Disclaimer still not mine
Sister
"So this kid is out having a laugh with 'is mates." Gerry walked into the inner office of UCOS as Sandra looked up.
"Yeah."
"And he is punched by some bloke, who may or may not be Sorenson."
"Gerry." Sandra looked up as he walked in. "We know that."
"Yeah." He sat down opposite her. "What I don't get, is why Sascha is so determined for us to take the case. I mean I know Strickland approved it but why is it so important to her?"
"Because it's a cold case and unsolved case." Sandra watched as he shrugged his shoulders. "It's what we do and she is your Guv."
"I know she's the guvn'r when you're not around but I still don't get why this case is so important to her."
"Does it matter? We investigate open and unsolved cases." Sandra leant back in her chair as Gerry nodded.
"I know our remit."
"And she is your guv, the same as me. Same rank, same responsibilities. Anyway, having her, Brian and Steve on the team as well as us means we can double our workload, solve more cases, keep Strickland quiet for a while."
"Same rank yeah, but she's not you. Is she?"
"Thank Heaven's for small mercies, eh?" She smiled as he got to his feet. "Any news on Danny and Brian? Have they dug anything up?"
"Not called in yet. Jack has got the address of the kid's parents."
"Ok." Sandra nodded. "You chase up the prison where Sorenson died and I'll take Jack to see the victim's parents." She got to her feet as Gerry watched.
"You ok?"
"Of course I am."
"Sandra."
"What?"
"You would say if you weren't ok? I mean what with the chemo and stuff."
"If by stuff you mean the radiotherapy, breast reconstruction and my hair not being the same. Or the genetic testing and my mother informing me that my lifestyle choices haven't helped." Sandra rolled her eyes. "Then yeah, I'm ok. I just want to find out who really killed that boy."
"Ok." Gerry sighed, silently wishing he had never asked, knowing Grace would have blamed everything that went wrong in the world on Sandra.
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"Mrs Jones." Jack looked up as the ornate front door opened.
"Yes." The tall, well dressed woman frowned slightly. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman." Sandra started. "This is my colleague, Jack Halford. We're from UCOS."
"Oh I heard about you. That case you solved." She paused ."With the drug dealer."
"Can we come in?" Jack asked as the woman frowned slightly.
"Of course, mind the cat. She has a thing for jumping on people." The older woman nodded towards a small tabby cat that was curled on the rug as they walked into the living room. The cat showed no intention of acknowledging the strangers, never mind jumping on anyone. "What can I help you with? This isn't about Michael. It can't be."
"I'm afraid it is." Sandra watched as the woman sat down. A school photograph of a young teenage boy sat on top of the TV, next to an almost identical photo of a young girl.
"His killer was found. He was put in prison. I went to the court, everyday. I stood in that dock and watched as that man denied killing my boy. Denied throwing a punch that killed my boy." She closed her eyes as Jack and Sandra sat down.
"I know this is hard for you." Jack started.
"Hard? Do you have children?"
"Yes." Jack stated as Sandra closed her eyes. "A daughter, April."
"Pretty name." Mrs Jones stated. "You?"
"No." Sandra frowned.
"Ah, you'll never understand what it is like to loose a child."
"I am afraid I understand all too well." Jack stated. "My April wasn't murdered. Not like your boy but I know what it is like to want answers. Your Michael, how old was he? Nineteen? My April was eight months old." He sighed as Sandra looked away, knowing the girl would have been a year or two older than she was now. "I suppose these days they call it cot death, so I know what it is like to want answers, to want to know the cause, why a child you loved and cared for has been taken away from you."
"The man that did this, I heard he died."
"Yes, the man convicted of Michael's murder died three years ago. He had cancer."
"Evil disease." She shook her head. "My Emma, she did Race for Life last summer. Raised a lot of money for that. But it doesn't change the fact that man killed my boy."
"That's the thing." Jack paused, glancing at Sandra. "New evidence suggests he may have been innocent."
"No."
"We're looking into the case to establish if there was any way the police back then arrested the wrong man."
"No." Mrs Jones got to her feet. "I think I'd like you to go."
"Mrs Jones." Sandra got to her feet. "Please, it's important we establish what happened. If the police were wrong, if the wrong man was convicted."
"He wasn't."
"Mum?" Jack turned to see a young woman in her early thirties holding a toddler. "What's going on? What do you think the police were wrong about?"
"This does not concern you. And it definitely does not concern Joe."
"I'm Emma, this is my son." She smiled as the boy wriggled in her arms. "Joe, go look for your train. I was a kid then, Mum but I'm not now. I'm concerned. Do you think Sorenson was innocent?"
"We are looking into it." Sandra stated.
"I hope he was guilty." Emma paused. "I personally hope I haven't wasted the last few years wishing he rotted in Hell. But if he was, are you going to find out who did it?"
"I hope so." Jack sighed, glad the younger woman seemed at least open to the possibility. Emma nodded. "Do you know what happened to Gail? His girlfriend?"
"That bitch?"
"Emma!" Her mother snapped.
"Mum she is a complete cow. Always has been. I don't see or speak to her anymore. Well, I haven't for years. I was fourteen when Mickey died. She was not exactly my favourite person, had too many admirers if you ask me. She was working in the Carrot and Hare on Morgan Lane. You could see if they know where she's gone."
"Thanks." Sandra smiled warmly as Joe returned with a small Thomas the Tank Engine toy. "We'll be in touch." She and Jack left the house as Emma followed them.
"No problem, I'd hate to think the wrong man went to prison. Have you spoken to Sorenson's sister? To Sascha? We were in school together."
"Sascha?" Jack glanced at Sandra.
"Yeah, Sash Miller. No idea what she's doing now."
"Oh I think we do." Jack answered as Sandra nodded and walked away. He waited until he heard the click of the front door closing.
"Sandra, I think you have some explaining to do." He opened the car door as Sandra looked at him innocently. She knew it wouldn't wash with him.
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"The CCTV camera isn't there anymore." Brian stated as he and Danny looked at a large map laid out over three desks.
"What are you doing?" Steve pulled a face while Brian adjusted his glasses.
"This is a map of the area where Jones died." Danny stated. "Taken from the Ordinance Survey and cross referenced with the map of CCTV cameras owned by the shop keepers and publicans in the area."
"Oh and the police and security cameras." Brian added. Steve looked at Sacha who just shook her head, still bewildered with the way the older men's minds worked. She had no idea what Danny and Brian were going to come up with but she had a feeling if Sandra were there they would be allowed to run with it until some tiny piece of apparently irrelevant information became the centre point for the case.
"Oh aye." Steve stated. "This was in 1999, nearly twenty years ago."
"I know that." Brian added. "CCTV was in it's infancy then. Not like today. The images were black and while and barely useful back then. Not like today's HD productions."
"So?"
"So the camera that caught the assault wouldn't have been up to much?" Sacha folded her arms. "The jury may have watched someone else throw the fatal punch?"
"It is possible." Brian stepped back, grabbed his cycle helmet and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To see a man about a camera." Brian stated before leaving.
"I swear, I." Sascha paused as Jack, Sandra and Gerry walked back into the office. Neither men looked pleased.
"You'll never understand how Brian's mind works." Gerry stated. "I gave up trying years ago. Now, why didn't you tell us your brother is Sorenson?"
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A/N More soon x please review.