Time for a teeny weenie bit of Galex. Once again thanks for your comments please keep them coming.

Chapter 10

"DON'T PISS ME ABOUT!" Gene thumped his fist hard down on the desk making Carl North jump.

"I told you I don't know nothing Mr Hunt." smarmed North.

Gene getting frustrated grabbed the man by the chin. "Look here you scumbag. You are Nigel Watts's right hand man. You do all his little, dirty jobs for him making him look whiter than white. But, I know he is scum of the earth. Why did he kill Mason?"

"I don't KNOW!" shouted North.

"You don't know why he killed him, but you know he did?" countered Gene.

"No, no he didn't, I don't know." stuttered North.

"Who did?" pressed Gene.

"Are you thick? I said I don't know." insisted North.

Gene released the man's chin and sat back down in his chair. Gene glared at North "Y'know when you have outlived your purpose Watts will discard you like yesterday's chip paper, just like he did with Mickey Sykes. Blew his head off with a shotgun."

"Gerry Cox got sent down for that." North said confused

"Yeah he did, Watt's did him up like a kipper and my bet is that he'll do the same to you... if yer lucky, if not..." Gene left the sentence hanging.

"Nah he wouldn't do that to me. He does that to squealers. I'm not a squealer."

Sensing he wasn't getting anywhere, Gene got up and left the room followed by Litton.

"He's not going to talk, he's just as shit scared as the others." commented Litton.

"Can't say I blame him." Replied Gene "If I thought offering him protection would help I would have done. I say we release him back into the wild and put a tail on him. Bolls and me can do that, she enjoys that sort of stuff."

"You sure you want to take a bird with you? It may get a bit heavy." questioned Litton as he pushed open the doors into the office.

"She's alright. If it kicks off she can jump up and down on his knackers."

"On whose knackers?" asked Alex overhearing.

"Carl North's. You and me are going to tail him, see what naughty things he gets up to."

Alex could barely hide her enthusiasm at the thought of spending time with Gene, alone in the car.

Seeing that Sam was back behind his desk Gene asked "Did you manage to get anything from Linda Mason?"

"Turns out Eric Mason had a brain tumour Guv." began Sam "His condition had gotten much worse in recent months."

"The ex wife told you that?" said Gene

"They still kept in contact as she used him as a credit card. She left him because she could no longer cope with his dodgy dealings." explained Sam

"But, she was happy to take the money." Gene said slightly disgusted.

"She's a shopaholic." added Alex.

"A shopper what?" barked Gene misunderstanding

"She can't stop herself spending money."

"I thought that was all women." Quipped Ray and he was rewarded with a titter from the room.

Alex rolled her eyes. "No it's a condition, like some people become addicted to cigarettes or scotch." She looked directly at Gene. "She's addicted to shopping; therefore she has debts and needs a constant supply of cash."

"So she knew he was bent?" Gene asked.

"Appears so." reasoned Alex.

"That's not the best bit." continued Sam. "Last year when he was diagnosed with the brain tumour, he stopped taking bungs for throwing cases. He told Linda this in the hope that she would take him back. She was thinking about it, but then found out that he had been in contact with Watts again."

"Was any of Watts's London mob due in court at the time?" asked Litton to all in the room.

"That's the strange thing," said Alex "Mason wasn't hearing any cases. At the time he was receiving treatment and was off work."

Gene thought hard puzzling.

"Hang about," piped up Ray "Gerry Cox said that he'd heard rumours that something big was being planned."

"That's right. He said he didn't mind telling us as Watts wasn't his favourite person, cos he got him put inside." added Chris.

"So what were they planning?" asked Gene

Chris pursed his lips and shook his head "Don't know Guv, he wouldn't say. Just that it was going to be a massive blag."

"It's possible that Mason got wind of this blag and either tried to blackmail Watts or wanted a cut." surmised Gene.

"But, why would a dying man want money." Ray asked

"That's it!" exclaimed Alex as if she'd just been hit by lightning bolt of inspiration. "Don't you see?" she addressed the room "He had nothing to lose, he was dying anyway so it didn't matter if Watts decided to bump him off , but if Watts didn't kill him and agreed to whatever Mason wanted, he could make sure that Linda was well provided for. It's my guess he wanted a piece of the action."

Gene nodded in agreement "That's why Watts had him killed. Mason had become a liability."

"Isn't this the part where we all jump up and scream let's get the bastard?" said Alex incredulously.

Sam was trying hard not to snigger at Alex's humour.

Gene looked at Alex "There's a small problem of evidence, Bolly, we still don't have any. C'mon miss dippy knickers. Phyllis is just about to release our friend North. Let's see where he leads us. The rest of you get on to your snouts, see if you can get anymore info on this blag. Litton get on to Manchester, we need a tail on Watts."

"Guv? As me and Annie don't have any snouts, shall we go over the Mason's bank account records."

"Good idea Sam. While you're at it, get hold of Watts's. You never know, there might be some dodgy transactions on there." Sam nodded.

As Gene and Alex moved to leave, Phyllis popped her head around the door and said "Sam there's a chap downstairs who's got a delivery for you."

"Thanks Phyllis I'll be right down. Annie you've got to come down and see this." Sam was clearly excited.

Annie followed Sam downstairs and out into the car park.

"Look at this!" exclaimed Sam.

"Sam it's a car." replied Annie unimpressed.

"This is not just a car, Annie this is a mark 1 Golf GTi."

Annie shook her head "It's a car." She again said unimpressed looking at the new, white Volkswagen.

"I used to have one of these years ago, it's a classic I never thought I'd get to drive one brand new."

Annie smiled at him "whose car is it?"

"It's mine."

Gene and Alex had followed North to a council housing estate. Now parked across the road they watched North enter a drab house which looked unkempt and tired. North had looked around checking that no one had seen him and had been greeted at the door by a pale, blonde girl in her 20s.

Alex looking around the car broke the silence "Mercedes convertible, very nice, didn't think it would be your style."

"It's comfortable and fast." remarked Gene.

"Does this mean I'm Makepeace to your Dempsey?" she quipped

"What?" scowled Gene.

"Dempsey drove one of these. Oh never mind. I guess it hasn't been filmed yet."

Gene looked at her as though she was losing the plot again.

Alex fixed her gaze on him "Did you miss me?"

"Did you miss me?" Gene looked straight back at her.

"Yes, course, I missed your gruff tones, sexist attitude and your brand of charm," She said affection ally.

"You just can't get enough of the Gene Genie can you woman?"

"I guess not."

"Miss your nagging, harebrained, psycho theories, endless headaches? You know I missed you Bolls. I had no one left to have a bloody good argument with."

"So who was using Ray's desk then?" mused Alex

"Oh Shit!" exclaimed Gene. In all the excitement of his team returning, he had completely forgotten about DI Collins.

"What?"

"DI Collins, a complete twat." Stated Gene

"Well where is he?" pressed Alex

"I Dunno. He hasn't been into work since you arrived." Gene said as if he couldn't care less about his whereabouts.

"Don't you think you should find out?" Alex said now animated.

Gene shrugged his shoulders, "He doesn't want to be with us Alex. I haven't got time to go round chasing arsey DIs"

"You chased me."

"You're better looking."

Their conversation was interrupted by North leaving the house, tucking a brown envelope into his jacket as he walked towards his car.