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Smithy was running late and cursed as he hurried to the locker room, ripping off his tie as he went. Custody had been absolutely manic, just one of the reasons he preferred to be out on the street. he remembered one of the trainers at Hendon once saying he'd been ridiculed for being a constable all of his career, especially when his superiors thought he could go far, but he'd always seen his desk as being out on the beat. He could understand that. He pulled out his phone, glancing at it as he unbuttoned his shirt. There was one unread text from Andrea. He opened it apprehensively, half expecting it to say she'd changed her mind and wasn't coming.
Just left. See you soon. X
It was sent a while ago. He smiled at it, glad. He'd been asked all day if she was still coming and was sure there would have been more than a few people disappointed if the answer were no. He typed a quick reply.
Can't wait to see you. X
He changed hurriedly and rushed to meet the others in the front office. They usually did. Safety in numbers and all that. Andrea would be on her own in the pub, but it wouldn't be for long. She'd be safe there. He met the others and they began the walk to the pub. Gina lit up as soon as they turned the corner from the station. Smithy supressed a smirk. She must have hated the day when smoking was outlawed in police stations.
Ten minutes away, Smithy's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and smiled. Andrea. Probably wondering where they were. He accepted the call, putting the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Smithy!"
Something in her voice made her stop dead in his tracks. She sounded breathless as if she'd been running. She sounded panicked. She sounded scared.
"Andrea? What's wrong?"
Gina stopped as well, turning to him, concern marked in her eyes. There was silence, then what sounded like teeth chattering. From cold or fright, he couldn't tell.
"Andrea? Are you still there?"
"He's followed me," she whispered as if she was trying to hide. "I ran but I think he followed me again."
"Where are you? Andrea?"
Everyone else had stopped now and were looking back at him, obviously worried. The line was silent, aside from shaky breathing.
"Andrea, talk to me! Where are you?"
"I ran," she said again, catching her breath. "Um…I'm out near the old fire station. By the docks."
"I'm coming," he said. "Just try to stay quiet. I'll get backup. Stay on the line." To Gina, he said, "Gina we need backup. Now. He's chased her to the docks."
"I'm on it," she said. "Come on some of you, with me."
She ran back to the station, Tony, Gary and Yvonne at his heels. Smithy began to run, followed by Honey, Steve and Lance.
"Andrea? We're coming. Just stay where you area." Silence met him and said, "Andrea, are you there?"
"I'm here," she said, then he heard her gasp. "Oh no. no! Please no! Please!"
There was a long drawn out scream and a clatter as if her she'd dropped her phone, then running footsteps. And another scream.
"Andrea!"
Silence. He cursed and ran, the others barely able to keep up with him. Blood pumped through his veins making his head pound. He'd kill him. He swore that. He'd just gotten her back and he wasn't going to lose her to him.
He reached the old fire station quickly. It was deserted. Honey, Steve and Lance caught up with him, all three breathing heavily. He heard the distant sirens of the police car.
"Andrea!" he shouted.
"Serge!"
He spun around, ready to snarl at Steve, then caught sight of what he was holding. In one hand Andrea's rucksack and the other, her phone, the screen cracked. He held his hand out and Steve handed it over. He turned back around, his eyes searching. If it were him, he'd run to where there were people; town centre with the pubs and clubs and restaurants. The alternative didn't bear thinking about.
"Come on," he said and began to run towards the bridge.
"Smithy, look! There!"
He followed the direction of Honey's finger and squinted. He could make out a struggle in the darkness on the other side of the river. He heard a scream, saw the shadow fall from the ledge. There felt to be the longest gap between that and hearing the splash of bodies hitting the water.
"No!"
He ran across the bridge and looked down into the water. From the disturbed depths, a figure rose, then sank again as if fighting with someone dragging them down. Smithy threw off his denim coat and jumped into the icy depths, as the figure rose again, struggling to keep her head above the water.
"Andrea!"
"No! No! Please! Don't!"
"It's okay! It's okay, it's me!" he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her head above the water. "It's okay, you're safe!"
"Smithy!" she wailed, holding him so tightly he struggled to keep his own head above water.
There was another splash. Lance had jumped in to help. Cars screeched to a halt and the sky was filled with blue lights and sirens. The reinforcements had arrived.
"Andrea, where is he?" Smithy asked.
"I don't know," she said, her teeth chattering. "He pulled me in and was pulling me under. I struggled. I think I kicked him. I'm not sure."
"He didn't get out, Serge," said Lance. "We would have seen!"
"Get her out," he said, passing Andrea to him. "Get her safe, get her warm."
"Come with me!" she pleaded, clinging on to his arm. "Please!"
"I'll be right behind you," he promised. "But I have to try. He can't get away again."
"Come, Andrea," Lance said, pulling her across to the ladder as Smithy disappeared beneath the water. "Go on. I'm right behind you."
She climbed the ladder, her freezing hands barely able to grip the metal bars. She stopped and looked back. Smithy surfaced for air, then disappeared again.
"Come on Andrea. Keep coming."
She looked up. Gina was waiting at the top, her hand held out. Andrea climbed further and stretched out her hand to hers as she got to the top. She grasped it and her legs gave way as soon as her feet stepped on solid ground. She collapsed to the floor trembling and felt someone drape a heavy coat around her shaking shoulders.
"You okay Andrea?"
She looked up into Tony's face then stared helplessly out to the still water.
"Smithy," she whimpered.
"He'll be fine," he said. "Come, let's get you warm. The ambulance is on its way."
She shook her head as he tried to pull her to the area car.
"No. I need to stay here."
She gripped the railing tightly and watched as Smithy surfaced for air again only to go back below the water. His movements were becoming slower as he tired.
"Andrea, you're bleeding," Gina said.
Andrea looked down at her hand and saw the blood smeared across it. She looked back up at her.
"I fell," she said in a small voice. "Over there, by the bridge. That's why he caught up with me."
Smithy surfaced again and swam to the edge to the ladder. He appeared on top of the ledge and Andrea threw herself into his arms. More sirens announced the arrival of the ambulance.
"I couldn't find him," he said, holding Andrea to him tightly. To her, he said, "what the hell were you thinking, coming this way?"
"All right Smithy," said Gina. "Let's save it for her statement. Right now, she needs treatment."
"Come on," he said and pulled her towards the waiting ambulance.
Andrea sat in the cubical in the hospital gown and wrapped in several layers of blankets. The curtain opened and JD peeked in. he smiled.
"You know, if you missed us, you just had to pop in."
She gave him a watery smile and her chin trembled. He sat on the bed, pulling the blankets around her tightly.
"I want to keep you in. just for a night," he said, as she opened her mouth to protest. "You swallowed a lot of water and that can make you really sick."
"I feel fine."
"You feel fine now. It can take some time for the effects to show. Just for a night."
Her shoulders slumped.
"All right."
JD looked over his shoulder.
"Where's Mr Callahan? Is he on his way?"
"He had to go back to New Zealand," she said and tried to smile again. "Smithy's gone to call him."
JD gave an exaggerated shudder.
"Rather him than me. "
"That's what Inspector Gold said. I think he drew the short straw."
"You can say that again," said Smithy, drawing the curtain aside and stepping into the cubical. "Let's just say he's not a happy bunny."
Andrea winced. "I'm so sorry."
"It doesn't matter," he said, sitting down and wrapping his arms around her. "Just as long as you're okay."
"I just want to keep her in overnight," JD said. "Make absolutely sure she's okay."
"You do as you're told," Smithy said as Andrea looked at him. "Just for once."
JD laughed.
"I'll come back and see you tomorrow."
He left. Andrea cuddled into Smithy. Someone had lent him a pair of hospital scrubs. His clothes had been taken for forensics along with hers. The scratchy blue material felt alien against her face.
"Have they found anything?"
"Not yet," he said. "The divers are going to search at first light, but obviously what with the current and that…"
He trailed off, but he didn't need to complete his sentence.
"I'm so sorry Smithy."
"What did you think you were doing?" he said. "Walking that way in the dark?"
"It was just one little shortcut over the bridge. You know what it's like, you can see the way out from either end. Thirty seconds, that's all. If I'd known he was following me… I know it was stupid."
"What happened?"
"He…" She swallowed hard. "For a bit, it was almost like that day. You know, the day of the fire. We talked. He asked me what I thought he should do. I said he should turn himself in. Stop running. Stop hiding. Find some peace of his own."
"You're more sympathetic than I would've been," he muttered.
"We have a complicated relationship," she said. "He said he would do it, turn himself in. If I went with him."
"You believed him?"
She looked up at his tone of disbelief, stung.
"Maybe I wanted to believe him more than I actually did believe him. You don't need to tell me I was stupid. I just wanted it all to be over."
"What happened then?"
"We walked down the side of the river. Then he turned. Told me how stupid and gullible I was. He wasn't going down for Kerry, for June, especially not for me. I ran to the fire station and hid. That was when I called you. He found me, dragged me to the river. I fought. I think I tore my coat in the struggle. It was like he was trying to push me into the river. But I pulled him with me." She traced invisible patterns on his scrubs. "I think it was the cold that shocked us. Him more than me. I don't think he expected me to do that. It caught him off guard. I managed to break free. He couldn't swim very well."
Smithy ran his fingers up and down Andrea's arm.
"I guess I should feel bad," he said. "But all I can think is that he now knows how you felt, how Kerry felt, how Sheelagh felt. How everyone he ever hurt felt."
"Is that bad?"
"Maybe it should be," he said. "But human. I'd be lying if said I never hoped he'd have at least that."
"Smithy…."
"Ssshhh. Don't think about it now. Save it for when you give your statement."
She buried her head into his shoulder and they lay together in silence until a nurse came to do some observations and said he would have to leave. She clung onto him and he prised her hands gently off. He went outside and she heard an exchange of words before he came back inside and climbed back onto the bed with her, cuddling her close.
She wasn't sure how she managed to fall asleep, but woke up to light seeping through the curtains and the hush of voices. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Smithy and Gina turned to her and he sat back on the bed.
"Sorry. Did we wake you?"
She shook her head and looked up at Gina in a question.
"Nothing yet. But the divers haven't been searching for that long. Forensics did find your blood though on the footbridge and Steve found your bag and your phone.
"Yeah. He stamped on it. I guess it's history now."
"As long as you're not. How're you feeling?"
"All right," she said.
"I'll go and get you a change of clothes," Smithy said, who looked as if he hadn't slept a wink himself. "I won't be long."
He kissed her head and departed, the curtains swaying in his wake. Gina sat on the end of the bed with her
"Do you think they'll find anything?"
"Who knows? What with the current and that. That's unless he got out."
Andrea shuddered. That didn't bear thinking about.
"We'll keep our safety measures in place," she said. "Until we know either way." There was a pause, then she said, "Smithy said you saw Bruce Malcolm."
Andrea nodded.
"Yesterday. No. The day before. I haven't had much grasp of time lately." She raised her eyes to Gina's face. "I didn't want to see him. But I think we both needed the closure."
"As long as he wasn't bothering you."
"No." Andrea dragged her knees to her chest. "He's leaving. Sun Hill I mean. Selling his house, going back to Scotland."
"He is?" the Inspector said, surprised. Andrea nodded and Gina said thoughtfully; "well, maybe that's for the best. I know prison wasn't an easy ride for him. Hopefully he can find some peace."
Andrea laughed slightly. "That's what he said. That he'd find some peace. He hoped I'd find mine."
She rested her chin on her knees. Gina put a hand on her arm.
"I don't condone what happened to him in there. None of us do. But he looked guilty, even without everything Kent planted on him."
"I know. But what must have happened in there…"
"Not your fault," she said. "It isn't. What happened to him, it was awful. But he did himself no favours."
Andrea sat back, musing.
"I just feel sorry for him, you know. I always did. It was obvious what he wanted. He always came across as desperate, but harmless. It turned when he worked out I was seeing Smithy. I guess it was one rejection too many. "
"Nobody likes rejection Andrea. But not everyone reacts like that."
"No, I know. But I guess some people have zero luck with relationships."
"I know who you mean," she said. "I know all he told you and all he told June, but what was his truth, that doesn't make it reality."
"I know. I learnt not to question his reality though. It never ended well for me."
Her chin trembled and she buried her face in her hands.
"Sorry."
The Inspector then did something which really surprised her. She moved forwards and wrapped her arms around her. Smithy and Graham had barely let her out of their arms – or their sight – since they'd got her back, but that was nothing new for them. Gina Gold wasn't quite the huggy type but nonetheless a motherly sort to her team. Smithy had confided once that she couldn't have children of her own so that made a little more sense.
"You'll be fine, Andrea," she said. "You have to be, for your sake. Don't let him ruin your life as well."
Andrea didn't have the heart to tell her it was too late for that.
Andrea gave her statement to Sam and Okaro with Smithy by her side. There was no CCTV by the docks or on the bridge. All they had was her word, but that seemed good enough for them. As she left Okaro's office with Smithy, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and groaned. Graham. He was going to kill her. She answered and held it away from her ear as he began ranting. Smithy looked on, his eyebrows raised in amusement.
"I'm okay," she said, and listened. "Don't shout at me. I said I'm okay."
"And what if you weren't?" he said angrily. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing, walking that way on your own in the dark?"
"It was just a shortcut," she said.
"And how many times have you warned people about shortcuts?"
"I know. You don't need to tell me that. I'm fine Graham. I promise."
"Which is more than can be said for him," said Graham. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer person."
He never was once to mince his words.
"Have they found him?"
"No."
"Where are you?"
"At the station. Just given my statement."
"Who's in charge? Put them on."
She grimaced and turned around. Gina was standing beside Smithy, looking just as amused as him. She held the phone out to her.
"He wants to speak to you."
She could swear Gina looked almost pleased as she took her handset
"Mr Callahan, Gina Gold…." She listened for a moment, then said, "well the around the clock protection will be in place until we know either way. Then we'll reassess when we know for sure…yes, Smithy is taking her home, and he'll stay with her…yes, I'll tell him…you as well…goodbye."
She closed the handset and handed it to Andrea.
"Tell me what?" Smithy said. "Do I really want to know?"
"Just to remind you that he's better as a friend," said Gina. "He said you'd know what he meant."
Smithy gulped.
"Thanks. I do." To Andrea, he said, "come on, you. Let's get you home."
Andrea waited until they were outside before speaking.
"Smithy? Is it just me, or did she look a little too pleased to be talking to Graham?"
He shot her a twisted sort of smile as he hailed a cab.
"Well," he said, opening the door for her. "Let's just say I think there was a mutual attraction on both sides."
Smithy gave the address. Andrea put her seatbelt on, thoughtful.
"Do you think it could ever work between them?"
"Well, Graham would have to move over here for starters. I can't see her moving out there. Anyway, you know what she's like. I don't think she ever really got over Okaro. Remember what happened with Jonathan Fox?"
"Oh yeah," she said. "I can't remember Graham ever having any relationships. He always said I was the only girl in his life. I always thought it was really sad."
She saw the flicker in Smithy's expression and looked down at her lap.
"I know about his wife and daughter," she said quietly.
"He told you?"
"No. I heard the two of you talking about it at the hospital."
"I'm sorry you had to find out like that. He'd only just told me. It wasn't my place to tell you."
"I know. I'm not angry. It's just sad, really."
"Well, if it's any comfort, I know you filled a little bit of the emptiness left behind."
Andrea smiled weakly at him. Graham had said she was in no way a replacement for the child he lost and she believed him, but again, wondered what would have happened if she hadn't. Would she have known about her two brothers? Been raised with her family? Taken a different career path? Never have come to Sun Hill, thus never exposed Kent for the monster he was? It almost made her head spin thinking about it. However much she resented her parents for the way they'd treated her, however much of a nightmare the past year had been for her, she'd never wish she hadn't exposed him.
They were back to how it was. Smithy watching her every move, twitching every time she got up as if he wanted to shove her back into her seat where he could see her. If she went to the bathroom, she could almost hear him tapping his foot in agitation until she got out. She didn't blame him. She came into the bedroom after a shower, dressed in warm pyjamas, to find him sitting up in bed, relaxing when she came into the room. She must have shown something in her expression.
"Sorry," he said. "I'm trying not to worry so much."
"It's okay," she said. "I'm sorry I gave you case for it."
He nodded at the bedside table and she looked to where there was a glass of water and a small white pill. One of the sleeping pills JD had given her when she'd been discharged from the hospital the first time.
"Come on," he said. "You know you won't sleep otherwise."
She put the pill in her mouth and washed it down with the water, then climbed into bed beside him. He held her so close, she felt as if she was suffocating. She wondered if it was the same medication he'd given her that night, laced within the soup. The thought gave her a violent shudder.
"Cold?" Smithy whispered.
She just nodded. He leaned up and pulled the heavy throw over them as well. She curled up into a ball, her head on his shoulder, snuffling slightly before she fell still and silent. He clenched his fists, wishing he had found him, so he could have held him underwater himself.
Andrea woke with a start, gasping. Was it water choking her? Or smoke? Or him? She looked up with a start. She hadn't woken Smithy. Small mercies. She untangled herself from him and got up, padding out to the bathroom, unsteady and slightly disorientated. Damn those tablets. She didn't bother to switch on the light and walked to the sink, slashing her face with some cold water. She looked up into the mirror and gasped. For reflected back at her wasn't her face. It was his. Wearing the denim coat he always wore in the rain, the sun and in-between, the dark t-shirt and the hateful glare. He was dripping wet as if he'd just pulled himself out of the water. She screamed and jumped backwards. Screaming again, she grabbed the nearest bottle of shampoo to hand and hurled it at the glass. It shattered just as Smithy turned on the bathroom light, showering glass everywhere. She turned to him, breathing shakily. He looked at her in shock.
"Andrea, what the hell?"
She looked back at the mirror. The broken panes hadn't fallen out. She could just see herself now, reflected a million times over. She turned to look behind her. There was nothing there.
"Andrea?"
She turned back to him, her jaw trembling.
"I saw him," she whispered. "In the mirror. Dripping wet. Glaring."
He walked to her wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"It was your mind playing tricks on you," he said. "There's nobody else here. Just you and me."
He looked over her shoulder at the broken mirror and sighed.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
She shook her head. "I don't want to go back to bed."
"All right. We won't then. Let's go and sit on the sofa and put the television on. Come on."
He led her out to the sitting area and left her on the sofa. He went to make tea and glanced worriedly at her. She curled up, arms around her legs, every now and then wiping her face.
"It was my fault, Smithy."
"What was?" he asked, bringing over the drinks.
"What happened that night."
"No it wasn't," he said, taking one of her hands. "He followed you. He tried to push you in. you pulled him with you. It was self-defence. Anyone can see that. What were you supposed to do? Let him kill you too? You can't reason with someone like him."
She buried her face in her hands. He rubbed the back of her neck.
"Come on Andrea. He's destroyed so many people's lives. It was about time he got a taste of his own medicine."
"That should have been in court," she said. "In front of a jury, rotting behind bars for the rest of his life."
"Maybe so. But why should he still breathe the same air as us after everything he did? He thought by working with Hardy, he was clearing the streets of people who deserved it? He should have had himself hit by that logic."
"He nearly was," said Andrea. "Don't you remember? Just before last Christmas? The guy, what was his name…Kirby who was threatening suicide. Gabriel talked him down. They came outside and were shot at. Kirkby was left paralysed."
"And all Kent got was a scratch," said Smithy, a bitterness to his tone. "Well it's just a shame Hardy didn't aim slightly more to the right, done us all a favour. It would have saved him being thrown off the top floor of a high rise." He nudged her. "Graham showed me yours, by the way."
She glanced up at the attic and rolled her eyes.
"He wanted to teach me. We used to go out onto the fields and shoot. You know, hitting cans off the fence. Target practice and that."
"You any good?"
"Well, I could hit the cans if that's what you mean. Up against a moving target on the other hand, or someone much better than me…"
She shrugged.
"I don't think we'll need to test that theory," he said kindly. "Come here, come on."
She leant back into him, staring out into the night sky at the twinkling stars. He watched her thoughtful expression as she gazed out into the darkness.
"Better?" he said kindly.
She nodded.
"Sorry I woke you."
"Don't worry," he said and picked up the remote. The channel flashed on and he looked at her with a grin. "Just the thing. Real crime. Want me to turn over?"
She shook her head. "No. Leave it. Might take my mind off mine for a bit."
Four days went by. Four very tense days. True to form, Smithy stayed with her instead of going back to work. Her own personal bodyguard, he jokingly called it. She came off the phone from speaking to a very worried Charlie and went back into the sitting area. He'd tactfully given her space to speak to him alone and smiled when she came into the room.
"He okay?"
"Ever the worried little brother," she said affectionately. "Bless him." She sat down beside Smithy and rubbed the back of her neck. "My dad texted me. Asked if I was okay. A first for him."
"Did you answer?"
"Yeah. Just said I was fine, thanks. I still don't really know how I feel about them."
"I don't expect you will do for a while," he said gently. "Much like how you feel about him, I'll imagine."
"I guess so," she said and twisted her hands. "I told Graham. That dad came to see me, everything he told me, about Joseph."
"What did he say?"
"That it was awful that anyone should lose a child. But how they dealt with the aftermath wasn't right."
"No," he said. "It wasn't. I think it'll take a long time to forgive a lifetime of lifetime of emotional neglect."
"Holding grudges didn't do him any favours, did it?"
"No," he said, and took her hand, kissing it softly. "But you're not like him. You never will be." He touched her face, stroking her cheek. "You've got dark circles, darling. Are you sleeping?"
She'd refused to take any more sleeping tablets, disliking how out of control they made her feel. Smithy had understood and hadn't insisted that she take them. She wasn't sure he was entirely happy with that though, as she alternated between sleeplessness where he felt he had to stay up with her and the most awful nightmares where her screams echoed throughout the house. So, really, there was no sleep for either of them. She shrugged.
"A bit. But I'll take a little tiredness over feeling like nothing's quite real."
He gave her one of his suffocating hugs. She screwed her eyes up against his shoulder. He was strong, kind and loyal. She didn't deserve him really.
"Take a walk?" he suggested gently. "Get you out of the house?"
She paused, then nodded. He went into the bedroom and came out wearing a thick hooded sweater and holding one of hers which he handed to her. He smiled as she pulled it over her head.
"You cut your hair."
"You only just noticed?" she said. "You're terrible."
"Course not," he said and gave her fringe a playful tweak. "It looks beautiful. You look beautiful."
"Thank you," she said, running a hand through it, still surprised when it ended just below her shoulders.
He held out his hand to her and she took it, letting him lead her out of the house. He still was in the habit of setting the intruder alarm and even as she watched him from the corner of her eye, she could see him looking carefully around, poking his head around corners before letting her turn them. She squeezed his hand with one hand, clutching his arm with the other. She didn't think he needed to do that anymore.
The weather was chilling, especially in the park. Smithy steered her deliberately away from the water and towards the exit which led to the end of town. The Christmas markets were back on and Smithy went across to one to get them some mulled wine. She sat below the Christmas tree as she had done a few nights ago, except now, her life had changed forever, even more so than before. There would never be any peace for her.
"Hey," Smithy said, coming back with two cups of mulled wine. He handed one to her and she sipped at it.
"What'll you do for Christmas?" she asked.
He looked surprised. "I don't know really. Working maybe. You know me. A bit more Grinch than Santa. You? Will you go to New Zealand?"
She shrugged.
"Why didn't you just say you were going to your parents last year?"
"Because…" she sighed heavily. "Because I knew how it'd turn out and I didn't want to have to explain why we didn't even make it to midnight on December 31st."
"You spent new year alone at home?"
"There are worse things," she said softly. "I spent months alone in the dark."
"Where was Charlie?"
"Away," she said. "With his friends. New York. I should have known something was up when they so readily said I could come. There've always been excuses, excuses before."
He slid his arm around her shoulders.
"You don't have to forgive them. I don't think there are many who would."
"I know," she said. "It's complicated Smithy and really confusing."
"I know," he said and pulled his phone from his pocket as it began ringing. "Hello? Hi..." He stood up abruptly, making Andrea start. "When?"
There was a moment of silence as he listened.
"Where?"
He listened for a while longer, his whole body rigid.
"No, of course. I understand. Thank you, thanks for letting me know."
He hung up and squeezed his phone hard before turning to her. He didn't have to say anything, even if it wasn't written all over his face, she'd been anticipating this very moment.
They'd found his body.