A/N: Hi again! I know I've got an Australian reader and I'm not sure how far behind you are over there so, just to warn you, this chapter contains (what I think is an unavoidable) spoiler for the episode, 'Caught By The Killer'. Sorry! Thanks for the reviews and for just reading in general.

A couple of weeks passed in a hurry. Jo didn't pry into Mickey's personal life- she knew he'd mention it if he wanted her to know- but she assumed he'd at least spoken to Mia. About a week earlier he'd arrived at work in such a dark mood that everyone gave him a wide berth for the duration of the day. That was the thing about Mickey: he was normally so affable and laid-back that when he came into work looking like that, everyone knew something wasn't right and they left him well alone. Jo had the feeling that he'd confided in the DCI as well, and that didn't exactly surprise her either.

Also niggling at her was the fact that she hadn't come into contact with Lorna for a while. While that was a good thing for the residents of Canley- it meant a distinct lack of serious crimes- it annoyed her a little. She liked to confront things head on and if that meant finding out where she stood once and for all with the CSE then so be it. She liked her. For someone who worked with dead bodies and crime scenes all day she was refreshingly bright. She seemed to have a great sense of humour and was generally a great person to be around. The trouble was… Well, there were a few troublesome aspects to it all. One: Lorna was straight as far as she knew. Marriage usually indicated that but, as Jo had learned on more than one occasion, straight didn't always mean straight. And she honestly didn't know enough about the Scot to analyse. Problem number two: Lorna had at least one kid. Kids complicated matters; Mickey's situation was illustrating that. She had a mixed record with kids- they alternated between vomiting on her and sticking to her like particularly messy glue. She wasn't certain which was worse. But she'd never been in a proper relationship with someone with kids. She didn't know if she could handle that. Problem number three: it involved mixing work with pleasure and she hated doing that. And problem number four: she hadn't been in a relationship since Tess, neither had she been looking for one. It wasn't an idea she was particularly fond of either. Yet she couldn't deny the fact she was attracted to Lorna Hart.

Mickey arrived at work that Wednesday morning in a slightly better mood than had become the norm recently: Jo wasn't sure what that signified but she was just relieved that he wasn't going to be a nightmare to work with. Particularly when, typically just as she'd got her first coffee of the working day, DI Nixon passed and muttered, 'Jo, Mickey: I need you to get down to 12 Rudkin Road; Hayforth B&B. Serious assault on an IC1 male guest. PCs Noble and Roberts are dealing.'

When they were in the car, Jo glanced to Mickey. 'You alright?'

He shrugged. 'Suppose.'

'Any developments?' she queried delicately.

'Paternity test results shouldn't be long,' he answered in a manner that suggested he didn't want to discuss it. Jo wouldn't begrudge him that right and fell silent to concentrate on the road.

The Hayforth B&B was a shabby little place; the people that stayed there usually weren't up to much or, if they were, they were at least up to something. It seemed, Jo concluded as entered the victim's room, he belonged to the second category. The first thing that caught her eye was the laptop computer on the dresser just inside the door, the second thing was the middle-aged unconscious male being tended to by paramedics.

'What've we got?' Jo asked Diane Noble who was a few metres away.

'Owner came to check if he wanted breakfast, there was no answer to her knock so she let herself in.'

'What time was this?'

'Eight o'clock, round about. She called us straight away. The paramedics reckon he's been hit several times with a blunt object. Me and Nate have had a look round and there's nothing here that could've done it.'

'Have we got a name?'

'Better than that: we've got a wallet,' Diane replied, waiting until Jo had slipped on her gloves before passing her it. 'Alexander McMartin.'

Jo nodded. 'And where was this?'

'On top of the laptop.'

'Right. I think we can rule out burglary as a motive then. Can you and Nate speak to the other residents, see if they've seen anything unusual either last night or this morning?'

'Sure,' Diane answered, going to prise Nate Roberts away from the female paramedic he was currently chatting up.

Mickey, who'd been having a word with the owner, Mrs Phillips, came into the room. 'Blimey, someone didn't like him very much.'

'Mmm. Did you get anything?'

'Not really. He checked in two nights ago, booked in for a week. She's barely seen him since. She said she thought he might be here on business, with the laptop and everything.'

'That's still here. Along with all his other valuables. So whatever the motive was for last night, it wasn't theft.'

'Oh, she also said that he had a visitor last night. A woman. Left about eight.'

'Did she see him after that?'

'No. But she went out for the night, didn't get back until three this morning.'

Jo frowned as she watched the paramedics getting the victim onto a stretcher. Then she moved out of the room, intent on checking security arrangements for the B&B when she ran almost literally into Lorna. 'Oops, sorry!'

The CSE smiled, albeit more distantly than Jo had become used to. 'Don't worry about it. Is the room you're investigating?'

Mickey arrived beside them. 'Yeah.'

Lorna's eyes flickered. 'Who's the victim?'

'Alexander McMartin,' Mickey replied. 'Why?'

'I'm sorry, I can't deal with this case,' Lorna said suddenly, turning. 'I'll get someone else.'

'Lorna, hey,' Jo muttered, catching up with her and touching her shoulder. 'Do you know him or something?'

The Scot looked back and sighed. 'He's my ex-husband.'

Completely taken aback, Jo just blinked a few times. It was up to Mickey to say, 'Well, he's still in there if you wanna see him. The paramedics are just moving him now.'

'No, I… I don't want to see him. What happened?' she asked finally, looking more to Jo than Mickey.

With difficulty, Jo answered, 'He was beaten with a blunt object, found by the owner this morning.'

Lorna put a hand to her mouth. 'Is he going to be alright?'

'It's too early to tell,' Mickey said. 'Listen, we'll need to talk to you.'

'I'll meet you back at the station,' Lorna replied before disappearing.

Jo turned furiously to Mickey. 'Make her feel like a suspect, why don't you?'

'Oh, she knows the score,' he argued. 'Just need to find out a bit about him, that's all.'

'Well, obviously you're not at your most tactful right now!'

'And what's that supposed to mean?'

'Forget it,' she retorted, following Lorna out into the street where she was getting back into her car. 'Lorna, wait!'

The CSE paused and looked towards her. 'Jo, I said I'd come down to the station.'

Ignoring that, she questioned, 'Are you alright?'

Lorna seemed surprised but maybe a bit grateful by her asking. She shrugged. 'I honestly don't know. I'll see you back at Sun Hill.'

Returning to Mickey, Jo quickly said, 'Didn't mean to snap at you. Sorry.'

'Doesn't matter. We're only doing our job, though, Jo. She knows that.'

'Yup. I know.'

'Look, I'll interview her if you want,' he offered.

'No,' she said swiftly. 'I'll do it. I'll let you know what I find out.'

He shrugged. 'Okay. No problem.'

Having recalled how Lorna liked her coffee, Jo went armed with caffeine to the front interview room. She found the Scot pensively staring into her hands and allowed herself a moment of watching that scene before she cleared her throat, attempted an easy smile and closed the door before settling herself opposite Lorna and offering over the coffee. 'Thought you might need this.'

Her friend nodded and took it, though she left it to one side. 'Is there any news?'

'Uniform have gone with him to the hospital,' Jo answered. 'They'll let us know soon as.'

'Right.'

She was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable and starting to wish she'd allowed Mickey to handle this interview. But, still, she hadn't wanted Lorna feeling like the accused and Mickey, in the mood he was recently, couldn't guarantee he wouldn't treat her like that. 'When was the last time you saw Alexander?' she asked finally.

'Last night,' Lorna replied, looking up. 'I went to visit him, to speak to him. I must've got there around seven. I was definitely home by half past eight because I…'

'Because of what?' Jo prompted, against her will.

Lorna glanced away again. 'I watched a film with Sarah before she went to bed.'

'How old's Sarah?'

'She's twelve.'

'Does she have a lot of contact with her dad?' Jo queried.

Shaking her head, Lorna said, 'Before yesterday neither of us had heard from Alex for three years. He stopped being a father to her a long time ago. I know,' the Scot went on suddenly, 'it sounds like I had plenty of motive to attack him. But I didn't.'

'I know that,' she answered firmly, resisting the urge to reach across the table and reassure her with a touch of the hand. 'This is just routine. Me getting to know what he's like.'

'He's a spineless, weak, idiotic excuse for a man. I put up with him for much too long, mainly because I was scared of being a single mother. But leaving him was the best thing I ever did; for me and Sarah.'

'And you split up with him… eight years ago, was it?'

'Mmm-hmm. Moved down here and made a fresh start. I've had nothing to do with him in most of that time, Jo,' Lorna continued. 'There's not much I can tell you about his life.'

'Well, what did he want last night?' she asked carefully. 'What did you two speak about?'

'He wanted to see Sarah. I told him absolutely not and he wasn't keen on my answer. We had words, I won't deny that. But he was still very much mobile and shouting when I left.'

Jo nodded. 'Was that the only reason he was in London- to see his daughter?'

Lorna shrugged. 'He didn't give me any other reason. But I can't help thinking why now? After all this time it doesn't make any sense.'

After pondering for a moment how much to share, Jo eventually said, 'We've ruled out theft as a motive. He still had his laptop and his wallet with him. Can you think of anyone with a grudge? Anything he might've mentioned last night?'

'I'm sorry I can't be of more use, Jo. But I don't know the man anymore, and I'm not particularly sorry for that.'

She didn't speak immediately. She was trying to work out if these latest revelations about Lorna's past dampened the attraction she felt towards her. The immediate answer was no, and she decided to roll with that. 'Are you gonna be alright?'

Lorna watched her for a second before saying, 'It's a bit of a shock. But I'll be fine, thanks for asking.'

'Are you going back to work?'

'I took the day off. I'll be at home if you need to know anything. Though I'm not sure how much more I could tell you.'

As she was showing her out of the office, Jo touched her arm. 'If you need to talk, you know where I am. Even if it's just to sound off.'

Lorna half-smiled. 'I do remember there was the promise of a drink at some point.'

'Mmm, I vaguely recollect that. I'll keep you informed,' she added.

'Thanks. I'd appreciate it.'

'So, what did Lorna have to say?' Mickey questioned when she sat down at her desk.

'Not much. She's had minimal contact for the past eight years. He's just turned up and requested access to their daughter out of the blue.'

'What, and she weren't happy with that?'

Jo rolled her eyes. 'Mickey, they argued and she left. End of.'

'When'd they argue?' he asked.

'She arrived home after eight so my guess is that she's the one who Mrs Phillips saw leaving. I'm sure we could show her a photo to clarify if necessary.'

Mickey sighed. 'Jo, why are you being so defensive with this one?'

'I don't know what you mean,' she answered, reaching for her mouse and budging her screen into life.

'We're just covering our angles, that's all.'

'Lorna hasn't done anything wrong, okay?'

'And why are you so set on that?'

'Because it's the truth!' she replied, feeling her temper rise. Standing, she immediately left the office, rather embarrassed at losing it.

Maybe Mickey had a point. She was looking past Lorna as a suspect and straight onto other avenues. But that, she argued, was just because she knew Lorna wasn't guilty of anything. Perhaps that was just her gut talking but she wholeheartedly believed it. Her attraction to Lorna was incidental. It wasn't impairing her judgement in any way. There was absolutely nothing to suggest that Lorna was in the frame for this, and Mickey behaving like she was some kind of suspect was well out of line.

'Jo, hi. You got a minute?'

Turning as Diane reached the top of the stairs, she tried to smile. 'What's up?'

'We spoke to another one of the guests at the Hayforth B&B, a long-termer by the name of Matthew Williams. Now he claims he saw a man entering Alexander McMartin's room around ten o'clock last night and leaving five minutes later.'

'Well, that's good news, isn't it?'

Diane exhaled. 'He's a notorious alcoholic and we've got him on file for wasting police time. Nate's looking through CCTV on Rudkin Road to see if his story holds up. There's none that directly covers the B&B but there's a camera at both the off-licence on the corner of Beckett Street and the cash machine towards the lower end of Rudkin Road.'

Jo nodded. 'Okay, thanks, Diane. Could you also see if Lorna Hart leaves the area about eight as she says she did?'

'Course. Is she a serious suspect then?'

'No. Just need to jump through the hoops. Any sign of a murder weapon yet?'

'Afraid not. Nikki's doing the door to door of the immediate area and the gardens are being searched. Tony's at the hospital- McMartin's still unconscious and he's lost a fair bit of blood but he should be okay.'

'Cheers, Diane.' After taking a moment, Jo went back into CID, apologising to Mickey and filling him in on what Diane had just told her.

'I've heard of Matthew Williams,' he said when she'd finished. 'Held up a massive drug operation last year by claiming he'd seen a suspect elsewhere at the time of the alleged meet. He got off with a caution; don't know how.'

'No sense prosecuting probably,' Jo muttered. 'You never know. It might hold up.'

Mickey shrugged. 'Possibility. Now I've been onto McMartin's local nick up in Edinburgh. He's known to them apparently.'

'Oh, yeah?'

'Mmm. He's on the sex offenders register, served three months for possessing indecent images of children two years ago.'

Jo frowned, suddenly feeling a little sick. 'Lorna doesn't know that.'

'You sure she doesn't?'

'Certain. She would've mentioned it.'

'Well, there didn't seem to be any love lost between them,' Mickey went on.

'Because they had a difficult marriage,' she argued.

'Maybe she thought he was after the daughter or something.'

'Mickey! Would you just cut her a bit of slack please?'

'I'm just saying, Jo, you don't really know her. We trusted Rachel Innes remember?'

'Yeah, and as far as I'm aware, Lorna hasn't stuck a gun to my head nor is she suspected of murdering anyone else!'

'I just thought you'd be more suspicious, that's all.'

'Lorna is nothing like Rachel Innes,' she warned. 'She's practically one of us!'

Mickey shook his head then played with his pen for a minute before looking back to her. 'Are you sure you should be working on this case?'

'Sorry, are you questioning my judgement?'

'I'm questioning your distance,' Mickey clarified. 'Is there something going on between you and Lorna?'

'Of course not!' she answered, then debated whether that was a lie or not. Yes, she had a hope they might be more than colleagues and friends but that was all conjecture at the minute. Lorna certainly wasn't party to any conspiracy to protect her but Jo was partaking in something like that. And, aside from the fact that she honestly didn't believe that Lorna was capable of GBH, that might've had something to do with her growing attraction to the CSE.

'Jo?' Mickey prompted, making her realise she'd fallen silent.

She stood. 'I need to talk to Lorna about this. See if she had any idea about the conviction.'

'Don't you think it's better if I do that?'

'No, Mickey, I don't. I'll be on my mobile if there's any more news.'

Lorna lived in quite a nice house, at least it looked that way from the outside. It wasn't perfect- the garden was a bit on the messy side- but what could you expect from a working single mother? Focusing her mind on what she was here to talk about, Jo approached the front door and knocked.

Lorna answered almost immediately, a little bit of concern on her face. 'Jo? He's not dead, is he?'

'No. No, there's no further news on that,' she replied quickly. 'Can I come in?'

Nodding, Lorna let her past and motioned for her to go into the kitchen. 'Do you want a coffee?'

'I'm alright, thanks. Maybe you should sit down.'

Lorna did so then questioned, 'You've found something, haven't you?'

Wondering how to begin, she eventually settled on, 'Has Alex got any convictions that you're aware of?'

'No. Why, what's this all about?'

'Okay,' Jo said steadily, 'so if I were to tell you that he spent three months in prison… that'd be news, would it?'

'Very much so. What did he do?'

'He was found with indecent images of children,' she answered, watching Lorna then finding herself having to avert her gaze as the Scot went through various stages of emotion.

'Please,' Lorna said eventually, 'tell me you're joking.'

Recognising the pleading in the tone, Jo grimaced. 'I wish I was, Lorna. I'm sorry.'

Her friend stood and went over to the kitchen window, looking out into the back garden for a long time. When she spoke, she didn't turn around. 'When was this?'

'Two years ago.'

'I can't believe that…' Obviously checking herself, Lorna changed course. 'Is there any evidence to suggest he ever abused children?'

'I don't know the details of the case but I doubt it. The sentence would've been a lot harsher had they suspected that.'

Lorna nodded. 'I need to speak to Sarah, don't I?'

'I think it would be wise,' Jo answered carefully. She didn't want to make her think that there was a significant chance he'd ever abused their daughter but… It did have to be asked. Though it had little bearing on the current investigation it meant a great deal to Lorna. 'Or I could…'

'No,' Lorna said instantly. 'I can do this myself. It's okay, Jo. You can go now.'

'Well, I could…'

'Honestly. I'll be fine.'

Though loathe to leave her, Jo felt she had little choice in the matter. Lorna was quite an independent person and Jo had to admit that she didn't know her well enough to warrant sticking her nose in where it evidently wasn't wanted. Better to get a result on the assault and let Lorna deal with her own business. She didn't relish the prospect of the conversation mother and daughter were going to have to have but it was down to Lorna to ask for support if she needed it.

'Thanks for telling me face to face,' Lorna said when they were at the door. 'You didn't have to come out of your way.'

'Yeah, I did,' she replied before leaving.

Flopping back into her seat, Jo directed her gaze towards Mickey. 'What've we got? Anything?'

'We've heard back about the contents of that laptop,' he answered. 'There's about two hundred photos on there. Nothing indecent, all of the same girl.'

Jo frowned. 'Not Sarah by any chance?'

'Yeah, his kid by the look of it.'

'He hasn't had any legitimate contact with her for years! What's he playing at?'

'I dunno. But he's broken his conditions, being anywhere near a playground. As soon as he's awake we can arrest him for it.'

'Right… Good.'

As Mickey opened his mouth, probably to criticise her again, his phone rang and he reached to answer it. Jo was relieved: she was already berating herself for maybe being too close to this, she didn't need Mickey reiterating it.

Putting the receiver down, he said, 'Well, that was Tony. McMartin's awake and fit to be interviewed. I'm gonna get down there.'

Jo stood. 'I'll come with you.'

'No. I can handle it.'

'Mickey,' she warned, 'I'm perfectly capable…'

'And I'm capable of handling an interview on my own,' he interrupted. 'If you wanna be useful, chase up that CCTV footage. They were still trawling through it last I checked.'

He was right, she conceded grudgingly. Being at the hospital herself might cause more problems that it'd solve and she didn't want to end up smacking the bloke. 'Alright. But keep me up to speed, yeah?'

'Course.'

When he'd left she went to find Diane and Nate. 'The CCTV thrown up anything?'

Diane nodded. 'Well, we've confirmed Lorna's version of events. We've got her car on CCTV outside the off-licence arriving and then leaving Rudkin Road just after eight o'clock. That also tallies with what Mrs Phillips told us about seeing a woman leave at that time.'

'Good. That's some positive news anyway.'

'Depends which way you look at it,' Nate chipped in from across the room. 'I mean, the doctors reckon he'd been lying there for ten to twelve hours before the alarm was raised. She could've easily done it and left.'

'Or,' Diane answered, 'it could've been our mystery man. I know which side I'm hedging my bets.'

Jo half-smiled. 'What've we got on him?'

'Narrowed it down to two possibles,' Diane said, reaching for two print-outs. Both fairly clear, both match the description given to us by Matthew Williams. Just waiting on the PNC checks. I'll let you know.'

Mickey was ages at the hospital. Jo busied herself with collating witness statements and following up on a few particulars about Alexander McMartin with his local CID yet she did find her mind drifting over to Lorna on several occasions. She battled it down, however. The important thing at the moment was finding who attacked Alex and putting Lorna in the clear. Oh, and making sure that her ex-husband hadn't been stalking their daughter.

When Mickey finally returned, he slumped into his chair. 'I got nothing out of him. He claims he didn't see anything.'

'He was hit from the front!'

'Not according to him,' Mickey said, shrugging. 'Nothing I could say to change his mind.'

'Lying toerag. What do you think he's hiding?'

'Who knows? Could be anything. Any leads from the CCTV?'

'Mmm,' she said, reaching for the piece of paper Diane had brought up twenty minutes previously. 'Two possibilities matching the description given to us by Matthew Williams. For once it looks like he wasn't pulling our chain. Now, the second one, a Gregory Anderson, looks like a good candidate.'

'On what grounds?'

'His permanent address also happens to be Edinburgh,' Jo answered. 'I've had a look and he lives five minutes away from Alexander McMartin. You can't tell me that's a coincidence.'

'Well, I don't believe in coincidences,' Mickey said. 'Do we know where this guy's staying?'

'Nope. Diane and Nate are trying to trace his route once he left Rudkin Road, but it's a slow process.'

'Has this Anderson got form?'

'Indecent exposure in 98.'

'Kids?'

'Nope, some woman in a park. Don't like the track this is going down though,' she added honestly

'Neither do I.'

Though she didn't leave the office until quite late, when she did go Jo found herself deeply frustrated. The rest of the day had been an exercise in pointlessness. Gregory Anderson appeared to just disappear from the radar as soon as he left Rudkin Road and Alexander McMartin was still protesting he hadn't seen his attacker. Mickey wasn't quite as annoyed with it all as she was, but she was concerned about Lorna and the conversation she'd most likely be having with her daughter thanks to this case. She would've liked to have had some news but what positive news was there for Lorna right now? Finding her ex-husband's attacker wouldn't be much consolation for the woman who was now wondered whether that said ex had abused their daughter.

As she started the car her mobile rang. Turning off the engine, she looked at the display then immediately answered it. 'Lorna? What's up?'

There was a short pause. 'Jo, I…'

'What?' she said, trying to sound sufficiently sympathetic without laying it on too thick. 'Is there a problem?'

'You could say that,' Lorna replied. 'Jo, I don't know how to have this conversation.'

She slouched back in the car seat, debating over whether she should offer to… 'Do you want me to try?' she said, before the thought had even finished crossing her mind. 'It might be easier on both of you.'

'Would you mind? I don't want to impose…'

'Hey, I wouldn't offer, would I?' Jo interrupted. 'I'm just leaving work, I'll see you in a bit.'

What had she agreed to? This was a far cry from taking a witness statement or even dealing with a potential child abuse case in the confines of the station. This was a family she knew and every page of the rulebook said not to do what she was about to. Every fibre of her copper's body told her to hand the case over and let someone like Grace or Nikki talk to Sarah Hart. But… Well, Lorna had asked her. And that seemed to mean something.

When the Scot opened the door her face showed clear signs of worry, something Jo completely comprehended, even she didn't know how to remedy it. Stepping inside, she removed her jacket. 'You okay?' she queried as Lorna closed the door.

'Oh, just going through hell, you know how it is,' her friend replied, taking her jacket and hanging it up on the pegs beside the door. 'Sarah's in her room. I tried to talk to her earlier but I couldn't find the words.'

'That's understandable,' Jo said. 'It's not something you expect to deal with. Do you wanna be in there when I talk to her?'

'I think I should be.'

Jo half-smiled. 'I don't think that was the question.'

'No, I… I need to be,' Lorna said, swallowing and then attempting a smile herself. 'Was there anymore news about Alex?'

She shook her head. 'He claims he didn't see his attacker. We know that to be a load of rubbish. We've got a possible suspect, or at least another witness. I don't suppose,' she added after a second, 'the name Gregory Anderson means anything to you?'

Lorna frowned. 'He used to work with a Greg but I couldn't tell you his last name. Sorry.'

'No, that's fine. I wouldn't expect anything considering how long you've been separated.' She paused then looked to the stairs. 'Do you want to..?'

Nodding, Lorna led her up the stairs. There were four doors on the landing- Lorna knocked and then entered the one furthest left. 'Sarah, is it okay if I come in?'

There was a murmur and Lorna stepped into the room; Jo followed her apprehensively. Her first view of Sarah satisfied her curiosity as to how alike mother and daughter were. The answer was very: their hair was the same deep colour and their eyes matched. In a couple of years Sarah would probably be as beautiful as her mother.

'What's going on?' Sarah questioned when she noticed that someone other than her mother had entered the room as well.

'I work with your mum sometimes,' Jo said when Lorna appeared to freeze up. 'I'm a police officer. I wanted to ask you some questions, if that's alright with you.'

When Sarah nodded reservedly, Lorna stepped away a few paces and eventually backed out of the door. Though she was no longer in sight, Jo knew that her friend was merely around the corner; listening but not watching, because that was all she could handle.

Feeling under a certain degree of pressure, Jo sat down at the small desk and looked to Sarah examining her from the bed. 'It's nothing to worry about, you know.'

'Mum looks worried,' the girl answered in her voice which showed unmistakable signs of being nurtured north of the border and then being ransacked by the London living.

'Well, mums worry too much, don't they?' Jo replied. 'It was your dad I wanted to talk to you about actually. Do you mind?'

Sarah shifted her weight and shrugged. 'I don't see him. Don't want to.'

'And why's that?'

'Because he doesn't want to see me. I haven't see him in years so I'm not that bothered anymore.'

Jo nodded. 'Yeah, I understand that. I mean, you get used to someone not being around for you, I suppose. Do you remember a lot about him?'

'Not really. I remember he used to take me to the park sometimes when he came to visit. But he always got bored and we'd come home early. I didn't mind all that much.'

'What, you didn't like being with him?'

'Mum's more fun.'

Smiling, Jo queried, 'Is she? I always thought your mum was a little bit scary to be honest.'

'She can be. But she's a big softie really.'

'Hey, careful. Your mum won't thank you for giving away all her secrets.'

Sarah grinned then sobered. 'Why do you want to know about Dad?'

'I'm nosy, that's my job.' Pausing to try and find the correct phrasing, she eventually went on, 'What I wanna know, Sarah, is do you associate your dad with bad times?'

She shrugged. 'Not really.'

'Good times?'

'No. He was just… there, that's all.'

'And he never hurt you at all?'

'No. Why'd you ask that?'

'Like I said, I'm nosy,' Jo said, smiling. Then she heard footsteps descending the stairs and she stood. 'Thanks for talking to me,' she said to Sarah before going quickly down the stairs herself. She found Lorna in the kitchen, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. 'Are you alright?' she said hesitantly.

Lorna spun around, apparently embarrassed. 'Oh, I'm…' Appearing to lose her sense of bravado, she shook her head. 'Do you want a drink?'

'One won't hurt,' Jo answered.

They sat on the sofa in the comfortable living room. Lorna didn't speak for a while but when she did she seemed a lot calmer than she had previously. 'I'm sorry. I'm making a fool of myself.'

'No, you're not. I can't begin to imagine what you're going through.'

'I just… I keep wondering if I missed something when me and Alex were together. I mean…'

'Lorna,' Jo interjected, wanting to stem a tide of self-depreciation, 'it's very rare for someone to be move from abusing children to then being caught for collecting indecent images. It's the wrong way round. And the period of time between you two splitting and the time of the conviction suggests that it was something he moved onto after you left him.'

'I still let her spend time with him after the divorce.'

'I don't think,' Jo said carefully, 'that anything happened. She seems a great girl, your daughter. And she thinks a lot of you. You look like you've got a close relationship.'

'I try,' Lorna said with a slight smile. 'But I worry if it's enough.'

'Oh, I reckon you're doing just fine. Mind you, wouldn't expect anything less.' When Lorna looked at her with questioning eyes, Jo felt her cheeks grow hot. She certainly hadn't come here to… 'Hey, what do I know?'

'Thank you,' Lorna said finally. 'You didn't have to come.'

'I think I did,' she muttered before standing. 'I should leave. I'm sorry.'

'Jo, wait,' the Scot said, getting to her feet. 'You don't have to go.'

'I think it's for the best,' she tried, feeling her head clouding up as Lorna met her eye. 'I don't…'

She was broken off by Lorna's fingers entwining with her own. Though a great part of her was telling her that this was a no-go area, she couldn't resist and she ran her thumb slowly over the smooth skin on the back of the CSE's hand. Then she looked up again and watched Lorna's lips part slightly. It was kind of hopeless to try and resist, and she'd never been any good at that anyway. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against Lorna's, closing her eyes as she felt the lips part further to allow her tongue entrance.

Then she pulled back and stepped away. 'I shouldn't have done that.'

Lorna stood stationary. 'Well, I don't know about you, but I've thought about doing that for quite a while.'

Against her will, Jo laughed. 'Yeah.'

'Listen, do you want another drink?' Lorna queried, collecting their empty glasses.

'I shouldn't. I've got the car.'

'And I've got a spare room.'

Now, that was a bad idea, she tried to tell herself. But, even so, she found herself nodding and following Lorna into the kitchen. 'Why not?'