Golden Chances
Chapter 2
The night before; having to listen to her husband expressing his worries about Strickland's disgruntled voice ringing in everyone's thoughts at work and voicing some concern about whether Esther might need to pay for eye surgery just in case the eye specialist told her, he'd spotted something worrying in her eye. Esther just about managed to persuade Brian to go into work the next morning, she'd told him it was just a regular optician's appointment. Sometimes she had always known he could get so worked up over something so ridiculous and so pointless but placing those thoughts to one side she simply couldn't resist loving his sensitive manners.
The next morning, Brian quickly rode his bicycle to work, every morning his journey consisted of firsthand cycling around the near by junction roundabout, then taking a left by Millers Cross, passing the local market traders stalls in Abbey Grange High Street and then along the main demanding main street where as regular as clockwork cars were already jam packed around the same time he rode up along the main cycling lane. He shook his head feeling annoyed as he knew the same thing he'd known for a few weeks. Bloody typical drivers I should complain about this street and its roadworks but I doubt anyone would pay attention anyway, he sighed sadly before cycling on.
xxxx
"Cardiff, I'm not going to Cardiff no chance of that happening, even if you begged me to" Gerry constantly protested waving both hands around, "Last time I was there, was when I went on a stag do in 86 during the World Cup, all of us got sozzled and kicked out of every bar there because the group of friends I was with, foolishly kept getting us all in trouble. You know I thought we were all going to be thrown behind bars for the night until we sober enough"
"I'm not surprised you probably were singing the blues after one drink and probably couldn't manage more than two pints afterward" Jack attentively remarked, looking towards Sandra who gave the impression she wanted to agree too, she knew usually Gerry could never handle more than a pint because he was so conscientious and aware of the risks of drink driving especially following Brian's alcoholic lapse two years previously, having felt guilty for not being there for his friend worryingly he'd been concerned himself he might naively make a fatal error as well, hence why he drank less and drank more glasses of orange juice everytime the team stopped by the pub every now and then.
"No, I turned down anymore drinks offered to me, seeing as someone had to drive us all around the city centre of Cardiff I felt I should be the designated driver, as everyone couldn't even walk in a straight line. I always thought them days back then were memorable even if any of us drank so much we'd still remember us singing karaoke" Gerry said, reacting very annoyed to Jack's wind up comment, somehow he knew they kept delighting in aiming to get on his nerves all the time even when he'd endured a really terrible day.
"Why Cardiff Sandra?" Jack asked, feeling absorbed to find out why, he presumed it would be one of them outdoor activity center where everyone who was everyone attended, firefighters to gain and build on cooperation, lawyers and solicitors to make friendship last longer.
"While there was nothing on television I looked it up on the internet the other night- they offer every course available, teamwork skills, teamwork building and also it says you can also learn more about other attendees. Look I'm only suggesting this because obviously we've experienced a dip in solving reinvestigation cases recently. Strickland believes were not up to scratch anymore and I know especially after what he said the other day I understand it made you feel angry and unimpressed Gerry and I can definitely reason with your feelings on that but I believe this our own reason to show him we're unbreakable as a team and that we're very much up to scratch on closing an answered reinvestigation case " Sandra tried to maintain her colleagues knack on never giving up a good fight against a doubter.
A shattered and breathless Brian appeared in view, before finally pushing open the doors of UCOS. "Did...I..miss..anything..its just that Gerry rung me after midnight and told me you had something important to tell us, is it something involving Strickland?" Brian gasped for breath, massaging his throat lightly using his thumb and second finger as he carried the bicycle through into the office, his knees trembled a little.
"Blimey you alright mate, looks as if you've been racing on yer bike against Bradley Wiggins throughout London" Gerry downplayed the seriousness of Brian looking a bit dazed and appearing to be unsteady on his feet as he then went to sit down at his desk on the far hand corner of the room.
"Who?"
"Yer know, the cyclist guy that won gold for Great Britain in the Olympics in Beijing two years ago" Gerry answered, surprised to discover no one really exactly knew who he was speaking about unless they were just joking of course like they'd always tended to do.
"Gerry" Sandra folded her arms as she stood by the blank suspect board, staring straight at him in the eye as if she was silently questioning or interviewing him.
"What?" Gerry promptly asked, closely studying her eagerly and wondering what she sought after saying next.
"Shut up Gerry for once" Sandra knowingly smirked as she answered, delighted by the awkward response he gave her typical Gerry as usual, stopping him in his tracks before he realizes he's said far too much. "Brian I've decided to arrange a day trip out for the four of us at activities center in Cardiff, its to help prove to Strickland he was wrong about what he said the other day"
"About bloody time too, about time we all wiped the disappointment look off his face and replaced it with immaculate impressiveness, which is the right to do it" Brian said, his reply surprising Jack and Gerry, he then without realizing deliberately banged his right hand on his desk as a show importance that he felt. He felt like going into one of his long speeches but then he assumed he'd bore the socks off Gerry within five minutes as he wasn't a fan of listening to lengthy prepared speeches. Brian waved and flapped his bruised hand around, it stung, he decided when no one was watching later that morning he'd spray on that small bottle of TCP.
"You alright?" Gerry half leaned over his desk careful not to accidentally knock over any important desk belongings including his touchscreen mobile phone and softly whispered to him, cautious not to have Sandra unsurprisingly shouting at him or telling him off for being too noisy again. For some reason he knew she had her eye on him watchfully, probably staying optimistic that he wasn't going to distract the team from working today afterall they still ought to, find some confidence. Maybe she felt she'd been hugely let down by Strickland's unwise words or maybe proving the UCOS team's strength was becoming compulsive for her.
Brian was glad of this apparent breakaway from the office, most days he couldn't cope with being sat behind his desk as much as he preferred to read his books and surf the Internet for classic old fashioned toy train sets.
"Yeah I'm fine just being clumsy again you know" Brian replied, rubbing his hand continuously under the desk. He was enthusiastic to find out essentially what he and the team should be expecting on this team day out in Cardiff whenever it would be, surreptitiously he hoped it involved arithmetic and presentation on demonstrating one simple team activity, with any luck he desired, this to be wisely confirmed by Sandra.
xxxx
Sandra luckily bumped into Strickland in one of the long corridors of the other departments on the floor below. "Ah Sir I'm glad I've caught you, I just wanted to let you know that I've courteously taken your words into consideration and I've decided to arrange a team day out for me, Brian, Gerry and Jack, I think we've all need to relearn everything from scratch even if we already know the rulebook anyway. Look I know me and you have shared this conversation before about the strong possibilities of you taking into account of closing down the Unsolved Crimes and Open Cases department, this me telling you that we can ultimately prove ourselves once and for all no matter what anyone says against us, we're bloody great team" she was pleased to know she'd told him good and proper.
Strickland's reaction genuinely amazed her, she'd wondered whether perhaps the Deputy Assistant Commissioner had quickly realized for some reason he'd unwisely underestimated her team too badly without thinking and maybe he was thinking of ways to apologize to them. "Sandra I'm glad you've told me, I wish you all well on the day out and I look forward to hearing how you got on" With him he seemed to deliver one unanticipated word after another, perhaps unexpectedly he'd had a huge change of heart. However thinking about this, it didn't matter Sandra wanted to prove a point to Strickland even if he was starting to forgive them for their recent decrease in cracking reinvestigation cases.
xxxx
Later that night at home in the Lane household; as the living room light illuminated against the four walls of that very room, Brian repetitively polished his boots over and over again, he swiftly glanced over at the floor where he lined every pair of his shoes up, he frowned intriguingly and soon felt not too certain on what shoes to wear for work tomorrow, his trainers that looked noticeably worn out or his smarter boots which he hadn't worn for a good few years or so . As Esther sat curled up on the sofa watching the nightly soaps on the television, she couldn't resist a laugh as she looked over at him sitting on the armchair, sometimes her loving husband could be too fussy over meaningless thoughts.
"Brian stop worrying love, the optician said my eyesight is much improved and that I should only wear glasses for reading nothing else" Esther encouraged him to stop worrying.
"I know I'm acting a right pillock aren't I, Jack said he thinks I'm becoming more annoying than Gerry with his latest mobile phone" Brian muttered, feeling a little unenthusiastic, as he finished polishing and then placed his boots at the side of the sofa..
"You know truthfully when me and you first started dating when we were teenagers, you always asked me coming home from one of our dates 'can I walk you to front doorstep Esther, make certain you manage open your front door safely and hopefully before you close the door sneak a quick kiss before your father chases me , I knew back then, you were so eager to look out for me" Esther mentioned as she began to remember, the first few months of their relationship.
"I know I remember I use to take you, to that old popular multiplex drive-thru in Campden every Saturday night and then enjoyed us walking into the high street to grab a bag of fish and chips after that " Brian replied, enjoying the thought of remembering the good old days, as he moved his hand over to reach for his cup, he suddenly feeling a shooting pain in his hand.
"How's your hand Brian, is it still throbbing painfully" Esther encouragingly smiled, gazing at him affectionately.
"Pretty much, hope I haven't broken or fractured bones in my wrist or hand" Brian said, looking a bit concerned, seeing as Sandra would be telling the team when they were going for the team day out, which he presumed would be some time next week, presumably next Saturday at the latest.
"Oh don't be silly, its almost certainly sprained and bruised doesn't look too hurt "
xxxx
Gerry and Jack sat playing cards at the table by the evidence board, Gerry this morning appeared to feel contentedly and upbeat, his shoulders more evidently comfy, which suggested impartially he was seemingly winning his playing cards game against Jack.
"That's not fair, for some reason I doubt you don't know this card as well as you believe you do Gerry, unless you're using it as way of pulling out an illusionist card trick" Jack wasn't having any of it, he wanted to find out how Gerry had learned the tricks of the trade, he figured he had more planned tricks up his sleeve considering how convincingly he kept drawing up the winning card.
"Hm who knows maybe I am, maybe I'm not, its a trick that every Standing family member knows only" Gerry implied, a smirk forming across his lips, as he sat confidently at the table.
"You mean Lestade, don't you Gerard" Jack soon bought the surname Gerry would wish to rather forget pretty quickly, chuckling as the sight of his friend's face blushing at the mention of the certain surname.
"Jack sh, keep it down I can't concentrate" Gerry embarrassingly gestured for him not to mention it again.
"What's the matter too shy now are you?" Jack loved the daily bantering and tongue-in-cheek lighthearted mocking, it always gladly bought some fun to the office.
"Yeah, Yeah" Gerry said, pulling a frustrated look.
"Oh Gerry" Sandra giggled infectiously as she soon joined them after having been watching them for the last 20 minutes quarreling and conflicting.
"Don't know why you're laughing for it- ain't that funny at all, anything to wind me up I suppose or maybe you and Jack conspiring against me, Let's tease Gerry day" Gerry heaved a sigh before bursting out into rapturous laughter, clapping his hands together smartly. Playing cards bought out a smile from him, it was constantly when he kept winning and spotted the dissatisfied look on Jack's face when he noticed his five cards had an lower combined score.
"Honestly I'm not laughing at you, its just everytime I hear your former surname being mentioned its just makes me visualize you in a french basque beret and a dodgy moustache, clutching a long baguette" Sandra and Jack burst out laughing at him. Without asking Sandra picks five cards from playing cards pack on the table, she doesn't dare to look at one is revealed on the cards.
"Okay Sandra, what cards do you have, don't tell me" Gerry curiously asked, as he took a close eye on her ecstatic reaction as she instantly glanced at what valued playing cards she had.
"Flush" Sandra showed her cards in view, grinning and acting happier as she won, Gerry placed a hand over his head in frustration and annoyance, sighing heavily.
End of Chapter
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