LONDON'S BURNING
Bits and Pieces
The staff of Holby City's A&E department were inundated with people complaining of minor ailments, ranging from a frantic woman who had got shampoo in her eyes to a man who had a bit of an embarrassment with his wedding tackle. As the night shift got underway, a few people wandered in having got a little over excited with the alcohol factor. It was nothing serious, which in a way was good, but yet it was as boring as hell, if in any way that was boring at all.
Paramedics Nikki and Comfort had just delivered Albert, an elderly gentleman who was also a bit fond of the booze. His speciality was belting out Elvis at the top of his voice.
"They do say The King lives!" Comfort grinned as they headed back to the ambulance.
"Not in that tone he doesn't!" Nikki pointed out. She didn't smile.
In fact, she had seemed preoccupied since the start of the shift. Something weighed heavily on her mind, although she wasn't about to discuss her personal life with her colleague.
"How's Jack?" Comfort ventured as they left the ambulance bay to find a nice quiet place, awaiting their next call.
"Don't talk to me about him!"
"Why, what's he done now?"
Comfort knew what the Holby receptionist was like, or what he wanted everyone to believe he was like. The two things usually parted company somewhere along the line.
Nikki just shrugged, obviously not wanting to discuss the subject further. Comfort, however, couldn't resist a quick joke.
"We're not going to be having little Nikki's or Jack's running around are we!"
Nikki glared at her. "Just drive will you! And no we're not!"
Comfort grinned. They left the hospital grounds.
Evening sunshine glowed around Blackwall. Adam had a big grin on his face, which he hadn't removed for several days now. He wasn't going to give away his secret either, everyone had given up asking about it now.
"Did the wind change direction?" Hyper asked as Adam arrived for work that morning.
"I dunno, did it?" Adam looked up at the sky.
"Only you've been stuck like that since Tuesday!" Hyper pointed out.
"Ah well, that's because life is just fantastic."
"Yeah, it's all right for some," Hyper was unenthusiastic about his own life.
He could hazard a guess as to what had made Adam so happy. It must be a girl. It usually was. He wondered if Adam had ever experienced real love. Real love that made him want to stay with someone for more than five days, which was Adam's current record. Real love that means you can't stop thinking about someone, can't stop thinking about all the "what ifs" and "if only this could happen"…
Life was so unfair sometimes. Why couldn't he just meet his dream date? The perfect partner, who would be perfect in that he was of the right persuasion for a start. Hyper thought he always fell for the wrong guys, usually those with partners – male or female. But he had always been able to overcome the feelings, but not this time. It was something he couldn't have, which inevitably, made him want it more.
The Jasmine Allen Youth Project had kicked off and seemed to be going really well. Cass Rickman had been told, or rather ordered, to take an interest by Inspector Monroe, who had in turn been ordered by Superintendent Chandler to 'provide a face of the Met'. She wasn't sure if that was her. In fact, she was pretty sure that it definitely wasn't.
She could think of better things to be doing on a warm Saturday evening than hanging around the Jasmine Allen in civvies. But then, it wasn't as if she had any sort of romance in her life at the moment. Blokes weren't exactly queuing up to show her a good time. The only really good time she could remember was when Leroy had been around. But he had gone now, which she knew was for the best even though at times it never seemed like that.
She had shared some good times with another guy, who at one time had been a colleague. Not that there had been anything going on then, it was only after he had left that things really started to heat up. But he was no longer around now. He had just disappeared one day with no explanation, although she had a bad feeling that it had not been of his own accord…
"Are you the copper?"
Cass looked round. "Who wants to know?"
"I was just askin' cos you look like one," a girl of about 18 or 19 came into view from the side of the concrete youth club building.
"You reckon?" Cass asked, wondering if she really stood out hanging around here like an idiot.
"Oh yeah, see you need a sixth sense living around here," the girl explained.
Cass was glad of the conversation. This girl had been the only person to talk to her since she had arrived over an hour ago. She knew it was a waste of time, but she wasn't going to try and tell Chandler or Monroe that.
"Why's that?" Cass questioned.
The girl shrugged. "You know, stuff, and stuff gets to know you if you're not careful. No one trusts the police anymore."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Why are you here?"
"Well, er…" Cass paused, she couldn't find an answer.
"I'm Lucy Marlow," the girl explained. "I want you to tell your boss that I've got something to show him."
"What is it?" Cass wondered.
"He has to see it first," Lucy was adamant. "He's the one who sends you down here, but he doesn't know what really goes on does he?"
"Um… well… how come you know so much about it?"
Lucy shrugged. "Just tell him to meet me here in an hour, it's very important."
With that, she left before Cass could say another word.
"Have you two had a fight or something?" Comfort was still asking Nikki about her love life.
"No, but I…"
She was interrupted by the radio as a call came through for them to attend to a man who had collapsed in the street. Comfort took the call and they were on their way, the conversation forgotten.
"What's up with you?" Adam wondered why Hyper wasn't happy, as far as he was concerned everyone should be happy!
"I dunno," Hyper sighed.
He had often wondered if he should come clean. Admit his feelings, not that he would get anything in return. This was like nothing he had ever experienced before, he wasn't sure how to handle the situation. How did you tell a mate that your feelings went much deeper than friendship? That you dream of there being some kind of weird romantic relationship that in reality could never be true.
"You know what you need?" Adam continued.
"No, but I've a feeling you're going to tell me."
"You need… um… well I guess you need a man!" he grinned. "I was going to say a woman!"
"And I suppose you're going to find me one?" Hyper asked.
Adam grinned, again. "Well yeah, I might know someone who can help you out in that department."
"Really, and what would he be like?" Hyper knew all too well of Adam's matchmaking skills.
He had tried them out on Hi-Ho once, only it didn't work out too well. In fact it had been a complete disaster.
"Well, he would be…" Adam paused. "I'm sure you'd like him. I'll fix it up!" he grinned and left.
"Hey hang on, I didn't say…" Hyper tried to call after him, but was interrupted by the bells going down.
"What's going on?" Inspector Monroe questioned as he met Cass outside the youth club on the Jasmine Allen Estate.
Cass shrugged. "I'm not sure sir."
Just then, Lucy appeared.
"I said the boss guy," she looked displeased at Monroe's presence. "You know the big boss guy."
"You mean Superintendent Chandler?" Monroe asked.
"Yeah him," Lucy replied. "He's the one what says you have to do things."
"Do you have some information for Mr Chandler?" Monroe pressed.
"I might," Lucy shrugged. "There's something he needs to see."
"And what might that be?" Cass questioned.
"I know where…" Lucy began, but stopped herself quickly.
"Go on," Monroe prompted.
"Well I know things," Lucy told them. "About stuff that happens and Mr Chandler wants to know about it. Please get him, and tell him its very important," Lucy tried to run off again, but Cass caught her.
"What's going on Lucy?"
"I know…" Lucy stopped to check if there was anyone around within earshot. "I know where there is a dead guy," she hissed quietly, shaking free from Cass's grip. "Your big boss guy was on the telly talking about it, that…" she stopped as a teenage lad passed them.
He didn't look at either of them, but continued on his way. Lucy waited until he was well out of earshot before continuing in a hushed tone. This was an area where you got a gun stuck in your face for just walking passed a copper. She wasn't about to take that chance.
"One of yours," Lucy continued. "I told you I know stuff about stuff, and stuff is what I want to tell Mr Chandler. I want him to know what really goes on round here."
"You can tell me," Cass offered.
She wondered if Lucy's information was true. Could it be…? Part of her hoped Lucy was wrong, that this body wasn't whom she thought it was. Yet a small part of her was still looking for answers. At least if it were true, then she would know.
Lucy, however, refused to part with any further information until she had spoken to Mr Chandler. Quite why she wanted him in particular was a mystery. Chandler only stuck his head out from beyond his office walls if it was for a press occasion to make Sun Hill look good, which required a lot of work.
"So where is this guy then?" Nikki asked as she and Comfort arrived at the street they had been given.
It turned out to be a small back alley, there was no sign of any man, or indeed anyone, in any sort of distress.
"Perhaps he got up and wandered off?" Comfort suggested.
She looked around nervously. Her instincts told her not to be trusting of this uninviting place.
"Let's just get out of here," Nikki had felt it too.
"But we need to look around," Comfort objected. "There might be someone here."
Neither of them were too keen on the idea, but it was a job that had to be done. They knew they would never forgive themselves if it turned out that there was in fact someone who needed their help and they had been ignored.
"Do you know what," Adam started as he and Hyper took Blackwall's ALP to a shout.
They had been called to deal with a flat fire in a high rise block of flats.
"I think Elaine is having an affair."
"You what!" Hyper almost choked.
"She's been acting very weird lately," Adam confided. "Then I saw her with this guy. I think I've seen him before somewhere."
"Are you sure?"
"They were… well it looked pretty full on to me."
"Oh well… um… Have you told Recall?" Hyper wondered.
"No, do you think I should?"
"I dunno mate. What about Elaine, have you spoken to her?"
"Well I would if I could find her! I think she's run off with him."
"Now you're jumping to conclusions!"
"Stuart told me she hasn't been home for two days." Adam pointed out. "But then, neither have I…"
Hyper grinned. "Oh yeah, the mystery lady…"
"Yeah, she's great. But what do I do about Elaine?"
"Tell Recall," Hyper insisted. "He has a right to know."
"Yeah but…" Adam paused. "Yeah, maybe."
Hyper wondered how he could be thinking these things at such a time. They were on their way to a flat fire, Adam was worried that his mother was having an affair, and here he was thinking all sorts of stupid things. Nothing could ever or would ever happen. As soon as his stupid heart realised that and the sooner he got his mind focused on something else, the better everything would be.
Nikki gingerly searched behind an overfilled industrial Biffa bin. It was very smelly and very unwelcoming. She thought she could see some red blots, which looked like blood, splattered about the wheels of the large red container. There was something else there too, underneath, wrapped in a carrier bag, covered in blood… She pulled it out for closer inspection, then threw it away again quickly…
"Oh my… Comfort!" she yelled, stepping away from the bin and the carrier bag.
"What?" Comfort rushed over.
Nikki pointed to the bag. "It's… it's horrible!"
Comfort took a pen from her pocket to hold the bag open. "Oh…" she paused on seeing the contents and closed the bag quickly. "Do you suppose the rest of it is around here somewhere?"
Nikki looked round, feeling sick. "I hope not!" she shuddered.
"This way," Lucy dragged Cass, Monroe and Chandler over to a rubbish shoot of one of the blocks of flats that made up the Jasmine Allen.
"You said you had some information," Chandler pressed.
"No, I said I knew stuff about stuff," Lucy corrected him. "There," she pointed to a small cove under the stairs towards the flats. "You need to look in there."
Chandler looked around, as if unsure of what he was being asked to do. "Me?" he echoed.
"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "Mr Valance wasn't happy with the way you spoke about him, he said this one was for you."
Chandler frowned. "You said you knew about a police officer who has gone missing."
"Yeah, and you'll find him, well most of him, I think."
"Is this what you've got me down here for? To look in rubbish bins?"
"You don't know what it's like to live here. I bet you've got a nice house with a garden in a nice area where they sell conservatories and double glazing!" Lucy told him. "I saw you when you were talking about your new initiatives for the area. They won't work."
"Why not?"
"Cos you haven't seen what they do to people they don't like. This guy was here last week, in the Bears Head. He met a woman and… Are you going to get him out or not?"
Cass and Monroe went to inspect the cove, as Chandler stayed back, not one to get his hands dirty.
"Who's they?" he persisted, trying to make some sense out of the teenagers rambling.
Lucy, however, ignored his questioning.
"Kids round here do drugs because the other kids do drugs. People want to see more police, but the police don't see what's going on right under their noses. This guy has been here, well most of him has been here, for the last two days. Two of your guys walked right passed him yesterday."
Cass had found the subject of Lucy's rambling. It wasn't a pleasant discovery.
"So what do you reckon is going on over there?" Hyper asked as he and Adam arrived at the fire to find it was a fire in a ground floor flat, which the Sun Hill crew had in hand.
In the distance, police officers were mulling around a stairwell at the foot of one of the tall tower blocks. Blue and white POLICE tape cordoned off the area as men in white paper suits began to inspect the area.
Adam shrugged. "Perhaps someone got murdered…"
"What do you know about it?" asked a female voice from behind them.
They turned to see a young dark haired woman, who spoke with a Scouse accent. Her voice was a little shaky and she had tears creeping from the corners of her eyes.
"Um… nothing," Adam replied quickly. "Why, has someone been murdered?"
"I don't… I can't say. We're just asking people in the area."
"Well we only got here ten minutes ago!" Hyper pointed out.
"Oh… ok then, sorry to bother you…" the woman left them.
"Cass?" Inspector Monroe found her talking to two firemen. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, sir. It was just a bit… um… I'm fine," she tried to assure him.
It wasn't working. She knew she wasn't fine, she knew what the discovery meant. And he had been with another woman, how could he? How could she have not known? And was there a need to butcher the body in such a way? Human features had been totally unrecognisable, but there was one thing that had given away the dead man's identity. The epaulettes displaying the number "833"…The hunt was on to find the cop killer…
The body was definitely dead. And had been for some time by the looks of it. The police were now investigating the scene and had uncovered several more body parts, which they believed did not belong to the same person! Nikki was glad to leave the messy stuff to them. She didn't fancy the idea of scrounging around smelly dustbins for bits of human. If they had to be dead, she preferred them to be in one piece.
"So what were you going to tell me?" Comfort decided to start up the conversation about Nikki's relationship with Jack again.
"I thought… I think I might have found someone else…" Nikki confided. "But I don't know."
"Ah," Comfort grinned. "You don't know which one you like the best!"
"Something like that."
"So does this new man have a name?"
"Course he does, but it doesn't mean I'm going to tell you does it? I think I want to stay with Jack, at least I've found the real him."
"Oh yeah!" Comfort looked a little sceptical. "If you say so, girl!"
"Yes I do," Nikki felt certain. "I only met this other guy a couple of times, well I let him phone me, but he's too…"
"Macho?"
"He's a moron."
"Oh, are you sure you're not getting confused about Jack!" Comfort grinned. "Hang on, is that a finger over there!"
"What!" Nikki whirled round in her seat and jumped up quickly, but there was nothing there.
Comfort was grinned. "Gotcha!"
Nikki just smiled and shook her head.
The Murder Squad had got their feet under the table in the CID office once more. They seemed to be here so often these days, that someone joked they should take up a permanent residence. DCI Jack Meadows wasn't too happy about that, neither was DI Cullen!
A body had been discovered, with several bits missing, and then Bristol police had uncovered some more body parts in a Dumpster in an alleyway. Coincidence? The Murder Squad didn't think so.
They made a start on their investigation. One of the bodies had been identified, now it was left to figure out who the woman was.
Adam had decided to tell Recall what he had seen concerning Elaine and her mystery man. Hopefully it would turn out to be nothing, but he knew that was very unlikely. To his surprise, Recall was taking it very calmly.
"Yeah, I know," was his response.
"You know!" Adam echoed.
"Yeah, I um… caught them." Recall admitted. "I reckon she's run off with him now."
"I've no idea," Adam told him truthfully.
"She has. Well they deserve each other!"
Hyper had been looking for Geoff Pearce, but instead had found an interesting newspaper Geoff had obviously been reading, since he was the only one who would bother reading about the goings on in Bristol! The body of a woman had been round in an alley behind some shops. A reconstruction of her face had been created. Hyper snatched the paper up.
He wondered what Adam would make of it and took the newspaper into the mess.
Adam looked up from it, white as a sheet.
"It's Elaine…" he managed to tremble.