Who done it 1/?
Disclaimer:- Don't own them just borrowing!
Episode:- None
Pairing:- Ah difficult question really a team fic but there's little bits of both Jean/James and Robbie/Laura nothing huge though!
Rating:- T
Achieve:- . /group/lewisffarchive/
Summary:- Jean, Robbie, Laura and James go on a very interesting team building weekend.
Author's Note:- I really wanted to do something with all four of the characters and the idea of a team building thingy just appealed! Add to that the fact I'm an Agatha Christie devotee and this is what came out. Hope you enjoy it and reviews would be lovely thank you!
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this, who decided we needed "team building" anyway we get along ok, we solve cases without killing each other in the process and James and I only do the minimum amount of complaining about you behind your back. What's wrong with our team?" Robbie grumbled glancing into the back seat where Jean looked back at him shaking her head.
"We're the only team that hasn't been on one and the Chief Constable has been bending my ear about it for months. I'm not exactly over the moon about it myself but we have no choice so we might as well make the most of it." She sighed "Laura isn't complaining and she didn't even have to come. Thanks again Laura if I'd had to spend the entire weekend alone with grumpy and grumpier I may have needed committed by the end of it or killed them then I wouldn't have a team to build on!"
"No problem I think it'll be fun." Laura smiled. When her friend has called and explained the situation she'd jumped at the chance. Then when Jean had explained that she wasn't telling Robbie and James the nature of the weekend adventure until they were on their way and too close to make excuses to get out of it she'd decided it would definitely be fun. "Have you told them yet? How did you get their measurements?"
"No I thought we'd stop for lunch shortly and we'd fill them in then. As for their measurements I have them on file from the order for their new dress uniforms last month so they better hope neither of them lied about their waist measurement or they're in for an uncomfortable weekend." Jean replied exchanging an amused glance with Laura as Robbie turned in the passenger seat and stared at her in horror while she heard James muttering about what the hell they were getting into. "There's a little pub up ahead James we'll stop there for lunch and I'll fill you in."
"Mam you're making us nervous now, you and Laura know what you're getting into any chance you could fill us in?" James asked as they placed their order and the waitress left them alone again.
"Ok well we're going to a country house themed weekend thing the Chief Constable has decided it's the…."
"All due respect Jean we know all that." Robbie interrupted scowling as Laura laughed again.
"Well it's a…."
"Oh for pities sake Jean just tell them you're their boss remember if they really kick off you can bounce them back into uniform." Laura laughed prompting another nervous look from Robbie as Jean pulled four envelops from her handbag.
"It's an Edwardian themed murder mystery weekend." She continued holding her hand up to silence the boys before their objections could begin. "I know ok why do you think I waited this long to tell you. If it helps we're not doing the investigating we get to be on the other side for once. There are actors there who'll be playing the house staff, the victim and the detective. Now there's no point in giving me a hard time about it so let's just see who we're going to be for the weekend and try to enjoy it."
Handing out the envelopes as the waitress returned with their food Jean smiled as the boys took them without the barrage of complaints she was expecting.
"The chief constable needs more to occupy his time, if he worked as hard as the rest of us he wouldn't have time to come up with rubbish like this." James sighed as the all looked at the envelopes. "Go on Mam you first let's hear it."
"Ok….." Jean replied opening the envelope and scanning the card. "Right there's two parts we need to keep the second part a secret from each other, I have a feeling that might be a theme for the weekend. Anyway my character is Lady Veronica Hampton-Styles…"
"Might have known you'd get to be a toff." Robbie laughed "I bet I'm the gardener or something."
"Lady Veronica is a widowed member of the fading aristocracy. She's from "old" money and has a complete lack of tolerance for the burgeoning equality among the lower ranked members of society."
"Type casting then," James smiled causing Laura to choke on her lunch as Robbie nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah giving the lower ranks a hard time should be easy enough for you mam, what else does it say?"
"Watch it you two or the murders this weekend may not all be completely fictional." Jean laughed enjoying the fact that they had all relaxed and the atmosphere around that able had become so teasing even if that teasing at this moment was directed at her. Looking back at the card she scanned the "dark secret" section reading Lady Veronica has been having a steamy affair with Sebastian Fleming-Rodgers which would completely destroy her social standing where it to come out. "Can't tell you the rest. Who's next? Laura let's hear yours."
"If you're going to be the gardener Robbie I must be going to be the house maid." She smiled setting down her fork and opening the envelope as the others continued eating. "Oh I take that back this weekend I shall be "Suzanne Le'Qua" a divorcee with a French duke for an ex. It says here Suzanne is very much "new" money, sharp as a knife and knows everyone's business or thinks she does."
"I can tell already Lady Veronica and Ms Le'Qua are going to get on like a house on fire!" Jean laughed shaking her head as Laura continued to read in silence taking in her character's dark secret. Ms Le'Qua had an illegitimate daughter as a teenager who was put up for adoption and which she has never told her husband about. If it came out that she kept it from him he would use it as an excuse to stop her very generous allowance. "Interesting. Boys? Who's first?"
"Go ahead sir, age before beauty." James smiled nodding at the envelope in front of Robbie's plate.
"Careful Sergeant Jean's not the only one here who out ranks you! Ok let's see…ah not the gardener in fact a promotion of sorts. Cornel Rupert Mc Farlon, retired army officer, never married. In his youth he was linked to several society women now known for being a little lecherous but largely harmless." He read smiling as laughter erupted around the table.
"Clearly another bit of type casting then." Laura said quietly winking across the table at him.
"Hey I'm strictly a one woman at a time sort of man." He replied the mock sulkiness in his tone causing Jean and James to trade exasperated eye rolls as he fell silent and carried on reading. "Con. Mc Farlon was pushed rather than voluntarily retired after rumours of an affair with the wife of a fellow officer. If it came out it would not only affect his social standing but put an end to his income from the after dinner speaker circuit.
"Ok James just you left we're clearly all going to be a group of socialites where do you fit in?" Jean asked smiling at the waitress as she cleared the plates away and took their coffee order.
"I'll clearly be the dashing and mysterious…..Oh great…" James sighed shaking his head "Are you sure you didn't have anything to do with picking the characters we played Mam giving me Sebastian Fleming Rodgers cad and man about town seems exactly like your sort of sense of humour."
"Cad and man about town?" Jean laughed shaking her head firmly "No James I can assure you I got the envelopes this morning and had no idea what was in them but you're right I think it's hilarious!"
"James the party animal, now that'll take some acting!" Robbie agreed as the laughter around the table increased and James read on silently taking in his character's secret. Sebastian's reputation is a front he's actually very much in love with Lady Veronica but needs to maintain the illusion that their affair means nothing to him since she shows no signs of wanting to make their relationship permanent. Without the party invites, dinner parties and the like he attends he'd never be able to maintain the life style he has.
"Oh I don't know I think I might manage it; it looks like there are one or two things old Sebastian here and I might have in common." James smiled his eyes briefly meeting Jean's across the table before he slipped the card back into the envelope it came from.
"I still think the chief constable has a bloody nerve Mam." Robbie sighed as they all finished up and prepared to go back to the car.
"That's as may be but unfortunately he's still in charge so we have no choice." Jean replied as she got back into the car and slicked her seatbelt on and they drove off toward their destination. "Anyway back to how the weekend works. At times over the weekend envelopes will be left in your rooms and we'll be given extra events that will happen or details we can or can't share with the rest of us. According to this paperwork one of us will get a note telling us we are the killer and the victim will be the butler."
"Well at least we're not going completely cliché." Robbie interrupted.
"Yeah we can safely say the butler didn't do it." Laura added smiling at the way they had both clearly been thinking the same thing.
"Yes but remember this." Jean continued looking around as if to emphasise her point. "The Chief Constable has decided to make these weekends a competition between departments, the winning team is the one that lasts the longest before the detective works out who the murder is. The winning team gets a meal at the Randolph which might not seem like worth winning I agree but remember this. We're playing for the pride of our team. If we end up last I will not be a happy woman on Monday morning and if I'm not happy…"
"We won't be happy." Robbie interrupted
"More like our lives won't be worth living." James added as Laura bit her lip trying not to laugh and Jean smiled at her and winked.
"Got it in one." She replied. "So I suggest you spend the rest of the journey thinking about your characters and how best to keep your deep dark secrets!"