Gene knew Martin Shove.
Why a nice girl like her had got involved anyway with him baffled him. As far as Gene was concerned, there were men, women, animals, dog shit and then Martin Shove.
Shove had been arrested on suspicion for everything in the book but no one could pin anything on him. He could get his way out of anything. He looked at the two sobbing women and felt scared. He would rather have been wrestling a gun off a murderer than be with women crying.
Except… he had a strange urge to put his arm around Alex. Not even the nineteen year old, his first thoughts were Alex. Shaking his head he walked out of the room.
He was a DCI not a mother. His job wasn't to comfort people.
"Shaz, Get yer arse in there now," he pointed to the canteen. " Right, gentlemen," Alex walked in, " and ladies, we have a murder on our hands. This little girlie has mentioned the name Martin Shove."
The team groaned.
Alex looked bewildered. "What's with this guy then?"
"Everything, Chris get her the file on 'im."
Chris brought back a file as thick as a doorstop.
As Alex looked through the file, Gene and the rest of the team where out about talking to all of their informants. Alex would of usually wanted to go with them but their was no point since she knew nothing about him.
She flicked through it one last time. Something dawned on her. This was the father of Max Shove.
Max Shove was a total bastard as far as she was concerned. He wasn't a very good criminal, always got caught, but he did crime for the sake of it. He stole things he didn't need or even want, he vandalised for the sake of it and just liked causing trouble. They couldn't prove it but he started most of the night time riots at football matches. He was just considered a delinquent until he murdered a three year old. His father, Martin, had bought his way out of jail. Martin has said, "he is my son, I'll do anything to bring him home again."
She knew all she needed to know.
After all, maybe if she could put Martin away nothing that happened afterwards could happen. The child might be saved. She might be brought home.