Chapter 2 – Robbie and Jackie
"Well he's manged to put Brian's nose right out of joint" Robbie smiled as approached Jackie in the Kitchen. She looked puzzled. He leaned in to whisper in her ear "so …. how long were you too together?"
"Is it that obvious!" She laughed. "here make yourself useful" handing him the kettle. He started filling the kettle as she set up the mugs and biscuits.
"Well he has been drooling over your desk all day…. and I haven't seen you laugh and smile this much in years, despite my best efforts" he winked.
"We were an item for a few years" She conceded. "I was in my early twenties, had just made it to CID. So young, naïve and idealistic" She watched Colin, interacting with Stuart and Brian. "He has aged very well!" she bit her lip.
"A reunion on the cards then?" he enquired nudging her arm.
"It is nice to see him again!" she ignored the question.
"How did he save your life?" he asked, a question that had been burning in his mind all morning.
"ooph… well … apparently I hadn't been that receptive the 'Mechanic's' advances when I met him on a train. He took umbrage to it and had me in his sights for his next victim." She paused as he poured the water into the mugs. "so, when I was leaving work that night, the Mechanic had disabled my car in the police car park."
"my god" he stopped what he was doing to look at her.
"don't worry fortunately for me, Colin was a romantic sod. He had arranged to get a spare key to my car from Michael, so he could surprise me in the back of my car with Champagne" she smiled. She had found out that part a few months later, that Michael had walked home that night to give them some privacy. "so, the Mechanic rocked up and pulled out a shotgun, the rest is a bit hazy for me but basically Colin stopped him and ran him down. Just as the profiler and Michael had arrived with the Mechanic's name" she remembered how scared she had been that night, how she had wanted to leave the force and how she had shut Colin out. He could see she was lost in thought. He smiled to himself.
"I'll need to make sure to thank him later then" he handed her the mugs.
"thank him?" She questioned
"yeah, well if he hadn't be there that night, then I wouldn't have met you. Without you fighting my corner Mike would have got rid of me years ago and most of all I would be without my best friend" he grinned.
"Charmer!" She shook her head and walked off.