I am officially the slowest updater ever! I'm sorry, I really do procrastinate though. Right, this chapter is the beginning of great things to come, fair bit of action here and we're now getting to see the case unfold. Reviews are always welcome - constructive ones especially. I apologise for bad grammar or spelling, I try and check through thoroughly though. Thanks for reading if you still are, I'm glad that my work is being appreciated.
The team, bar Alex and Gene, were sat at their desks.
"D'ya reckon the Guv's shaggin' DI Drake? They arrived together this mornin', always a sign of summit being up," Ray observed, puffing on his cigarette, and not noticing the sceptical look he received from Shaz.
"Or they could have just been discussing the case - you know it's not all about sex, Ray," Shaz snapped. "Plus, they've barely been near each other all mornin'." She continued typing, to cries of 'Oooh!' How Ma'am put up with it she really did not know.
"Always a sign of guilt. Birds like that always shag their bosses - like Crystal an' Blake on Dynasty." When Ray received suspicious looks, he hastily added, "Not tha' I watch it or owt, just this bird I was shaggin' liked it and she were tellin' me what were happenin'."
"I've got last night's taped on me Betamax, want a few copies Shaz?" Chris piped up from opposite Ray, only to sniggers. "And I'll get yer one 'n' all, DC Barlow, seein' as you asked for it." The team stopped sniggering and found imaginary work for themselves to do.
"Poof," Ray muttered under his breath.
"Fanks babe, that's so sweet!" Shaz gasped, rushing over to peck Chris on the cheek. Chris gave a smug smile in Ray's direction, only to have the V sign brandished before him.
The double doors banged off the wall, followed by a hasty clunk of shoes - DCI Hunt was back. CID quickly all sat back at their desks, knowing that he'd be in a foul mood with White prowling around Alex.
"Raymundo, y'shifted through those statements yet?" Gene asked on the way to his office, and the team all exchanged confused looks. The Guv actually seemed - well, as close as he could be - happy. Why? They all knew he had a thing for Alex, hell, they did themselves, but he was far too merry for a bloke who had just had the equivalent of being kicked in the balls. What had happened through the corridor?
Before they could speculate any further, Alex also reappeared. Shaz got up to speak to her properly, as Chris and Ray muttered hurriedly under their breaths.
"Ma'am, I'm glad you've stayed, we were all worried that you'd left for good." Alex smiled.
"Good job I'm back then, isn't it? I've got to keep the men of this station in tow," Alex grinned patronisingly at them. "No seriously, after a day of only my own thoughts for company, I needed the return to normality." She waited for Gene to make some sort of sarcastic comment from his office, but thankfully he hadn't heard the conversation.
Looking across the room, she examined the team. Shaz had now went over to Chris and the pair were conversing in hushed tones; Ray was reading a dirty magazine disguised inside of a newspaper; and Gene was in his office skillfully playing darts. Wiping his head with his sleeve, he caught her staring at him and peered his head round the door.
"Like what you see, Bolls?" Gene called, to wolf-whistles and jeers from the rest of the team.
"Oh, piss off and go back into your hovel, some of us are trying to do something worthwhile with our time as oppose to drinking, darts and driving me up the wall," Alex retorted, and then walked over to Ray. Before she opened her mouth, he answered.
"Statements, Inspector, about Yates' death. Says 'ere that a Mrs -" Ray referred to the paper, "- Holloway said she saw a 'tall, stocky, bald man, around late thirties wearin' a long leather jacket and jeans.' She also says she couldn't see the colour because it were dark."
Alex stood still, and knew she recognised that description somewhere.
"Have we had any other leads?" Alex asked - she'd get to the bottom of this whether or not it killed her. Right now, every single case seemed like her ticket home.
"While yer were - erm - away, yesterday, we found out about three prozzies that are pushin' drugs. We ain't followed it up yet, but we were goin' to today, and Guv said 'e would 'ave a sniff around the local pimps, see if they know owt."
"Well, I think we should go and have a word with these prostitutes, to find out if they are implicated in the murder of Wes Yates-"
"Not without my say so, Bolly Knickers. I'd rather stand with a line of French bastards whilst bein' kicked in the bollocks by the Germans than not get whichever wanker is fuckin' up my patch," Gene bellowed, grabbing his coat and slamming his door so hard that the glass shook. "Come on DC Skelton."
Chris removed his headphones from his ears and looked around uncertainly.
"'Oo, me?"
"I don't see anyone else 'ere called Skelton unless 'e's hiding under the table there. We'd all be in Shitsville then; two of you - enough to put me off me Garibaldis for a week."
They all followed Gene to the car as he sped ahead of them, each step more forceful than the last.
"Just stay calm, and we can talk over this in a rational manner at the station," Alex said, but the one prostitute they had found, Alison Davis known as Ali from the whorehouse, had other ideas.
"Shut up you stupid bitch!" Ali screamed, her pretty face - well, it would be without all of that makeup - screwed up in anger.
"I think you'll find, missy, that if yer speak to a police officer in that way that you'll find yourself inside for a longer stretch than yer first thought! Now move yer skinny arse into that car!" Gene bellowed, pointing to a panda car parked outside of the house as she was led outdoors in handcuffs by Viv.
"I'm not going inside you bastard! Let go of me!" Screeching at the top of her lungs, Ali was taken out of view.
The team pulled up to the three prostitutes recorded place of residence not expecting anyone to be there but were thankful for the appearance of Ali Davis. Up close, she barely looked sixteen however her date of birth told Alex she was twenty.
Ali had strongly resisted arrest, scratching and clawing at her 'captors' like an alley cat - for her namesake, Gene had observed.
Both Alex and Gene walked together to the Quattro, Chris and Ray trailing behind, minds focused solely on what would be a uncooperative interview ahead.
"'Ow do you think she'll react then?" Gene asked, catching Alex off-guard. Not often he asks of your opinion, better make the most of it.
"Err... well, Ali appears to be a very defensive person. Probably hasn't always been like that, her line of work is bound to have toughened her up. I imagine she'll be incredibly evasive, so we will have to use some tactics to get answers out of her. I don't think a 'long stretch inside' is going to scare her, because she'll think that some of her associates will sort it all out for her. Seemingly a tough customer, but she's naive - under enough pressure she'll lose control." Gene looked momentarily impressed, but quickly disguised his betrayal into his usual pouting passiveness.
"So basically we've got a spoilt little madam to deal with before we can all go 'ome? Oh, the joys of policing," Gene snapped, storming in front.
Alex knew that if he walked into that interview room with all guns blazing they had no chance of getting any results.
"Gene?" Alex called cautiously, her hand resting on his shoulder. Gene looked down at it and Alex removed it as though she'd touched a hot poker. Bad idea, she thought.
"What?"
"Be diplomatic, a word which seemingly is not in your vocabulary," she smirked and sauntered into the Quattro.
Don't worry, Bolly, diplomacy is my middle name. Gene smiled to himself and followed her lead.
"'Ow well did you know Wes Yates," Gene snarled, while Ali sat, the picture of calm smoking a cigarette.
"Well, 'e weren't my lover if that's what ya trying to insinuate." Straight away by the use of 'insinuate' Alex realised that Ali wasn't the Cockney tough bird she portraying herself to be. She betted that Ali came from a respectable middle-class background, and the accent was all the image she had to use to get by as a prostitute.
"DCI Hunt wasn't implying anything of the sort, Ali, he merely wanted to establish a picture of your relationship with Mr Yates," Alex said soothingly. Ali looked as though she wasn't going to answer, but exhaled smoke deeply and puffed out her lips.
"'E were my mate-" She paused as Gene gave her a scathing look and she returned the favour. "No, 'e weren't a client. Just friends, good friends, but nofink like that. Wes was a good bloke: 'onest, kind, gorgeous. Nofink like 'is bruvva."
"What do you mean?" Alex asked, before Gene would say something to stop her talking.
"Just that- oh, you know what I mean. Oliver Yates is a Class-A bastard. Don't tell me ya don't know 'e is when ya've been following 'im for God knows 'ow long. He's always hated Wes, jealous I suppose. Oliver looks like a sewer rat, 'as the brains of one and a cock the size of one too." Alex heard Ray snort with laughter from behind her. "Wes... well 'e is - I mean was - lovely."
"So do you think Oliver Yates may have had some sort of inclination to murder his brother?" Alex thought she'd try the million-dollar question.
"I'm not sayin' that. Look, stop puttin' words in my mouth! I knew you bastards would do this - arrest me for pushin' drugs or whatever, then decide that everyfink I say has double meanings. Can't take anyfink by face-value can you?"
"I'm sorry, love, but we're coppers! If we trusted everythin' that scum like you said then we'd be lettin' all sorts of filth be free to roam the streets. Surely yer not that stupid?" Gene said, exasperated. "Right, are we done 'ere?" He got up out of his seat before sitting back down again as Alex flashed him a warning look.
"Look, Ali, DCI Hunt and myself just want to get to the bottom of this - a man's life has been taken, and there is a killer on the loose. If you can just give up any information you may acquire to us conduct our enquiries, we would be very grateful."
"I don't know nuffink, aw'right? Just lemme go," Ali hissed.
"Interview suspended at 18:36pm." Alex sighed - Ali was telling useful information until Gene waded in with his size nines and made her become evasive.
Gene and Alex walked back along the corridor to the main room, feeling thoroughly pissed off. However, tomorrow was another day to get back on with the case, and both had a gut instinct that Ali knew far more than she was letting on. And if Alex had discredited Oliver Yates at all for the murder of his brother, he was now number one suspect in her opinion.
Ray was lagging behind them, and he'd been suspiciously quiet the entire interview. When Alex turned around, she realised that he'd once again been hiding his magazine in a newspaper. This hadn't passed Gene's attention.
"If yer want to read porn durin' an interview than I suggest you apply to work for a sex store, alright, because obviously the police force is not the job fer you! Give me strength!" Gene barked, not even bothering to turn around to face Ray but Alex sensed that he'd went bright red.
It was now pitch-black outside, and everyone was feeling more relaxed for the impending drink at Luigi's.
"It's now quarter to seven; time to wet the baby's 'ead I think ladies and gentlemen," Gene declared.
Chris, Ray and Shaz had all hurriedly grabbed their coats when they realised it was time to leave.
"Y'comin', Guv?" Ray called, door resting on his elbow.
"Not tonight, Raymundo, I'm goin' out to get some proper grub, instead of wasting my time gettin' the shits off Luigi's poison." Alex remembered - dinner.
"I'll be off to get ready then, shall I?" Alex smiled sweetly and followed the team out of the doors, only turning around to look at Gene, but he had already went into his office. She waited a couple of seconds, and then left.
Gene sat with his feet up on his desk, and smoked a cigarette, inhaling the nicotine rush. Bolls is coming out to dinner with me - again. She'll probably get very pissed, and probably spend the whole of the evening making me feel very randy. I can't bloody wait.
Alex returned to the station once she was ready, and it was all Gene could do but not stand and gape at her. She looked utterly gorgeous. Her hair was pinned back off her face, to show off those intense green eyes and bone structure to full effect, and with smoky grey eyeshadow as oppose to her usual blue it made them even more mesmerising. Her cleavage was barely held inside the violet dress that slipped enticingly off her shoulders, and obviously the look wouldn't be complete without those legs being accentuated with fifty foot heels.
"You ready then, Gene?" Alex asked, standing with her hands on her hips.
Oh, Christ was he ready. In fact, he'd never been more ready for anything else in his entire life. If there was a God up there, He sure was bloody happy with Gene Hunt at the moment.
"Of course I'm bloody ready - women, yer always take bloody ages!"
