Disclaimer not mine
Chapter 2 - Separation Anxiety
Richard looked up at the ceiling of the cell he was to call home until the end of the operation. He knew that last time he had been undercover Janine had been kept in the dark. Now he knew how worried she had been when they weren't together he worried how she would be coping now. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the cell mate snoring in the bunk beneath him. It was going to be a long night.
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Janine gently pulled the door to Charlotte's room until it was almost closed. She turned, trying her best not to wake the youngest of her children.
"Mum."
"Tom." She stepped back. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"No." He frowned. "If I did that then you'd be hospital and Auntie Helen would have to come to look after us." He pulled a face as Janine rolled her eyes.
"Oi, you. That's my sister you are talking about. How would you like it if someone talked about Charlotte and Eleanor like that?"
"Ellie is a pain in the bum." Tom nodded seriously. "But she doesn't cut my food up or make me eat green things."
"Green things are good for you."
"Mum, where's Richard? Have you fallen out? Is he gone forever now?" Tom rubbed his eyes as Janine looked at him. She shook her head, remembering the effect the divorce had on the children. Even Charlotte seemed to be affected, despite being a toddler at the time.
"We haven't fallen out. He has had to go away to work for a while. He'll be home soon."
"You said that when Dad left." Ellie stated as she stood in the doorway of her own room. Janine closed her eyes in exasperation. She knew her older daughter was right.
"Look, Richard is away working. Everything is ok. I promise."
"Mum." Ellie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you ok?"
"Me?" She smiled. "Yeah, course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Tom hugged her before heading back to the bedroom he shared with his oldest brother. Ellie raised an eyebrow.
"Because you miss Richard. It's ok, the rest of us do too." Janine smiled sadly before crossing the hall and pulling her into a hug.
"I miss him." She wispered into her daughter's hair. "Didn't think you lot did."
"Well, we do. He's a good bloke Mum."
"Yeah." Janine smiled. "He is."
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The sound of men shouting and keys jangling in locks brought Richard to his senses. He had barely slept all night. Suddenly volunterring to go undercover seemed a bad idea. He knew Shapps would have been more than capable, and if not they would find another way to catch the killer. It was what they did. Someone had killed Joe Warren, they just had to find out who.
"Morning." The prison officer stated as he walked in the small cell.
"Yeah." Lee answered with a yawn. "I thought it was."
"Come on you two. Lee, you know the score. Mark, the Prison Guvner wants a word."
"What?" Richard swung his legs over the side of the bunk. The sudden wave of claustrophobia hit him. It was something he knew he would never really overcome. "I ain't done nothing. Only bleeding got here two days ago mate."
"I am not your mate. And I am only the messenger. Now move it. Ain't got all day." The officer walked out of the room.
"He's a ray of sunshine in the mornings." Richard sighed. Lee laughed.
"You'll get used to it. Some of the screws are ok. He's a plank, that's all. Eh? Why are you in? If the Guv wants to see you on day 1 it 'as to be big."
"Why are you here?"
"Robbery. Again."
"GBH." Richard lied. "Six months, behave I'll be out in four."
"Aye, make sure you behave then." Lee stated as he walked towards the washrooms. Richard sighed and prayed the Guvner wasn't about to blow his cover. Quietly he walked towards the large office at the end of the corridor, hoping Janine and the others were closer to finding the killer than he was.
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A/N More soon.
