Hello everyone!

So this is the first instalment of a series of 5 cases. I'm not sure how long each will one be but after a bit of planning, this one is going to be about 10 chapters (probably more, knowing me) and each chapter after this one will be longer.

My aim is to follow the along the same lines of the show. We'll see our favourite characters manoeuvre their way through whatever is thrown at them during a case and, of course, see them juggle their personal lives throughout it. And because my brain is automatically pushing me towards it, there will probably be some Sharon/Andy feels in there. Sue me!

Anyway, I hope you like it and I would be grateful of any feedback you have on all aspects of this piece.

Enjoy!

Lillibet x


Lower than the Ground

Sharon was in her office signing off the reports from their latest case that would need to be sent over to the DA's office before 2pm. The double homicide case had been messy and when they were instructed by the Chief of Police to take over from Hollywood division, they were not met with friendly handshakes. The file they had received was incomplete and Sharon had spent more time than she would have liked chasing down reports from Beat Officers. She signed off on Tao's OIC report and placed it in the jacket with the rest of the paperwork.

Sharon looked up from her work in time to see a woman cautiously walking into the murder room. There was a visitors badge pinned to her pale blue cardigan that had seen better days. Her bottle blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail at the back of her head, her face void of makeup and a little drawn. Sharon watched Provenza greet the woman. They spoke for a moment and she took the opportunity to observe the woman a little more. There was something familiar about her but she couldn't quite place it. She noticed Provenza look toward her office and they locked eyes, he discreetly told her that she needed to come out of her office.

As Sharon made her way toward them the woman smiled when she caught sight of her. Sharon suddenly felt as though she'd been floored. Recognition hitting her like a tone bricks. It was as if she'd been transported back in time to 35 years previous.

"I came here asking for a Detective McMurphy," the woman smiled nervously.

"It's been a long time since I was a McMurphy," Sharon gave the woman a warm smile, hoping to relax her.

"I remember you were engaged to be married," the woman said. "I couldn't remember what you said your married name would be but the old guy downstairs put me right and said you were a Captain now, Captain Raydor." Helen looked impressed and Sharon laughed softly.

"How are you Helen?" Sharon asked, noticing the way Helen's eyes brightened at the sound of her name.

"Good," she said, nervously looking round at the rest of the team who were secretly watching them while pretending to work. "I'm not a Hall anymore, I'm Helen Gibbons now. I married Joe; do you remember him? Joseph Gibbons, he worked in my father's cafe."

"I remember him," Sharon said with a nod even though she didn't. "Is everything ok?"

Helen twitched and began to play with the sleeves of her cardigan, her eyes shifting from Sharon to Provenza. "I've been going to therapy... Joe's idea. I've been remembering things."

"About your father?" Sharon remembered the case well. Helen's father, Simon Hall, had brutally murdered his wife, Helen's mother. He had tried to pin the murder on his son and eldest daughter, both of whom had disappeared around the same time. Sharon had been brought in to aid Homicide; she was the family liaison officer for Helen.

"Yes," Helen said, her eyes filling with tears. "And... about what I think happened to my brother."

"Ok," Sharon touched the woman's shoulder and looked up at Provenza. "Lieutenant Provenza, why don't you join Helen and I in the Break Room?"

"Of course," Provenza said, leading the way. Helen looked at Sharon with caution and she gave the woman a reassuring smile.

"I was hoping we could talk alone," Helen whispered to her as they walked shoulder to shoulder behind Provenza.

"Lieutenant Provenza will be there for procedure purposes only," Sharon explained. "If we're going to be talking about an old case then a second officer needs to be present."

"I didn't realise it had to be so formal," Helen said. Sharon observed the woman's fidgety manner, her wide panicked eyes searching for the elevators.

"It's not," Sharon reassured her. "Lieutenant Provenza will just be sitting in with us, you won't even realise he's there."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Helen said, stopping outside the Break Room. Sharon touched the woman's shoulder again and looked into her eyes.

"Trust me Helen," she said softly. "I'm here for you just like I was back then; you can trust me."

Helen took a deep breath and Sharon pressed her hand into the woman's back and moved her into the room. Provenza was at the coffee machine, making what Sharon hoped was a strong sweet coffee for Helen.

"Take a seat," Sharon indicated to the nearest chair and table and once she had sat down, Sharon sat next to her.

"Joe said I needed to tell someone about what I was remembering... but I just... we went together, to speak to an officer but..." she looked at Sharon with the same frightened eyes she had 35 years ago. "I just couldn't do it. I thought I'd put it all behind me but..."

"These things can come back to us when we least expect it," Sharon rubbed her hand over Helen's back, taking the coffee cup Provenza had handed to her and placing it in front of Helen.

"I was going to put dad's house on the market... my therapist said it was time. That it would help me but..." Tears began falling from Helen's eyes. "I went down into the basement and I... I just started to remember things..."

"Tell me what you remembered," Sharon said with a gentle voice. Helen took a deep breath and looked down at her hands, obviously struggling to find the words.

"I remember... being down in the basement... with my dad..."

"What were you doing down there?" Sharon asked. Helen had been 13 when the case about her father had come to them, two years after her mother, brother and oldest sister had disappeared. At the time Helen had sworn that she had never been down in the basement where her mother had been murdered.

"I was... digging..." Helen started to cry and she looked at Sharon. "I don't think I can do this... I can't..."

"Yes you can," Sharon said firmly. "You can do this and I'm right here to help you through it."

"I don't know why I was alone with him," she continued with a shaky voice. "Julie would never have left me alone with him. But it was just the two of us and he... he called me downstairs and... Michael was on the floor. He was wrapped in an old sheet but I could see his hair, I could see the tattoo on his arm...dad said he'd hit him... or... that it was an accident, I can't remember exactly. He said I had to help him..." Helen let out a shaky breath as her tears continued. Provenza suddenly appeared by Sharon's side and he handed her a box of tissues. Sharon took a few tissues from the box and lifted Helen's face to wipe her tears.

"It's ok," Sharon smiled gently. "Take your time."

"Dad told me that if I... I remember him saying it, he was so close to my face and I could smell the vodka... he said that if I told anyone, I'd go to prison. So I convinced myself that it didn't happen... that I dreamt it..."

"And what happened? Helen, tell me what you tried to forget."

"My dad made me... he said he'd hurt his hand, I didn't ask how but he couldn't shovel the dirt into..." Helen began to breathe heavily and Sharon started rubbing circles on her back again.

"It's ok," she cooed. "Take a deep breath and look at me. He can't hurt you anymore Helen, he can't ever get to you."

"Not physically," Helen mumbled. Sharon's heart broke in two and she wished she could take away the woman's pain. Helen picked up a few tissues and wiped her eyes with them. She took a breath and continued, her eyes on Sharon's. "Dad pushed Michael in a hole in the ground... and he made me... he made me cover him over with dirt. I was too small to lift the shovel..."

Sharon's blood ran cold at Helen's words. If what Helen said was true, that house was not only a murder site, it was a gravesite. And if Michael was there, could Agnes be there too?

"I'm glad it was me," Helen continued in a voice that seemed so far away to Sharon's ears. "I'm glad I was the one to do it... I didn't want him to touch Michael again. I didn't want that man's hands to be the last that touched Michael's skin."

"Helen," Sharon squared her features and tried to keep her voice passive. "When we were down there investigating your mother's murder, we didn't find any other evidence that someone else was down there."

"I can show you where he is," Helen turned her eyes to look at Sharon. "I can take you there."


I hope you're intrigued! I would love to hear what you think and any feedback would be hugely appreciated xxx