Jealousy
"I think you're jealous."
Beth snorted. "Don't be daft."
"I'm not, I'm serious." Nellie shrugged. "Sounds an awful lot like jealousy to me. And it's both-sided too."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're both making each other jealous."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Well you prattle on about Reggie and how great he was. How do you think that makes your current partner feel?"
Beth opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again - she had to admit she hadn't thought of it in that way.
"And, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the same way you feel when he goes on and on about this Anna."
"Well, I, well," Beth spluttered, unable to form a complete sentence as she absorbed the meaning behind her sister's words.
Nellie only smirked. "You can thank me later."
"I mean, what does she care?" Charlie was ranting to Kate. The whole day had been spent with cold silence between the partners or full on avoiding each other at every opportunity. And this unusual behaviour went noticed by everyone.
"Maybe she's jealous. Like you are when she talks about Reggie."
"I'm not jealous."
Kate just raised her eyebrows. "You have been going on and on a lot about this Anna."
"Not that much."
"Well..."
"Really, that much?" He hadn't realized...
Kate nodded. "Yeah, that much. And how do you think that makes Beth, your partner, feel? If I were in her position, I would feel a lot like you'd rather replace me with Anna."
"I never - well I... I never thought she'd take it so personally..."
Kate rolled her eyes. "You really have a way with the ladies, don't you, Charlie-boy."
Nellie had dragged Beth out on the town for a 'fun Friday night' a few days into the partners' avoidance of each other. Beth had been very content reading her latest murder mystery novel, thank you very much, to which her sister countered that she spent too much time surrounded by murders, and needed to do something else in her free time when she wasn't solving said murders.
"Oh look, there's Kate - and Charlie!" Nellie suddenly cried, feigning surprise and startling Beth.
"What are you doing here?" Kate asked.
"A night on the town."
"Funny, so were we." Kate and Nellie shared a mischievous grin. "But now that you're here I think there might be a change of plans..."
"Me too!"
"Well, we're off to the pub for a surprise date night. Catch you later!" Arm-in-arm, the girlfriends gave the two detectives a wave before heading out, gone, just like that. Charlie and Beth just stood staring after them, shaking their heads.
"Honestly, those two," said Charlie.
"I can't believe it," Beth agreed.
"Well, they fooled us two detectives."
"Yeah. But I guess solving murders is our specialty, not spotting set-ups."
"True." There was a moment of silence before Charlie spoke again. "So, since we're out, would you like to get a drink?" He nodded to the pub.
"All right, Detective Sergeant."
"Very well, Detective."
A few minutes later found them seated inside the pub at a cozy corner booth, drinks in-hand.
"So," Charlie began, not really knowing where he was going with this.
"So?" she repeated.
There was another moment of silence between them before they both started laughing.
"I suppose I'm not very good at casual conversation," he admitted. "Ask me about work and you can't shut me up."
"Or about a certain Danish detective." The words were out of Beth's mouth before she even realized what she was saying. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."
To her relief, and some surprise, Charlie merely shrugged in response to her comment. "It's true. I have been talking about her a lot."
"Yes, you have."
"Probably getting a little annoying."
"A little." She chuckled. "But you're right, she is a very talented detective, and you worked well together."
"Yes, but I'm happy with where I am now. I've come to really warm to our little team."
She smiled. "Me too."
"You know, I'm surprised we never crossed paths in London. It's funny we should both work in the big city and never meet but then both come to a small town and meet here."
"It is funny," she agreed. "Destiny perhaps."
"Perhaps. So, what were you up to before your sister dragged you out on the town?"
"I was reading my mystery novel."
"Ah. I thought Kate and I were going to have another take-out and telly night, but she said, 'No, we're going out.'"
"Nellie thinks we're crazy, we lot, you, Kate, and I. We spend every day solving murder mysteries, then we go home and watch them on telly and read them in books."
"Quite the bunch, we are," he agreed.
"Yes, indeed."
They ended up chatting for a couple more hours, even after their drinks were finished.
"Thanks Charlie, this was nice," Beth said as they left the pub.
"Thank you, Beth. Yes it was."
"Maybe we should make it something regular. I think Kate and Nellie are right when they say we can get a little too absorbed in our work."
"Yes, we can. That's why we're such a good pair."
He was right, they did make a good pair.
Everyone at the station - and Nellie, who was visiting once again - were glad to see the DS and Detective back to their usual chipper partnership the next day. Whatever had been going on, they seemed to have sorted it out. Even DCI Barnaby was pleased - especially DCI Barnaby.
"Hello Bushby, Nelson," he greeted the following morning. "And how are we today?"
"Good, Sir."
"Yeah, great, thanks."
"Good. Glad to hear it."
This was fun, adding in some scenes that weren't in the show :) Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)