Scene Twenty- One
Back in the interview room, Ros felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she locked immediately into the quietly effective style of DI Martin, who asked her to bring her up to speed. She was all ears for Ros' impressions of the situation to date. The tall brunette had recently been transferred into this force and was beginning to make a dent on the 'old guard' that had ruled the roost for so long. Her astute manner quietly but effectively stopped guys like DI Sullivan playing games with her, possessing that inconvenient lack of sense of humour and mental agility to avoid the obvious traps. Ros knew of her very discreet girlfriend outside the force which might have explained a lot to the likes of DI Sullivan. They were puzzled that their efforts to charm her were getting them nowhere fast so they wrote her off as a cold bitch with nothing between her legs.
"Right, Sergeant Farmer, you lead off on the interview as you've been dealing with the woman and I haven't. I'll join in when I'm good and ready."
Becky Elliott jumped nervously as the door opened and looked warily at the new policewoman as she entered the room.
"Becky Elliott, I must advise you that you have no obligation to say anything but anything you say may be used in evidence in a court of law- I think I've got that right?" Ros said with a slight show of embarrassment as she stumbled over the phrasing. "I've been putting two and two together and I want to ask you a couple of questions. The first is, did you have the slightest idea that Alice Swinburne, your mother's social worker and your ex-girlfriend, was there when you called at your mother's?"
"My mother knew. I didn't," Becky said, looking Ros right in the eye.
"So just how bad was the breakup between you and Alice?"
"As bad as it gets. I was still in love with her but she didn't want to know."
"So who was first to reach for the knife, you or your mother?" Ros said in easy tones.
And so the whole story started to pour out, DI Martin gently inserting herself into the questioning once she felt comfortable with the situation. The story was clearly six of one and half a dozen of the other with two women with a love hate relationship with each other from a long way back and the act that had plunged the knife into the mother's arm had very doubtful connection with any murderous intention. DI Martin read out the statement to Becky Elliott whose suppressed rage had been gradually exhaled as the interview had proceeded and the tape was now turned off.
"Sergeant Farmer, you have the makings of a good detective if you wanted it but I know that you want to be back on the beat with PC Slater. Am I right?"
"More than anything I could ever wish for though for the first time ever, I've enjoyed sitting in on an investigation," confessed Ros frankly, a little too girlishly for her liking.
DI Martin laughed understandably at her worthy assistant's reaction and promised that she'd persuade the DCI to her way of thinking. One written off police car and two seriously injured police officers would help argue her case and Ros trotted off to the locker room.
"Do you know, babes, why I want more than ever to be driving round and round in circles round the crummiest Larkhall estates," Ros said, punctuating every fourth word by placing gentle kisses on Jenny's lips.
"I don't know why, darling but please take your time telling me," Jenny said, deftly loosening her partner's chequered tie and feeling for the buttons on her white shirt while Ros's strong arms were wound round her lover's back. Someone might enter the locker room but neither women gave a toss right then.
"It's not just because you're the best lover bar none. There isn't any other copper I'd trust more than you by my side if I was ever in a tight spot out on the beat. You're the best friend I've had in my life- ever," Ros said, the normal toughness in her voice softened as feelings of tenderness ran through her system as memories in picture form flitted through her mind of how the quieter woman was always there for her.
"Come on, we've done our shift for today. Lets go home, where we belong."
Ros replaced her police hat with the silver badge on the front and chequer tape round the brim at just the right assertive angle with so that it heightened her natural look of authority and she lazily led the way to the office where she signed for the keys to their old police car that had been reassigned for them. A smug smile of pleasure was spread across her face as she waited for the officious clerk to fill in the paperwork and for her to countersign to reclaim what was justly theirs. She slipped them into her trouser pocket and opened the back door of the police station which opened onto the car park where a row of gleaming white cars stood with red and orange flashes down the side.
Ros revved up her car very ostentatiously and grinned at her partner silently mouthing 'show off' to her. After all, if the guys can act that way, what was holding her back, a proverb that had stuck with her when she was a little girl when she had enjoyed lying in the branches of a large tree, feeling the gentle breeze blowing through the leaves.
"Sierra 69 to Control,we're heading off home now," Ros told Control.
"Just make sure you're up for your seven o clock shift," came the dry response.
"Okay, okay. We got it," Ros said in her wisecracking style. They were back in their car. A sense of light-hearted excitement stole over them. They felt free, liberated as if a burden had been lifted off their shoulders and the first thought that bubbled to the surface were given verbal expression. It might have been responsible for what happened next.
"Do you know what I want to do with you when we get home?" Jenny slyly asked her partner with an impish smile on her face. The way she savoured every syllable made Ros's imagination take instant flight.
"I really cannot tell you what you might have in store," she said very invitingly, knowingly egging Jenny on.
"I can imagine both of us stark naked, our nipples hard with desire, and me lying between your legs and licking your clitoris," Jenny said in soft, slow languorous tones,
"Your dirty talk really turns me on, gorgeous,"Ros replied, her voice noticeably husky as delicious mental images stole across her mind. A hot sensation started to spread throughout her as she could feel her partner's tongue oh so clearly."I can feel my legs wide open for you and I can feel your fingers wander all over my tits."
"Can you feel the loveliest, juiciest orgasm possible that lasts for sinply ages?"
"I can feel my tongue halfway down your throat, babes and my fingers deep inside you. You feel so warm and wet inside."
All the time, the car's engine purred softly, eating up the miles. Everything was dark outside except for the streetlights and the car headlights moving towards them from the opposite direction. All at once Jenny became aware of the car radio babbleing the brief staccato interchange of conversations between other police cars and police control. A sudden thought started to take shape which irritatingly demanded her attention in place of the delicious sexual fantasies they'd both been verbalising. It hadn't been the first time they'd done this but only when they had been off duty and off the air. Something was worryingly wrong this time...
"Ros," Jenny asked her partner in an overdone matter of fact tone of voice, "I don't suppose you're still in touch with control?"
Peals of laughter erupted inside Ros's mind and finally she exploded with laughter, clicking off the concluded that they had only been unintentionally broadcasting to the tender sensibilities of police control intimate details of their sexuality. For such a devil may care woman, she found the thought intensely amusing.
"We've only been broadcasting Radio Lesbian Kama Sutra to police control It will broaden their limited minds."
"Won't we get into trouble over this?" Jenny asked a little nervously. They had had to work hard to be accepted in the face of opposition from the homophobes in the police force and trouble they could do without or so Jenny was starting to think.
"Who cares?" Ros said carelessly as she clicked the button on her car radio."Can you imagine that wanker DI Sullivan hauling us up on the carpet and trying to explain our misdemeanours especially if we play dumb? They think we're a couple of dykes anyway so all we've done is to join up the dots for them."
"But what about when we next have to report to control?" queried Jenny.
"We smile sweetly and let them go figure out what to say. Their problem, not ours Just relax darling. Anyway, all that sexy talk had got me feeling really horny so it's time we got home, babes."
Screeching round the corner, Ros mischievously clicked on the flashing lights and siren and, shooting like lightning down the street, Ros powered their car down the main drag, other cars nervously dodging out of the way as her desires were like a boiling kettle, the lid just about holding everything down. Jenny was reassured enough for her fingers to start laughing and feel the inside of her partner's knee, restraining herself from travelling to the centre of her desires for fear of causing an unfortunate accident. They were nearly home now.
After Jo had sorted out her work for the following day, she couldn't resist phoning up Mel. She had thoroughly enjoyed going round to her place in the evening and getting mildly drunk and going on to share a pot of tea and jam scones at the cafe on a Saturday morning.
That night, when she went round to Mel's, her friend had an interesting proposition for her
"The first time you came around here, Jo you've been staring at that cherry red guitar of mine- and my bass guitar. Kind of takes you back, doesn't it?"Mel said invitingly.
"Er yes, I mean no," Jo stammered. Only Mel could get under her skin like that. "I mean, it's such a long time ago that I played in your band. I mean it would be ridiculous."
"And why? Why does the past stay in the past?" Mel said with that inviting grin. Already her strict resolution was starting to slip and Mel knew it.
"I mean, I'd been religiously practicing cello and playing it in the school orchestra. I
mean it's simply impossible."
"OK, so we give it a go. Do you wanna join my band?"Mel said softly, exerting all her charms and placing the bass guitar in Jo's hands.
Before Jo knew what was happening, Mel had kindly plugged her lead into an amplifier that she'd not noticed before. She casually slung her patterned guitar strap of her red guitar round her shoulders and plugged in herself.
"So what'll we do now? What tune do we play?"Jo asked rather nervously to be answered by a big wide smile of pure joy. In that moment, it struck Jo how dangerous and appealing her friend was and how she could never resist her. Even when her mad schemes made her nervous, it was a joy to be around her.
Surprisingly enough,Mel didn't unleash a barrage of power chords at earsplitting volume but pleasant jangly sounds filled the air which pulled the fair-haired woman's senses along with the river of music. Without thinking about it, Jo plucked out a couple of notes on the thick metal strings what buried memories told her was in harmony and she was pleased at what she heard. Mel lay back in her armchair, the picture of languid ease and nodded approvingly at the bass sounds she could feel within her. Without planning it, they were making music together again, just jamming.
A few hours later, both women lay sprawled out on the floor, empty wine bottles on the side table conveniently to hand. They were oblivious to the gentle humming sound from the amplifiers that they'd forgotten to switch off. The guitars were propped up against the settee
"I really had better get back to my house,"Jo said with a slurred voice."Hey, how do I get home? How did I get here?"
"You could sleep in the spare bed. You drove over and you'd be nicked for certain and I doubt if you could walk home," Mel said slowly, concentrating over every nodded sagely a number of times. She felt totally wiped out.
"You'd better help me to my feet or I'll never make it.I'm either more drunk than you or not so used to it," Jo said, trying to put her finger on the important point if only everything didn't wobble in front of her.
Somehow Mel put her arm round Jo's slim frame and helped haul her to her feet. Jo felt good with Mel's strong arms around her and her head lolled sideways against the dark-haired woman's shoulder. Joe could feel the metal zip of her friend's leather jacket against her and the feel of her body was pleasant. She felt safe and all was right with her world. She did her best to let her feet tread in a straight line while the dim sidelights swam around her in a perfect haze. Everything would be fine as long as she clung onto her friend and, sure enough, she climbed the incredibly steep steps that felt like the north face of the Eiger with her friend at her side. Finally, she made the last step, just stopping her legs buckling under her,her friend's gentle voice reassuring her.
"You will wake me up in the morning, Mel. You're so good for me," Jo said in a dreamy haze, her friend's tall shape. gradually rotating around her.
As Mel hazily looked down at her friend, she looked so sweet and appealing, her short slightly curly blond hair and the blissful smile on her looked utterly gorgeous at that moment and she lit up her life right now. She and Jo had seen a lot of each other recently and her old friend had come to mean so much to her, to fill a hole in her life. She was conscious of feelings of desire that permeated through the layers of assumptions that they saw each other as dear friends. Yes, she fiercely desired Jo right now just as much as she did in the old days but it hit her that history needn't repeat itself, that as soon as Jo was aware of her own feelings, she'd take flight. Perhaps this time around, they could put right the error of their shared past. It crossed her mind to suggest that they could improve on the idea of separate beds but realism overcame her, that only the weekend might see them consummate their budding relationship. Another night, but not this time, Mel sadly concluded to herself. Right now, she must act the part of the old friend which was partly true.
"It feels good to have you around me, babes. Night night. I'll make a cup of tea in the morning," Mel said in a sleepy tone of voice in the peace and quiet of her house.