"We'll get through somehow." Carlotta says. "This isn't your fault, Will, we've been had. And they say our games are crooked..."
