A/N: This is based on series 6, episode 6, 'The Last Laugh', where Sandra has to persuade Strickland to let her and the team question Luke and Ricky Hanson about Mary's murder. A sequel of sorts to The Art of Interrogation.
The Art of Persuasion
It wasn't the first time she'd had to persuade her boss of a risky strategy invented by the boys, and knowing them, it wouldn't be the last time either. She supposed she was just continuing the chain, really; the boys usually had to convince her to partake in their offbeat schemes, she simply had to do the same with Strickland. Still, he never really provided much in the way of opposition these days. He tended to trust her more than he had in the fledgling phase of UCOS, and she was glad of that. So it was with only slight hesitation that she knocked softly on his office door, and waited for the quiet 'come in' that would allow her to enter.
She had learnt how to recognise his moods over the years, how to assess what route she should take. Today was easy; it was late on a Wednesday evening, the middle of the week, and he was clearly tired. Despite his effort to appear interested in her presence, his shoulders remained slumped, and there was more files than usual scattered around the large space in front of his desk, as well as the remnants of numerous coffees from the canteen piled in the waste bin to the right. This meant she could be open- tell him exactly what she intended to do, and the reasons for doing it. Besides, it wasn't often that she asked him for a favour of a more personal nature. Or rather, a favour that was very personal to Jack.
"Sandra, what can I do for you?" he asked calmly as she seated herself in the chair opposite him, her hands clasped in her lap.
"I'd like to question Ricky and Luke Hanson about the murder of Mary Halford," she stated in a similar tone of voice, although she was eyeing him intently.
"Sandra, I-" he interjected wearily, leaning back in his leather office chair, resting his hands on the back of his head.
"Please. Hear me out. As you're aware, we've recently been questioning Luke Hanson in relation to our current case, and it's become apparent that Luke has had some…issues, with regards to his relationship with his father. We think that Luke is willing to testify that his father committed the murder."
He nodded slowly, processing the information. She continued to study him.
"And how would I explain this to my commanding officer? It's not one of your assigned cases, and you've got a backlog of potential cases building up. "
"It's not, but it's a closed case. The original investigation could never prove that Hanson was driving the car, although he was certainly implicated. We have a new witness now, just like we do in most cases that come to our attention. I know this is more close to home, but…" she trailed off as the faint sound of hurried whispers emanated from outside the room, and Strickland's eyes drifted to the source of the noise. The boys were listening in, then. She had better get this right.
He sighed. "I want to catch Hanson just as much as you do, but I have to play devil's advocate here. Are you absolutely certain that Luke will testify against his father? Even in court?"
"Yes. He's a good person, beneath it all. I'm certain. And think how many other crimes Hanson has committed over the years, this could just be the tip of the iceberg. We could achieve justice for so many people."
"You're right, he's certainly got quite the file behind him. And can you assure me that this can be dealt with relatively quickly?"
"I'll have him arrested by tomorrow morning and the paperwork on your desk by Monday."
He nodded, slowly unclasping his hands and resting them on the polished wooden surface in front of him. "Alright. Do it."
She nodded in response, rising from her seat. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate this. We all do."
"I know."
She turned away, walking towards the door, her heeled boots clicking rhythmically on the immaculately clean floor. Her hand was resting on the door handle when her superior's voice made her pause.
"Sandra? Make sure you leave no stone unturned, no loopholes in the paperwork, do everything by the book. We need to see this bastard nailed."
She blinked, surprised by his rare use of an expletive. "Of course, sir. It goes without saying."
And with that, she left the room, closing the door behind her with a gentle click. As she'd expected, the boys were there, waiting expectantly. She smiled, enjoying the suspense for a moment before a moment before uttering a single word, a word that was probably amongst the most crucial Jack had ever heard:
"Yes."
She grinned, rejoicing in the cautious optimism of her boys. She really did have persuasion down to a fine art.