Care
Angie followed Sam and Joe into the house, still in shock at the events moments earlier. They had already lost Wes because of some crazed lunatic with a gun, now it looked like they might lose Natalie the same way. She pushed the anger and fear down inside as a uniform officer approached her.
"Sarg."
"Yeah?" She stepped into the living area of the flat. "You found something Fi?"
"Not the gun." She handed Angie a large scrap book. "Just as creepy though." The other woman looked at her friend as Angie carely opened the book, glad that she had already put gloves on. Her eyes widened as she looked at the pictures of James and Alesha dressed for Court outside the Old Bailey. There were other photographs too, almost all taken when they were on the streets of London. It was the final photograph that scared her the most. A picture of Alesha pushing baby Alice in her pram with James walking alongside her. Both adults in the photograph seemed oblivious to the photographer, chatting away as they always did.
"He has been stalking them."
"Yeah." Fiona sighed as Sam entered the room. "There's this too." She handed an A4 envelope to Sam. "I looked, its newspaper clippings. Mostly from the red tops, but it shows he is obsessed. The Morris case, the original sentancing hearing is all documented there."
"GUV!" A shout from the next room summoned Sam, who suddenly wished he wasn't Natalie's second in command. Joe stepped back as uniform half led, half dragged the suspect out of the room.
"What is it?"
"Got the gun." Joe explained. "And we can pin it to him shooting the Guv." He looked at the floor. "We got him for attempted murder, at least. Never mind anythng else."
"Get that catelogued and off to Joy. See if she can get something off it." He watched as Angie read Bromfield his rights. He knew the man would hate having a woman be the official arresting officer more than anything else. He sighed, knowing that just because they had him safely in custody it didn't mean the nightmare was over.
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"Dad?" Ronnie looked up to see his oldest daughter walk towards him. He had only met Chloe years after his affair with her mother, Liz but he loved her as much as his other kids. He got to his feet, grateful to see the dark haired young woman walk towards him. "Sarah called me. She's with Lucy and Louisa. What happened?"
"We were on a shout." He shook his head. "I shoulda known. I shoulda known." He cursed under his breath.
"Is it Matt? Natalie?" She sat next to him on the hard plastic chair. "Dad?"
"Matt is fine. He's at home with Alesha and the babies. I didn't want him coming out tonight. I knew e would but he needs to be with his family." He sighed, rubbing his temples as he did. "I was going to call Nat's boys but."
"I told him not to." Natalie appeared in the hospital waiting room. Ronnie sighed, his eyes filled with tears as he looked at her.
"Oh my God." Chloe paused. "You were? Nat?"
"Shot by some no mark." He sighed. "They took her straight through when we got 'ere. She was awake though, telling me off so that has to be a good sign. Yeah?"
"I reckon." Chloe sighed slightly. "Do you want me to ring the boys?"
"Nah, love. Thanks but I should do it. When I've something to tell them." He paused as the doors to the treatment area opened. A nurse he recognised approached him. "Hannah."
"Ronnie, she's lucky. She's very very lucky." She smiled as he closed his eyes. Ronnie had long since given up on any Deity being in charge but he had to admit he had spent the last few hours praying to whatever God looked after coppers and former alcoholics. Hannah frowned. "She told me to tell you to stop panicking, don't ring the kids and to get your arse in there so she can see you."
"Sounds like Nat." Chloe laughed as her father sighed. "Go on Dad. She's the Guv." He nodded, following the young A&E sister into the main treatement area as he heard a bleep go off.
"Sorry, Ron. I got to go. Talk soon. She's in the third trauma bed." He nodded before heading into the bay where Natalie was. She looked up at him as he approached the bed.
"Nat."
"I'm fine." She smiled from beneath an oxygen mask. "I am."
"You were shot."
"I know. I was there." She looked at him. "Flesh wound."
"Flesh? You barely av any"
"Cheeky sod." She held his hand. "Anyway, missed every vital bit and I am going to be fine." She squeezed his hand. "Bullet went through. They want me in for 24 hours for IV antibiotics and a decent clean of the wound and then job done. You did get the arsehole?"
"Angie did."
"Good for her." She smiled. Ronnie sighed. "Bromfield would hate that. Getting nicked by a woman. Real dent in his pride that would be." She rested her head back against the pillow. "Maybe now we can think about getting back to normal, once his trial is over." She glanced at the engagement ring she had been wearing for the last few months. Ronnie nodded. He knew she was right, it seemed Bromfield had wanted to cause as much trouble as possible. In the end all he had really done was dent his own pride.
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