No Place Like Home – Chapter 7

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine alone!

Again thanks for reading and reviewing xx

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Christmas 1982 was looming on the horizon and the season of goodwill was in evidence everywhere even in CID the decorations had been dusted off for another year. Shaz was busying herself with attempts to stick tinsel to the edges of everyone's desks.

"Need a hand Baby?" Chris stepped forward ready to assist but was stopped in his tracks by Gene bursting out of his office.

"What is this bloody Blue Peter…In the car everyone NOW." He commanded as Chris, Ray and Alex grabbed their jackets and scurried after him.

"What is it Guv?" Alex inquired as she caught up to him on the stairs.

"A body's been found, woman in her sixties, looks like she was shot in the head" Gene explained as they piled into the Quattro.

"Has the victim been I.D'd?" Alex inquired.

"Names Alma Layton" Gene said expectantly.

"What!" Alex gasped in shock it was days since Arthur Layton had last tried to call her and had left a message with Shaz, she had fully expected that he would ring the next day but there was no call…maybe he was going to communicate in another way.

"Yes she's Arthur Layton's Mother…not much else to go on at the moment, next door neighbour was woken by a loud bang in the early hours of the morning, then the milkman delivering Ma Layton's daily pinta finds her front door ajar, looks in to see if everything is O.K and sees her lying there in the hallway." Gene explained.

"Has DCI Gerrard been informed?" Alex asked knowing his interest in Layton.

"The call came through to us Bolly, lets see what's what before we bring in the cavalry shall we?" Gene replied sharply.

Alex narrowed her eyes and gave him a look but didn't argue any further.

They pulled up outside a row of small terraced houses where a crowd of local people had started to gather, Gene directed the arriving police constables to keep everyone back as he and his team entered the property. A cursory glance at Alma Layton's body showed a single bullet wound to the head which caused Alex to shudder at the similarity to her own shooting in 2008.

"Right then lets see if anyone can tell us whodunit" Gene said "Me and Bolly will go and talk to Mrs Harris the neighbour who heard the gunshot…You two make a start on the rest" he directed Ray and Chris.

"Yes Guv." They echoed in unison.

"You alright Bol's? You looked like you'd seen a ghost back there." Gene asked concerned.

"Yes..It's just…" Alex replied falteringly.

"I know." Gene said recalling all she had told him about her future dealings with Arthur Layton.

Gene knocked loudly on the neighbouring door and it was quickly opened by a stout woman in her seventies, she was leaning on a walking stick for support but looked like a formidable character in every other respect.

"Hello Mrs Harris, I'm DCI Hunt and this is DI Drake can we come in?" Gene held out his warrant card for reassurance.

"It's no use flashing that I can't see a thing without me glasses" She said ushering them in. "Poor Alma…It's been a nasty shock" Mrs Harris gestured for them to take a seat.

"I'm sure it has Mrs Harris. Alex said sympathetically "Shall I make us all a nice cup of tea?" she said in a soothing manner.

"Sod the tea! I need a brandy to steady me nerves" Mrs Harris said hoisting herself us towards her sideboard and pouring herself a large measure, though none was offered to her guests.

"Right…O.K then" Gene continued the lack of hospitality testing his patience. "Can you tell us exactly what you heard last night?"

"Well I went to bed at about 11 o'clock last night and I was straight off to sleep then next thing I'm woken up by a loud bang I put the light on and saw it was just turned half one in the morning, I got out of bed and looked out my bedroom window to see what caused that bang but I couldn't see anything then I checked downstairs but there was nothing so I went back to bed and thought no more about it…Until this morning when I heard Mr Clarence the milkman screaming blue murder!"." Mrs Harris said.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to harm Mrs Layton?" Gene inquired.

"No…I mean what sort of person would do a thing like that?" Mrs Harris said sadly.

"What about her son?" Alex inquired.

"Who?…Arthur? Slippery as a butchers whatnot that one! There was certainly no love lost between them I can tell you that…But no I haven't seen him round here for years." Mrs Harris stated with certainty.

"So Arthur and his Mother didn't get on then?" Alex tried to dig deeper.

"Lets just say Alma once told me it was the worse days work she ever did giving birth to him. He was a nasty piece of work took after his old man…Alma was well rid of the pair of 'em" Mrs Harris replied. "She found out about Arthur's shady deals and told him to sling his hook for good that was about four years ago."

Gene stood up to leave "Right then Mrs Harris thanks for your help, we'll be in touch if there's anything else."

Alex let out an exasperated sigh as Gene rounded up the troops and they made their way back to the station.

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Alex was reviewing the statements that Ray and Chris had taken earlier but as with what Mrs Harris had been able to tell them it was all pretty vague and inconclusive. It appeared that Mrs Layton had been widowed for years, her husband Arthur Layton Senior having died after a pub brawl, Arthur Junior had been 11 years old at the time. She had few friends to speak of and no known enemies and her relationship with her son had seemingly broken down a few years ago, as Mrs Harris had told them. Alex glanced over to see if Gene was busy and noted he was talking on the phone in an animated fashion he slammed down the receiver his face set in an angry pout, Alex got up to see what the matter was.

"Gene?" She tentatively stepped into his office the newfound intimacy between them didn't stop her treading carefully where his ever changing moods were concerned.

"That were DCI Gerrard tearing me a strip off for not letting him know about Alma Layton sooner… Mr High and Bloody Mighty…" Gene tailed off his temper not responding well to any rebukes and certainly not one from an officer of equal rank.

"Well I did say" Alex immediately regretted her 'I told you so' as she met Gene's fierce glare.

"Thank you Miss Smug Knickers." Gene said curtly at which despite his mood Alex couldn't help but chuckle, he found he couldn't maintain his grumpy façade as her smile was infectious.

"How's about I take you out later?…Somewhere nice" Gene asked with a hopeful smile.

"Anywhere… As long as you're there I'm not bothered where we go." Alex said giving him a loving glance.

"O.K!" Gene replied. "Put yer best knickers on though!" he said grinning.

Alex was giggling as Shaz's voice cut in…

"Phone for you Ma'am"

"Thanks Shaz" Alex said moving to take the call.

"Ding dong the witch is dead!" The voice at the other end of the line said.

"What do you want?" Alex snapped.

"Someone once said 'Life being what it is, we dream of revenge' what do you dream about Alex?" Layton didn't wait for her to reply as the phone line went dead.

Alex slammed the receiver down and was startled to find Gene suddenly standing behind her.

"Everything alright Bolly?" He asked.

Alex was in turmoil she felt it was time to tell Gene about the calls from Layton, especially now he could be a suspect in his Mothers murder, but she knew Gene would be angry and hurt that she had concealed them from him; she felt it was a betrayal after everything they had just been through together and she mentally rebuked herself for being so stupid.

"Gene I…." Alex was saved from explaining herself by Shaz alerting Gene to a call from the Chief Superintendent; he rushed in his office to answer it closing the door firmly behind him.

Gene came out of his office soon after and said he had to go out for a while but was evasive as to where exactly he would be going; making clear his DI was in temporary charge in his absence. Alex returned to browsing through the statements although her mind was still occupied by when and how she should tell Gene about the calls from Layton. She tried to focus on what was important, there had to be a reason why he had come back into her life again and especially at this time with the arrival of DCI Samuel Gerrard who just happened to have the same name as her future surgeon. The most recent message from home had said that she would soon be waking up and she hadn't told Gene about that either…How could she when she knew he didn't want her to leave. Alex put her head in her hands feeling momentarily defeated by the impossible nature of the situation. She was suddenly snapped out of her agonies by a voice addressing her…

"DI Drake could I have a word? In private"

It was DCI Gerrard Alex invited him into Gene's office and closed the door.

"I'm afraid DCI Hunt is out of the office at present." Alex began.

"I came to see you anyway Alex I got the impression the other day that you were holding something back about your dealings with Arthur Layton" Gerrard said with a tone of certainty.

Alex was confused and alarmed "I'm not sure I know what you mean." She said falteringly.

"You know you can trust me Alex if there is something…" Gerrard replied giving her a sympathetic look.

Alex didn't know why but she felt she should tell him about the calls from Layton it was a relief to talk about them to someone even if she did still feel that someone should have been Gene. Gerrard listened in silence offering no rebukes for her concealment of the calls in fact he gave no response, it was as if he knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"I intend to tell DCI Hunt at the earliest opportunity" Alex concluded.

"I had hoped that DCI Hunt wouldn't prove an obstacle, his failure to inform me about Mrs Layton was an oversight I'm sure but I know I can rely on you to do the right thing Alex." Gerrard was once again talking in riddles she thought. "You know you are stronger than you think and I know that when the time comes you will be able to do what must be done… My team will take over the inquiry in Mrs Layton's death and don't worry Alex… DCI Hunt has been informed." He finished talking and opened the door to leave, Alex was still trying to process what he had just said but he was gone before she could formulate a response to any of it.

Gene returned to the station just as everyone was packing up ready to go home he was in a pensive mood he had been informed about DCI Gerrard's team taking over the Alma Layton murder case but he was strangely detached about it when Alex had expected his temper to flare in fact Gene seemed very distracted, she recalled he had left after a call from the Chief Superintendent and he had also had a meeting with him a couple of days ago. She wondered if she should ask him about it but it didn't seem like he was ready to talk about it yet, whatever it was and she could hardly reproach him for keeping secrets with her own weighing around her neck like a heavy chain. Gene had gone to sit at his desk and looked deep in thought as he swirled a large scotch around. The office had now emptied apart from the Guv and his DI.

"Still want to go out tonight?" Alex asked from the doorway snapping Gene out of his reverie.

"Sorry Bol's I'd forgotten about that." Gene said apologetically but still looking distracted. "

"It's alright I'm not sure I feel up to it tonight anyway." Alex replied feeling relieved she wasn't sure a posh dinner was the answer to her present dilemma and now wasn't the time to tell him about Layton's calls either not when he was preoccupied with matters unknown. "Well I think I'll call it a night then…" Alex stopped short of asking Gene if he was going to come with her, they had spent every night together for the past week and wonderful as it had been she thought given their present moods it might do them both good to have a bit of breathing space. Gene didn't respond at first but as she moved to leave called after her…

"Stay."

Alex was torn she felt she should leave but found she didn't really want to and as Gene came up behind her pulling her to him and kissing her neck she was lost. He pulled her into his office and locked the door, swiftly pulling down the blinds as he gently guided Alex over to sit on his lap kissing her all the while. The kisses became more passionate as they tugged at each others clothing, soon Gene had unbuttoned her blouse revealing her lacy white bra he began kissing the exposed part of her breasts as Alex had discarded his tie and undone his shirt, she now turned her attention to his trousers, undoing the belt and button then pulling down the zip. Gene was happy that Alex had chosen today to wear a skirt and was even happier to find her wearing stockings and suspenders, he slid his hand between her thighs to discover her knickers were already damp, he threaded his fingers in to feel her slick heat making her moan with pleasure. Alex had released his erection and she moved to lower herself onto him when he stopped her and instead moved to stand while gently removing her blouse, bra and knickers and positioning her over his desk. He entered her from behind with one swift motion causing them both to cry out with the overwhelming sensation of it, and slowly at first he began to move in her caressing her breasts as he did so. She gripped the edge of his desk crying out with the ecstasy of it as he plunged faster and deeper into her moving his hand to work her most sensitive part to near its tipping point. He was grunting with the effort of holding back as she felt the wave of orgasm crash over her taking him with her as he gently rested against her back kissing her hair. Gene slowly pulled himself upright and offered Alex his hand as he brought her into his arms tenderly kissing her.

"I've wanted to do it like that…with you… For such a long time…Hope you didn't mind." He said quite bashfully between kisses.

Alex moved to look deep into his eyes. "No I certainly DID'NT mind." She said smiling.

Both were lost in their own thoughts as they tightly embraced each other Alex knowing that she would have to tell Gene the truth and quickly and Gene formulating a plan in his mind, there were things he needed to tell Alex and something he needed to ask her.

For tonight they would both keep their secrets as they straightened their clothing and headed over to Luigi's. The storm was coming though and things were going change forever…Nothing could stop it now.