This is quite a short chapter but I'd like to say thank you to Jill for the idea!3
"I'm going to fucking kill him!" Sammy shouted, pacing up and down the living room. Gill, Julie and Kevin were sitting on the sofa, just watching Sammy work himself up. Rachel and Janet were on the other sofa and Melissa was in the chair next to the TV. They all held a glass of red wine, except from Melissa who had a cup of tea.
"Sammy, love, stop working yourself up like this," Melissa called from the armchair.
"He can't just kill my little sister, by accident or on purpose, and get away with it! They need to find him!" he shouted.
Julie got up from the sofa and grabbed hold of Sammy's shoulders. "Listen. We are doing all we can to find that bastard. He hasn't retuned home since the incident so he must be running out of money. As soon as he is spotted at an ATM machine, we will be straight down there and I will arrest him myself. Don't you worry about that."
Gill was sat on the sofa, staring into her wine. She was only on her first glass and had only drunk about half. Everyone else was on their third or fourth, Rachel was on about her tenth. She probably didn't feel like drinking after what had happened in the past week but it was very unusual of her not to have at least two glasses, even when she didn't feel like drinking a lot.
"Gill?" Janet asked.
"Sorry, I was miles away. Hello. What?" Gill asked.
"Nothing, I was just wondering if you'd dropped off to sleep there. You we're just staring with your head bowed and I couldn't see if you eyes were closed," Janet replied.
"Oh," Gill replied and went back to staring at her drink.
By this time, Julie had managed to calm Sammy down and he was now sat in the armchair with Melissa on his lap.
"Are you sure you're okay, Sammy?" Melissa asked.
"Yeah," he replied. "I mean I will be once the arrest the bastard." He turned to face Julie. "I honestly couldn't think of anyone better to be in charge of this investigation and to cover for my mom while she's not at work," he said.
"She honestly is the best boss… well, except for you, Gill," Kevin piped up.
"Really, Kevin?" Julie asked. "That's not what I heard. Bitch from the Black Lagoon? I make Godzilla look like Mary Poppins? Ring any bells?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that!"
Rachel looked at her phone and saw the time.
"Crap! I've gotta get home to Sean, I'm on a promise!" she exclaimed. Janet rolled her eyes at Gill at this. This meant that Janet had to go too, under no circumstances was she letting Rachel drive home after all that wine.
"I'll see you out." Gill got up and handed Janet and Rachel their coats from the back of the sofa.
Rachel stood up to get her coat from Gill and wobbled in her heels. She didn't usually wear heels and she'd chosen the wrong day to wear them. She guessed that she was more drunk that she'd though.
"Bye Gill," she said when she got to the front door. "I love you."
"Yeah, if you say so Sherlock. Go home and sleep that alcohol off," Gill replied.
"No, I'm being serious. All that stuff I said about you being a Godzilla bitch wasn't true!" she shouted. She leaned in to Gill's ear and whispered, "I'm secretly jealous of you, but shh! Don't tell Gill!"
Gill just laughed.
Rachel lowered her gaze and patted Gill's abdomen.
"Bye bye Baby Murray," she whispered, forgetting what had happened in the past week. She turned at fell into the passenger seat of Janet's car.
Gill's eyes welled with tears at Rachel's comment.
"I'm sorry, Gill. She doesn't know what she's saying. Do you want me to stay?" Janet asked sympathetically.
"No, no. It's okay, I've got Kevin and Julie," Gill replied and wiped away a tear.
"Alright. Call if you need me," Janet said.
Gill agreed and closed the door.
xXxXx
"I'm going to bed, it's quite late," Melissa announced. "You coming?" she asked Sammy.
"Yeah, I'm coming, love," Sammy replied.
"I think I'm gonna go too," Kevin joined in. "I've gotta be in work early tomorrow."
They exited the room as Gill was entering it.
She stood there for a minute, staring at Julie.
"Help," she whispered with tear stained cheeks.
Julie got up and rushed over to embrace her best friend. Gill sobbed into Julie's shoulder.
"Shh." Julie tried to calm Gill. They moved onto the sofa and Gill lay on it, her head in Julie's lap.
"Everything will be okay," Julie comforted, stroking Gill's hair. "You and Kevin can try again."
"No we can't," Gill replied. "Can't you see? I'm not getting any younger and this baby was my last chance of happiness. Dave saw that it was sorted though, didn't he?"
"Of course you can try again! I've heard of women that have had babies well into their sixties, you have plenty of time! Who cares if you're a little bit older than the other moms? Your baby won't and neither should you."
"I don't know. I'm not even sure if I want another baby. Having one so soon after this would just seem wrong."
"I suppose," Julie agreed. "You could wait for a year or something. You can't be sure that you'll get pregnant first time anyway."
"I did the first time I slept with Kevin," Gill laughed.
"Yeah, well, Kevin must have some weird super power or something then!" Julie joked.
Gill didn't quite understand but she laughed anyway. She realised how much she needed Julie in her life and how much she took her for granted.
"I love you, you do know that, don't you?" Gill asked, turning to face Julie.
"Have you secretly been at the wine, Gill?" Julie asked.
"Excuse me, lady! No I have not! I just want you to know how much I love you."
"Yes, of course I know! I love you too," Julie replied.
xXxXx
"KEVIN!" Julie shouted, running out of Gill's office. "Get your coat and come with me NOW! I'll talk to you in the car."
Kevin grabbed his coat from the stand next to his desk and sprinted out of the office behind Julie.
"What's up?" he asked once they were in the back of a police car.
"They boys at the station have found Murray. They had an anonymous tip off that he's staying in a flat on the Rundowne Estate and we need to get down there ASAP!"
xXxXx
Julie knocked on the door of flat number 72.
"One minute!" came a voice from inside.
Dave Murray opened the door to find six uniform police officers and Julie and Kevin standing on his doorstep.
"Shit!" he shouted.
"Shit indeed, Mr Murray," Julie replied dryly.
She grabbed his shoulders and spun him around. She cuffed his wrists and lead him down the stairs.
"Dave Murray, I am arresting you on suspicion of assaulting DCI Gill Murray. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."
"Got you, you bastard," Kevin whispered.
