Ususal disclaimers apply. You'll recognise the beginnings of the dating agency plot in this chapter - far too much potential there for me to resist. Thanks once again to everyone reading/alerting/favouriting. Special thanks to grainweevil for her invaluable transcripts - cheers Al.

Better the Devil….

"Sit down Alex – I won't bite you know." Keats laughed somewhat nervously as he gestured towards the chair.

Alex looked around the interview room that Keats had commandeered, although there was precious little to see. It was rather strange being at the other end of an interrogation but in a funny way it was also becoming familiar. She remembered all too well being arrested and interviewed by SuperMac on trumped up charges of corruption. It seemed like another lifetime. She watched as Keats twitched nervously in his seat and fussed with his pens and notepad, lining them up precisely. Touch of OCD perhaps?

"You must get used to this," Alex said, "going into unfamiliar stations and interviewing colleagues?"

He looked up sharply. "It's not a part of the job I enjoy, I assure you Alex. I can call you Alex?"

"Of course…Jim." She paused slightly but then decided to try and wrong foot her interrogator. "You came to see me before…in hospital?"

He smiled genially. "Yes I did – how did you know that?"

"I'm not really sure. I suppose I must have had some sort of peripheral consciousness. It was all a bit confusing to be honest."

"I thought he'd tried to kill you Alex…I was worried about you."

Alex bristled at the weird familiarity. "You don't know me."

"Sorry. It just feels like I do know you. After the incident I spent so much time poring over your reports and tapes…"

"Tapes? What tapes?"

"Interview tapes. It seems you're quite hot on the correct procedures yourself DI Drake. And Superintendent Mackintosh also left some interesting personnel reports."

"I dare say he did."

"But of course, given the circumstances of Mac's demise we decided not to read too much into those."

"Good. And as for Gene, you're barking up the wrong tree – I know he didn't try to kill me. I was there. I know what happened."

"Your loyalty does you credit."

"It's not just loyalty – it's the truth."

"I'm beginning to think you may be right – in this instance. But the wheels are in motion Alex. I can't stop them."

"What wheels?"

He looked towards the ceiling. "The higher ups, the powers that be," he chuckled, "or whatever you like to call them. Fenchurch East is on their radar now and they won't be happy until I've completed my report. Look, I know you're right about Gene, but I also have to know that he's taking this seriously. It's not just about him now."

"He does take it seriously – as do I."

"That's good." He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I had a feeling I could trust you Alex. In fact…I have a confession to make."

Alex was all agog. "Oh?"

"I've always envied officers like you and Gene and the rest of the team here. You're doing good work every day, getting stuck in at the coal face of policing, putting criminals away and protecting the community. It must feel good," he said wistfully.

"You've never done that?"

He shook his head. "Not really. Oh I was a beat bobby for a couple of years but then I was noticed…fast tracked up the ranks and sitting behind a desk before I could blink really. Sometimes I think…oh just listen to me wittering on. I'm probably boring you."

"Not at all. Working in a station like this is certainly challenging but if you were serious about it – perhaps you could think about transferring to somewhere more operational?"

"I don't know. Once a 'rubberheeler', always a 'rubberheeler'."

"You should think about it Jim. Career satisfaction is very important."

"Maybe you could put in a good word for me. Oh not now – later – when the dust settles."

Alex thought seriously about it. Despite her initial reservations she rather liked this serious young man and if he wanted help then why not.

"I'd be glad to," she said finally.

Keats stood. "Thanks – it means a lot."

"Oh. Is that it? Are we done?"

"For now, although as I said to Gene, I'm going to have to stick around for a while until I've been through everything. I'll need an office."

"Talk to Shaz or Viv. They'll be able to sort you out."

"Thanks Alex. We'll talk again soon."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex was still musing on her interview with Keats when she got back to her desk – which was now covered with masses of case files.

"What's all this Shaz?"

"You asked for the recent missing person's files ma'am. This is all of them."

"Good Lord. I didn't think they'd be that many."

"Tell me about it. Lucky DI Keats was passing the filing room and he helped me with them. He's quite nice isn't he ma'am? I mean for D&C."

"He seems quite reasonable Shaz. I don't think he's here to cause any trouble."

A dark shadow loomed over them.

"When you two ladies have quite finished gassing. My office Drake." Gene bellowed and then turned on his heel, heading back towards his office.

Shaz scuttled back to her desk but grinned as Alex pulled a face behind Gene's back.

"A 'please' wouldn't hurt you?"

He turned. "My office, please, you mare!"

Alex paused as if contemplating the alternatives and then sauntered slowly towards Gene's office, closing the door behind her.

"Those two should get a room or something," Shaz opined.

"Yeah," Chris chimed, "all that UST can't be good for you."

"Isn't that a nasty infection?" ventured Ray

"No that's UTI mate. UST is unresolved sexual tension. Stands to reason."

Ray shook his head in disgust. "Poof."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So Guv, you wanted me?"

Gene gave her an inscrutable look before replying. "Yes indeed Lady Bols. Divvy up then."

"Pardon?"

"Keats. What did he 'ave to say for himself?"

"Quite a lot actually."

"No surprise there then."

Alex made herself comfortable in the chair opposite Gene's desk. "Actually I think he rather admires you – or rather the type of policing you represent."

"Don't kid yerself , he's as slippery as they come."

"You don't know him."

"He's D&C Bolly, I don't have to. So what's he up to?"

"In my professional opinion?"

"If you must."

"Well, I think he's under pressure from his superiors to get a result of some sort and I also think he's looking for a way out."

"Out? Out of what?"

"Hard to say. It could simply be that he's ready for a career change – a shift in gear if you like. Or...

"Or? Don't keep me in suspense 'ere Bols."

"Or there's something deeper, something more elemental at work."

"Psychological?"

"Maybe."

"I had a nasty feeling you were gonna say that. So, Mrs Fruitcake how do we handle the worm in our apple, the cuckoo in our proverbial nest?"

" Very carefully indeed – for the moment. He may just be doing his job …but I'm sensing a long-term goal."

"Blimey, you got all that just from talkin' to him?"

She smiled slyly. "I'm very good at what I do." She held his gaze for just a moment longer than necessary.

"I bet you are." He returned the gaze but then quickly found a piece of paper on his desk mightily interesting. "So what next?"

"Next?" Alex looked away slightly flustered. She wasn't quite sure what was happening here but her relationship with Gene seemed to be entering a new and very interesting phase. "Next, I think we ought to make it even more difficult for him to penetrate our defences…"

"Penetrate? Hmm…penetrate," he mused, relishing each syllable.

"Yes. Penetrate. You know? Breach, break through, infiltrate…"

"I know what it means Bols – I just like saying the word. Conjures up certain…images."

"You have a filthy mind Guv."

"Takes one to know one love. So what are we going to do to stop this…penetration?"

Alex raised her eyebrows in apparent exasperation, but then a thought occurred and she prepared to call his bluff. "Actually I thought we might…that is we could..."

"Spit it out Drakey."

"…go out…for a drink…together," she spluttered finally. "We need to appear as one, unbreakable, an indivisible unit, eat together, work together…"

"…sleep together?" Gene finished.

"Well I wouldn't go that far!"

The door burst open and Ray stuck his head around the door. "Guv! Better come quick…"

"The thought had occurred," Gene said with a pointed look.

"What? No, I mean something interesting's turned up."

"Same in here…"

"We'd better go and have a look," Alex said. Anything to distract from the odd and yet not unwelcome flirting going on.

They went into the outer office to find a small crowd of detectives crowded around Chris' desk.

"What is it Chris? Alex queried and then looked down at the desk. "Oh! Well that's…unusual."

Lying on the desk was a human hand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex was still pondering on the rather bizarre turn that events had taken as she walked back from the mortuary with Gene.

"I'm telling you Bolly it's a one-off, some nutter with a warped sense of injustice. Nut job."

"I'm not so sure. Our nut-job left a calling card – the brand on the palm of the hand."

"So?"

"Branding is a very explicit psychological trigger. If they've killed before then they could have left the same identifier on their other victims, which wasn't picked up because it wasn't being looked for."

They entered CID together, still talking.

"I'm not buying it. If they've killed before, then why are we suddenly on the receiving end of body parts? Why now?"

Alex thought for a moment. "It could be something has happened to our felonious friend, his situation has changed and now he actually wants us to know about it. And if we don't respond…"

"…there'll be more body parts," Gene finished. "More murders?"

"Quite possibly."

"Shit. Right you lot. Chop chop. We need to get on top of this before it starts lookin' like a butcher's shop in 'ere. Shaz, missing persons files for the past week."

"Ma'am's already got those."

"Oh has she indeed?" He turned to face Alex. "Why?"

"You said I could look into the recent spate of unsolved cases. Remember?"

"Anything in there?"

"I haven't really had a chance to go through them yet."

"Well lucky for you that this wonderful opportunity has come up then?"

"Yes Guv. I'll get right on it."

"Ray, pull the files of all unsolved murder cases involving young women over the past two years."

"I'm already on it, Guv."

"…and pay special attention to the mortuary reports and photographs," Alex interjected, "any specific references to any branding or special marks."

"Yes Boss."

Alex settled herself behind the mountain of missing person's files already on her desk and began to meticulously pick out the most recent cases involving young women. She was so engrossed that at first she missed the importance of an ordinary looking file bearing the name 'Sam Tyler'. She opened the file, spotted Sam's picture and then quickly closed it again.

"Shaz, where exactly did all of these files come from?"

Shaz looked at her as if she were going slightly mad. "Where they always come from ma'am – the filing room."

"And no one has interfered with them?"

"Not as far as I know ma'am. Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Fine. Just…fine."

She quickly glanced around the room but everyone else was too engrossed in their own suddenly increased workload to notice her. Tentatively she opened the file again where the face of Sam Tyler stared back at her. She quickly glanced through the papers which mainly consisted of an incident report and investigation into the car crash that had led to Sam's death. Also included was a picture of what she presumed was Sam's car being lifted from the water where it had obviously crashed.

"Ma'am…I mean Boss?"

Alex quickly closed the file.

"Yes Chris?"

"I was just wondering like, if you'd noticed anything wrong with Shaz?"

"I can't say I have Chris, a bit tense perhaps. Have you asked her if anything's wrong?"

"Not really. It's a bit difficult you know…" he tailed off.

"I'll try and get to the bottom of it." She looked at Chris' downcast expression. "You still care about Shaz don't you?"

"I love her ma'am. Can't seem to get out of the habit. Even when she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you Chris – I do know that much. Look, I'll see what I can find out later okay?"

"Thanks ma'am – I'm glad you're back."

Alex smiled. "Me too. Oh Chris?" She beckoned him back to her desk and lowered her voice. "You knew Sam Tyler didn't you?"

"Yeah I knew Sam. We weren't pals or anything, he was more of a mentor like…but I though he was really great. He knew loads of stuff. He was a bit strange at times – well a bit like you really."

"Thanks….I think. Were you there when they found Sam's car in the river?"

"No. The blaggers split up and so did we. Me and Ray went one way the Guv went the other."

"So it was the Guv who found Sam?"

Chris nodded. "I'd never seen him looking so lost ma'am – he was devastated. He's never been the same since really."

"I can imagine. Thanks Chris."

Alex stared into space as she assimilated this information. Was Sam's death the key to the whole mystery – and if she solved this, could she get back to her daughter? And would Gene help – or impede her investigation? She needed to think about this before she decided on her next course of action – and now wasn't the time to do it. She slipped the file into her draw and turned the key.

"Ma'am," Shaz said as she approached the desk, "I think I've found something."

"What is it?"

Shaz handed over a photograph. "Fiona Day. She was found in a shallow grave in Hoxton." Shaz handed over a magnifying glass. "Underside of her left arm – there's a mark. A crescent moon."

. . . . . . to be continued