Hello again!

Amy - I am calling YOU a lousy excuse for a Detective, want to fight about it? :P. Thanks a lot!

Jess - Well, maybe you're right...buuuuut maybe not! That may well be a hint, let's see if you can work it out! And is this fast enough for you? :P. Thanks for reviewing!

Emma - Thanks for your comments, glad you're enjoying it!

The bright luminous clock numbers read half past three. Groaning, Andrea turned over in bed. She was no more asleep than she had been at ten, when she had retired to bed

She was dreading the next day and didn't think she was able to face yet another day investigating the whereabouts of the baby's mother. Andrea lay curled into a ball, her rosary beads clutched tightly in her fist. As time went on, her religious faith had begun to wither away. If there really was a God out there, she thought bitterly, than why would he let such horrible things happen all of the time, and to people who didn't deserve it? Sadly, she turned over and snuggled deeper into her pillows, tossing and turning until she was comfortable. But it was just no good; she still couldn't sleep and sometimes wished that it would come to her forever. She pushed back the covers and went into the bathroom where she took, from her medicine cabinet, the cylinder of sleeping pills.

Maura woke to Sonny's arm wrapped around her waist. She smiled and turned over, rubbed her face into his chest. He smiled too and kissed her forehead.

"Morning beautiful."

"Morning," she said, sitting up and stretching, the silk of the nightdress falling down.

"Oi, you," he said, snaking an arm around her waist as she went to get up. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Breakfast," she said.

"Oh, we'll go to a café," he said, holding her tightly. "I just want to lie here with you."

She smiled, and laid her head on his shoulder. After a moment's silence, she said; "Sonny?"

"What, baby?"

"I don't want to go back to Scotland."

He sat up, tipping her off his chest and stared, all traces of tiredness gone. He said; "what? But it's your home!"

"It was. But this is my home now. I've made a life here Sonny, and I want you to be part of it, but I don't want to go back there."

"Everyone misses you, Maura; your Dad wants to see you!"

"He still can see me, Sonny, just not as often as he wants to. I'm not a child anymore, he has to accept that. I can't stay in Scotland forever. I know it's a big ask: I know it is, but...didn't we always talk about moving away?"

"Of course, babe, but I didn't expect it to be this soon. There's a lot to sort out Maura; all of our stuff...I guess we can get our families to help with that. And I have to find a job; I suppose I can start looking right away."

"You can?" she said cautiously. "Does...does that mean yes?"

"It'll take getting used to Maura, but I love you and I want to be with you. Besides, it will be nice to build our own life here." He paused and then said worriedly, "but what about Tom? He...did...does live with us!"

She paused and said; "yeah. It was great with the three of us."

"But three's a crowd?"

"No. But will he be happy to come here as well?"

"Tom? Come here?"

She looked uncomfortable and said; "well yeah, I'd totally understand if he didn't want to, but...I...we do have the spare room here, and the rent always comes in handy. I guess we can always ask him." Maura cuddled Sonny tightly. "Sonny?"

"What, baby?"

"I'm sorry I can't give you babies."

"It's not your fault, Maura. Tom was right: these things do happen."

"But you really wanted kids."

"And so did you," Sonny said, kissing her head lightly. "Maura, it isn't your fault. You and me, we're going to get through this."

She smiled shakily and nodded, before saying that they should get up to go out for breakfast. They came out, dressed, finding Tom in the kitchen, wearing his usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt, his muscles bulging in the sleeves. His long hair fell down to the collar in its usual careless style and he smiled as Maura and Sonny came out of their room.

"Hey, how're the happy couple?" he said, standing up.

"We're great," Sonny said cheerfully, clinging onto Maura's hand.

"Good, good. Maura, babe, why the hell are your cupboards so bare?"

She shrugged and said; "same reason we've been eating heated takeaway the past two days. I just haven't had the time with work, that's all."

"Well, we're going to have to make time, won't we babe?"

"Yep, not before getting breakfast," Sonny said, collecting Maura's coat and helping her into it. "We're off to a café, Tom, you're coming with us?"

"Oh, I wouldn't like to put you two lovebirds out."

"No, come Tom," Maura said. "There's something we want to talk to you about anyway."

"Oh dear, sounds ominous. Should I be worried?"

"No not at all," Sonny said. To Maura, he said; "aren't you at work today, babe?"

She shook her head and said; "no, thank god, unless they call me in to help. Anyhow they do, I'm throwing a sickie."

"Smithy, where's Andrea?" Gina demanded, accosting him in his office. "She hasn't called in and Sam's in a flap cos Maura's not here today, so we are two down."

"No she hasn't called in," he said, checking the office phone for any messages, but where were none. "Strange. She always calls if she isn't coming in. I'll call her."

"I've been trying to do that for half-an-hour!" she said. "No answer, from her home phone or her mobile."

"That's not like her," he said, taking his car keys from his draw. "Come on – let's get down to her house, shall we?

She nodded, and they walked at a fast pace out of the building and into the yard. Smithy started up the engine and reversed out of his parking space, an odd sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach.

Maura took Sonny and Tom to Palm Beach Café on Sun Hill Road, a place where she, Andrea and Kerry often spent time on their days off and when they wanted somewhere to eat at lunchtime when they were on shift. They sat outside in the sunlight, drinking cold juice and eating fry-ups.

"Now that," Tom said, his mouth full of sausage, "is the best fry-up I've had in years!"

"Like mama used to make, huh?" Sonny said, cutting some toast and pushing it into his egg.

"Indeed," he said, rubbing his stomach. "So, anyway, what did you two, lights of my life, want to tell me?"

Sonny looked across at Maura and said; "well, we've been talking, and we've decided...that we're going to stay in Sun Hill. We're not going to go back to Scotland, Tom."

He looked hurt, then disappointed and a dagger pierced Maura's heart. She realised then how hard it would be, if he were to say no, to live without his beloved big brother around for practically the first time in his life. He swallowed what was in his mouth and put down his knife and fork.

"I see," he said, quietly.

"And we wanted to know..."

"If I'd look after the flat in Scotland for you? Yeah. Of course. No problem."

"No. We wanted to know if you'd come with us."

Tom looked up and stared from one to the other as if he was expecting an 'April Fool!' When neither Sonny nor Maura said anything, nor was there any sign on their faces that it was a joke, he said; "are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Sonny said. "You don't actually think we'd leave you all alone in Scotland with Vincent, do you?"

"You actually want me here?"

"Of course we do, you Muppet," Maura said, taking his hand. "You're the best lodger anyone could ask for. And besides, who would do all the shopping when we were all out of food?"

Tom burst out laughing and said; "well, at least I know where I stand. Should I invest in a feather duster?"

"A maid's outfit, too, if you wish."

"But I won't be...be in the way or anything?"

"Tom, you've lived with us since before we were married, have we ever implied that you were in the way?"

"No, but this is different! This is you two moving away, making a life –"

"Tom, just shut the hell up and say yes!" Sonny said. "We want you with us, we like having you around!"

"Well, in that case, I guess we'd better start getting our stuff moved down here, bro," Tom said cheerfully, picking his knife and fork up again. "I'll start looking into media jobs. Talking of which; Maura babe, what's this about the baby's body found in the park?"

"What's that?" Sonny said.

"Didn't you hear? A few days ago, the park caretaker was digging to plant his flowers, minding his own business, and dug up the remains of a baby."

"What?"

"Yeah, I know. Your lot are investigating it, aren't they babe?"

Maura nodded and she said; "yes, but there isn't really that much to go on. They found the baby wrapped in a cardigan, and a set of rosary beads that were left behind by accident, or so they think. A bunch of lilies were left on the spot where the baby was found and yesterday, a letter arrived from the mother."

"Saying what?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much 'leave me alone.'"

"That's all?"

"DS Nixon – Sam – who's investigating just wants to make sure she's all right, she said. Autopsy shows that no injuries were inflicted on the baby – or not as they can tell. The letter says that the baby was stillborn, but she says she wants to be left to get on with her life."

"Can't be easy, can it?" Tom said thoughtfully, spreading jam on his bread. "I mean, giving birth to a stillborn baby like that, I mean – sorry Maura! Sorry!"

"What?" she said defensively.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be tactless! I'm sorry; I'm such an idiot, talking about babies after yesterday!"

"I'm sure she knows you didn't mean anything by it," Sonny said, squeezing Maura's shoulders.

"Of course I do," Maura said, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, Tom, I know what you mean."

"So – no idea who she is?" he asked tentatively, looking guilty.

"None. Investigation is still pending, but she's adamant that she doesn't want to be found. And it's not as if they have anything to go on."

They reached Andrea's house in a quiet street quickly and both stood outside for a moment, looking at the flat. Smithy said; "all of the curtains are closed."

They looked at each other before he strode forwards and rang the doorbell. There was no answer after a moment of waiting, so he bent down and called through the letterbox a few times. Sighing, he straightened up and banged on the door with force that made Gina start.

"Nobody's answering."

"State the bleedin' obvious, why don't you?"

He glared, but chose not to retaliate and said; "let's go around the back."

She raised an eyebrow and followed him to the back garden. They looked through the window to the kitchen to see that it was completely empty. Hopefully, Smithy tried the back door, but it was locked.

"What d'you reckon?" he asked.

She heard the underlying question in his voice and nodded. "Do it."

He backed up and rammed the door with his shoulder. It broke clean open and he stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his shoulder. He called out; "Andrea! It's Smithy and Gina, are you here?"

"I'll check upstairs," Gina said, as he turned into the sitting room. He nodded and proceeded to check the downstairs room. On the wall in the sitting room was a collection of photographs. The one in the middle, he thought must be her favourite because it was the largest and in the nicest frame. It was of her, Kerry and Maura. They all looked so happy.

"Smithy! Smithy!"

He ran out of the room as if he were on skates and up the stairs. Gina was standing in the bathroom, frantically calling for an ambulance. He stared into the bath. Andrea was lying face down in the tub, which was full of water. He pulled her out, lying her on the fluffy blue bath mat. The water, he noted was stone cold. For a moment, he was glad that she wasn't conscious: if she knew that could see her naked, it would be highly embarrassing for the both of them. That was, though, until he put his ear to her mouth, and then put a tentative hand on her chest, searching for a pulse with his other hand.

"Hurry up that ambulance, she's not breathing," he said, beginning CPR. "Come on Andrea, hang in there!"

Gina stood by silently, watching as Smithy tried to breathe life back into her body: he was steadily becoming more and more frantic. She heard the sirens and ran down the stairs to let the paramedics in, and filled them in on the situation as they ran back upstairs.

"Her name's Andrea, Andrea Dunbar, she's twenty-five, my colleague and I found her in the bath, face down. I don't know if she slipped, had an accident, hit her head or something..."

"Thanks love," the paramedic said, taking over from Smithy, while his colleague felt for her pulse.

"No output," she said, shaking her head.

"How long's she been like this?"

"No idea," Smithy said, wiping his wet hands on his uniform. "She was due in to work at nine, but she didn't turn up, so we came here and found her like this."

"She's a colleague, is she? Any medical conditions that you know of? Is she on any medication at all?"

"None that we know of."

"All right, we need the spinal board and defibrillator here," the older male colleague said.

The woman nodded and ran off down the stairs. Gina followed and Smithy thought she had gone to help until she returned later and said: "Smithy, come and have a look at this."

He followed as the paramedic came rushing back. Gina led him, not into the bedroom that had its door open, as he expected, but into a neighbouring room. He stopped in the doorway and blinked: it was a baby's nursery, presumably, he thought, for a girl, judging by the pink and green paint. The cot stood in the middle of the room, under the skylight. The whole room had a cold, unfriendly feel, as if abandoned. He could see thick dusting on the furniture.

"She lives alone, doesn't she? She doesn't have any kids?"

"No," he said, feeling an odd chill run down his spine. On the drawers, there was a photograph and he picked it up. It was of Andrea, clearly taken a few years ago. She was hugging a kind-looking man, and there her stomach was swollen with a late pregnancy. He looked at Gina, she looked at him, but before they could say anything else, the paramedic came in.

"We have sinus rhythm," he announced. "We need to get her to Hospital ASAP, is one of you coming with her?

"Yeah. I will," Smithy said uneasily, dropping the photograph on the floor. "Gina, do you want to get a bag packed for her and follow us down there?"

"She's never mentioned a daughter before, let alone being pregnant," Smithy said. Too anxious to sit, he was standing, pacing the waiting room. "How long's she been with us at Sun Hill? A few years, and we didn't even know that?"

"Maybe she didn't want us to know," Gina said, dumping a heavy bag at her feet. "When I was going through her clothes to pack them, I saw some men's clothes hung up in the wardrobe. Shirts, trousers, jackets..."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend, she's said so herself."

"There's something else. She has a collection of beads, of rosary beads. You don't...you don't think that..."

She didn't get to finish her sentence, as at that moment, the Doctor came back to them. She was thin, her long strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a tight, high ponytail.

"Sergeant Smith? Inspector Gold?"

"Yes, yes," Smithy said. "How is she? Is she going to be all right?"

"It looks as if she's going to be fine."

"But?" he said, suspiciously.

"But, when she wakes up, we might have to get a psychiatrist to talk to her."

The two looked at each other, and Gina said; "why? What's she done?"

"Her blood test results came back showing she had a mix of drugs in her system; sleeping pills and Ritalin to be precise. They are, when taken in succession, a toxic mix. That is probably what caused her heart to stop."

"But...you don't know for sure that she actually meant to...to..."

He trailed off, not quite being able to say 'kill herself,' and she said; "no, but it certainly does look that way. Are you sure she's shown no signs of unhappiness lately? Depression? Has she been upset at all?"

"You work on upsetting cases, it's part of the job," Gina said stoutly. "But I think I would know if one of my PC's were suicidal!"

Smithy said nothing, knowing she was offended. To suggest that Gina Gold didn't know that one of her PC's were upset or anxious about something was a suggestion that she wasn't up to her job and one of the greatest offence.

"Of course," she said quickly, realising she'd made a mistake. "Well, anyway, Andrea's still not woken up, but there really is nothing more you can do here. How about if I call you when she does wake up? You can speak to her before I call the psychiatrist."

"If you will," Gina said nodding. "Thank you.

Andrea came around in a panic. Not taking any notice of where she was at first, she picked up her watch from the bedside table and squinted at the dial. It was two o'clock, she five hours late for work! Gina was going to kill her! She jumped out of bed, and yelped in pain as she drip was torn from her hand. Blood blossomed over the white Hospital gown. As she lay on the floor, whimpering in pain, the door burst open, hitting the wall

"Andrea? Are you all right? Where does it hurt? Oh, God!" The Doctor helped her back onto the bed. "Right, you just keep still, there, darling, OK? We'll put some pressure on this, and get it bandaged. Can I have some help in here, please?"

"I'm late for work! I have to go!"

"I think you can forget about work for the time being, Andrea," she said as help arrived. She continued to apply pressure while her colleague wrapped a bandage over her hand tightly. "Thanks, will you bring her a replacement gown, please?" As the younger Doctor left, she sat on the bed. "My name is Bonnie; I've been looking after you since you've been brought in here. You gave your colleagues one hell of a scare."

"My colleagues? I don't understand. Why am I here?"

"You were found in at home Andrea, lying in a bath full of water. Do you remember getting in the bath?"

She broke off as her colleague came back with the gown, and then left them to it. Bonnie helped her in the gown, and put the drip into her other hand.

"You get back into bed," she said, in a tone that suggested to Andrea that she was used to being obeyed. She tucked the covers around her like a mother hen and sat back on the bed. "Do you remember getting in the bath?"

"I...I remember running the taps. But...I..."

"Andrea...we found traces of drugs in your system. You had to be resuscitated at the scene, because the mix of drugs caused your heart to stop."

"I have sleeping tablets, but I hardly ever use them. Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I took one, but I didn't realise how early it was: six in the morning. I was due up at half seven. I woke up tired, so I took Ritalin. I...I've never done that before. I didn't know it would have such a...a bad effect."

"So you didn't intend to...to..."

"To what? To kill myself? NO! Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"Exactly what your colleagues wondered. You really did give them a scare."

"Were they angry?"

"No, more worried. Sergeant Smith is it?"

"Yes."

"He came with you in the ambulance, wouldn't give me a moment's peace from the minute you were brought in. He was very worried. Is he your...?"

"No. Just a friend. He's like that with all of his PCs, nothing makes me special."

"He's nice. And as for that Inspector Gold – well, let's just say that I have a memo in my office, reminding me to never again suggest to her that she might not know if her officers were upset."

She smiled faintly and said; "yeah. She isn't called the Dragon for nothing. Do they both think I tried to kill myself?"

"No, in fact they're adamant that you wouldn't. They wanted to see you before...well; I might have had to call a psychiatrist."

"Psychiatrist? Why? I told you..."

"I know, don't worry, there's nothing to worry about. She'll most likely just want a quick word with you, that's all. Now, you rest and I will go and call the Dragon."

"That picture, it looked at least a few years old. I can't believe this; she's never mentioned being pregnant before. She hasn't even mentioned a baby."

"You don't think that..."

"What?" Smithy said, turning his attention to Gina.

"Well, think about it Smithy. She's been pregnant, clearly far along the line judging by that photograph, she's doesn't have a child, or a boyfriend and she's never mentioned any of this. She also has a collection of rosary beads. If that was about, say, six, seven years ago? Wouldn't that make her seventeen years old?"

"What, you think that baby was hers?"

"How long has she been in Sun Hill, Smithy?"

He thought. "I'm not sure, four years maybe? But...there's no way that she wouldn't come forward."

"You think so? Think about that letter, Smithy. She's very well spoken."

"She's not that well spoken."

"No, but she is smart enough to use it as a disguise, don't you think? She's a very clever girl, Smithy; I think she's perfectly capable of leading a double life if she wants to."

"But we don't know for sure, Gina. Just because she might have been pregnant and has rosary beads doesn't mean anything. She could have miscarried, her child could have died – for all we know, lives with the father, she's clearly not with her partner anymore."

"I'm not so sure, Smithy."

"Well, let's actually try and do some investigating, shall we? Before we jump in all guns blazing? If it isn't her, we don't want to upset her by dragging up what could be a painful past. And if it is her baby, well...the same thing really."

She nodded, opened her mouth to say something and the phone on her desk rang. She picked it up and said; "hello, Inspector Gold. Oh...she has? Is she all right? Thank you very much we're on our way...what...no, no, nobody's angry at her...if you would, thank you. See you in a minute." She replaced the receiver and to Smithy, she said; "let's go!"

"Accidental overdose?" Smithy echoed.

"It does happen, Sergeant. Our psychiatrist is with her now, but I'm fairly confident that she's not in the least bit suicidal."

"I thought you said you'd wait for us to talk to her first?"

"She wanted to get it over with, but they should be done about now. If you'd like to follow me?"

They both followed Bonnie down the corridor, towards Andrea's room. Even as they got closer, they could see, through the open door, a middle aged psychiatrist wearing glasses and with thinning blonde hair sitting on the end of the bed. Both were laughing and he looked up when the two officers came into the room.

"Ah! Sergeant Smith and Inspector Gold I presume! My name is Jonathan Winters, Andrea and I have just been having a little chat."

"Everything all right?" Gina said, more to him than to Andrea.

"Perfectly fine. I think we're just about done here. Andrea, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," she replied, sinking back into her pillows as he left. Bonnie followed him out and closed the door behind her: Andrea looked tentatively up at the two. "Um. Hi."

"Are you all right?" Smithy said, sitting down in Jonathan's vacated space.

"Yes, I'm fine. I...I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to...to... I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Apparently they were prescription medications Andrea," Gina said. "Why didn't you say you were on them?"

"Because I hardly ever need to use them. I just couldn't sleep last night, so I took a sleeping pill, but I didn't realise how early it was. I couldn't wake up, so I took Ritalin. I didn't know it would have that effect."

"And the bath?" Smithy asked.

"I needed a bath, is there something wrong with that? I suppose I just passed out while I was in there, though I don't remember getting in, just running the taps."

"You could have just fallen in."

She shrugged and said; "I suppose so. I'm really sorry; I didn't mean to scare anyone. Does...does everyone think I tried to top myself?"

"The only people who even know you're here are right in front of you. As far as everyone else is concerned, you're at home, looking like Dracula with the flu."

Andrea smiled weakly and Gina said; "when're they letting you home?"

"Tomorrow I think. I suppose you want me to take leave or something."

"Well, not if you don't want to, but I would like you to take it easy." She looked down and added: "what happened to your hand?"

"Drip got torn out," she said, glancing down at it. "It's not serious, just a scratch really. The blood made it look more serious than it really was."

"All right. we'll let you get some rest now, Andrea."

"Thanks. And thanks for the packed bag, Ma'am."

"Well, we could hardly let you walk home in a Hospital gown, now, could we? Come on Smithy."

"Take care, you," Smithy said, leaning down to give her a hug. "Give me a call if you need anything – or Maura or Kerry if you don't want me going through your things."

"Thanks," she said, lying back down. "I appreciate it."

The door closed and she was left in peace. The smile dropped and she turned onto her side. It was true: the toxic mix of drugs had been a complete accident, but there were times, she thought, that she wished it had actually worked.