houseofcards_rp | Secrets have a tendency of being revealed [Locked to Cadogan]

It had begun with the golf clubs.

Putting in the hall of Diamond Castle had potentially not been the wisest decision Ben had ever made in his lifetime, but no one had really minded until Cadogan. Well, okay, Isaac had, but he'd just "suggested" the ramparts, and Beth had tripped on one of his balls, but the queen had hardly minded at all. She'd even hit a few balls with him, so clearly there was nothing truly objectionable about it, no matter what Cadogan thought.

So, really, when you thought of it that way there was nothing wrong with slipping into the Ten's room and taking them back. He even fixed his sticky window, and if he left a little fluttering Scottish flag, hey. He had national pride.

He expected it to be done when he got them back; he wasn't putting in the halls anymore, and had no plans to do it where the Ten could find him. All done. No harm, no foul. Back to business as usual. Except then he walked into his room to find Cadogan standing outside his closet.

The one where he kept his journals, where he kept his old Grampian Police badge, where he kept all his files, and Ben stiffened. "May I help you with something, sir?" he said, and his Scottish burr was muted and his voice clipped and cold. He wasn't the affable castle handyman right now.

This was the detective.

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That was the thing about beginning. They were rarely ever endings.

Was it the right response to break into the room of someone who had broken into yours? Perhaps, perhaps not. But that beginning had led to an incredibly interesting middle, and that middle had prompted Cadogan to remain leaning against a certain closest door frame with one of those calm, ineffable expressions that seemed universal to people sorting though infinite delicate possibilities.

The question sat a beat between them before he pushed himself properly to his feet, giving a rather sharp nod toward the nearest chair. Yes, Mackinnon certainly could help him with something. And that something was going to take time to explain.

He'd put a not inconsiderable amount of work into hiding, Ben thought, and he stared at Cadogan for a moment before sitting down. He crossed his ankles and propped his elbows on the the arms, steepling his hands under his chin. But while he'd put in all this effort, and carved himself a life here, he was...bored. He'd been a cop and then a detective for all his adult life.

He wasn't happy about these circumstances, but Cadogan had more than a lecture in mind here. So he'd listen.

The writing was going to take a minute. What was going to take a longer minute first, however, was the quiet examination.

Of course people in Court had secrets. It was just always disconcerting to find them out about the people one was supposed to be monitoring. The lower Numbers weren't exactly simple canon fodder--they had bits and pricks of brilliance among them that needed to be found, honed, dragged from the rough and brought up to the more noticeable positions.

Or, conversely, hidden better but sharpened for use.

After a long beat, Cadogan pulled out the notepad, still standing at the doorframe as he printed carefully. The first sentence came fluidly before a pause. Better to start here.

He expected that he would have been a very poor detective if the Ten had to do so, and for all his mistakes, Ben had never been that. "No, you do not," he said out loud, and he leaned back in his chair.

The page is pulled back almost as soon as it's presented, almost as if Cadogan quite suddenly realized that no, this was not a logical conversational leap. But then, when presenting his amendment

...it was less clear that these might be jumps of logic in his mind.

"I'm actually a very decent chess player, sir. My mother taught it to me." And then he tipped his head to one side as he read it. Interesting.

"I'm not an ambitious man. Three seems to be suiting me fine for now. Perhaps there may be circumstances where it no longer does, but I haven't yet run into them." Five, perhaps Six, he thought. Not much higher. He didn't need much higher, and the Sevens and the Eights were where you began to draw interest.

Well, at least that was absolutely the right answer. There was probably more conversation to be had about breaking into Ten's personal belongings and removing contraband--but that would probably have to wait until he had a bit more moral high ground than standing in a similar situation outside of the Three's closet.

Ben's lips twitched as he read Cadogan's message, and he looked up to give the Ten an assessing look before pushing the notepad back and folding his hands over his stomach.

"Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

Why yes, Ben. Yes, this almost smile is a clear indication that he does.

In fact, the short list is already written--he's been standing here a while contemplating. Much of it is general; there's gaps in information in many of the lower Numbers files, gaps he hasn't convinced his Ace are worth filling (although clearly, looking at this Three, some investigation is necessary). And, of course, there's also the lingering questions that the Diamonds would love to have wrapped up for themselves before the trial.

And Ben's just going to smile back, and wait a bit. He might be - he is - willing to lend a hand to these investigations. And he's given some thought to the upcoming trial. But still.

"I'll only be able to do this if it remains relatively secret." That means you, Cadogan, and the Ace, but few others. He doesn't want word of it spreading until he's figured out the Victor situation. And even after.

That doesn't warrant a written response. A person doesn't have to be a body-language expert to know what the faintly arched brow and tilt of the Ten's head mean.

No one wins if Ben's secret doesn't stay a secret.

So long as they're in agreement, but Ben had already pegged the Ten as a smart one. He reaches out to take the list.

"Then I'll just take a look at this and that," he says. "Something t'do when I've time to spare."

The list is handed over, followed quickly by a follow-up note scribbled in fast but infinitely neat print.

Ben laughs at that, tipping his head back.

"Anytime you're game, Ten," he says. "Y've just got to say th' word."

Secrets have a tendency of being revealed [Locked to Cadogan]

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--! LJ. THIS NOTIFICATION = 4 DAYS LATE. WHAT.

LJ. WTF. I was going to PM you but kept forgetting. XD

/shakes fist at the internet

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