(MIT office. Rachel greets Anna with a smile. Rachel is suddenly hit with a pang of guilt. She hadn't once checked in on Janet yesterday. She would have to make a point to call her today and check on how she's doing. She didn't want to be a selfish friend.)
Anna: So, how was it?
Rachel: This isn't the Loo.
Anna: No, but it's just us. I never told anyone about that Christmas card. Except my wife. Bit hard to not tell her why a photo of my boss and a child she's never met is suddenly on the fridge.
Rachel: (smirks) You put us on the fridge?
Anna: Yeah.
Rachel: That's sweet.
Anna: Still up there with my nieces and nephews.
Rachel: Right, loo-rules.
Anna: Loo-rules.
Rachel: (leans forward with a smile) I pulled last night.
Anna: What? The date went that well?
Rachel: It went, fine actually. (she pouts for a second thinking of Robin and how much she had really wanted that to be real. She wasn't going to dwell in disappointment.) But it ended abysmally.
Anna: Oh no.
Rachel: So, I thought, fuck it, and copt off with someone else.
Anna: Wow, it was that easy for you? I always have a tough time chatting people up.
Rachel: Well, (shrugs) she chatted me up. So-
Anna: She?
Rachel: Loo-rules!
Anna: Of course.
Rachel: She was brilliant too. (Anna blushes at the abundance of information and the mental image she created of her boss sitting on some woman's face.)
Anna: Will you see her again?
Rachel: (shrugs) Probably not. No offense but as good as it was, sex with women it Is exhausting. (Anna laughs) It's like, very physical. I mean, like, I'm not a pillow-princess or anything, I do my part but you've really got to stay active with a woman. Maybe even do some stretching beforehand. I can't. If it's always that much work. I don't reckon it's for me. Is it always that much work?
Anna: I'd hate to discourage you. But yes. It's usually a work out. Sometimes you get creative.
Rachel: Damn.
Anna: Well, I'm glad she showed you a good time. Represented our people well. (Rachel laughs loudly at this and Anna feels a wave of pleasure being so trusted that Rachel was freely laughing with her. Not long ago it was silence and scowls. Now they were giggling together about sex. Rachel is enjoying herself until she's hit with another wave of guilt. She misses Janet. Janet was her best mate. She's meant to have this conversation with her.) How did the bloke you fancy, muck up the date so badly that he turned you gay?
Rachel: You can't turn someone gay.
Anna: (jokes) I think I would know more about it.
Rachel: (grabs her coffee) Fair point.
Anna: No, I'm joking. Of course you can't. You must've always had it in you.
Rachel: I don't know if that's better or worse.
Anna: Seriously though, how did he mess up? You were looking forward to it and he must've done something stupid. (Rachel bites her lip thinking about it. Her feeling of righteous indignation slips away when she realizes the person who screwed up the date was actually her. She sips her coffee. Anna wanted an answer but Rachel couldn't think of a single offensive thing on Robin's end. Rachel suddenly feels embarrassed. Why had she allowed herself to get so upset? She was tipsy and she came on too strong. How was any of that his fault? She sips her coffee again avoiding answering the question. She remembers how he stepped away from her advance, shocked.)
Rachel: We just, uh, I reckon we had different ideas of what we were looking for.
Anna: Cryptic.
Rachel: Yeah well, I haven't got to tell you everything.
Anna: Alright. (Rachel's phone buzzes)
Rachel:(checks her phone.) Again?
Anna: What?
Rachel: Third meeting this week. (she rolls her eyes and takes her mug.) Get to work Anna. (Rachel exits and heads to Will's office.)
(Rachel smiles entering Will's office.)
Rachel: Good morning.
Will: I won't be long. I just thought you should know this morning Adam Wells died.
Rachel:(instantly loses her smile and flops into the chair in front of Will.) No!
Will: Yes. Sorry to tell you. Dan Melligan may be looking at murder charges.
Rachel: (teary) That's awful. He was such a good bloke. (Will slides a box of Kleenex across to her. Rachel gets a hold of herself. She wasn't going to cry. She didn't cry when her mum died, or her dad. She came close with Mitch but she felt more pain seeing the distress of his wife and sons. The same reason she cried over Nick.)
Will: It's possible the Police Complaints Commission will intensify their investigation into Janet's involvement with Dan Melligan.
Rachel: This is mad. Poor Janet must be gutted. She's probably a right mess.
Will: I know it's difficult because you're close with Janet but you cannot, and I don't think I can emphasize this enough, you cannot contact her.
Rachel: (puts her hands up) Alright.
Will: Okay. (Rachel stands) Are you alright to go back to work?
Rachel: Yeah. Of course. It's awful news. Terrible but you can't afford to have another DCl off. In light of everything I've cancelled all plans and arranged for my sister to keep my daughter for the weekend. Because I know you'll need the extra help.
Will: Right good. It's like you said "The job comes first, other things have to fall away." (she nods at the callback to their breakup. She begins out of the room carrying the reminder of another decent bloke she messed things up with. She was never a "good girl". So maybe it was wrong of her to try it on with "good guys" like Will and Robin. She starts up the stairs back to her floor and texts Gill. Someone needed to see if Janet was ok.)
(When Gill receives the text she responds "Already on the way. I heard the news." Rachel wasn't sure how Gill gets her information but she always stayed in "the know" Somehow. When Gill arrives at Janets she knocks. Janet is on the settee wrapped in a robe, Adam's robe. It was strange for her to have an empty house. She's never lived alone. She lived with her mum and Dad, then her University mates, then Ade and the kids, then her Mum and the kids, then Adam. There's never been a time when she was so completely alone like she was now. When she hears the knock she thinks it's from the telly but the telly is muted. Janet gets up from the settee and goes to her front door. She opens it and is surprised to see Gill.)
Gill: Janet, I'm so sorry.
Janet: Sorry about what?
Gill: (realizes the news hasn't come to Janet yet.) Can I come inside?
Janet: Sure, of course. (She moves aside to let Gill enter.)
Gill: (Walks to where she knows Janet's sofa is. She points, silently instructing Janet to sit. After years of taking orders from this woman, Janet automatically responds. Janet sits, but is anxious.)
Janet: Did you want me to put the kettle on?
Gill: Don't worry. I'll put it on in a minute. (Janet smirks at the idea of Gill walking into her home and taking control, deciding when the kettle gets put on.) Janet.
Janet: Yes? Gill, you're starting to worry me.
Gill: I'm very sorry to tell you this but, Adam died this morning.
Janet: (stares for a moment, unblinkingly) What?
Gill: I'm so sorry. (Gill has delivered a great many death messages in her career but when she knew the person it was always so much harder.) His right ventricle collapsed. His heart rate spiked and unfortunately before they were able to bring him to surgery he went into full cardiac arrest and they were unable to revive him this time.
Janet: No. That can't be. NO! (She covers her face and then burst into sobs. Gill sits beside her and gently grips her knee. Janet turns to Gill and puts her face on Gill's shoulder, crying into her jacket. Gill's body stiffens momentarily. In the moment she would say she prefers comforting Rachel. She could tell by Janet's sobs that comforting her was going to take much of the morning. Gill didn't think of herself as a cold woman. She was not without empathy. She was simply regimented. She modeled herself after the Queen and did her best to remain dignified at all times. Gill relents some and puts an arm around Janet, comforting her.)
(MIT office. There's a knock on Rachel's open office door. She is reviewing the reports submitted to her. She was looking over Sammy's very closely since he was still very new.)
Rachel:(looks up from her work and is mildly annoyed to see Robin's handsome face in her doorway. His shirt was a bright pink paisley and it was tight on his pecs. She looks at Robin's lips remembering how soft they were. Coldly.) How may I help you DCI Luther?
Robin:(unsure about the cold use of his official title) Hiya. (He steps further inside her office.) I wanted to see that you were ok. I heard the news about Adam.
Rachel: I'm fine. He wasn't my fiance. I'm sorry for his daughter. But I am fine.
Robin: Good, good. (He puts his hands in his pockets feeling awkward.)
Rachel: (shrugs and fiddles with her pen) Was that all?
Robin: I, uh, (he peeks out her office door, checking for eavesdroppers and then looks to her. Whispers.) I had a great time last night.
Rachel: (sighs heavily and stands. She walks over to her office door and closes it. Robin turns to face her and she folds her arms.) What are you playing at?
Robin: Sorry?
Rachel: I don't understand. What's the endgame? Are you just taking the piss?
Robin: Taking the piss? How?
Rachel: Waltzing in here and acting like you care and saying you had a good time?
Robin: I'm sorry, I don't understand. I do care, that's why I asked. And I did have a great time. Did I give the impression that I didn't?
Rachel: Yes. And I haven't got time for mind games.
Robin: Nor do I. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I really do fancy you. Even more now that I know how funny you are. (Rachel shifts her weight foot to foot and unfolds her arms) I apologize if I reacted too strongly at the end there. I was simply surprised. It was a bit, full on and I wasn't expecting it. I felt lucky just to kiss you goodnight.
Rachel: So... you do fancy me?
Robin: Absolutely. I just, to be clear, this isn't a criticism against you, no judgement at all, alright? Just for me personally, I like to really know someone before we're intimate. (Rachel nods processing this slowly.) I, I've only been with 3 women in my life.
Rachel: (laughs) What?
Robin: I was with Robyn's mum, she was my first and then for years she was my wife. Since the divorce. I've only been in two serious relationships.
Rachel: Ok. So, the relationship has to be. Well, that. "An actual grown-up relationship" and it has to be serious for you to-want to-
Robin: (nods, filling in the suggested blank) l'm a bit old fashioned that way. Is that...is that alright? (Rachel smiles and nods. She's almost been with more women than Robin. They certainly had very different ideas of sex but she was somewhat relieved to know he wasn't just playing some humiliating game with her. There was still the chance he may be repulsed by her when he found out her number of partners which ranged between 84 or 86, if she counted the two times she was blacked out, woke up and didn't remember sex occuring but her body feeling like it had.)
Rachel: Well, I, ok. I'm sorry I was so forward.
Robin: It's alright. You're a great kisser. It was an exciting sneak preview.
Rachel: I thought, I'm sort of relieved. I thought you were playing a joke. Wining, dining, pretending to be interested, for a laugh.
Robin: Why would I do that? That's cruel.
Rachel: (shrugs) Why would you date another person for two years and show them engagement rings, if you were married with children and having it off with 6 other birds?
Robin: Shit. Well, I would never do that because, well, I try my best to not be a philandering unfaithful arsehole shitheap.
Rachel:(smirks) Right. Sorry.
Robin: Believe it, or not. I know, l've not yet proven myself to not be a bad guy in your bleak world view. But I have no ill intent towards you. (Rachel smiles and blushes. Robin is confused a little by how she may be charmed by this. He's beginning to believe the man in her case file was not the first to hurt her. Her bar was so low that his displaying basic human decency, treating her with respect and expressing his lack of malicious motive, softened her. Again this makes him feel a little sad.)
Rachel: (shyly) Well, I did really enjoy myself up until our misunderstanding. I'd like to get together again soon. If you would.
Robin: (smiles warmly.) I would absolutely... but without the misunderstanding.
Rachel: Yes. Skip that bit.
Robin: But perhaps still with the snog? Because I did enjoy that.
Rachel: Me too. (she bites her lip looking at his chest, again picturing it bare, with her hands pressed against it, riding him. She reopens her office door wearing a smile. She takes her seat and Robin takes this as his cue to leave.)
Robin: Feel free to text if you need me. (Shrugs) Or for no reason at all.
Rachel: Cheers. I will.
Robin: Talk to you later then.
Rachel: Sounds good. Thank you DCI Luther. (Robin smiles and leaves. Rachel sits back in her seat. She could still faintly smell his cologne. Now she felt a little guilty about her lesbian-rendezvous. She quickly dismisses the feeling. She had a good time and she had no commitments to Robin. She needn't feel guilty for enjoying herself. But now that she felt a little more sure he wasn't playing an elaborate mind game with her, she would abstain. He's willing to give her a chance and she is hoping she can convince him to like her, to "stick around" as Will said when he officially ended it with her. It "Wasn't working for" him. She screwed up and she wasn't enough for him to try to forgive her or move on. She was, in his book, like her Dad often said "More trouble" than she was worth. This time, she is determined to be 'worth the bother.')