DISCLAIMER: I don't own Scott & Bailey, or any of its characters.
Authors Note: Thank you so much for all your reviews and support so far! It means a heck of a lot to me! Here's the next update as promised. I'm really glad that everyone's still enjoying it. I admit it's hard to keep up a standard what with so many chapters, but I promise the story won't go on forever. I have a few more up my sleeves ;) As always please review and let me know your thoughts. There'll be another chapter soon. Enjoy :)
Dorothy stood at the front door watching the team of policemen leave. It had been the second time they'd searched the house that week. Closing the door she turned to face the hallway, thankful that they'd left the place tidy. She hadn't however been expecting them to find anything. Dorothy quickly dialled her daughter's number.
RING RING!
"Hello?"
"Janet, it's me".
"Oh, hi mum!" Janet greeted, shooing away Rachel who was pretending to listen in with a wide grin on her face. Dorothy smiled; she was glad to hear the cheerfulness in her daughter's voice... it made her wish she hadn't phoned.
"Is everything alright?" Janet asked; an undertone of anxiety in her seemingly calm voice. Dorothy waved her hand in the air, "No, no, everything's fine… well almost…"
"What's wrong?"
Dorothy hesitated, "The police have been by again".
"Oh?"
"They've found something".
Dorothy cringed in the silence that followed, waiting for her daughter's reaction. Rachel watched as Janet's face dropped like a stone into the depths of the sea, sinking into oblivion. Janet swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice calm, "What did they find, mum?"
Dorothy closed her eyes, knowing she would regret what she was about to say, "They found one of Geoff Hastings' diaries… in the kitchen…"
Janet froze, and her heart seemed to stop in her chest. The whole world was spinning, and all she wanted to do was get off. Her mother's voice faded away, and she stared hopelessly at the floor…
"Janet? Are you alright?" Dorothy half shouted down the phone, "I'm sorry I shouldn't' have-"
Janet put a hand to her head, wishing she could wipe away the dreadful scenarios her mind was forming, "No mum, it's fine, I'm glad you called me. I'll call you later, okay?"
Dorothy sighed, "Alright love. I'll see you later".
"Bye mum".
.o.0.o.
Gill stared at Julie. No. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true! Julie shook her head, trying to ignore her friend's eyes boring into her.
"I'm sorry, Gill. There's nothing I can do" she apologized, knowing that sorry would never be enough. Gill looked like she was going to throw something at her when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Gill called in an irritated voice. A nervous looking Janet put her head around the door, "Can I come in? I need to talk to you".
"So do I" Gill replied, glaring across at Julie, "Or rather DCI Dodson needs to".
Janet looked at Julie, knowing what was to follow. DCI Dodson gestured for her to sit down, and closed the door behind her.
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news" she said in an almost patronizing voice. Janet nodded, "I know. My mum just phoned".
"So you know about the diaries then?"
"Yes".
"Do you realise how that makes you look?"
Janet looked at Gill. She knew how it made her look. She knew what would happen if they couldn't prove her innocence. In Janet's mind she was innocent, and yet not many people seemed to believe her, "It makes it look like I'm in league with Geoff Hastings, and that I'm the idiot leaking information to the press".
"And are you?" Julie enquired, sitting on the edge of Gill's desk. Janet shook her head in horror, "Of course not!"
DCI Dodson sighed heavily, ignoring the enraged look on Gill's face. She leaned towards Janet, "I won't embarrass you by arresting you in front of everyone, so if you'd like to come quietly and follow me to the station…?"
Julie opened the door for Janet. All the weight in the world seemed to fall on her shoulders as she walked to her desk and picked up her coat. Rachel stood up, watching DCI Dodson follow Janet out of the office. Gill walked over to her, almost at a loss for words.
"What's going on?" Rachel asked, although she already knew the answer.
.o.0.o.
It was a different officer this time – DC Bradley. He wasn't as friendly as Sergeant Davis had been. Janet decided that she immediately didn't like him, but she knew if she was uncooperative it wouldn't help the situation at all. His face was stern; his eyes dark and penetrating. Janet struggled to keep calm and professional under his scrutinizing gaze.
"Did you know about the Geoff Hastings' diaries ,DC Scott?" DC Bradley asked. There was no informality in their conversation.
"Yes, I did", Janet replied, keeping her hands folded in her lap in an attempt to resist the urge to bite her nails, "I worked on the case with DCI Murray".
"How well did you know Geoff Hastings? Were you close?" His voice was intimidating, yet somehow there was a hint of respect – although his manner was quite the opposite.
"I was a friend of his sisters' – Veronica Hastings. She was murdered" Janet replied, sighing a little, "I knew him for a short while, and then we found out that he was the murderer…"
DC Bradley nodded, "And have you had any contact with him since?"
"Well, I interviewed him in an attempt to find out more about the serial killings, but since then – no, I haven't".
Dc Bradley wrote something in his notebook, "So, it wasn't him you saw at your house – when it was broken into, I mean?"
"I didn't see who it was" Janet answered truthfully, "His face was blacked out".
"I see" DC Bradley said, his tone of voice unconvinced. He took a small piece of crumpled paper out of his briefcase, and pushed it towards her, "Can you tell me what this is, DC Scott?"
Janet picked up the piece of paper. The writing was scribbled and rushed, but its message was loud and clear. It read:
'You dare tell'
"Can you tell me what this message means?" DC Bradley enquired, his voice low and distrustful, "I suppose it's for you?"
Janet swallowed. She knew whose handwriting it was… and she knew very well what it meant.