Are You Smarter than an Ex Detective?

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED THE STORY SO FAR. VERY GLAD YOU ARE ENJOYING IT! M_L

CHAPTER TWO

They'd left the office at half three that afternoon. Sandra, and Strickland mostly had given the boys the rest of the afternoon off on the instruction that they were back at the office for half past five. They'd then get a taxi to the studios where they'd film it. Sandra had printed an email off from the production company saying that recording would be starting at around half past seven and should have finished by nine at the latest. Just enough time to go to the pub before trying to get back on board with the case the following day.

"Imagine it Mary" Jack said lovingly at the stone, sat on the garden bench. "You always wanted me to have a go at that sort of thing." He listened to Mary telling him that he should simply enjoy it. He knew that she would say that, after all. In 20 years of trying to get him onto a quiz show. He'd always managed to escape. "Alright, but remember, Sandra's put me up to it this time. Short notice too!"

"Good Luck love" Esther said as she dropped Brian back at the office just before a quarter past five. She kissed him on the cheek. "And if you fall behind then don't worry. It's only a game after all"

"It's not" he protested. "I'm here, placing my knowledge on the record before my fellow man. If I don't answer to many questions correctly then I might be castigated. It might harm my chances of being involved in the Met."

"You know, I might go and live with Jack" Esther replied jokingly. "I wan't to be married to a esteemed, and knowledgable man after all."

Gerry, picked up his mobile and scanned through the phonebook. Normally, Tuesday nights were when he'd meet up with Emily at their local. Funnily enough do the quiz and laugh about how the wrong questions came up again.

"Emily it's me, I'm just off to the studios but we're planning on going back to the George afterwards anyway. Might be late though" He put the phone in his pocket. He loved speaking to his daughter. But sometimes when it was just "Emily Driscoll here, sorry I cannot get to the phone". He grabbed a fag. Now normally he'd revel in this kind of work. He'd enjoyed it being undercover. He'd done acting as a kid and loved to parade the Guv around as Mrs Standing. However, he knew that the studios didn't realise that UCOS were also doing an investigation, and that gave him the odd butterflies as they needed that to be hidden from everyone apart from Clare Bernard. The woman who'd heard the row just before Jackson's final show.

Once they'd all met outside the office, Sandra gave them a quick reminder not to give too much detail of the investigation away and if they did have a chance to catch Clare then just ask her to come to the office to have a chat about it there. Strickland said that he'd be the reserve for this first heat and that they'd go on some sort of rota for the semis and the final if they were to get that far.

Outside the studios. The butterflies were evident in each of them. Sandra was paranoid that the team would make it too obvious that they were here to do more than compete in the quiz. Gerry was fine, she knew he could be relied upon in just about any situation, but Brian clearly in the taxi had spent most of it trying to iron out a crease in his trouser. Why he needed to do that she didn't know.

"Old Dogs?" shouted a tall, thin woman walking out of the TV Studios entrance towards them.

"Eh?" Jack shouted

"That's right" Sandra nodded. "Detective Superinendent Sandra Pullman" she presented herself, instinctively reaching for her warrant card. "These are my colleagues, Jack Halford, Brian Lane and Gerry Standing, and this is Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland, who is our supervisor." Each man came forward, shaking the womans hand. Even Strickland felt that Sandra was the guvnor for the night, especially in these sort of situations.

"So you're a real one then" the lady responded. Shaking Sandra's hand as the final one in the set of five. "Juliette Jones. I'm Ms. Fletcher's personal assistant. Will you come this way please."

The team followed the woman through the corridors and beyond various sets. Gerry smiled as he saw some of the famous pictures of those who'd made the station. He tried to take a picture of "Uncle Charlie" the programme that Gerry Junior or G.J as he preferred now had been unable to stop talking about when he was about three. He made a mental note to save it for another dozen years or so when Gerry would be enjoying his first pint. And Granddad would show it to all his mates.

"Will you please keep up" snapped Sandra, only for her to be met with a Sh! from another member of staff at the studios. Pointing to the set for the evening news which currently had 'LIVE ON AIR' lit up in big letters. Gerry wanted to smirk at the now embarrassed Detective Superintendent. But the look that she simply threw at him rather quickly changed his mind.

"Right" Juliette exclaimed at the entrance to Studio Three. "Sandra, you're changing room is down there for the female contestants. Gentlemen yours is on the other end of the corridor. We would like you to be on set for just after 7pm for a quick run through of everything sound wise and to makesure your buzzers are ready. Who is your substitute?"

"Substitute?"

"Yes, this series, there are four members per team and room for a subsitute."

"I guess that will be me then" Strickland said.

"Okay, great" Juliette said, "see you on the set in half an hour. You're facing a team of university students" She left, as the team went to prepare themselves. Uniquely aware that this was now rather real.

Are You Smarter than an Ex Detective?