Sandra hadn't forgotten the conversation she had had with Gerry only five minutes previously. She withdrew from her embrace with him reluctantly, as she felt safe there, in his arms.
"Ok, so tell me, what lines of enquiry?" she asked again.
"Look, it's probably nothing" he replied vaguely.
"Well, if it is nothing, you won't mind telling me will you" she told him persuasively.
"Alright, but you didn't hear it from me. Ok?" he asked. She nodded in agreement.
"Well, we believe that…" Gerry was cut off by Jack.
"Don't you bloody dare, we agreed" Jack barked.
"Agreed what? For God's sake, just tell me what's going on" Sandra said, a little firmer, a little more frustrated.
"Tell her" said Brian, walking through the door, carrying his bike and helmet in one hand and Scampi in the other. Sandra had grown fairly fond of the dog, he was a good companion when the boys were at work.
"Ok" said Gerry, holding his hands up. "We believe that Tom may have had something to do with your mother's death. He was the last one to see her alive at the hospital and he left when someone, Gawd knows who, turned the machines off".
Sandra took a deep breath and sat, well almost fell, back onto the sofa. "I didn't think he'd do it again, he's already committed one murder, but his own step mother? How could he?" she asked bewildered, devastated even, to lose two family members, in a matter of speaking.
"We'll find out what really happened, and if it's him, we'll make sure he goes down" Jack told her.
"He won't see the light of day 'til hell freezes over" Gerry corrected.
"Thanks guys" Sandra smiled.
Gerry's phone rang, causing all four of them to jump to it. Since the beginning of the investigation, they had all been on tenterhooks, wanting justice for Sandra's sake if nothing else. They all knew, and were fond of Grace, but also were all very close to Sandra, if very different ways.
As Gerry picked the phone up it read 'Strickers'. The team all knew who it was and eagerly awaited news.
"Yeah…yeah…ok then…yeah…I'll tell her…ok…bye" Gerry hung up. Sandra looked at him, to the ground and back again. She wanted to know, but didn't at the same time.
"So?" Jack questioned.
"There's a witness, an eye witness at that" Gerry said smugly. "Saw Tom go in to Grace when she was alive, heard the machines and saw him leave, no machines making noise. There was shouting, sounds of a struggle, he did it".
"No" Sandra whispered in desperation. Hearing that her mother had been murdered was bad enough, but until now she hadn't let herself believe it.
"I'm sorry Sandra" Brian said quietly, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Sandra smiled slightly and tilted her head to the side.
"That's all my family gone" Sandra cried.
"We're your family now" Gerry smiled.
"And I couldn't ask for better" Sandra replied.
