I'm so sorry for the long wait I'm getting really busy at the mo. This chapter has some more exciting things happening in it which I hope makes up for the long gap and the dullness of the last couple of chapters.
So how did we leave our fave detectives?
"I know, but uh you know if you uh wanted to we could..." She was so close he could feel her breath on his face but just as Gene leant forward there was a knock at the door.
Alex and Gene sprang apart as the door opened to reveal a uniformed officer standing there.
"Ma'am" He looked at Alex and held out a folder "You wanted to know about Layton's movements?"
"Yes, thank you" Alex took the folder and glancing over her shoulder at Gene began walking back to her desk as she dismissed the uniformed officer.
Gene had followed her "You're having Layton followed?" He frowned, he wasn't annoyed at the use of resources he'd never admit it to her but when she had a hunch she was usually right. No he was annoyed that she hadn't told him.
"Not followed no, just keeping an eye on him." She sensed Gene's annoyance "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I thought you'd be annoyed at the waste of police time."
"Do you think it's a waste of police time Bolly?"
"No, I think Layton is very dangerous and I want to know what he's up to."
"Then I don't think it's a waste of time, I just wish you'd tell me things." They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Gene broke the contact by walking away back to his office.
"Arthur Layton?" It was Beth, she'd noticed the look exchanged between the two in fact she'd noticed more than that the last couple of days but was keeping it to herself for now.
"Yes, do you know him?"
Beth shook her head "I know of him, he's suspected of killing my relatives."
"Really?" Alex's heart began to beat faster, that would be a massive coincidence if Layton had killed other entirely unrelated Prices wouldn't it? But she had no relatives, which she knew of.
"Yes, a few years ago. You must have heard of it, car bomb. I think it might have been on your patch actually." Alex's breathing quickened "Umm Tim and Caroline Price, they were my Aunt and Uncle."
"Oh God" Alex was hyperventilating now and the room was swaying slightly.
"Alex!" Beth saw her swaying and ran over to her she looked like she was about to pass out. "Deep breaths, c'mon." Alex slowed her breathing and the room came back into focus "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry umm" Why was she apologising? She was talking about her parents' death... with her cousin, this was too weird. "I was there."
"Oh I'm sorry, I never even knew them. My father had a falling out with Tim just after Alex was born, umm little Alex Price their daughter."
"Yeah" Alex nodded, "We've met." This was so surreal; she had a cousin she'd never known about. The room started to sway again and she gripped the desk to stop herself falling. "I'm just gonna uh get some fresh air" She left quickly before anyone could stop her and headed for the roof.
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Just after Alex had left and Beth had settled down at her desk having decided that Alex probably needed some space, Jim Keats slid unnoticed into CID.
"Ah DI Price, just who I was looking for." He leaned over her desk and spoke just to her. "I was hoping you'd come to see me in my office."
"I've been busy" Beth didn't look up at him; she didn't feel so brave now Alex and Gene weren't here watching his every move. Gene was in his office on the phone.
"Well you don't look too busy now; perhaps we could have a little chat."
"Uh no, I have to..." Beth searched for and excuse but before she had time to come up with one Keats took her elbow and pulled her from her chair then forced her to accompany him from the room and to his office with her trying to wrench her arm free the whole way. No-one noticed them leave, a whole room full of detectives... well Chris and Shaz were undercover and Ray wasn't back yet but still someone should have seen the exchange.
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No t long later Gene opened his office door and yelled for Alex, he got no response so yelled for Beth again getting no answer. He walked purposefully out into the main room towards their desks both of which were empty.
"Anyone seen Bolls? Or DI twinkle toes for that matter?"
Still no response, no-one wanted to be on the receiving end if the Guv blew his top.
"Is anyone talking to me today? Honestly bloody DI's never around when I need one, always off on their blinking owns, at least Ray was always here." He stomped towards the double doors continuing to mumble to himself about how useless his DIs were "Never got himself locked in a freezer either, or a vault, or kidnapped by some nutter. Bloody birds what's the point in having women coppers all they're good for is..."
"Is what Guv?" It was Alex she'd opened the doors just before Gene had got to them and heard the end of his rant about her, Viv was hovering behind Alex in the corridor. "I'd love to know how you were going to finish that sentence." Her hands were on her hips and her stance was argumentative but something about her face, in her eyes wasn't in a fighting mood.
"Bolly my office, an you can tell me where DI Price is an all."
Alex shook her head "I haven't seen her, not since we were talking about Layton in here."
Gene looked at his watch and back at Alex "That was half an hour ago, where have you been?"
"I uh needed some air" Alex shuffled a little uncomfortably "Brought back memories" She blinked slowly seeing Layton in 2009 and the bullet flying towards her, with the car bomb that killed her parents seemingly reflected in it.
"Guv, Ma'am?" Viv ventured tentatively, Alex snapped her eyes open and both she and Gene turned to Viv. "I saw DI Price with DCI Keats; I think they were going to his office." Viv hadn't even finished the sentence before both Alex and Gene were off striding purposefully in the direction of Keats' office.
"KEATS!" Gene hammered on the door to the office where a meticulously clean metal plate bore the legend 'DCI Keats Discipline and Complaints'. "KEATS!" Gene hollered again banging on the door and trying the handle but finding it locked. "GIVE ME BACK MY DI!" They listened for a moment and heard a feminine whimper come from inside the office. "Right Bolly, stand back."
Alex didn't need telling twice and retreated to the far side of the corridor, Gene threw a well placed kick at the door near the handle and it swung open releasing a wave of heat which washed over them both.
Alex slowly edged forward and peered through the office door, the light was off and she couldn't make anything out in the gloom. "KEATS YOU SLIMY BASTARD, GET OUT HERE." Again they heard a muffled whimper from somewhere in the room, Alex fumbled for the light switch eventually finding it and filling the room with light revealing Jim Keats stood in the centre of the room holding Beth with one hand over her mouth the other holding tight around her neck just putting enough pressure on her neck to make her panic but keep her conscious.
There was a loud click and Alex turned to see Gene stood with his gun pointing at Keats, the latter only laughing and pulling a struggling Beth across his chest like a shield.
"Take you back does it Alex? Wait imagine I'm blonde who had a thing with your guv, and I'm holding a gun." Alex looked shocked, Gene had been with Jeanette? Or was Keats just messing with her head again? He chuckled and tugged at Beth pulling a little tighter on her neck, her eyes widened in fear as she silently pleaded with Gene. "Going to shoot her too?" Gene stood stock still he'd flashed back to operation rose and it was Alex being held hostage and he'd made the wrong decision, he wasn't going to let that happen again. "C'mon Gene" Keats mocked "It must be worth it to get to me? And well she's only a DI plenty more of them right?"
Beth squirmed more in his arms, it was getting harder for her to breathe. Her eyes were trying to close but she forced them to stay open, 'got to stay awake.'
Keats had his eyes locked on Gene willing him to shoot; he wasn't paying any attention to Alex. Well not until she cracked him over the head with his own paperweight. He was stunned momentarily but the paperweight hadn't quite been big enough to cause much damage and the effects were short lived. Jim let go of Beth pushing her towards Gene hoping to distract him, it did. Beth lost her battle and sank to the floor with her eyes closed she wasn't moving Gene rushed to her as she fell dropping his Gun and leaving Alex to deal with Keats.
Jim turned to face his new opponent and advanced on Alex who was retreating at the same pace until her legs hit his desk and she was trapped between it and him.
"Alex, it doesn't have to be like this" He was using a much softer tone now "You and me we could have something special." He was leaning towards her and she was bending backwards over the desk as far as she could to keep him out of her personal space. He reached out to caress her face and she hid her shudder as his fingers touched her skin.
"Really?" Gene looked up in surprise when he heard Alex's tone, it was soft and warm and almost loving. He quickly checked to find Beth was still breathing and rolled her onto her side standing up he quietly moving behind Keats pulling out his cuffs. "You think we could be together?" Alex was still using that sickening tone and now was also running her fingers along his tie.
"We could be great together"
Quick as a flash Alex pulled him down by his tie and stapled it to the desk. Moving her face close to his she hissed: "Not if you were the last man on earth." Then rushed over to Beth who was coming round as Gene snapped the cuffs onto Keats' wrists. "DCI Keats you are under arrest for the attempted murder of a fellow officer, you do..."
Gene cut in "I think what she's trying to say is: You're nicked."
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Thank you so much for reading, I hope you are all still enjoying this. Please review, especially if you haven't before it would be lovely to hear what you think.
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