Heartbeat – No Laughing Matter
Disclaimer: Heartbeat is not my creation and doesn't belong to me. I merely wish to play around with a few marvelous characters for a while and hopefully contribute with a good story to the archive. Maybe I can inspire someone else to write a story because there's far too few out there.
Characters: I like to involve as many of the regulars as I can but it centers on Nick and Kate.
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance, angst, crime, drama, tragedy
Time/Spoilers: Set in late season four
Warning: The theme here might be a bit dark but the story is not messing with canon (hint)
Summary: After Nick and Kate finally make up again and look forward to their unborn baby all they want is peace and quiet. However, Kate still wants to work and Dr. James Radcliffe agrees for her to come to Whitby once a week, figuring he could keep an eye on her that way. Nick, while on patrol, assisting CID, prevents a criminal from escaping. Unfortunately that action will later endanger his life leaving Kate in tears.
Beta: Thank you Rollieo 122 (chapter 1-3) and NuGirl for taking time to help me out with grammar and so on ;)
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Chapter One – Right on the Spot
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"Right," Sergeant Blaketon said sharply as he came walking toward the duty room from his office. "I've just had a call from CID and our suspicions are confirmed," he added, turning slightly to look at Nick. "Rowan, congratulations, you were right. The man calling himself Billy Paxton is indeed someone else entirely, with a very shady side."
Phil turned to Nick with an approving expression and gave him a thumbs up.
"I was lucky," Nick offered humbly. "Had he not been involved in that automobile accident I wouldn't have investigated further."
"Even so, Rowan," Blaketon continued. "Does he seem to suspect anything?"
Nick shook his head. "No, sarge. I don't think he realises that we are on to him," he replied.
"I can confirm that," Alf said as he leaned forward in his chair. "I paid a visit to the hotel where he's booked in earlier and the clerk told me he'd rebooked and decided to stay a bit longer in the area," he explained and then turned smug. "Apparently he wanted to see more of the moors and the wildlife around here."
Phil raised one eyebrow suspiciously. "Wildlife?" he questioned. "What is there to see here except a few badgers?"
"So, who is he exactly?" Alf asked quizzically.
"Does the name Andrew Logan say anything to you?" Blaketon asked.
Ventress made a face. "Of course," he answered, not sure where his superior was going with this.
"Wasn't that the man who managed to rob the Provincial Bank down in Leeds a few years ago?" Phil spoke up as he crossed his hands over his chest, leaning back in his chair.
A smug look crossed Blaketon's face for a fleeting moment before looking as serious and demanding as ever. "So you do listen occasionally, Bellamy," he asked sarcastically, "to what is being discussed among the police channels?"
"The money was never found as I recall and Andrew Logan died terminally ill of cancer two months ago," Nick said.
Blaketon sat down at the edge of Alf's desk eyeing his officers sternly. "Exactly Rowan," he concurred. "It turns out that Billy Paxton is actually Billy Logan," he let on triumphantly.
"His son?" Phil asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, his nephew," Blaketon returned.
"So, the CID believes that Billy knows something about the money?" Nick asked curiously.
"Clever, Rowan," Blaketon remarked with a smirk. "Yes, Billy came to visit his dying uncle for a couple of times and the CID have reasons to believe that Andrew might have told him where the money is hidden."
Nick grinned like the Cheshire cat as he reached for the cup of tea standing on his desk. "It's what the strange diggings up on the Moors are all about. He used Greengrass small digs as a cover up for his own and let Claude take the blame for it," he said.
Blaketon pursed his lips together. "Greengrass has something to do with it, of that I'm sure," he replied sullenly. "Anyway, you two," he said nodding at Phil and Nick. "You're going to assist DS Lawson when he arrives here early in the morning."
Alf gave his colleagues a lazy smile but stopped short and broke into a neutral expression as he caught his superior officer giving him a glare. "Is there something that amuses you, Ventress?" Blaketon asked sharply.
"Absolutely not, sarge," the older constable assured him.
"Good," Blaketon gloated, "because you have the night shift and then I expect you to man the station tomorrow afternoon," he told him in a voice dripping with authority as he rose and began to walk the short distance to his office.
Alf made a long face and stared after him.
Phil couldn't help but chuckle. "Too bad, Alf," he teased. "I'll think about you."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nick trying to hide a smile. "What do you say about us taking a glass at the Aidensfield Arms?" Phil asked.
Nick smiled. "You just want to keep an eye on Gina," he returned smugly, knowing that Gina had been hanging around a lot with Billy for a couple of days to both George's and Phil's dismay. "Sorry, Phil," Nick excused himself, "but I promised Kate I'd come home early."
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"Mr. Paxton," Gina said flirtatiously as a man in his mid-thirties walked up to the counter.
He smiled at her; it was a wry smile but pretty never the less, although he looked somewhat worse for wear with the bruise on his cheek and the cut above his temple.
"I'm so glad to see you're all right," the barmaid exclaimed as he sat down on one of the chairs next to the counter. "I saw the car as it was towed in; looked awful," she added sympathetically.
"You should call me Billy, remember?" he said, slightly amused by the concern she was showing him. "And I've actually had worse but it's a shame about the car though. I really liked it."
"So," George began, not in the least impressed with the young man's slight bragging in front of his niece, "what brings you here?"
"Uncle George," Gina scolded in annoyance.
Billy couldn't help but smile at the overprotectiveness the old man was showing. "It's all right, Gina," he assured and then turned to look directly at George. "I came to ask you about the Moors."
"What about them?" George asked suspiciously.
"I've read somewhere about a place called Ranger's Canyon," Billy said, waiting for confirmation.
Gina nodded. "Yeah, it's located a few miles from the village but it's really not a canyon, more like a steep incline," she offered. "Why?"
He shrugged. "No particular reason, I just wanted to have a look around the famous places in the area," he explained.
George snorted. "I wouldn't call it famous, nothing's really happened there," he informed the other man as he turned around to get a fresh glass for another customer.
"It was a rather eccentric local man who told a London reporter a white little lie. Why is a mystery though? Anyway some people seem to take him seriously," Gina said with an undertone of annoyance in her voice as she cast a glance at Greengrass who was seated at a table not too far away.
"Hey, I heard that!" Claude piped up in protest. "It was that old chap, Lancefield who said the Vikings had been here…"
"And done what, Claude?" Gina returned. "Left some treasure behind?"
"The way you've been digging up there…" George began but was cut short by the old crook.
"Look, what Lancefield says will have to stand for him. I've got nothing to do with it!" Claude said defensively. "You're no better than Blaketon."
"You know the birdwatchers want you under lock and key for disturbing the birdlife and the travelling agency in Ashfordly has complained about how it looks," Gina told him heatedly.
"Really?" Claude replied sarcastically. "Who told you that?"
"I can't avoid hearing the gossip in here," she returned.
Claude gave her an undignified look and then rose from the table, heading toward the door. "Come on Alfred, we are not appreciated around here," he muttered.
Billy frowned as the old man walked out through the door with his dog in tow. "Is there someone digging up there?" he asked curiously.
Gina nodded and let out a long breath. "The man who just walked out, Claude Greengrass. The police brought him in earlier to question him about it," she said.
Billy looked amusedly at the barmaids annoyed stance. "When was this supposed to have happened?" he asked, fishing for information.
"Two days ago, he was spotted earlier at the same day," Gina returned. "Don't tell me you think he's innocent," she added.
"I really wouldn't know," he offered kindly and then a mischievous smile played on his lips. "Is there any chance to get you over there tomorrow?"
"Cheeky," Gina exclaimed happily.
George leaned forward on the counter. "She'll be extremely busy tomorrow, mind you," he said by way of caution.
"I'll see about it," Gina let on slyly.
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1/20
To be continued