Keeping Mum
Disclaimer: New Tricks is MINE, all mine! MWAAAHAAAAHAAA …..Oh! No it's not, It belongs to the BBC.
Rating: T for some language.
Episode: Sometime after 'God's waiting room'
/
Robert Strickland sighed as he opened the door to the UCOS office. His eyes cast around the deserted area, taking in the coffee cups left on the table and the general disorder on all the desks, well all except Brian's which as usual was freakily tidy. He couldn't help himself, he was a naturally organised person, and although he wouldn't normally interfere, he knew that the team would be away at least until monday, and those cups would have a small ecosystem growing in them by then, especially if this warm weather continued, so he put his papers down on the sofa and gathered the used cups, taking them to the sink. He washed and rinsed them, and the other discarded utensils and left them on the little drainer to dry. He went around and gave the rest of the room a tidy, before heading into Sandra's office. Her space was less muddled and he placed the papers which had brought him here in the first place on her desk. He wandered back into the main area, his eyes running across the board, with all the details of the latest case pinned up. The unidentified body of a woman, found fourteen years before. The case had come back to life when unknown fingerprints on the woman's watch had been flagged up by their computers. This had led the team to an unsolved murder in Sweden which was still on file, so with a little bit of political diplomacy, he had given them the nod and he UCOS team had packed their bags four days ago and headed off to the airport.
He had been right to trust them, his team had solved that murder and the one on the board. They were just clearing up paperwork and 'making nice' with the local police, one of his conditions of letting them go in the first place, and then they would be back, but as it was Friday today, he knew that they would all head home and come back into work on Monday.
His thoughts were interrupted by the trilling of a mobile phone. He looked around, confused, He knew it wasn't his ringtone. He followed the sound, it was coming from Sandra's office. He listened for a moment and traced the sound to the little bookshelf behind Sandra's chair, and sure enough, still attached via the charger to the wall socket was Sandra's phone. He picked it up just as it stopped ringing, turning off the socket and unplugging the charger, he glanced at the screen. Eleven missed calls and fourteen messages. Robert smiled and put the phone on Sandra's desk. 'She must have been ringing it to try and find it' He thought. He took out his own phone and sent a text to Jack telling them that he had found Sandra's phone in the office. There was soon a reply, and Robert smiled as he read; 'Thanks, she's been frantic. You'd think she'd lost her best friend'.
He was about to leave when the phone trilled again. He assumed it was Sandra or Jack and picked it up, pressing the answer button without checking the caller id.
"Hello." He answered.
"Hello, I'm trying to get hold of Miss Pullman?" The confused female voice on the other end of the phone replied. Robert was taken slightly by surprise, but pulled himself together.
"I'm sorry, but she's away for a few days. She left her phone behind."
"Oh, Oh dear. I really need to get in contact with her, she is listed as Mrs Pullman's next of kin.."
"Grace! Grace Pullman. Is she alright." He was suddenly on alert, he had only met her the once, but she had left a lasting impression on him. The voice on the phone tried to reassure him.
"She's fine. But we really need to get hold of her daughter. Do you know her."
"Yes, she's a friend. Can I help at all?" It wasn't a total lie, they may not have been bosom buddies, but she tolerated him...sometimes...barely.
"This is the Whitemead care home. We had a small fire this morning.."
"A fire?"
"Yes, but don't worry, it was just in the kitchen. But we are having to close for a few days due to the damage and loss of facilities. Most of the residents are either going to relatives, or into a hotel. But because of her condition, Mrs Pullman will either have to go to her daughter, or into a hospital."
"Her Menieres you mean? I know she needs twenty four hour care during a flare up." He answered.
"Oh, You know about her condition. Yes, she cannot be alone, her Menieres has been troubling her for the last few weeks and the hotel is unwilling to be responsible for her. So you see, we need to get hold of Miss Pullman as soon as possible."
"As I said, she's away. She's in Sweden."
"Oh dear. Well we'll contact the local hospital, they said they would be able to find a bed if we really needed one." He heard the woman sigh. Robert took a deep breath as he came to a snap decision which he knew he would probably regret.
"No, it's alright. I can take responsibility for her care until Sandra gets back. He looked at his watch, it was just after three, he did some quick calculations in his head. "I can be there for four o/clock." He told her. He waited for the woman to respond.
"I don't know. We really need Miss Pullman to give her permission. We can't just release our residents into the care of just anybody you know." She replied haughtily. Robert bristled at her tone, he tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
"I'm her...fiancee." He lied, 'wishful thinking' a little voice in his head taunted him. He batted it away. "Tell Grace I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up, not giving her the chance to reply. He took a deep breath. 'I must be completely out of my mind.' He thought to himself, heading for the door.
/
He pulled up outside the care home, several other cars parked at odd angles indicated to him that he wasn't the only one who had arrived in a hurry. He parked up and made his way into the reception which at this moment was a scene of chaos. He spotted Grace sitting serenely in a chair, a small wheeled suitcase by her feet. She seemed to be watching the proceedings with great humour as the flustered staff tried to organise the residents, who seemed to be giving them more trouble than group of pre-schoolers. A young woman with a clipboard approached him.
"Hello. Are you here to pick somebody up?" She asked. He nodded.
"Yes, Grace Pullman."
"Oh, yes. She's all ready. I'll tick her off the list." The flustered woman smiled."Grace, your son-in-law-to-be is here. We'll ring as soon as this mess is all cleared up." She bustled away to another resident, leaving a slightly nervous Robert, feeling a little bit like a small bunny, staring at the oncoming headlights of a lorry. Robert took a deep breath and walked over to the Pullman matriarch. Grace gave him a sly smile and stood, reaching down for her case.
"Oh! Please let me get that." He reached down and took the bag. Grace smiled again and looped her arm through his. He led her to his car and opened the door for her, helping her into the seat. Closing the door he made his way to the back and lifted the surprisingly heavy for its size case into the boot. He paused for a moment, wondering again if he was completely insane. He shut the boot lid down with a little more force than was really necessary and made his way to the driving seat. He got in and put his seatbelt on, noticing that Grace had already buckled up. He paused for a moment, he really hadn't thought this through. He jumped slightly as the silence was broken.
"So, when was my daughter going to let me in on her little 'secret'." Grace asked, a hint of steel in her voice. Robert decided he had better confess.
"There is no secret. I lied to the home. Sandra is in Sweden on a case, she's due back later this evening..."
"So you came to 'spring' me?" Grace smiled. Robert nodded, starting the car and pulling out of the car park. "Well, I must say, I'm a little bit disappointed. You got my hopes up for a little bit. I thought my daughter had finally found herself a good man." She paused, glancing at the man in the driving seat. "Still, at least she sent someone for me, I thought I was going to be put in kennels."
"Umm, she doesn't know. She left her phone in her office. She has no idea I'm here. I took the phone call from the home, and...well...I couldn't just do nothing. I'm sorry, I don't suppose you have keys to Sandra's house?" He asked hopefully. Grace gave a humourless laugh.
"That's not very likely, is it?" She smiled. He shrugged.
"I can take you to my house. I won't be home until this evening, so you'll have the place to yourself...Unless you don't want to be left, I know your condition can be... difficult."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I am still very capable of taking care of myself for a few hours." She laughed. The uncomfortable silence reigned for a while, as he drove through the London traffic, desperate to get to his home. Finally he pulled into his driveway. Letting out a breath of relief, he turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. He went round the car and opened the door, helping Grace out. Grace raised an eyebrow.
"A true gentleman. Rare these days." She said. He blushed and went back for her case. He led her to the front door and let her in.
"Please, make yourself at home. I'll phone Jack and get him to tell Sandra what's happened. As I said, she's due back this evening..."
"It is a shame." Grace interrupted.
"Pardon."
"I really hoped that Sandra and you... Well like I said before, you make a very handsome couple." She wandered through into his lounge, looking around. He stared after her, speechless. He watched as she turned back to him, her piercing blue eyes fixed on him, eyes so similar to the ones which haunted his days. He looked away, unable to bare that gaze.
"I'm afraid that's not very likely..."
"Oh! That is a shame. As a mother, I'd like nothing more than to see my daughter settled in her life. You obviously care very much for her, I doubt you run around picking up the parents of your other officers." He could tell that she was probing, trying to gain an insight into his motives. He sighed, he didn't want to shatter her dreams, but he couldn't face having his own inadequacies highlighted any further.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you Mrs Pullman. But the truth is, your daughter barely tolerates me, and that's only because I'm her boss and she has no choice. If we were on a desert island together, she'd probably decide to be on her own, rather than spend a minute in my company. It doesn't make any difference how I feel about her. She isn't interested in me, not as a friend or anything else." He finished and turned back to her. "I need to go back to work, as I said, please, make yourself at home." As he approached the door, he turned back to her. "Don't worry about Sandra, Mrs Pullman. She is on her own by choice, she could have any man she wants. I think she'll find her significant other when the time is right, and unless I'm very much mistaken, his name will be Gerry Standing. Even if I was under any kind of illusion that I had any hope to woo her, I never stood a snowball's chance in hell with him around." He nodded and left her, heading back to his car, he drove off, looking in his mirror, he saw the tall slender figure standing in his doorway watching him drive away, and he cursed his chivalrous nature for making him get involved.
"I should have learned my lesson by now." He murmured to himself. "No good turn goes unpunished."
/
It was nearly eight o/clock in the evening before Sandra Pullman pulled into the driveway of her bosses house. She had almost fainted when Jack had told her that Strickland had picked her Mother up from the fire damaged care home, and had been fretting ever since, imagining her boss and Mother, sitting around, the latter spilling all her embarrassing childhood stories with the former.
She parked her car and frowned. There was no other vehicle on the driveway. She knocked on the door and was even more surprised when her Mother answered.
"Mum. Are you alright?" She asked, concerned. He mother frowned.
"Of course I am. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Mr Strickland phoned a few hours ago and said he would be late."
"Oh, well, I'll call him from home. Lets get your bag and go..."
"I can't. I've just put the pasta on the hob."
"What!"
"Well, after the man came to my rescue, and gave me the run of his home, I thought the least I can do is make sure there is a meal waiting for the poor soul for when he finally gets home. There is precious little else waiting for him." Sandra was stunned as her mother turned and walked back into the house, she followed as if she was on some sort of tether and found herself in a very spacious kitchen.
"Mum! I don't know how appropriate this is..."
"Bugger appropriate! I have had several hours alone here, and I couldn't help but notice, that besides a few picture of his children, there is nothing to show that he lives here. Nothing. No personality of any sort, even you had some knick knacks and things. It's like he just exists for work."
"Maybe Mum, but it's none of our business..."
"How long have you worked with him?"
"What?"
"How long?"
"Umm, nearly six years I suppose."
"Six years. And it's none of your business. I don't think so." She paused. "I made fun of him, when he picked me up. I made 'implications' about you and him. I didn't realise that it would cause him so much pain. He does have feelings for you..."
"Mum. Stop. I don't want to talk about my love life, or lack of it..."
"He thinks you hate him. He thinks he means nothing. Is he right?"
"I wouldn't say he means nothing, he's a colleague..."
"He loves you..."
"No! Stop it!" She ran her hands through her blonde hair. "Mum, it's not that simple. Please. Not here, not now."
"When?"
"When hell freezes over!"
"Well, I hope that's soon, then maybe he'd have that 'snowball's chance' he was talking about."
"What! You've been discussing my love life!" Sandra was trying very hard not to lose her temper.
"Lack of." Grace took a breath. "Look sweetheart. I'm not criticizing you." She started. Sandra huffed.
"That'd make a change."
"Please! Mr Strickland seems to think that you are in complete control of your life, and that when the time comes, you'll probably end up with that friend of yours, Mr Standing..."
"What Gerry!" Sandra exclaimed, puzzled. Grace nodded.
"I am just worried that you will let your life get away from you, that you'll wake up one day and realise that you've let something good get away..."
"You're boiling over!"
"Pardon!"
"The pasta. It's boiling over." Sandra pointed to the hob behind her mother. Grace turned and tended to the bubbling saucepan. Sandra watched, mulling over what her mother had been talking about. She was dismayed at how her Mum had ambushed Strickland, and how she had succeeded, yet again to reduce her life to nothing more that a 'missed chance'. She stood back as her mother stirred one of her special sauces into the pasta. Sandra had loved her Mum's cooking when she was younger, she remembered how her and her father had played the 'what's in it today' game as they had tried to name the flavours. She watched as the meal was set out, noticing that there were three plates of feta salad. Sandra frowned, her suspicious nature kicking in.
"Mum, why are you getting three meals ready?" She asked. Grace shrugged.
"Well, I haven't eaten yet, and I know you probably haven't either, your idea of a meal comes in a coffee cup. So.."
"Where did you get all this from?"
"It was all in the fridge." Grace shrugged.
"Mum! You can't just ransack a persons fridge." Sandra exclaimed. Grace was about to answer when they heard a key in the lock. The man in question came into view. He stopped at the sight of the two women in his kitchen, and the plates off food. Sandra smiled apologetically. Grace smiled warmly.
"Perfect timing! Lets eat." She took two of the plates and walked past them to the table, Sandra shrugged and mouthed 'sorry' to him, making him smile shyly.
They ate in a companionable silence, small bouts of small talk filling the quiet moments. Until the plates were empty and Robert stood to clear the table.
"That was excellent. Thank you, it makes a pleasant change to come home to a nice meal, and company." He said. Sandra blushed.
"I'm afraid I have to hold my hands up and confess, it was nothing to do with me. I had only been here a few minutes before you arrived. It was all Mum." She laughed. Robert turned and gave the older lady a mock bow.
"Then, Thank you Mrs Pullman." She laughed.
"You are very welcome. It's the least I could do for my white knight. And please, call me Grace."
"I'll help you clear up." Sandra said, standing and joining him.
"I can manage, you've had a long trek today, please relax." He told her, she shook her head.
"I spent most of it couped up on a plane. Please, I'd like to make some contribution to the meal." She followed him into the kitchen, spending a few minutes clearing away the remnants of the meal and loading the dishwasher. They worked in silence before Sandra felt the need to break the silence. She turned to face him as he busied himself with the coffee machine.
"Sir, I want to say thank you, for helping out today. I really do appreciate it..."
"It was nothing, really..."
"Oh yes it was. I know how ….difficult my mother can be. I really am grateful." She smiled slightly. He shrugged.
"It was the least I could do. Anyway, as I said, I have had a much more pleasant evening than I would have normally had." He laughed quietly. "The truth is, every week I buy all this fresh food with the aim of eating healthy, balanced meals, and then I throw most of it away because I never use it. By the time I get home, I can't be bothered to prepare anything, so I just have a sandwich, if anything. Tonight was...Nice."
"Yeah, It was...Perhaps we should do it again sometime." She replied. She saw him blink in surprise, before a sly grin slipped across his lips.
"Yes, we should... maybe you could speak with your mother, find out when she's free..." He laughed as she swatted him on the arm.
"That's not what I meant, and you well know it! I was thinking more along the lines of dinner for two." She replied. His face turned serious.
"I'd really like that, but are you sure? I mean, you know what people will think, what they will insinuate..."
"And when have I ever cared what people think?"
"Well, there are a certain three people who's opinion you value very much. They might not like the thought of you 'consorting with the enemy'." She frowned.
"You're not the enemy..."
"They think I am." He smiled wryly. "And you know it." She shrugged, returning his smile.
"Then I just won't tell them. They are my friends, but I have my own life to live. So I am going ask you if you are busy tomorrow night, I want to take you out for a meal, and before you go all chivalrous on me, you have already played the white knight, this time it's my turn."
"If you're sure..."
"I am. I'd offer to cook for you, but to be very honest, I'm rubbish at cooking. Really rubbish." She watched as he tried not to laugh, smiling as his normally serious visage softened, making him seem so much younger. "So will you dine out with me tomorrow?"
"I'd like that. Thank you." He nodded. She blushed slightly
"Well. I suppose I'd better get Mum home." She turned and walked back to the doorway, but paused turning back to him. "Thank you, again."
"It was my pleasure. He muttered as she disappeared from his view. "Anytime" He added to himself.
Sandra watched her mother as she leafed through the television magazine which had been on the table. She sighed knowing full well that despite her seeming disinterest, she had probably heard every word of the conversation in the kitchen.
"We had better make a move Mum. Let's get your bag and get you back to my place." She said. The lady in question looked up at her.
"Yes we had better, It's way past my bedtime. Thank you Robert, for being such a gracious host." She addressed the man who had followed Sandra in.
"I'll take your bag out." He offered. Sandra gave him her car keys.
"Thanks."
Soon they were in Sandra's little cabriolet, heading towards her flat. The car was quiet and Sandra really wanted to keep it that way, unfortunately for her, Grace had other ideas.
"So, you and him are seeing each other again?" She probed. Sandra sighed.
"We are going for a meal, that's all." She insisted. Grace just smiled enigmatically.
"Yes, of course."
"Yes! Really! Don't go reading anything else into it."
"Well, we'll have to see what happens. He is very handsome, you have to agree."
"Well, yes, but..."
"And he's very much a gentleman."
"He is, but..."
"And he must care for you very much, to drop everything and collect your frail mother and shelter her..."
"Frail! Mother you're not fooling anyone. There is not a frail gene in your body. It wouldn't surprise me if you set the home on fire, just to make something like this happen."
"Don't be so silly, how could I know you were away? It's not like you told me. You never tell me anything." Grace scolded. Sandra took a breath.
"You probably saw it in you're cauldron, or in the bones of a small animal." She countered.
"Darling! You make me sound like some sort of witch."
"Is that a trick question?" Grace sat for a moment, before breaking into a fit of laughter. Sandra couldn't help but smile.
Eventually they pulled into Sandra's gravelled driveway. Sandra was about to get out of the car, but was stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned to her Mother. Grace smiled at her, but this time there was no mischief or malice in her expression, just a warmth that Sandra couldn't remember seeing since she was a child.
"Sandra. I do care about you, and I do worry." She held up her hand as Sandra was about to interrupt. "Please, listen for a moment, then I promise I won't bring this subject up again while I'm here." Sandra sat back and nodded. Grace continued. "All joking aside, there is a man back at that house, who is handsome, and kind, and very well set up. But he is lonely and he obviously cares for you very much. I hesitate to say the word 'love', but I really do think he does love you..."
"How on earth can you know something like that?"
"Because he more or less told me so. And he believes that you cannot bare to be around him, and that you are more likely to fall for your friend Gerry than him. But that isn't what I saw tonight. I saw that you could be very happy if you just give that man a chance. That's all I ask sweetheart, give him a chance."
Sandra thought for a moment, before nodding.
"Tomorrow we are going out for a meal. Let's see what happens from there. No promises though!" She insisted, making Grace smile. "And I want you to promise that you won't try to push things, no matchmaking!"
"I promise I won't interfere in any way."
"That will be a first."
"Cassandra Olivia Pullman, I'm wounded! That you would think me capable of such a thing." Grace laughed as she saw the long suffering look on her daughters face. "I'll try."
Sandra smiled and got out of the car. She hefted her and her mother's bags from the boot.
"Dear God Mum, what have you got in here? It weighs a tonne."
"Oh just a few bits and pieces. There's no knowing how long it will be before I get back to Whitemead. It's nice to get away from there for a while though."
"Mum. Are you sure you didn't start that fire?" Sandra asked. Grace smiled.
"No, of course not." She assured her daughter, as the later started towards the front door, struggling with the bag." Not by myself anyway." She muttered to herself, a sly grin brightening her features.