A/n- sorry had to re upload this chapter as I was reading it for reference to the next one and suddenly realised Tom had turned into a Joe- haven't a clue who the hell Joe is- all I can say is sorry again, have been somewhat distracted this past week.

Chapter Seven

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Guilty!

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The next morning Gene was in his office early waiting for Tom Cooper. He was coldly furious, so angry he could barely speak. Word had flown around the incident room that the Guv was in the foulest of moods. Jane had brought him a six sugared coffee without even being asked and placed it carefully in front of him.

Alex appeared before Tom Cooper and Gene's heart lifted slightly for the first time that day. They exchanged knowing glances. He gave her the briefest nod, she caught it and smiled sadly. He followed her into the kitchenette.

'He's late.'

Alex turned, and as she did he saw a gold chain disappearing under her blouse and wondered where it ended. He suddenly desperately wanted to find out.

'He'll be here soon.' she replied as serenely as she could manage in his presence, 'Coffee? Tea?'

'Could do with a scotch.' he said. 'Coffee.' he stared at her arse as she busied herself making their drinks; imagined lifting her onto his lap, taking her from behind. And God he'd take her, the way he felt now he badly needed some no holds barred rough sex. Rough hot and wet. Slithering sex. But with her. Only with her. Why was he thinking of sex when he should have been concentrating on Tom Cooper? It was sex that had got Cooper where he was now. Jesus! Gene was going to crucify the little bastard.

Alex could feel his eyes on her as she made the coffee and trembled like a frightened doe. His closeness was overwhelming.

'He's here' Gene barked, moving closer to Alex, noticing her trembling, 'Think this would be better dealt with in your office, don't you?'

'If you say so.' she agreed.

'Yes I do.' his eyes were stormy grey with a hint of cornflower blue.

Alex felt weak-kneed and looked away quickly, remembering another time his eyes had turned that way, when they were waiting for Chris after he'd let Gene down so badly.

'You question him first.' Gene said. 'You're more detached. I'd throttle the little cu…..bastard- sorry.'

'Don't be sorry.' she said breathily. 'It's understandable. How you feel.'

oxxo

Tom Cooper squirmed visibly as he sat in the chair opposite Alex as she questioned him coolly.

'You led me to believe that DCI Hunt agreed to your prolonged interrogation of Joseph Blake.' she said.

'I'm sure I mentioned it to him the day before.' Tom said, not looking at Gene.

Gene stayed silent.

'Maybe I didn't.' Tom relented.' But I truly believed Blake was guilty of beating up Frank Davis. I needed to find out the truth.'

'We all need to find out the truth.' Alex said, moving the fan in another direction as Cooper lit a cigarette to prevent ash blowing everywhere. 'Rebecca Swan- could you describe your relationship with her?'

'I already have.' Tom said.

'Yes, but you see I don't think you quite told me the whole story did you?' Alex said, 'I don't want to put words in your mouth. I want you to tell me. Were you sleeping with her?'

'No' Tom looked sulky, 'We flirted a lot, I think it would have happened eventually.'

'Yes I've heard about the heavy flirting.' Alex said, 'Rebecca had a grudge against Joseph Blake didn't she?'

Tom sat mutely.

'Didn't she?' Alex insisted.

Tom still didn't answer.

'She told you he raped her didn't she?' Alex said.

Tom paled but still didn't speak.

'Why didn't you take this to the Guv?' Alex asked. 'It should have been his decision to decide how to go forward on this, not yours. You believed what Rebecca told you and didn't take time to think things through.'

'He deserved everything he got.' Tom said.

Gene stood up and leaned in front of Tom, 'No he didn't' he said quietly, 'He was in police custody under investigation and should have been safe. He shouldn't have died in a cell after a pasting from a little runt like you. You swore to me you only pushed him once. You are neck deep in shit Cooper. You are going to fully co-operate with DCI Drake, and she is going to take a statement from you. I am ringing the Super to see where to go from here. Hopefully it will involve you being a long, long way from my station because god help me I could smash your head against that wall right now, crack it like an egg, just like you did with Blake.' He stormed from the room.

'Right!' Alex said, 'Talk!'

oxxo

When she had finished taking the statement from Tom Alex felt exhausted, and badly in need of a drink, but she knew she had to type it up . She had been tapping away for a good half hour when Gene reappeared.

'Alright?' she asked.

He looked grim, 'Super wants to see you- think I'm joining Cooper in Shit Street.'

'No you're not' Alex told him firmly, 'I'll put him right. Where is Cooper?'

'They came and took him to Fenchurch West- he's thinking things through in a cell. Bloody hell Bebe, what's the world coming to?' Gene asked tiredly.

'It's testosterone.' Alex said, 'Has a lot to answer for.'

'Sex and bloody women.' Gene said.

'Yes' Alex smoothed down her jeans and fiddled with her hair, 'I've never met the Super, what's he like?'

'Detached.' Gene said. 'likes arses apparently.' he peered at Alex's bum.

'Gay?' Alex asked.

'No- female derrieres' Gene said, still eying her up 'though quite what he'll make of that bony thing I haven't a clue.'

'Well you spend enough time looking at it.' Alex said bravely as she swept out of the room.

The Super sat with his lips pursed, but Alex managed to convince him that Gene hadn't known about or condoned anything that Tom Cooper had done on the 18th July regarding the Blake case.

'This station is teetering on the brink' he said ominously.

'Yes, well, DCI Hunt may be your one saving grace.' Alex said. 'from what I've learned of him he's a good honest, decent man.'

The Super seemed very surprised, 'A glowing reference indeed' he said, 'You surprise me Mrs Drake, he's a bit of Neanderthal , I would have thought you being into all that women's lib stuff you two would have been at loggerheads.'

'We have similar core values.' Alex said. 'And that's all that counts to me.'

She went back to her typewriter, and was furiously getting down to business when there was a knock on the door.

'Come in' she called, rubbing her wrist over her forehead, even with the fan on maximum, the heat was getting to her.

'Lunch?' Gene offered, sliding a finger under the collar of his shirt, 'Fucking hot in here.' again he felt a pang of regret that he had shoved her in that dark little room.

'I need to finish this.' Alex said, but she was sorely tempted.

'It's nearly three o'clock. Can't have you collapsing over a hot typewriter.' Gene said, 'Especially when something long and cool awaits you in L'auberge.'

Alex realised that she had to slow down, the sooner she finished, the sooner she would be out of Fenchurch, and that was the last thing she wanted. 'Ok' she stood up.

'Come on Mrs Woman, you can buy the first round.' he said.

'I knew there was a catch.' she answered, slipping past him.

As they entered the wine bar a group of yuppies came staggering out, shouting and pushing each other. Gene strode straight through the middle of them, muttering 'Tossers United' but as he turned his head he saw Alex roughly pushed aside as the rowdy men refused to give way.

One of them had her pinned up against the antechamber wall, 'Ooo I'm enjoying this darlin'

'Yeah? Well enjoy this!' Gene said, pulling the yuppie's trousers up in a violent wedgie.

'Fucking get off me you gorilla.' the yuppie's voice shot higher mid speech.

Gene manhandled him out of the door, giving him a hard shove onto the street, as he turned to check Alex was alright, another mouthy yuppie pushed Gene in the back before scuttling off hurriedly. Gene ended up jammed against Alex, their mouths no more than a millimetre apart, he could feel her hipbone digging into him, her breath on his face, their lips touched briefly before Gene shot back, looking horrified. Alex brought her hand to her mouth, breathing heavily.

Neither could say who had kissed who, and it had a long way to go before it could even be called a kiss really, but they felt a current as strong as an electric shock.

'Sorry' Alex gasped after a few seconds had passed and they were still silently staring at each other, she wiped pale pink lipstick from his mouth and he let her.

In the wine bar Alex could still feel his lips burning into her. She sipped the glass of cold white wine he had poured her.

'You hungry?' he asked gruffly, studying the menu so he didn't have to look her in the eye, 'Frogs legs sandwich?'

'Salad Nicoise please' Alex said shakily.

'Ok' he waved her money away as she offered him a ten pound note.

As he waited to order he lit a panatela, and touched his lips thoughtfully as he lit it. Hell he wanted her. It was crazy. And not possible, he told himself firmly as he thought of Christopher and Claudia. But he still wanted her. Badly. Especially after receiving her own delightful version of the bruise free groin slap, applied with her hipbone. He wondered if he'd ever feel the same in that area again.

'You'll be a DI down' Alex said as they ate.

'Better to have no DI than a bent DI' Gene replied, unable to understand why his club sandwich tasted like cardboard. Alex wasn't fairing much better with her salad, she seemed to be mostly moving it around the plate.

'I could stay and help perhaps' she held her breath.

'Two DCI'S? Don't think so.' Gene replied.

'I mean I could stand in as a DI.' Alex said.

Gene looked at her, 'You seem pleasantly eager Bebe, usually I have trouble keeping women officers, too charming for them.'

'I like Fenchurch East.' Alex blushed. 'Very much' she added.

'Well your job's not done yet anyway is it?' Gene said, 'You need to get a statement from Rebecca Swan, and anyone else who was around on the day in question so we can do our best to assist Fenchurch West with their investigation. We need this case to be watertight.'

'Yes we do, you're quite right.' she nodded with relief.

'Cooper doesn't fuck me over and get away with it.' Gene said. 'And I need to be able to look Joseph Blake's family in the eye.'

An hour or so later DC Kevin Branning entered L'auberge and made for Gene, 'Claudia's on the warpath.' he said. 'She's rung about a half a dozen times. Told her you were working on an important case- didn't tell her it was an important case of wine.'

Gene flung his napkin on top of the half eaten sandwich, 'We are working, haven't you heard of a working lunch?'

'I'm only the messenger' Kevin said.

Yeah well, we're coming now.' Gene stood up.

Alex grabbed an olive from her salad, popped it in her mouth and hurried after Gene and Kevin.

oxxo

'They're not my friends' Gene told Claudia, as she scowled at him while crashing plates into the dishwasher. 'Got nothing in common with them, why should I care about the latest branding of sodding Omo?'

'It's not Omo- it's Greenio' Claudia snapped, 'Environmentally friendly washing liquid- the future- we can't keep abusing the planet. You could make an effort, you were actually snoring at the table at one point- it's so rude.'

'Well it's been a tough week- I'm knackered.' Gene pouted, pouring a single malt .

'Hung over from a boozy lunch with that woman you mean.' Claudia muttered.

'That women is a DCI- it was business- she got me out of the shit today.' Gene said, 'She has a miserable life, I wanted to cheer her up a bit.'

'How do you know she has a miserable life?' Claudia demanded, 'been telling you sob stories has she?'

'I can't talk to you when you're like this' Gene said, he downed his drink, 'I'm going to bed.'

'I'll be up in a sec.' Claudia said, shutting the dishwasher.

But when she got out of the shower and crawled in beside him he was asleep with his back to her. She tried not to cry as she touched him tentatively and he shrunk away, coiling deeper into himself. She knew something was wrong, they had gone from frequent sex to no sex. This wasn't the Gene she knew and loved.

She had only been asleep a short while when she was woken up again by noise from further down the street. The large detached house a few doors down was inhabited by Hooray Henrys who partied long and hard several nights a week. Claudia sighed with resignation as she heard them shouting and laughing loudly.

'The night is young! Haw haw haw' one of them yelled, 'Don't go, let's have another little drinkie.'

'Do come back Arabella!' screamed another, 'I'm sure there's a couple more bottles of Bolly in the fridge.'

'I adore Bolly.' shrieked another.

Claudia marvelled at how Gene could sleep through all the commotion; she worried that Christopher and Ann Evans might be disturbed too.

But Gene wasn't asleep. In the dark with his back to Claudia his eyes had shot open, he struggled to control his breathing. His mind zooming into overdrive.

Bolly- not BB- not Bebe- Bolly.

He tried so hard to work it out and couldn't think straight. The only thing he knew for certain was that the DCI who had appeared out of nowhere supposedly from D&C had already been given a nickname by him in the past, and that nickname was Bolly. He had very little sleep that night and was up early and off to the station.

He waited in his office, wondering why his stomach was churning so. When Alex appeared she went into the kitchenette after nodding at him. He still waited, he needed to catch her unawares.

When he thought the time was right and the noise in the incident room had dulled to a drone, he went to the door of his office and shouted loudly.

'Bolly!'

oxxo