LONDON'S BURNING FAN FIC
The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.
CHAPTER ELEVEN

Even from the confines of a prison cell, he could still get to them. Surely that was not right. Something should be done about it. Locking them up and giving them "counselling" was not going to help, they would just get even more warped ideas…

Now an attempted abduction, what was he going to do next? Murder? Maybe they would sit up and take notice then, her bosses. Her bosses who thought she was just on some personal crusade, in fact that was probably what everyone in the CID office was thinking right now.

Debbie can't hack it.

It made her angry that a man should be allowed to treat a woman in such ways and still get away with it. He may have been locked up, but was he really paying the price? He may have lost his freedom, but that did not mean he had lost his power.

He had proved that.

Although, maybe it was just a coincidence. She doubted that very much. With an evil mind like his, anything was possible.

She was ready to interview Bateman following the allegations, but DCI Greenside had other ideas.

"I think you are too involved with this case Debbie."

What does he know?

"I'm just doing my job, sir."

"Exactly, what about those burglaries you were investigating hmmn? There are other people who need our protection," he reminded her.

"Are you taking me off the case?"

"Yes, Debbie, I am."

"Why?"

"I told you. I think it would be best for you to concentrate on other things right now."

"Bollocks!"

"You will do as you're told DC Marshall!" Greenside was not happy at being spoken to in that tone of voice by a junior officer.

She was off the case. There was nothing she could do.

"But what about Bateman? If he's behind this…"

"Then I will find out," Greenside replied. "Maybe you should just take some leave?" he suggested.

"Bugger that."

"Suit yourself. I want you in the station where I can keep my eye on you! It isn't a crime to feel angry and upset, but once we start taking this shit home with us, we stop giving one hundred and ten per cent to the job," Greenside told her.

She had nothing else to say to him. In the office, she found Tom Ashton. He glanced up at her from his desk where he was at least pretending to look busy.

"What did you say to Backside?!" Debbie demanded.

"Me? Nothing," Tom insisted.

"Yeah, don't give me that. Someone's been saying I'm not up to the job."

"Maybe you're not."

"And what would you know about it?"

"I'm just trying to look out for you Debbie."

"Yeah, well if I want your help, I'll ask for it!"

"Would you though? Ask for my help?" he looked straight at her, knowing the answer to his own question.

Debbie failed to admit when she needed help. Now everything was crashing down around her. Only she still failed to see it.

"You can't blame yourself for what other people want to do," he continued. "That girl committing suicide was not your fault."

"I stirred things up for her."

"Look," Tom stood up and made her sit in his chair. "What else could you have done?"

"I sorted one girl's life out and messed up another. Oh yeah, and I nearly got her best friend killed in the bargain. I'm shit."

"You're not, and I'm not going to sit here all day trying to convince you of that! Take some leave, go on holiday. God knows you deserve one."

"That's what the DCI said."

"Well then," he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a comforting hug. "You can't screw yourself up over this Debs."

Just then, Ally breezed into the office, failing to notice their heart-to-heart as she was gabbing away on her mobile phone, probably to Paul, her husband. She dumped a piled of papers on her desk and started giggling like a schoolgirl. Then she turned round and noticed Debbie and Tom watching her.

"Um… I'll have to go," she told Paul. "Yeah, you too," she took the phone away from her ear and ended the call. "And what are you two up to?" she grinned.

"Nothing!" Tom replied defensively.

"Tom," DCI Greenside entered the office behind Ally. "You're with me, we're going to interview a prisoner."

Debbie knew what that was about, Tom however had little idea until the DCI filled him in as they left the office.

"You ok?" Ally asked Debbie.

"I wish everyone would stop asking that!"

"Sorry. You and him weren't…"

"No!"

Ally grinned. "I didn't think so, I was just checking! I reckon he'd like to though…"

"You reckon?"

"Oh yeah!"

Debbie wasn't too sure. She and Tom were mates.

He doesn't fancy me. Does he?

Although it would explain why he had not got a girlfriend…

"He was abducted?" Bateman asked the CID officers who sat at the table opposite him in the small visitors room. "Really?"

The senior officer raised his eyebrows. "Yes, we want to ask you what you know about it."

Bateman just laughed at him. "Me? What would I know stuck in this dump?"

The senior man stood up and paced the small room, he passed his junior who moved from the small barred window to take over the questioning.

"When was the last time you saw Mr Sharpe?" the younger, taller detective asked.

"That would be a while ago, I don't remember. Should I?"

"Well he was at your trial."

"So were a lot of other people. I did have other things on my mind then!"

He knew the police were just on a fishing trip. They would have charged him if they could.

Wouldn't they?

The junior cop offered him a cigarette from a gold packet, he took one.

"Fortunately he escaped," the senior guy was still facing the barred window. "Before he came to any serious harm. Which would then make it attempted murder for anyone involved..."

"I really don't know what you're talking about."

"We have evidence."

Evidence?!

"Really?" he asked, keeping his cool.

What evidence was that then?

They could hardly connect him to anything on the outside, considering he had not been there in a while.

The junior cop looked up at his boss who had made the comment, with an element of uncertainty.

"We have Jimmy Varns," the DCI continued.

"Who's he then?"

"An acquaintance of yours, so he says."

"Never heard of him," Bateman tried to remain cool.

Hopefully the two detectives would believe him. Everyone would believe him if he lied for long enough. After all, it worked for Sally..

And Jimmy wouldn't grass... Would he?


London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 30/03/2002