Disclaimer: I don't own anything(one) except Ashley and anything (one) you don't recognise.
Chapter 1:-
Truth & Lies.
"Do you know what's worth fighting for?
When it's not worth dying for.
Does it take your breath away?
And you feel yourself suffocating.
Does the pain weigh up the price?
And you look for a place to hide.
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins…" 21 Guns- Green day.
Walking down the ramp to the courtyard, DS Max Carter had a scowl on his face as soon as he saw the new DC Ashley Cooper leaning against his car. Her dark brown—almost black—hair clipped up, her side fringe hanging in her eyes, red converses hanging on the wheel of his car.
"Get off my car" He growled as he unlocked his car.
Ashley threw him a warm smile; although it was forced "I love it when you boss me around like that" She joked, climbing into the passenger seat of her sergeant's car.
How she got the displeasure of working with this sour, twisted, emotionless wreck of a man was beneath her. As soon as DI Sam Nixon told her who she was working with, she was more then happy to argue why she shouldn't. But the look on the other woman's face made her not too game.
"Do you ever get bored of being an immature twat Ashley?" Max asked as he pulled out of the courtyard and out onto the street.
He knew she would have a cockey comeback for him and most of the time it made him want to slap her or cause her some sort of physical pain. But being the professional he was, he wasn't going to attempt it. Just throw her insults.
Ashley gave a small shrug "I like to think it makes me unique" She smiled at her sergeant.
His shoulders had visibly tensed. She knew he was pushing his buttons, and it wasn't even lunch yet. This was defiantly going to be a fun day "So what's the case?"
Max turned a corner sharply, making Ashley slam her head into the side window. She gave a small scowl and waited for Max to answer her.
"A woman has been assaulted. She's down at Saint Hughes getting checked out"
"Fun. Maybe while I'm there, I can get my head looked at for concussion and such" She rolled her eyes as Max pulled into the hospital car park.
Max threw her a look "Don't be over dramatic your head barely hit the window" He turned off the ignition and pulled off his seatbelt.
He picked up a folder from the back seat and opened it "The victim's name is Alyssa Monroe. 46. Jasmine Allen. Neighbours called it in after hearing arguing early this morning. When uniform found her she was unconscious"
Ashley nodded and threw open the car door "So she knew her attacker then" She smirked as she climbed out into the cool winter's air.
Max sighed and sat back in the car for a minute longer.
He didn't like arguing with Ashley. Maybe the two of them were so different that they were alike "Yeah. She must have" He mumbled to himself, throwing open his own door and climbing out.
Locking it as he jogged to catch up to the younger DC.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Max looked sympathetically at the blonde woman sitting in the hospital bed. Her eye was swollen shut, her right cheek had a nasty purple bruise forming upon it.
"I'm DS Carter, this is DC Cooper. Sun Hill. Can you tell us what happened here?" He flashed her his warrant card and Ashley did the same.
Alyssa shook her head, she was obviously scared "I went to open the front door, and two guys in balaclavas stormed in and started hitting me" Tears welled up in her eyes. Ashley couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl.
"Did they take anything?" Max asked, writing in his red notepad. Ashley noticed how she looked away.
Alyssa closed her eyes as best as she could and slowly shook her head; giving a slight wince at the obvious pain she had in her head.
"I just- I just want to forget it ever happened. I just…" She took a deep and heavy breath in "…I don't want to press charges or whatever. All I want to do is get on with my life"
Ashley threw Max a short glance and he slightly nodded "Okay. Here's my card if you change your mind" She placed a small white index card on the small side table and walked out of the cubicle.
"What do you think?" He asked Ashley once they were out in the foyer. Ashley placed her hands on her hips and looked around.
"I think she's hiding something" She stated. Looking up at her sergeant.
Max nodded "I agree. There was no mention in any witness statements about a man in a balaclava entering or leaving the premises. So what is she hiding?" He rolled his sleeves up to just below his elbow and pulled up his car keys.
"I dunno. But that makes me even more curious to find out" Ashley began to walk out of the hospital. Her sergeant following close behind.
LUNCH finally came around and both Max and Ashley were both intact. So they hadn't killed each other just yet.
"Ahhh. Here come the cavalry. And I see we both have smiles planted on our faces" Sergeant Jo Masters teased from DC Mickey Webb's desk as Ashley and Max entered. Ashley was eating a chicken and mayonnaise sandwich while Max just settled with a cup of strong coffee.
Ashley shrugged and took a bite from her sandwich "What can I say? I think he's finally got the jist that if he pisses me off too much, I'll rip off his leg and beat him with it" She smiled sweetly at her sergeant who rolled his eyes and sat at his desk, picking up a statement and eying it intensely.
Jo let out a laugh "I agree. I've seen you in action" She noticed the sexual attraction between her two colleagues ever since Ashley first started. And their first argument which led them both being brought up in front of the DCI. Now they kept their arguments to either outside or in a lower voice.
"How's the case coming along?" DCI Neil Manson asked as she walked over to the desks where Ashley and Max were sitting.
Ashley let out a long sigh "Slow. Alyssa doesn't want to press charges, and on top of that, witnesses say that there were no masked men entering her house"
Neil narrowed her eyes "Who was your witness?"
Mickey pulled a sheet of paper towards him "Erm…Denise Fry. She's the resident neighbourhood watch. Apparently she knows every person who goes in and out of any house around her area"
"So in cliff notes, she's just uber nosey" Ashley smiled as she placed her feet up on her desk.
Mickey gave a small laugh "Yeah"
"Right. So where are we in this case?" Max asked as he leaned back in his seat and twirled a dark blue ballpoint pen between his fingers.
Ashley shrugged "Well we don't have a case to go on at the moment. No one's co-operating with us, and Alyssa doesn't want to press charges"
Max leant forward across his desk to face Ashley "But doesn't that make you just a little bit curious about what she's hiding?" He asked in a hushed tone.
Ashley narrowed her eyes for a moment "You know it does"
Max suddenly slammed his hands down on his desk and smiled as Ashley jumped slightly "Right then. Let's do some investigating. I'll meet you in the courtyard there's something I need to do first"
Ashley nodded and stood up, pulling her coat from the back of her chair and following her sergeant out of the room.