Chapter
5 – The Canadian Consulate
Senior
Constable Benton Fraser, that's what it said on the door to the small
room, more like a walk in closet and it felt like home. Ben opened
the door and went inside, his sister had kept the room just as neat
and tidy as he did himself while she had had his position. Ben looked
at his desk for his schedule and saw that he had guard duty from two
pm to six pm, which meant he couldn't go meat Stine when she finished
work at five. The next note on his desk was a more positive one, it
was from Inspector Thatcher explaining that the Consulate had gotten
more money and had decided to employ his sister part time. Stine and
Ben had met with Maggie a few times and during the weekend that just
had passed they had been out for dinner together.
Ben picked up the phone and
dialed the Danish Consulate. After listening to some waiting music a
voice came to the phone "Welcome to the Danish Consulate in
Chicago how may I help you?" "Hello, this is senior
constable Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the
Canadian Consulate. I'm wishing to speak to my wife Stine Fraser if
it's possible" although his presentation was a mouth full he had
said it with such ease that it hadn't been boring to listen to him.
"Stine, det er din mand på linje ett" The receptionist let
her colleague know her husband was calling. "Takk" it felt
good to be able to talk Danish at work. She picked the phone up. "Hi"
she said softly. "Hi" Ben said back "I don't want to
keep you I just wanted you to know that I've got guard duty and don't
get off until six" He hadn't stood guard in a long time. Soon
after he had arrived in Copenhagen he had gotten new duties that
released him of the guard duty. "So I can't pick you up tonight
as I promised" Stine smiled at her end she had only seen other
RCMPs on guard "Then I can come by and pick you up instead"
she suggested "Or we'll meet at home" Ben said, he wasn't
sure how he'd react if Stine would come before he finished. He had
gotten wooed over and his photo taken with many women thru the years
but they were all strangers. Although this would be a test. "Fraser,
can I see you in my office" Inspector Thatcher stuck her head
inside his office walking by "Sure, I'll be there in a minute"
he answered with his hand over the mouth piece. "I need to get
back to work. You do what you want tonight" he said when he
returned to the call. "I'll see what I'll do" Stine
repeated "Jeg elsker dej" she said in Danish "I love
you too" Ben said and hung up. Efficiently he stood up,
corrected his uniform and gather what material was necessary for a
meeting with the Inspector.
“Sir?” Ben said
after opening the door “Come on in Fraser” she motioned for the
chairs in front of her desk “I'll be with you in a minute” she
hated waiting on the phone. As the call wasn't that important she
hung up the phone “Why didn't you get Turnbull to wait for the call
to come thru?” Ben asked “He's on the guard” “Oh, maybe I
should do it?” Margret held up her hand “It can wait Fraser”
she said “I just wanted to go over the schedule for this week, have
you had time to look it over?” Ben nodded “Of course Sir” “I
hope you're OK with standing guard” she said “Of course, that's
my duty”. The Inspector didn't know if she should treat her officer
any different now that he actually was married, but again she was
still his superior. “So, how did you find Denmark?” she asked him
“Oh it was quite nice Sir” he answered “I should believe so”
she added “and on that note I'd wanted to ask you if you know that
the Consulate actually owns some apartments here in town, you can
rent one of them if you like” “Thank you kindly Sir” Ben said
“We've actually talked about finding a place, nothing fancy though”
“Well admit it Fraser, compared to your place everything is fancy”
she had been in his apartment once and having served in the RCMP she
was used to the simple life but for her best officer to live like
that, well it was his own choice. They talked a little about what
official business was going on in the week and the week after and
came to an end at the party “Now I don't want you to handle your
own party, I've put that upon your sister” Thatcher didn't really
trust Turnbull either.
Most
Consulates where located in the same district actually not far from
the police station of the 27th precinct. There were a few blocks
between the Danish and Canadian and it took Stine about 15 minutes to
walk there. Already in the distance she recognized the tall handsome
man. He's really something out of the ordinary she thought and again
thanked her lucky star to have met Ben. She hadn't seen this side of
him yet and was mesmerized by it. Diefenbaker sat just as still by
his side. She took out her phone and stood in front of them to take a
photo, satisfied with it she made a mental note to have it developed.
When she looked at her watch and saw it was only 5.30 pm she decided
to go in and see if the inspector had a few minutes over, there were
a few of her new colleagues she'd like to invite for the party next
weekend. "Inspector Thatcher" she said when she saw the
woman "Hi Mrs Fraser" she said out of the respect she was
raised and trained by."Oh please call me Stine, Inspector"
Margret who was tired after a long day and the lack of sleep the
previous night looked at the younger woman "This is ridiculous
isn't it? Us calling each other anything but our first name. I'd be
happy if you'd call me Margret" she said. "That I can do"
Stine smiled "Do you have a few minutes?" she asked. "Give
me a minute to put these away" she showed some files. Stine
exchanged a few words with the junior officer at the front desk. Ben
had told her that Turnbull was very special in his way of talking.
Five minuets later she sat down with Margret. "So what can I do
for you?" Margret asked "Oh I just wanted to ask if it was
OK with you that I asked a few colleagues to come next Saturday?"
"But of course, just leave their names and addresses with me and
I'll send them the invitation" Stine smiled happily "And I
must ask. Have Benton asked you to invite the Vecchio's I mean all of
them. I was there for dinner last week and felt very welcome"
"Constable Fraser haven't requested anyone specific"
Margret said with formality "But they are all invited along with
several members of the 27h police precinct" “That's my Ben,
don't want to be any trouble” Stine said. “As you are here, I
might as well tell you” Margret started “That I've offered
Constable Fraser to rent one of the apartments that the Consulate
owns, it can't be easy to live in the one you are now” “It's OK,
but it's much appreciated that we get a chance on another apartment”
Stine said “Is there any chance we can look at them before we
decide?” “Oh, of course there is, and I've looked into so they're
allowing animals in the building too, I doubt Fraser want to live
without Diefenbaker” Margret herself had gotten pretty attached to
the dog. She looked at the clock and it was just two minutes before 6
pm so she stood up “Have you seen Fraser on guard before?” she
asked “No” Stine shook her head “Come on then, I'll show you
something spectacular” the both women went to stand on the stairs
to the Consulate. At promptly 6 pm just as the clock on the church
across the street started to sound Benton relaxed his whole body and
took a step to the side. When they changed guards in the middle of
the day there was a big procedure, but now it was just to step out,
immediately he turned his head to right and flashed a smile, of
course he had seen her coming, already down the street, but stood his
ground and was satisfied with himself for passing the test. “Thank
you Margret” Stine said “It was truly amazing to see, are you all
this way when you get off a guard?” “Well... more or less,
Constable Fraser here belongs to the ones that are more” Ben came
towards the two women “If you don't have anything more to do inside
Constable, you can take your lovely wife home” Margret said “Thank
you Inspector Thatcher, I'll see you tomorrow” Ben looked at his
dog “It's after six, you can stop now” but the dog just sat there
“Well suite yourself, we're going home” he took Stine's hand and
they walked back to the apartment talking about this and that
“Margret said she had offered you us a look at some apartments that
the Consulate owns” Stine said “Yes, she did this morning, do you
want to look at them?” he asked her “Sure, it would be much
easier than to go out and find some on our own” “It sure would”
he agreed and held the door up for her as they came to their own
building. Ben took out the key to see if there was anything in the
mailbox, but it was empty “Did the two of you talk about anything
else? I mean it seems you've become somewhat friends calling each
other by first name” “Not really, we talked a little about the
party next Saturday, I wanted to invite a few colleagues” Ben
smiled at her “Of course you should”
Disclaimer/Copyright
2013 and forward: I don't own anything from the series Due South,
it's just borrowed for your entertainment. This is my story though
and I feel I own that.
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