DISCLAIMER NOT OURS! A joint fic with BethyBoo97 our challenge from Jen was as follows:
Gerry and Sandra have to stay over night in a windmill, must include the line "take one more step and I will arrest you" and get as many titles of Amanda Redman shows as listed in her IMBD (they are in bold). Enjoy! :)
"Where the hell are we? It's just a load of fields."
"At least it's not trees Gerry." Sandra mocked as she continued down the bumpy road on their way to a 20 year old murder scene.
"Ha ha. Very funny." Gerry commented sarcastically as he looked out to see yet more fields surrounding them.
"So, you have the case file, run through it again."
"Vincent Donovan, he was 34 when he died after getting caught in the blades of a windmill. It would have been recorded suicide but he'd been seen on CCTV earlier that day looking very happy and wasn't seen after and the windmill was abandoned after WW2. He had no close relations and therefore it was a combination of that fact he had no close relations and that the windmill was abandoned meant that it was 9 days before his body was discovered hanging off the blades."
"What a horrible way to go."
"There is no nice way to go Sandra."
"If I'm being honest I think that anything that's over quickly isn't too bad."
"I suppose but I still doubt it's nice. Sandra, do you actually know where we're going?"
"I have a rough idea; can you get that map out and have a look please?" She asked sweetly.
"You know from last time that I'm not very good at map reading."
"And you haven't done anything about it? Well you can't teach an old dog new tricks and all that."
"That is your favourite quote, isn't it?"
"Well it gets my point across perfectly."
"I swear we've passed this field already." Gerry commented.
"How did you figure that one out? They are all fields and none of them have any distinguishing features."
"No, because there's a building out of there that I remember."
"And you didn't think to tell me that earlier?!" Sandra asked as she struggled to keep her anger at bay.
"Well I didn't know we were lost earlier, anyway it's probably a farming building."
"And? There's the possibility of people who can tell us where we are and possibly help us."
As they crawled along down the 20mph lane they in fact realised that the farm was actually a small country pub.
"Great, I needed a drink. Time for a drink I think and its expenses."
"I doubt it, anyway we're on duty."
"Technically yes but what can one do really?"
"I suppose, anyway they could help us with directions considering we're in the middle of no where."
"At last we are 'ere" Gerry said slamming the passenger door shut before reaching in his pocket for a carton of cigarettes.
"The hope and Glory pub the last place Vincent Donavan was seen alive, let's hope there is someone here who remembers him or the incidents surrounding his murder twenty years ago" Sandra sighed at the long shot locking her car.
"Yeah, and you can get me a pint of the landlord's best bitter while we are here" he winked at his boss.
"You will be lucky Gerry Standing, I was the one who drove us fifty three miles, If anyone is getting bought a drink its me"
"Alright, you are just annoyed that no one else will touch this case so we got landed with it" he replied discarding a third of his cigarette.
"Well, aren't you? We drive up to the middle of nowhere, with only this Jonathan Braithwaite as a potential lead and even that rubbish he is spouting out about apparently knowing where Donavan was heading after going to the pub. There are piles of cases on my desk that are just as important and more importantly have more leads" she sighed an afternoon with Gerry in the middle of nowhere was not how she liked to spend her working time.
The Hope and Glory pub like the rest of the area was near enoughderelict, the atmosphere inside was eerie and while Gerry wasn't bothered after all it was the only thing that stood in his way of a well deserved pint, it gave Sandra the creeps.
"A pint of your best bitter and a small dry white wine please" Gerry ordered, thinking it would be safest if he bought this round.
"And we would like a word with the landlord please, if it's not too much trouble" Sandra added.
"You're not from Environmental Health are you?" the bar maid asked. Unimpressed, Sandra flashed her police ID badge at the girl's way.
"Crikey, are you lost" quipped the girl.
"Just get the landlord please" Sandra replied with a sarcastic smile.
"Yes, of course" the girl stuttered.
"Thanks for the wine, Gerry, I would get the next round but we me driving I best not risk another" she winked.
"Typical woman" Gerry said post spit of his bitter.
"I understand you would like a word with me" a man said emerging from the backroom.
"Yes, I'm Detective Superintendant Pullman, this is my colleague Gerry Standing we are from the Metropolitan Police's Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad-"
"So what are you doing out here" he asked interrupting her.
"We are asked to help investigate the murder of Vincent Donavan at the old windmill twenty years ago, were you in charge then" she asked the middle aged man.
"Oh yeah, I remember, yes I was".
"Can you remember Donavan coming into the pub on the night in question?" Gerry asked.
"Vaguely, I mean in those days the place was pact to the rafters, unlike now" he said pointing at the two regulars sat the other side of the bar.
"Well was there anything suspicious" Sandra asked.
"No, not that I remember" he answered eying up Sandra's bag.
"Guv, it's Jack, I better take this" Gerry said fishing out his phone.
"Well I need to use the loo" Sandra said risking leaving her bag in the almost empty pub.
When she returned she caught the Landlord with his hands on her bag.
"Oi, take one more step and I will arrest you".
"Sorry, I was just moving it" he stammered in a panic.
"Yeah right, could you tell us the best way to get to the old windmill" Sandra asked hoping Gerry would hurry the hell up.
"It's only round the corner, off the beaten track like, there is no parking but you are more than welcome to leave your car here" he said attempting to redeem himself.
"Cheers" she flashed a false smile "come one Gerry we are going" she said as he remerged.