Thanks to all my readers/reviewers etc for sticking with this story. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Powers of Persuasion

Alex smiled at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she slicked one last coat of lip-gloss over her lips. It had been an eventful weekend to say the least and she was reluctant to face the realities of Monday morning – especially when this particular Monday morning involved an interview with Jim Keats. Not that she had anything to hide. Well…not much.

"You gonna be in there much longer Bolly?" Gene's voice echoed through the bathroom door.

She smiled, still loving the novelty of having Gene around first thing in the morning – and last thing at night.

"Five minutes."

"You said that half an hour ago!"

"My flat, my rules."

She grinned as she heard him muttering to himself and then move away from the bathroom door. Gene had been very attentive during the whole weekend although Alex couldn't quite figure out whether that was from a genuine desire to spend time together or whether he was being over-protective given her recent experiences. Gene had simply snorted contemptuously.

"Yes Bolly – I have decided you need close bodily protection. Hence my cunning plan of lying on top of you at every possible opportunity."

She had then proceeded to demonstrate a little 'close protection' of her own. Plans for their Saturday night date had been thrown out of the window as most of the day was spent sleeping, making love, sleeping, scavenging for food and making love again. She had finally despatched Gene out of the front door and into the rain with instructions to bring back food – still not ready to admit to herself that she was still reluctant to leave the safety of Gene's home. In the end though, she couldn't have dreamed of a better 'date'. Gene had returned triumphantly bearing the best fish and chip supper that London could provide which was then washed down with red wine as they watched old movies on tv. She had fallen asleep during 'Gunfight at the O.K. Coral' (much to Gene's disgust) but had made it up to him with the inventive use of baby oil and a couple of Gene's silk ties.

She sighed with utter contentment. It had been a very productive weekend indeed.

Sunday had been even better. After a lazy morning in bed, Gene had finally insisted that Alex step outside the front door with a promise to treat her to a slap up Sunday lunch. She had emerged blinking into the sunlight, slightly nervous as to what she would find, but of course it was all perfectly normal. Children playing in the street, music blaring from someone's stereo and the early spring sunshine making everything look less grimy than normal. Maybe she had been imagining some of it – not the voice or the footsteps perhaps, but the spooky stuff? God knows she had imagined enough weird and wonderful things since she had arrived in this world.

Gene had been on top form all weekend with his somehow endearing mix of blunt humour combined with a teasing banter that had helped to make Alex feel very good indeed. It had therefore been with a certain reluctance on both sides that they finally left Gene's house and headed towards Alex's flat on Sunday evening – mainly because Alex had run out of clothes to wear and no matter how fetching Gene's shirts were on her, she doubted whether they would be quite the done thing to be wearing in CID come Monday morning.

"Bolly!"

Gene's increasingly impatient voice broke into her daydream. She smiled at her reflection. Time to face the music.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Morning Viv," Alex chirped brightly, as she passed the front desk.

"Morning ma'am." Viv looked up and then did a double-take as he saw Gene following close on Alex's heels. Suspiciously close in fact. "Morning Guv," he smirked.

"Shut it Sergeant."

"Yes Guv."

"What was all that about?" Alex said as they approached CID.

"Lets just say that I have a very funny feelin' that Viv has won the station pool."

"Pool?" Alex looked puzzled. "You mean…"

"…the whole station's been laying bets on when we'd finally get it together."

Alex stopped walking. "Is it that obvious?"

"It is to Viv, although that won't stop the rest of 'em from wanting more evidence. Which, before you even ask, we are not going to give 'em. Are we?"

"Well if you mean am I going to swoon at your feet or scribble 'Alex loves Gene' over the whiteboard, then no, we're not. We're going to be professional about this."

"Too right love. Besides, last thing I want is Keats gettin' wind of this."

The mention of Keats brought Alex back down to earth with a depressing bump. "Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that."

Gene briefly rested his hand on her shoulder. "Listen. Try not to worry about it eh? We'll sort it out. All of it."

She nodded. "And besides, we've got more important things to worry about."

They entered CID together….only to be confronted by a scene of minor chaos. Loud music was blaring as several workmen appeared to be ripping away parts of the ceiling and generally causing mayhem.

"What the f.…"

"What's going on? Chris?" Alex raised her voice and caught Chris' attention despite the noise.

"What? Oh they're refurbishing. We're behind the times apparently."

"I've been saying that for ages," she muttered.

"Great! As if I haven't got enough on me plate. I'll be in my office." Gene stormed off, kicking a waste bin into touch along the way.

"Guv doesn't like change does he ma'am?"

"No he doesn't Chris, although he's not alone in that." Alex settled herself behind her desk and prepared to get stuck into the most pressing issues of the day – priority one being the Crescent Moon murders. She looked up briefly only to notice that one of the team was missing. "No Shaz today?"

"Said she'd be in later ma'am," Chris replied, "said she had something to do first."

Unconcerned, Alex continued to review her notes from the speed-dating evening in Luigis. Something was missing she was sure of it. They were missing some clue, some vital link in the chain that would lead them to their killer.

"Anything?"

She looked up to see Gene hovering by her desk. "Nothing yet Guv. You?"

"Bugger all. He's gonna get away with this isn't he?"

Alex shook her head. "No Guv - not if I've got anything to do with it. And the point is that I don't think he wants to get away with it. Branding his victims…sending a severed hand…he's sending us clues. He wants us to find him and if we don't…."

"Then he'll send us more evidence?"

"Precisely. That's why we've got to stop him now."

"So he wants to be caught? But why – and why now?"

"That's the million dollar question."

"Maybe he wants fame?" Chris offered.

"He should go on bloody Opportunity Knocks then, instead of murdering innocent women."

"The severed hand indicates he's accelerating the game…but why? What's the hurry?" Alex was almost lost in her own thoughts as she continued to analyse the situation.

"He's sick!" Ray spat.

"Yeah we know that. So he's a sick bastard – what else?"

"Wait! That's it!" Alex stood abruptly as the first inklings of an idea formed.

"What's it?"

Alex looked at Gene, her face alive with animation. "What if he is sick? Physically sick? Seriously sick?"

"What? Like dying?"

"Could be? It would certainly account for the sudden escalation – time is running out for him and he needs us to solve this mystery."

"Why doesn't he just hand himself in then?" Chris asked.

"Not enough thrill. He's still enjoying the ride, getting a buzz from killing and leaving clues behind. He'll kill again that's for sure."

"Not if I get to him first Bolly." He turned to Ray. "I want the medical records of all the dating agency saddos."

"All of them? Every city?"

"All of them," Alex concurred. "We need to contact their GP's and obtain medical records – find out if there's been any changes in the past couple of months."

The noise in the office, which until that point had been at least tolerable, suddenly reached a crescendo. Gene finally lost patience.

"Oi! If you lot don't shut it, then I'll…"

The noise abruptly ceased as Shaz entered the office and pulled out a vital plug.

"Shazzer?"

Shaz looked tired and pale but strangely determined. "I'm only going to say this once, and I'd like all of you to respect my decision and not to try to talk to me about it or try and change my mind."

"What is it Shaz?" Alex glanced at Gene and then back to Shaz.

"I've thought long and hard about this and... I'm resigning from the Metropolitan Police. No questions, no arguments, I've made my decision. Obviously, I'll work out my notice."

Shaz went to her desk and started busying herself as the rest of CID tried to come to terms with this unexpected revelation. Gene surprised everyone by saying nothing and simply going back into his office. Chris looked a picture of unhappiness and even Ray seemed subdued. Alex in turn was left feeling guilty that she hadn't done more to help Shaz. Maybe she could still help in some way – but not today. It was obvious that Shaz meant what she said - she didn't want anyone to talk to her about it, although Alex hoped she would relent once the dust had settled.

Alex didn't have long to ponder on Shaz's fate as the door swung open and Jim Keats appeared next to her desk. She quickly glanced towards Gene's office, but he was engrossed in a phone call.

"Can I help you?" Alex said frostily.

"Have you got time for a chat?"

"A chat? No I don't think so, I'm rather busy."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Well let me put it this way, we can have a chat…or I can suspend you from active duty right now in front of the rest of the team?" All this was said with a benign smile on his face.

With a deep breath but without a backward glance, Alex followed him out of CID.

She smiled stiffly. "I suppose when you put it like that."

"I knew you'd see sense. My office?" He gestured towards the doors.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Just like Drake to duck out of the hard work," Ray moaned, as he began to leaf through accumulated medical records.

"She's probably just gone to powder her nose…or whatever," Chris replied. He risked a glance over to where Shaz was sitting, also going through files. He was aching to go and speak to her, to ask her why she was leaving now or even to try and persuade her not to. But he didn't. She said she didn't want anyone questioning her decision and who was he to argue? He returned his attention to the files and very soon something caught his eye.

"Hold on. Think I might have something."

"What?"

"Bloke here's been diagnosed with terminal cancer – doctor told him a couple of months ago."

"Who?"

"Graham Maclean?"

"Give us the file then you twonk." Ray frowned as he looked at the picture. "Looks familiar – he was one of the blokes that Drake spoke to at the speed-dating wasn't he?" He turned towards Gene's office. "Guv? Might 'ave something."

"What is it?"

Gene emerged from his office and Ray handed him the file. "Graham Maclean, just been told he's dying of cancer."

Gene frowned as he looked at the picture. "One of Bolly's conquests from the other night. Thought she said he was a widower with two kids? Can't be him, doesn't fit the profile."

Ray chuckled. "Come on Guv. We both know that's the oldest trick in the book. Give 'em the old sob story about the wife dying and bringing up two kiddies on their own. Before they know where they are, the stupid tarts are flat on their back with their ankles round their ears."

"Is that what you do Ray?" Shaz offered slyly.

"No it's not. But it's a good job you're leaving otherwise I'd knock your block off."

"Yeah? You and whose army?"

"Shut it you lot." Gene turned back to the file and Ray. "It's not enough though is it? We need more evidence."

"It's the only lead we've got," Chris explained.

"Yes, thank you Einstein."

"What about if we sent Drake in again," Ray said. "She could use her psychological wiles on him."

"No," Gene said quickly. "Besides, he's already seen her – he might get suspicious. Anyway, he likes 'em young."

"I'll tell 'er you said that."

Gene ignored Ray's comment. "He likes 'em young, divorced and dark-haired."

All three pairs of eyes turned towards Shaz.

"Shaz?"

"Yes Guv?"

"Cup of tea if you please."

"Yes Guv. Five sugars?"

"Three. I'm cutting back."

Gene watched as Shaz went off towards the kitchen. Asking a favour wasn't something had had much practice at but he was going to have to give it a shot now. He couldn't order her to do this and nor did he want to. He had no doubts that she would have jumped at the chance a few months ago, but now she had given her notice to leave the force and that just made things a bit more complicated. He would have to use his best Gene Genie charm to turn this around. He followed her into the kitchen.

"Shaz?"

"Oh Guv. You made me jump." She carried on making the tea.

"Sorry love. It's about what you said this morning."

"Guv…please…"

"It's all right. I'm not gonna try and talk you out of it. You've said you want to leave and that's that. Makes no sense to me but you're a clever girl and you know what you're doing. You've said no questions, so no questions it is."

"Thank you Guv."

"All I ask is that you go out covered in glory and head held high. I want you to make me proud of you Shaz."

"I know what you want Guv…but I just can't. Don't you see?"

"Not really, no."

"If I thought I was capable don't you think I would? If I thought I could do it, then maybe I wouldn't be leaving in the first place."

She turned away from him and Gene could tell she was close to tears. Normally that would have been the end of it but he had no choice to press on.

"I'm sorry you think that way – and I think you're wrong by the way. But these women need you Shaz, they need us to find their killer and to stop it happening again. Only we can do that - but not without you."

"Please Guv…."

Her shoulders were heaving with the effort of restraining unshed tears and Gene gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You can do it Shaz. I believe you can. I know you can."

Shaz turned around, tears running down her cheeks. "And after that? It's all over? No more?"

"No more. If that's what you really want, I give you my word."

She took a deep breath and looked up to him. "All right. I'll do it," she said quietly.

"Good girl."

Gene left the kitchen, not exactly proud of what he had done, but still convinced of the necessity of doing it. He bumped into Chris lurking close by but turned him away.

"Leave her alone for a minute Chris. Give her some time eh?"

"Yes Guv. Sorry Guv."

Gene's eyes alighted on Alex's empty desk and a cold shiver of apprehension went down his spine. "Where's Drake?"

"She's all right Guv, think she went off with DI Keats."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Keats pressed the record button on the tape recorder and looked up at Alex.

"Tell me what you know about Operation Rose, DI Drake."

Alex watched impatiently as Keats lined up several pencils on his desk, selected one, sharpened it briskly and then held it poised over a pristine writing pad.

"Where would you like me to start?"

"I find the beginning a very logical place. When was the first time you heard about Operation Rose?"

"SuperMac…DSI Mackintosh. They were his dying words."

"Interesting," Keats sneered.

"He was trying to warn us."

"I would have thought that was the least he could do…given the circumstances."

Alex shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't bring herself to defend SuperMac although she couldn't completely condemn him either. "He was corrupted."

"The chief corrupter by all accounts – but I digress. When did you find out exactly what Operation Rose was?"

Alex answered as honestly as she could. "Not until quite late in the day. I was interviewing Tiny Tim Rivens – he was in custody and under suspicion…"

Keats consulted his file. "That would be Jenette Rivens' brother?"

"Yes."

"Quite a hard-nosed character from what I read. I find it hard to believe he just told you about Operation Rose."

"I can be very persuasive when I put my mind to it."

"Of that I have no doubt…what happened next?"

"I informed the Guv…DCI Hunt about the breakthrough. It all began falling into place although we still didn't know the exact nature of blag at that time…we just knew it was big. And that it involved police corruption."

Alex watched Keats removed his glasses and begin to clean them. So far so good – she started to relax as she reviewed her answers so far. She wasn't quite sure what the point of the interview was or what Keats was after but she was confident that she could handle anything he threw at her.

Keats put replaced his glasses and smiled. "Tell me Alex, why did DCI Hunt suspend you from duty?"

The change of direction floored Alex for a moment and she desperately played for time. "Excuse me?"

"I said…."

The door opened violently as Gene stepped into the room, a look of grim determination on his face.

"Ah DCI Hunt," Keats said genially, "just in the nick of time. How convenient."

"Shut it four-eyes." Gene marched towards the table and grabbed the tape machine, sliding it forcefully along the table until it crashed onto the floor. He turned to face Keats. "Now suppose you tell me what's going on?"

"As you well know Sir, DI Drake is under investigation."

"And as you well know Sunny Jim, an internal disciplinary investigation cannot take place without either a trade union representative or the said officer's immediate superior being present. That would be moi."

"It's all right Guv…"

He swung to face Alex. "No it's not. If clever-dick Keats 'ere wants to play by the book then that's how we'll play it – only I've got a book the size of which would put the Encyclopedia Britannica to shame. You're mine…you're my officer." He faced Keats again. "And don't you forget it."

Keats was apparently unfazed by this turn of events. "As you wish Sir."

Alex tried not to look at Gene as he grabbed a chair and sat down next to her. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about Gene's presence. Of course they both knew what had happened in Operation Rose – more or less – but having to talk about it, and with Keats present, was another thing entirely.

"Now, where were we?" Keats flicked through his notes. "Ah yes. Why did DCI Hunt place you on suspension?"

"Beca…."

"Because she lied to me," Gene interrupted. There was a long pause. "Or I thought so at the time."

"With respect Sir, I need to hear the answer from DI Drake."

"What for? She'll tell you exactly the same thing for crying out loud! We were both under pressure – we all were. It was a stitch up. That Boris whatisface…the one I shot…"

"Johnson."

"Yeah, that's him. Boris Johnson and the rest of the corrupt bastards knew they'd 'ave to split us up – and that's what they did. Too bloody easily I might add."

Keats turned to Alex. "Is that what happened Alex? Really?"

She nodded, grateful for the lead that Gene had provided. "Like the Guv said, they needed to sow the seeds of discord and disharmony to prevent their plan being discovered. A classic case of confusion and misdirection."

"Blimey. Did I really say that?"

Alex risked a half-smile in Gene's direction. "Not in so many words perhaps – but in essentials yes."

"I see." Keats scribbled furiously on his pad and then looked up. "However that still doesn't explain one thing."

"What?"

"Why your fingerprints were on a gun found at the scene at St Dunstan's? The same gun that forensics has now established was the weapon that killed PC Martin Summers."

. . . . .to be continued