This is a two-parter (so this is Chapter 10, Part 1)

and yes, Barbie Doll was here in the 1980s.

Closer Every Second

Chapter 10

"So m'aame, will you be joining us in Luigi's tonight?" WPC Shaz Granger asked her superior officer, DI Alex Drake as she sat reading through a dull report at her desk.

The friendly DI looked up at her young colleague and smiled kindly at her but with slight confusion. "I've got a lot of paperwork to complete Shaz and I'm dragging behind as it is. So maybe not tonight. Sorry."

Shaz leaned towards her, not wanting their DCI who was still in his office to overhear. "Yer see, it's the guv's birthday tommorrow and we want to celebrate it for him."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" she asked, almost to himself. Who would of guessed that the guv had the same birthday as hers!

"Yep, I'll come Shaz" she said quickly at her. Shaz smiled and exited CID. Alex sighed and put her head in her hands. Should she tell anybody that it was her birthday as well tomorrow? Nope, she won't. It was for the guv and the guv only. She wouldn't tell anybody.

Gene came out of his office then, turning its lights out and walked with his coat on towards his DI at her desk. "Come on Bolls. Time to go to beddy byes."

"You sound like my father." she muttered and grabbed her white jacket and put it on quickly. Gene watched her and then opened the door for her as she walked past him. They both walked out of CID together.

It was only six o'clock, Alex thought. Time to get busy...

"Guv, I'll join you in a minute." she said.

"Why?" he asked, stopping and looking at her.

"Personal Errand" she replied, not blowing her cover.

"If I have to ruddy come and rescue yer, then I'll have to kill yer Bolls." he gruffed. She smiled.

"I know Guv. Back in a minute" and she hurried off, her black boots clicking upon the pathment as she ran. Gene watched her for a moment before walking into Luigi's.

Alex hurried along the street to her favourite childhood shop. She always remembered this street. Her mother and father would always come here for birthday presents and cards as it was the best shop for it.

Madame Shelly's Magical Wishes, was the shop's name. She knew Gene would scoff at this but from memory came an opportunity.

She always used to wander around the shop when her mother or father would speak to Madame Shelly herself at the counter, letting her choose the gifts. And she had always admired a certain thing.

There was a golden compass which showed a sign of commitment; Madame Shelly had once spoken to her.

"Careful Alexandra" she had said with awe as she starred at it through the glass cabinet. "That compass is a very old thing, older than my grandfather even. This is a gift that only colleagues would give each other, to show great respect to each other. So for example if you had a friend you worked with and he/she looked after you this would spell thank you very quickly. T'is a gift is most purest."

This is how she knew that it would be perfect for Gene, even if he didn't know the meaning. She went over to the counter and saw the familiar sight of Madame Shelly. She looked up as she approached and beamed at her.

"How may I be of assistance?" she asked in that friendly tone. "Could I have the brass golden compass in cabinet 24B?" she asked.

Madame Shelly smiled wider as Alex continued speaking.

"He is a good friend of mine and he is a very good colleague of mine as well. He's looked after me and I need to re-pay him."

"Then you can have it for him" Madame Shelly said.

She got up, opened a drawer with the keys in and walked to the cabinet before reaching in and taking it off the shelf. She walked back to Alex at the counter (who had taken a card from the stand and placed it there as well) put it in an old compass case, wrapped both up in brown paper and handed it to Alex. She put the amounts in the till.

"£16.99 please, dear" Madame Shelly asked and Alex handed her the money.

"I've always hoped that someone like you would have purchased this" she sighed. "T'is..."

"T'is a gift is most purest" Alex finished for her. Madame Shelly looked up in pleasant surprise.

"Thank you and Good-Day Madame Shelly" Alex sighed happily.

"Good-Day!" she chimed.

Alex sighed at the happily memory and walked back to her flat and then downstairs to Luigi's.

The next day, Alex woke in a cheerful mood. She sang as she picked out her outfit, a dark red dress with leggings that went to her knees. She wore her black heels and her black cardigan as well.

"#Happy Birthday to me...Happy Birthday to mee…Happy birthday to mee...Happy birthday to mee!#" she sang softly as she twirled round in her kitchen.

She saw she had some post and picked it up. There was a birthday card from Evan. It read:

To Alex.

Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great day!

Love Evan

Alex smiled and put it on the table and sorted breakfast out.

She breakfasted quickly and remembered to grab Gene's present and card in her handbag on her way to the station.

Walking into CID, she stored the present into her desk drawer. Smiling at Shaz as she walked past she went and knocked on Gene's door. She heard him grunt as an invitation and she opened the door.

The first thing she saw was Gene sitting in his chair looking pissed. Then she looked around the office and burst out laughing. It was covered in PINK flyers saying 'Happy Birthday!' It was a BARBIE DOLL'S birthday flyer.

"This lot are taking the bloody piss, Bolls!" Gene said, still annoyed. Alex threw him an amused look and went to the flyers. In one swift movement, she tore it down and scrunched it into a ball and threw it into the bin.

"Better guv?" she asked. He grinned. She took the card out of her pocket. "Though that doesn't stop me wishing you a happy birthday, guv."

And with that she dropped the card onto his desk and walked out of the office.

"Alex!" called Ray when Alex came out of the guv's office. She stopped and turned towards him. "What's up Ray?"

"That kid, the one who was found half dug up last month?" he asked with a worried look on his face.

"Yer might not like this but another kid around about twelve has been found. Little girl. Says her name was Molly Drake. Do you know her?"

Alex screamed...and then collapsed.