Alex rolled her eyes, as much as she loved this world and its people. They could be so stupid sometimes, she longed for the technology of the future. She also missed Molly. Her daughter they were separated by a distance that no one could understand. No-one except two men however, they were both dead. Martin had been insane. Alex knew that, but as the months in 1983 started to add up she found herself longing for the strange man who had stalked her. Summers had kidnapped her, drugged her, stalked her, left her flowers, called at anytime of the day and freaked her out and made her the prime suspect in a murder investigation. The other was Sam Tyler. Alex had read his file so many times that it had become integrated into her memory. So much so that she had assimilated it. She like Sam had found this world all too irresistible. Though Alex still didn't really know how she had got back. There was another person who might understand what was happening to her. Jim Keats. Alex still didn't really know what to think about him.

As Alex walked back to her desk, she pulled out the file that she kept locked in her drawer. Along with it she pulled out the soft leather jacket. She needed Sam's help right about now. How had he died? Was Gene involved? Alex shuddered as questions floated around her mind. It was late at night everyone had left. She looked around the empty office. Shaz's desk was the only one that had any semblance of order on it. Ray's had a soccer ball right in the middle of the evidence from the latest case. Chris's had a mountain of paper work on it and a collection of empty chip packets.

Alex flicked open the file sighing. She had read through it enough times to know what it said. But she felt she was missing she picked up the jacket and reached inside each of the pockets. Her questing fingers found something much to her surprise. Pulling it out she found a scrap of paper. She recognised Sam's writing. September 14th Salford Quays 11:30. September 14th was the day Sam died, Salford Quays a place in Manchester. The file mentioned none of this. 11:30 was exactly the time Sam was recorded leaving the station.

What if Sam hadn't gone after the thieves? Sam could have gone to Salford Quays instead. His car was found not far from there. No-one had seen the car go in. Sam might not have been in it.

"They never found his body." She recalled Ray's words on her first day in 1981. She grabbed a photo from the file and a magnifying glass. The locks on the car were down. The doors were locked. Sam couldn't have escaped from the car and locked the doors behind him. He wasn't killed there on September 14th three years ago.

She grabbed the file and the jacket and the scrap of paper. She ran straight into Luigi's and crashed to halt. Sitting at their table was Gene, well that was normal but it was his companion that made Alex's blood boil. Elaine. "Guv!" She called. This was important he would care about this, she reasoned. She clutched Sam's jacket for luck.

"What Drake?" he said in response, his voice was threatening. She recalled this evening's argument. She remembered screaming at him. And him screaming right back. It had ended when he strode off telling her the company was not required or appreciated tonight. So this was his reason a trollop.

"This is important, Guv." Alex said trying her hardest to stop her voice from shaking. Gene and Elaine had been sitting too close together for her liking. "It's about Sa-"

"Drop it Drake. He's dead. Leave it. I had nothing to do with it." Gene yelled at her.

"He's not-"

"I said drop it."

Gene offered Elaine a hand and stalked out of the restaurant. CID watched in shock. They hadn't seen the Boss and the Guv like this for ages. The last time was right before Operation Rose and everyone remembered how that had ended. Shaz, Ray and Chris walked over to her. Shaz cautiously asked "What's wrong?"

"Sam's not dead."Alex said in a voice hardly higher than a whisper. "I have to save him. I need Sam's help."

"What?" Chris and Ray yelled at the same time. They lead Alex to their table. And she quickly showed them her evidence. They stared at her open mouthed.

"We're coming too." Shaz spoke for all of them as she took Alex's hand.

"You need back-up." Chris pointed out.

"The Guv is not going to like being left out of this." Ray said after a period of silence.

"It's his fault. He didn't listen to me. Every time he does that he ruins almost everything." Alex spoke in a low serious voice. "He can help however. Get whatever you need for the next two days. Meet outside the station in 20 minutes"

They set off and Alex grabbed her white jacket throwing it over her shoulder, she walked towards the door and turning she gave a short note to Luigi for Gene.

As they assembled outside the station, Alex drove up in the Quatro. They stared at her in amazement. "Boss where- how did you get that." Chris asked for the three of them.

Alex laughed "Stole it. Like I said he is going to help even if he doesn't know it."