Neil

I've never seen Grace completely lose her temper like that before – it was quite something. I sort of enjoyed watching that – something I feel bad about because she was upset. I don't want her to be upset – that's the last thing I want and its times like this, that I struggle not to pull her close and comfort her, but I can't. I'm her boss and we're at work, in the middle of a case. Nothing can happen here. Nothing can start here, not right now. Anyway, I don't want her to be upset, but she's so beautiful and when she lost her temper just then, it was stunning! I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Grace appears next to me in the viewing room. She's still angry – I can practically feel it radiating off her, but she's not as angry as she was in the interview and I know her anger isn't aimed at me. She glares at the suspect through the one-way window.

"He's a clever guy!" She almost growls through gritted teeth. "He knows with the amount of decomp of the remains and a viable story..."

What I have to tell her will not be easy for her to accept and I mentally prepare myself for her reaction. "Grace..."

"You think he's telling the truth?" She's interrupted me – but somehow she still managed to make it sound respectful.

Well, here goes nothing. "Forensics are back. The blood on the hypodermic needle was a DNA match to Lisa..." I look at her. She looks disbelieving, but she's listening to me and that's a start, so I decide it's safe to continue. "Tox screens show a high concentration of heroin. Probable overdose." I risk looking at her again, but it's a mistake this time because she's looking directly at me and there's a fierce look in her eyes. Wow!

I find it increasingly difficult to keep looking at her, so I look away again quickly, and swallow the lump in my throat.

"Kathy's been beating herself up every day...about not being there for her sister." Grace says reproachfully. I steal another look at her. She's still looking at me, but her eyes are softer now and she asks me for advice. "What do we do with that?" Not 'I' – 'we'. She may be my DC and I may be her inspector, but we see each other as equals. So I give her the advice I have.

"Tell her what really happened. That's what she's always wanted." Grace looks crestfallen and once again, I have to check my actions before Iforgetmyself and physically comfort her. I continue talking instead – hoping that my words can do what my arms aren't allowed too. "Cos a case like this...should keep you up at night. But if there's a ring of truth around the confession and no evidence, you've got to let it go." I glance at her. She looks more disheartened than ever and I can't stand it. All I want to do is comfort her. She hugs her arms against her chest and stares at the floor sadly.

"It will keep me up tonight. I guarantee it." She mutters under her breath. She thinks I didn't hear her, but I did and it's like a knife being twisted in my heart, seeing her so dejected.

"Grace, it was the drugs that killed her." I say quietly. Her arms drop to her sides as I walk past.I catch one of her hands in mine and give it a squeeze as I leave the room.

I hope she finds some comfort in it.

Grace

I stare at the photo of Lisa. Neil is right, the drugs killed her, but I still let her down – let Kathy down, their father. I failed as a police officer and I no longer feel deserving of my position. That's why I've made this decision. I close the file and wipe away the remains of the tears that have been pouring down my face, and then I drive back to the station.

Neil

I go into my office to collect my coat before I go home – and it's there on my desk. I read with shock, the details of the document, before hurriedly concealing it in the depths of my desk drawer and locking it away. No one can know – not until I've spoken to her. Not until I've talked her out of it and torn up the offending document.

I grab my coat and close the office door behind me. Jo is still at her desk – she's working unusually late tonight. "Have you seen Grace?" I ask her casually.

"Think she's gone home." Jo looks nervous and hesitates slightly before continuing. "She looked like she's been crying when I saw her last guv..." She hesitates again before adding, "...a lot. – I didn't want to say anything to her cos' you know she doesn't like showing her emotions, so I just let her go – but it's very unusual so I thought I should mention it."

Grace crying? I nod, trying not to look more concerned than I would if it had been Jo herself who was crying.. "Thanks for letting me know – she struggled with the case today. See you tomorrow, Jo."

"See ya, Guv."

To say that I'm worried about Grace would be an understatement. She never cries and she never gets angry or loses her temper – at least not in front of other people anyway., so I go to her flat. We're off shift now. I'm no longer her boss, for now I'm her friend and more than that if she wants me to be. I'm there to comfort her- to be whatever she needs.

There is no answer when I ring the bell on her block – or when I knock on her door after her neighbour lets me into her block, but when I try her door, it's unlocked. She's a police officer - he really should know better and I'm glad I'm there to check on her, but an unlocked door at this moment suits my purpose, so I let myself in.