Chapter 36

The next day Sam was called to Jack's office, there was a stranger already sitting down talking to him. She got up when Sam entered the room, she was a bit taller than Sam, with dark brown hair, curling eyelashes and glinting eyes. Sam didn't know why but she immediately didn't like her. This was the sort of woman who knew she was hot, and she knew how to get what she wanted. She was ruthless and would do anything to get it, she wasn't afraid of anyone or anything and if she didn't like you, you'd know it. The sort of person men wanted to be around and women either wanted to be, or they wanted to kill her. She didn't make friends, she used people, and if you got in her way, watch out. "Sam, I'd like to introduce you to DS Lisa Dawson" Jack said smiling. Sam shook the woman's hand with a polite smile and a shiver ran up her spine. She was bad news.

"She's going to be helping out here while Phil's on his undercover job."

"So what's she doing here now?" Sam asked, hoping she didn't sound like a whiny kid but knowing she did anyway.

"Well, I thought it'd be better if she got to know the ropes a bit first, you know. And because Neil has decided he needs sometime off, I was thinking you might be interested in the DI position, temporarily, you already have some experience" Jack explained, he didn't like Sam's tone of voice and he could tell there was going to be some tension there later.

"It's an honour to meet you at last, I've heard so much about you. First from Neil and now from Jack. I really look forward to working with you" Lisa said smiling smarmily at Sam. It made her blood boil, her voice sounded like honey, but she bet it tasted like poison.

"Me too" Sam said smiling back. She knew Lisa didn't like her and she knew Lisa knew that she didn't like her.

"Ok, great, well you're acting DI from now, I'll go tell the rest of the team and you can start showing Lisa the ropes." Jack hoped he could stem any arguments between Lisa and Sam in the bud by making them work together, how wrong he was.

"Ok, listen up people. I'd like to introduce you to a new member of our team, Detective Sargent Lisa Dawson. And I'd like to introduce you to Acting DI Samantha Nixon" Jack said. Everyone gathered round to introduce themselves to Lisa, and to congratulate Sam. Especially Phil, he looked very proud of her, and she was happy about that, at least he wasn't jealous because she was higher ranking than he was, she would never pull that on him anyway so it shouldn't be a threat, but sometimes it was.

Lisa was eyeing Phil too, but for very different reasons. He was hot! The best looking guy in this bunch anyway. Sauntering over to him, she flaunted her arse, it looked very sexy in the short skirt she was wearing, her mouth was slightly open in a sultry pout.

"Hi" she whispered smoothly, "Lisa, and you are?"

"Phil Hunter" he replied politely, he could sense strong waves of dislike coming off Sam and he trusted her instincts more than his own. He might have a slight doubt but his instincts were also screaming out that she was bad news. He held her hand only for as long as was polite then he excused himself. He had seen Sam leave the room and he followed her.

"Suzie, oh my God, it's great to see you honey" Lisa exclaimed hugging Suzie and air kissing both her cheeks. "So, you going to tell me all the goss, what's his story?"

Suzie shook her head, "Already got your eye on someone, I feel sorry for him" she laughed, Lisa hadn't changed.

"Come on, is he single?" Lisa asked

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, he's a player though."

"So if he's with someone it's not for long then, especially if I'm around" she smiled deviously. "Great, he's definitely my kind of guy."

Jo rolled her eyes in disgust. Some women were worse than men in the use them then lose them department.

Phil found Sam in the canteen, she was getting a coffee and he could tell she was a bit miffed. He suspected she had seen Lisa flirting with him and she was jealous. "Hey, congratulations again" he told her smiling.

"Thanks" she muttered.

"You ok?" he asked concerned, it wasn't like Sam to get like this, she usually gave people a chance, even when she did get bad vibes of them.

"I don't know, am I? I just don't like her but I have no reason not to" Sam complained, he knew she hated judging people without reason.

"If it makes you fell better I don't really like her either, too obvious, I like the chase" Phil remarked. Sam smiled at him, shaking her head. He winked at her, "Though I'm never short of that am I?" he asked cheekily.

"Really? You mean that?' Sam asked touched.

"Of course I mean that, you require a lot of work, I enjoy it immensely."

"Thanks" Sam said. Phil had got a coffee too and they went down to sit next to Honey and Steve.

"Guess who's got the acting DI job?" Phil asked them proudly.

"Sam? Congratulations" Honey said happily.

"Mmm –yeah, congrats" Steve echoed.

"What's congrats for?" Tony asked sitting down.

"I got the acting DI job" Sam told him, she was starting to forget her earlier bad mood.

"That's great" Tony commented, "Lynn'll be happy."

"Yeah, she will" Sam said grinning.

"So, what did you two do when we left? What did you do after I fell asleep?" Sam asked grinning

"We finished watching the movie then your knight in shinning armour carried you out to the car and your daughter drove you home. I had a cup of coffee and we fell asleep on the couch" Tony said.

Honey was following the conversations with avid interest. "So, let me get this straight. Tony knows about you and Phil?" she asked confused.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you, he found out last night, kinda hard to avoid seeing as he's dating my sister" Sam grinned evilly.

"Thanks, I really need my love life broadcast around the station" Tony said sarcastically.

"Oh, so it is a love life then?" Sam teased. He glared at her good-naturedly.

"So who's the new officer in CID? What are they like?" Tony asked curiously.

Sam frowned as her bad mood returned, "Not a good move" Phil remarked.

"Lisa Dawson, she's attractive, a good copper from what I've heard, and she knows what she wants" Sam said grumpily.

"You don't like her?" Honey asked.

"Not really."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure, no actual reason, but she has a bad…vibe" Sam confessed.

"Mmm –I'll have to see this" Honey remarked getting up, Steve followed her and Tony skulled the rest of his coffee and followed them too.

"Am I being stupid?" Sam asked Phil unhappily.

"No, remember what happened with Hugh because you didn't trust your intuition? Go by your instincts Sam, they won't let you down." Phil told her smiling.

"Thanks, you know Phil…when –when we got married I know why we kept us a secret, we wanted time to ourselves…but don't you think it's nearly time we told people –about us?" Sam asked

"Soon, how about when I finish my undercover job?" Phil suggested, he had been thinking about that too and he knew Sam was right, it was nearly time, after the undercover job was finished would be the right time.