Ghost Writer 1/?
Disclaimer:- Don't own them just borrowing!
Episode:- None
Pairing:- Jean/James (eventually!)
Rating:- M
Achieve:- http(:/) . /group/rebeccafrontlewisffarchive/
Summary:- She knew she could sit there running over every summer that might be even close to when the photo was taken and come up with a million connected memories but none that would explain why someone had picked now, over thirty years later to contact her about them nor why they'd do it in such an obtuse manner.
Author's Note:- In answer to Gee's Letter from a long lost relative challenge which she kindly let me tweak a little to be a "Letter from the past" type situation instead! Rated for language and sexual references etc. Enjoy and reviews would be lovely!
"Look I don't care how difficult he's being you have told me you need to see the medical records if he won't show you them then he'll find himself dealing with me and the mood I'm that won't be an experience he will enjoy." Jean snapped sitting behind her desk again and sighing at the small mountain of mail and padded envelopes in front of her. Just when she thought she was getting ahead, that she might actually have her desk cleared before the weekend someone seemed to slip in while she was out and pile a load more crap into it!
"He says because the victim isn't technically dead, because she's still on life support the doctor/patient privilege still applies, I've asked James to contact legal and see if there's any way round it I tried pointing out that the fact she is alive is only due to medical intervention but he isn't having it." Robbie continued sitting in the chair in front of the desk waiting for the continued barrage of complaints he always got from his boss when they were faced with someone being a little too "jobs worth " and holding them back. They all felt the frustration and normally Jean was better than most at dealing with these situations in a calm and "politically" appropriate way. Sometimes though it got too much even for her and he had a feeling this was one of those days.
"Legal will say we have to bloody wait they always do, I mean we know we're dealing with a murder case, they know we are and even the bloody doctor does but heaven forbid they should actually help us catch the bastard who did it." Jean sighed setting aside the couple of letters she'd already opened and reaching for a thick padded envelope next on the pile. "Can't he see that we need to know about the past incidents of domestic violence so we can show a past history and try to get enough to lift her husband? I mean he raped her, beat her to a pulp, she is only alive until her family find the strength to pull the plug and he's..."
"Jean? What is it?" Robbie asked as she stopped in the middle of her rant and started at the contents of the envelope she'd just opened and he was sure she was a shade paler than she had been moments before. "You look like you've seen a ghost what the hell was in that envelope?"
"I'm not sure." Jean replied turning the single sheet of note paper and the photograph over in her hand before handing them to Robbie. "The photo is me but it's at least 35 years old I don't even know where someone would have got it I'm only about 15 in it and I'm not even sure what that is supposed to mean."
"Nice picture but I agree about the note what the hell is 12778 supposed to mean? Does it mean anything to you? A phone number maybe or ...no not an address it's too long, anything at all?" He asked turning the picture over in his hand and noting some faded writing on the back squinting to try to work out what it was. "Can you see what this says? I can't make it out it looks like a name or a place name."
Taking the photo back as Robbie got up and lifted the envelope off the desk looking at the handwritten name and address on the front she reached for the magnifying glass on the corner of her desk.
"It's Applebrook it's a farm in the Lake District or it was. My grandparents owned it, it wasn't a working farm, not then but they had bought the house we used to holiday there when I was a child. We still own it but it's derelict now I couldn't tell you the last time I was there and I don't think my sister has been near it in years either. When my mother died a few years ago it reverted to us every time we get together we say it's time we did something about it but we've never got around to it yet." Jean replied turning the photo over again and looking at the much younger version of herself smiling out from it. Summers at Applebrook had been some of the happiest times of her life growing up and she had boxes and boxes of photos and mementos from that time herself but this wasn't a picture she ever remembered seeing and wasn't sure if it suddenly turning up now with a cryptic note was someone's idea of a joke or something to be concerned about.
"Maybe your sister sent it, you know as a reminder that you're both supposed to be doing something about the property and haven't, as a joke?" Robbie speculated not really believing that it was a possibility, he'd only ever met Jean's sister once and in the short time they'd spoke she hadn't struck him as the practical joking type.
"No she'd be more likely just to ring and give me a hard time, besides she's procrastinating about it as much as I am, we both know we're never going to use it or take the time to get the place back up to a liveable standard but we have a lot of memories attached to it so we're having trouble letting go."
"What do you want to do? Do you think it's a threat of some sort?"
"I think it's a bit early to think of it as anything other than someone playing silly buggers but I'm not ready to completely dismiss it yet. I'll file it, hopefully it'll be a one off and when whoever sent it realises I have no idea what they're talking about or who they might be they'll get bored." Jean replied putting the photo and note back in the envelope and slipping it into the drawer in her desk before turning her attention back to Robbie. "For now we need Mrs Asquith's medical records go see if James has got anything yet from legal and come back to me if they say they can't help I'll give Dr Martin a ring and see if a little light leaning on him might move things along."
"Ok, I'll see you shortly, you sure you're ok?" Robbie asked nodding at the drawer not completely convinced and she nodded and smiled but deciding it may be better not to push the subject just yet.
"Yeah it's probably nothing and for now we've more important things to think about, get back to me ASAP." Jean smiled waiting until he had left the office before lifting the envelope out again and turning it over in her hands. She knew she could sit there running over every summer that might be even close to when the photo was taken and come up with a million connected memories but none that would explain why someone had picked now, over thirty years later to contact her about them nor why they'd do it in such an obtuse manner. No matter what she was trying to convince Robbie and herself though she didn't really believe it was the last she says going to hear about it.