A/N: This could be considered a crossover with LOM, but i does (even though it might not seem like it at the beginning) have a relevance to A2A. I'm really nervous about this one, because its the first time I've had OC. Please review and tell me what you think of them in particular. Okay...on to the story
A packed lunch. The last time I had been made a packed lunch was the day I left for university, when, like today, my mother had insisted I needed a healthy meal. mother knows best she told me. So, I accepted my packed lunch, placed it on the passenger side seat and began my journey towards my new life, as much of a cliché as that sounds.
After my accident, I had been so riddled with guilt at the way I left my friends in 1973, I'd struggled to adapt to my real life back home, to the point I would most likely have thrown myself off the roof of the GMP building had an unsuspecting PC sneaking up to the roof for a cigarette not caught me and raised the alarm.
After that, my family had insisted I see a psychiatrist, as well as maintaining conduct with DI Drake, a female police psychologist in London who had shown an interest in my case since I woke up from my coma. Unexpectedly, a friendship, based on contact through email and telephone had developed, and now, two years after my accident, we were not only going to meet, but I was going to be her new boss.
I'd eventually been declared fit for duty 18 months after I emerged from the coma (despite maintaining, as I do to this day, that my coma 'constructs' were real) I found I couldn't settle in the GMP, too many memories, and so, when Alex told me there was an opening for the position of her DCI, I immediately filed a transfer request, which was authorised, and so now, here I was, moving to London.
At about midday, I pulled over the car in a lay-by and at my packed lunch. I had to admit, my mother made a mean ham and cheese sandwich. As I sat, watching the traffic go by, I reached over an pulled a file of the passenger seat. This was my record of everything I had discovered about my colleagues in the 70's, which some basic searching of the GMP achieves had revealed were real people, exactly as I remembered. It went a long way towards easing my guilty conscience to find that they had all survived Leslie John's siege with minimal injuries. I also discovered that, for whatever reason, Gene, Ray and Chris had put in for a transfer to London in 1980 at the same time. Annie had been the only one who had continued to work at the GMP after that, but eventually took early retirement to spend time with her family.
She had married a young DC who had transferred to the unit not long after I left 1973. They had had two children, a boy and a girl. A family photo I had located showed them all smiling at the camera. I was glad she had found happiness, although it still hurt a little it couldn't be with me. Two years had gone a long way towards healing that wound, although, I suspected it would never complexly fade.
I hadn't been able to find out what had happened to Gene and the others in London, and all traces of DCI Frank Morgan had suspiciously disappeared. Maybe I would never have an answer as to who that man was. I know now though, that he was not sent to help me.
I glanced over my briefing for my new job. I would be in charge of a small team of CID officers and would investigate predominantly murder cases, with the useful psychological insight of my second in command, DI Alex Drake. Other than the two of us, their would be five other members of the team, all of DS or DC rank. I have to admit, I was feeling considerably more nervous as time passed.
After lunch, I began to drive once more towards my destination. I made it to London more or less on time, not having hit any major traffic. Finding the right building was another matter altogether. I had checked Google maps on my phone for the third time before I got I right. I had been told the building was small, only holding my team and the local drug squad. I was only inside it for a few minutes however, before I realised I was once again…lost.
I tried phoning Alex's mobile…no answer, I tested her, with no response, before deciding I should try reception again. It was the same as it had been when I entered the building…deserted. Feeling foolish, I took the elevator back upstairs and tried to lean nonchalantly against a barrier, while trying Alex's phone again.
"You look lost" said a teasing voice from behind me.
I wheeled round, and found myself face to face with an uncommonly pretty girl in her mid twenties. Plain clothes, so CID, although she barely looked old enough. She had long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and her mouth was fashioned in a crooked smile as she studied me.
"You must be the new DCI" she grinned, holding out a hand. I attempted to return her smile with one that wasn't tinged with worry
"DCI Sam Tyler, but you can call me Sam" I replied, shaking her hand. You can call me Sam? I had always allowed my junior officers to call me DCI Tyler on principle.
She was still grinning "DS Jennifer Mellors, but you can call me Jenny" she teased, imitating me.
She let go of my hand. "Office is this way" she said with a gesture of her hand, beckoning me to follow
"Thanks" I told her "And by the way, if you could avoid mentioning to the rest of the team that I got lost in a two story building, that would be great" I tried to make it sound like I wasn't pleading.
She laughed "Sure thing, although you do realise your going to get the grilling of your life while they try and work out whether your up to the job. Your about the be thrown to the wolves as it were…."
I tried to fathom out if she was joking. She wasn't
"Any tips?" I asked, straitening my tie.
She looked thoughtful "Draw chips for everyone in the room so they can play on the house"
That confused me. "What does that mean?"
"It's from the godfather" she shrugged
"I know that, but what does it mean?"
"I means, if you show them your working for the team, not just yourself like so many other cops in this place, then they'll respect you. We've had too many DCI's who were only here as a stepping stone for their career. We're not like that, we care about what we do"
She was a plucky little thing, I gave her that.
"You ready?" she asked me
"As I'll ever be"
Unexpectedly, she gave my hand a brief squeeze.
"Good luck" and with that she opened the door to the office.
The first thing which occurred to me about the office was that it was incredibly bright. The far wall was made up entirely of windows, through which winter sunlight now streamed, reflecting off every surface, temporarily blinding me as I entered the room.
"Sam!" called a voice
DI Alex Drake crossed over the room to shake my hand. She was an attractive woman in her mid thirties with dark hair tied up in a bun. Her clothes said professional and confident, made of varying shades of grey, black and white.
"I see you've already met Jenny?"
Jenny gave me an encouraging smile.
"Yes…she was just, showing me round"
Alex smiled "I'm sure you'll find her a very competent young officer, she's worked hard to be on the team. And I'm sure that if you need any help finding your way around, she'll help you. She knows this area of London like the back of her hand"
I tried not to smile at the irony in that comment. The two women exchanged a brief smile before Alex announced "you should meet the rest of the team!"
She turned back to the office behind her, and, with a gesture in each officers direction, introduced them.
"DS Simon Hathaway…". A man in a smart suit in his late forties. "…DC Barney Lawrence…". A man a little younger than me in a blue shirt "…DC Mike Matthews…". A young man who reminded me of Chris when we had first met, barely old enough to be on the force let alone CID. "…and DC Danny Partridge" another young officer, about the same age as Jenny, who looked out of place in a T shirt and Jeans. He was the only one who did not get up to shake my hand when we were introduced. In fact, he barely even looked up from the magazine he was reading to glance in my direction. Alex scowled.
"A little respect, DC Partridge?" she asked
He snorted, but did not look up. Jenny batted him on the back of the head with a rolled up newspaper. I could have sworn I heard someone whisper "nice shot". He whipped his head round and glared at her, but I noticed it didn't stop him checking her out as she walked away.
"Sorry about him" Alex whispered under her voice "he has a bit of a problem responding to authority"
"Don't worry, I've dealt with worse" I replied thinking of Ray Carling.
Alex smiled. "I'll bring you up to date with the case we're working on. We're almost done here for the day, but it'll mean we can get started straight away tomorrow"
I nodded and she led me over to the whiteboard
"Louis Delany, a soldier just returned from service in Afghanistan. Found murdered in his own home by his wife Simone three days ago. He'd been brutally stabbed through the stomach and left to die by his attacker. We're still waiting on forensics, but a swept of the house didn't turn up anything. The last thing we wanted to do today was speak to the victims brother, whose just come back into town. That's about all we've got to go on. All the other interviews turned up nothing."
Jenny came over at that point "Alex, just talked to forensics, they say their jammed up with a double homicide and its going to be at least another couple of days before we get anything back"
Alex sighed. "Red tape…" she told me with a long suffering sigh. I nodded in agreement. Jenny meanwhile was re-examining the crime scene photos on the board.
"How could someone do that to a man who risked his life for his country. Basted" This case had obviously touched a nerve with her.
"Language, Jenny" Alex chided, then as an afterthought, "Would you be okay to go and interview the brother?"
She nodded "sure thing"
"Do you want to take someone with you?" Alex asked.
Jenny looked at me "You want to come?" she asked
"That would be great, give me a chance to get to grips with the case"
She smiled. "That okay, Alex?"
"Of course" she replied "I think I would be useful for….."
She was cut of by the door being opened and a stocky man in his fifties entering. I noticed Jenny visibly stiffen beside me and cast her a questioning glance.
Alex greeted the visitor "Superintendent Fawcett" her tone was noticeably strained "how are things?"
He grunted in reply and didn't return the question. He looked me up and down once before asking "This the new DCI?"
Alex nodded "This is DCI Tyler, Sam, this is Superintendent Fawcett" We shook hands. I noticed he had a very weak grip.
It was clear however, Fawcett was not the least bit interested in me however. "Drake, I need to see you in my office immediately for a budget meeting"
Alex looked a little stunned. "I can't tonight sir, I have to go and pick my daughter up from school, maybe in the morning?"
"I am your superior officer, Drake, when I say now, I mean now"
"I'm sorry sir, I really have to go and get my daughter"
"Do I have to remind you, Drake, that I could easily find grounds to put in a complaint about the unprofessional nature of your department, heaven knows what the consequences of that could be."
This guy was actually threatening her. How had he ever been made Superintendent? Luckily, Jenny stepped in
"I'll pick up Molly if you want Alex, I can go and get her after I interview Delany's brother"
Alex shot her a grateful glance before following nodding to Fawcett and following him out of the room.
"What was that about?" I asked Jenny
She shrugged "He's an asshole, he asked her out last year and she turned him down, and he's been taking it out on her ever since"
"She should make a complaint about him"
"She has. Seems he has friends in high places"
I raised my eyebrows and she smiled. Going to her desk, she fished her car keys out of the top drawer and turned back to me.
"Ready to go?"
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