A month later ...
Gene closed his eyes as he sat at his desk. He had thought there was a time when he would never see the inside of Fenchurch East nick again. He knew Sam and Annie had blown the whole thing up in Supermac's face and he had to admit Annie Tyler was tougher than all of them put together, then there was Ray who had risked his own life to make sure Molly was ok and young Shaz, who was now an integral part of the team. He knew Alex would probably have been murdered if she hadn't been there when he couldn't be.
"Guv?" He looked up to see Sam stood in the doorway of his office. "You alright?"
"No, Ethel. I'm half left."
Sam rolled his eyes before stepping into the office, closing the door behind him. He knew the patriach of the team was still adjusting to all the changes. When the fallout of the files going on line had started Gene had been recovering in hospital, the team had done all they could to protect him from the fallout. Gene nodded for Sam to sit in the chair opposite the desk.
"Sam."
"Yeah?"
"Just had the head of the Met on the phone."
"Yeah."
"CPS and Internal Affairs are going after Supermac. Want statements off us all. Says we should all have bloody medals." Gene shook his head. "Pay us decent wages I said would be more appropriate, but you know the bigwigs. All reckon they can pat us on the head and think we will go back in our boxes."
"You sound bitter." Sam paused. "He's on remand. He's lost his job and there are going to be proper murder investigations. Proper enquiries into Sally's death and the cover up for the others. Its a good thing."
Gene shook his head. "No, Sam. It'll be given lip service. It'll be done to save face, but none of them really want the truth. That's too messy. Knowing a senior officer tried to bully, discredit and murder two officers to have his other crimes covered up? Nah, they aren't going to want that broadcasting." He put his feet on the edge of the desk, the metal on the cowboy boots clanking together as he moved. Sam sighed.
"So? How do you know all this?"
"Supermac never made it to the prison." Gene's eyes narrowed as he thought of the man he had once respected. Sam frowned.
"What do you mean? E never made it to the prison?"
"Dead Sam. He's dead. Found him an hour ago. So, now he goes to the 'ereafter without answering for what he did." Gene hissed. "So, no trial, no being made to see what he did was wrong, no justice for Sally or anyone else!" He snapped. Sam ran a hand over his face. Neither of them had realised Alex had joined them. She stuck her hands in her jean pockets as Gene looked up. "Bolly."
"So? He's dead. But we stopped him hurting anyone else. And there will be more arrests and more inquiries. And, we will have justice for Sally because it wasn't just him, was it?" She looked from one to the other. "It's over for Supermac but those who covered for him and helped him still have to answer a lot of questions." The trio looked out of the office door as Ray and Chris both moved from their desks to see what the commotion was in the corridor outside CID. Annie sipped her tea as Shaz remained rooted to her chair.
"Its over, Gene. It really is. DCI Litton has just been arrested." Alex turned back to them. "Its over."
"Aye." Gene walked out into the main CID office. "The battle maybe, but the war? Nah, that's just started." He ran his eyes over the room, appraising his team. He knew then that whatever the Inquiry said, whatever came next they were ready.