As Hannah headed into the office the next morning, she met the grinning face of her DI and groaned.
"Suffering, DC McKay?" Sam asked, folding her arms and leaning against the water cooler as the younger woman poured herself a cup.
"Nope, I'm fine. Nothing that strong black coffee and a cigarette or two won't cure." Hannah told her, pulling a face and swallowing a couple of painkillers. "Now I know why I usually refuse to go for a drink with coppers. How can you possibly not be hungover?"
"Oh, don't worry, I felt as though I had actually died this morning. My painkillers have already kicked in." The blonde assured her with a chuckle. "By the way, did you know that Stuart apparently told Jo he thought you were a lesbian because you turned him down on your first day?"
Hannah snorted with laughter, almost spraying the petite DI with water. "Oww!" She moaned, clutching her head. "He didn't? How do you know that?"
"Jo told me last night. You wanna watch yourself, though; Stuart and Phil have got one of their stupid competitions going to see who can get you to agree to go out with them."
"Men!" The red-head exclaimed. "I'm glad I've had my kids because I'm right off them."
Sam arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Don't let Stuart hear you talking like that or he'll think he's right."
"I'm sure it would make his day." Hannah muttered, raising her eyebrows as the Detective Sergeant in question passed them, winking as he did so. "Honestly."
"Ah! Just the woman I was looking for." Phil said smoothly, grinning at Hannah as he stopped in front of her. "The DCI wants us on an attempted murder case."
"Brilliant!" She replied with a grin. Seeing the amused expression on Sam's face, she backtracked. "Well, obviously not brilliant, but… oh, just tell me what's going on, Phillip."
He smirked and motioned for her to follow him out of the office, explaining the case as they walked. As he described the incident, Hannah's gut feeling was that it was probably the result of years of domestic violence by the victim, Oliver Garcia, against his wife, Charlotte. Phil, however, thought that it was a straight-forward case of attempted murder.
"Listen, Sarge… what reason would Charlotte Garcia have for battering her husband with a rolling pin? What's the motive?" She asked as they got out of the car at the Garcia's house. Hannah had wanted to have a good look round the crime scene before she even considered interviewing the suspect. "Just one look at her medical records should set alarm bells ringing… and that's just what she got treatment for. Besides, you said yourself everyone described her as not being able to say boo to a goose."
"It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for, Hannah." Phil joked, standing aside and ushering her into the house first. "That's why I know you're not going to try and kill me."
"Wanna bet?" She muttered, raising an eyebrow. He just smirked at her. "Right… so where was Mr Garcia found?"
"Here…" Phil propelled his colleague through the hall and into the living room, grinning even more broadly as she swatted his hands away from her hips and smacked him on the chest for good measure. "He was found here with a fractured skull and three broken ribs. Still sound like she isn't capable of it?"
"So what else do we know that's actual fact, rather than just your speculations?"
"Well it looks like they had a right barney before the attack." Phil pointed out, glancing around the room quickly.
Hannah had to admit that there had definitely been a violent argument. Photo frames and crockery lay smashed on the carpet and the remnants of a dining chair were scattered around amongst them. The red-head picked her way carefully past the worst of the damage and picked up a photo off the ground.
"What you got there?"
"A wedding photo. The daughter?" She told Phil, turning the picture to show him. "Nice dress."
"You ever got hitched?"
She snorted. "Me? Nah… it's not really my thing. And before you get any ideas it's not because I'm a lesbian, because I'm not." At the look of surprise on his face she grinned. "You boys and your egos… I turned down Stuart's offer of a drink for the simple reason that I didn't want to go for a drink. Now, can we get back to business please?"
"With pleasure." He nodded, looking slightly smug as he glanced around the room. "I think we should pop in at St Hugh's and see how Mr Garcia is, then get back and see what Mrs Garcia has to say."
"Right you are, Sarge."
All the way to the hospital Phil and Hannah good-naturedly argued with each other. She was still convinced that Charlotte Garcia's attack must have been the result of years of violence, whereas he refused to believe it. In Phil's opinion, the severity of the attack suggested it was pre-meditated, whereas Hannah was adamant that the woman had probably lashed out in fear or desperation.
"Why are you so keen to defend her?" Phil demanded as they walked into the hospital a while later. "Why are you so sure that he attacked her first?"
"Why not?" Hannah replied with a shrug. "I've seen this far too many times. Why are you so against it being an option?"
Walking onto the intensive care ward, a nurse showed them to the private room where Mr Garcia was. Phil asked the doctor for an update on his condition, while Hannah moved to look through the window at the unconscious patient. She was surprised to see a young woman sitting beside the bed, holding Mr Garcia's hand.
"Who're you?" The detective demanded, bursting into the room without thinking.
Looking highly affronted, the woman rounded on her, scowling. "I'm Francesca Garcia-Wright; his daughter. Who are you?"
"Sorry for my colleague's bluntness." Phil apologised smoothly, smiling at the young woman who was still glaring at Hannah, who had rolled her eyes at the man's predictable reaction to a pretty face. "I'm DS Hunter, this is DC McKay. We're investigating your father's attack."
"Yeah? So why have you got my mother in custody?"
Glancing at Phil, Hannah chewed her lip. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that she's our main suspect."
"Well clearly you're an idiot, as well as being incredibly rude." The woman snapped at her, folding her arms defensively.
"I understand that this is difficult for you," the red-head told her, working hard to keep her temper under control, "but she was discovered with the rolling pin that was used to cause your father's injuries in her hands."
Scowling darkly, Francesca jabbed a finger in Hannah's direction. "My mother, DC McKay, wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Mrs Garcia-Wright," Phil jumped in smoothly, "when you have a moment perhaps you could pop into the station to have a word with us. It might help us clear a few things up."
"I wasn't there. I've been at work since eight o'clock this morning."
"If you really want to help your mother you'll come into the station and talk to us." Hannah told her in annoyance.
Before his DC could infuriate Mrs Garcia-Wright any more, Phil smiled and ushered her quickly out of the room. She was still angry when they pulled up in the yard outside the station, ranting about people taking them for granted and being only too happy to let them work out their problems, but never feeling the need to thank them.
Phil rolled his eyes and sent her up to CID to pick up a couple of files before they interviewed Mrs Garcia. Hannah stormed up the stairs and into the office like a hurricane, slamming files around on Phil's desk in an attempt to find the ones she was looking for. Ignoring the questioning looks from her colleagues and seemingly oblivious of Sam and Mickey's attempts to talk to her, she leant heavily on the desk with her palms flat against its surface. Kicking Phil's bin in frustration, she finally managed to lay her hands on the relevant paperwork and stormed back through the office, letting the doors bang closed behind her.
"Right… let's make a bet." Phil suggested after they'd poured through all the information and Hannah had finally calmed down. She was still adamant that Mrs Garcia might have acted in self-defence, while Phil was totally unconvinced by her theory. "If you're right, I'll buy you dinner and if I'm right, dinner's on you."
She arched an eyebrow. "So you win either way?"
"I'd like to think it will be pleasurable for us both." He murmured, leaning close to her.
"Really?" Hannah asked, smirking. "We'll see, Phillip; I'm not a very good loser."
By the end of the interview with Charlotte Garcia it was plain for anyone to see that, after years of physical and emotional abuse the woman had snapped and attacked her husband. Smugly, Hannah grinned as they left the interview room, feeling totally triumphant. She reminded him of their bet as they made their way back up to CID.
"Looks like dinner's on me, then." He told her with a wink.
"DC McKay?" The DCI called as soon as they entered the office. Hannah's heart sank at the expression on his face. "My office, please."
"I'll wait for you." Phil muttered as she passed him, pulling a face.
"What's up, Guv?" Hannah asked, thinking she had a good idea what was heading her way.
He motioned for her to take a seat before he spoke. "I've received a concern about you from Mr and Mrs Garcia's daughter. She claims that you were rude and unprofessional when you spoke to her at the hospital this afternoon."
"Guv, it wasn't my fault." She defended herself at once. "I might not be the most tactful person, but she was really rude to me. She asked what her mother was doing at the station so I explained and she said I was an idiot. I tried to point out that we were working with the evidence we had but she wasn't interested in listening to me."
"And Phil will agree that you weren't unnecessarily rude?" Jack asked.
"Of course."
"Right, well… this is you having your wrist slapped. Just try and keep your temper under wraps in future, Hannah. I don't want to see you storming around the office again, understand?"
"Yes, Guv." She agreed, nodding meekly.
As soon as she was out of the office, Hannah took a deep breath and rubbed her hand over her face wearily. She slumped against the wall behind her, leaning her head against the surface and closing her eyes. Her feeling of triumph at proving Phil Hunter wrong had evaporated, leaving her with a hollow, empty feeling. She was glad that it was the end of her shift and she could go home and submerge herself in the problems of her family instead of her own issues.
"You in trouble, Han?"
Jumping, the red-head looked sideways and smiled at the blonde DI. "Nothing I can't handle."
"What was all that slamming of drawers about earlier?"
"I lost my temper with Mr and Mrs Garcia's daughter… she was a right cow to me and all smiles with Phil. Women make me sick, sometimes." She muttered.
Sam smirked. "Is working with Phil that bad?"
"Not really, he's decent enough… but I may have agreed to have dinner with him."
"I know that."
The woman stared at her in astonishment. "How do you know?"
"Phil's in there gloating."
Hannah narrowed her eyes. "Right…"
She stalked towards CID, pushing open the doors, moving quickly to her desk and gathering up her things without looking at either Phil or Stuart. As she attempted to leave the office without speaking to either of them, Phil reached out and caught her arm.
"I thought we were having dinner?" He asked.
"I've changed my mind." The woman informed him with a shrug.
"Why?"
Looking him up and down, she frowned. "I refuse to be used as part of some testosterone fuelled ego-fest between you and Stuart. Yes, I know all about your stupid little bet and you both lose because I refuse to go out with either of you. Goodnight."
Without another word Hannah stalked out of CID, coming to a halt beside Sam who grinned at her. "Feel better?"
Hannah grinned. "A lot."
"Pub?"
"Nah, after last night I should go home. I actually got a lecture off my sister this morning about coming home in such a state."
Sam laughed. "Just wait until she's the one rolling in totally hammered."
"I'm looking forward to it." The younger woman replied sarcastically. Then she smiled and turned towards the stairs. "Night, Sam."