Chapter #4: Safe Havens and Scoundrels (1977 Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee year with a 14 year old Gene Hunt and 8 year old Sam Tyler)
Ruth has a boyfriend and Sammy doesn't like him. When they show up at the station will the Guv and Big Sammy be able to help? Little Gene Hunt has to get his old man Guv to believe that Mrs. Tyler's newest beau is a child abuser and the eight year old is at his mercy.
"Excuse me," The young Gene Genie announced as he dismounted his pearl silver Raleigh Chopper Mk2 bicycle and put into a park with the kickstand down "Sergeant Dobbs? Are you busy?"
"Gene, what's happened to Sammy?" Sergeant Dobbs looked down at the little boy and then over at Gene, young Hunt would be nicknamed the boy (always, always a boy no matter what the decade). She wasn't his favourite person at the station and both of them knew it. In two years time Gene would be applying for the Greater Manchester Police Cadets in preparation for making his own life as one of the most legendary police officers the future will know and be a better copper than his own DCI father is now.
Sammy always told Gene cold cases were a bad thing. She was a good police officer though so he knew she'd help Sammy and the little Gene Genie - even if she did smell like a Labrador. "One second Eugene, bring Sammy and come behind the desk."
Samuel Christopher Tyler watched as she picked up the phone. "Guv? Got a visitor. Bring DI Tyler with you. No, no sir it's not Diana Dors with a bottle of chip oil. I think you should come down."
Gene noticed that she looked at Sammy again. "It's Sammy Tyler Guv. Ruth Tyler ain't about either. Looks like he's been crying."
"No I haven't," Sammy muttered and stuck out his lip. Sammy had been crying but Gene knew in his own 14 year old wisdom that he didn't want DCI Hunt or Big Sammy to think he was a baby so he'd scrubbed his eyes really good before they'd come in. Gene knew what DCI Hunt and Big Sammy thought mattered to his best friend Sammy. They wanted to be just like them when they got older.
The young Gene Genie knew Sammy had told some of his new friends at school that his daddy was a detective and he had to be away a lot so that was why he didn't live with him and Ruth Tyler - even though it was a fib.
"Sammy?" Big Sammy came down the stairs and looked at him. "What are you doing here? Your mum must be worried sick!"
"I'm running away," Sammy announced. "Me and Gene."
"I see," Big Sammy nodded and leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. "Thought about where you're going to go then mate?"
"Thought I could live here with you and DCI Hunt," 8 year old Sam Tyler smiled up at Big Sammy. "Be a policeman."
"I'd like that," the big tall man said, DCI Hunt reminded young Sam Tyler announced as he came around the desk. "Why don't we go up to my office DC Tyler and discuss your bunking arrangements?"
"Tyler," the tall man who looked like Gene announced as he reached over and took Sammy's hand, Phyllis, we'll leave me lad's police Chopper bike and DC Tyler's bags with you?"
"Course Guv," Sergeant Dobbs nodded. "Keep them nice and safe behind the desk."
"Good bird." The blonde haired man turned to look at Sammy. "So Tyler, how about some pink wafers and milk? Get a little snack and take it back to my office? What do you say?"
"Ok," Sammy nodded. "I'd like that DCI Hunt. Thank you. It won't come out of my paycheck will it?"
"Your paycheck?" the spit of his best friend Gene Hunt looked at him.
"Mummy always says that pink wafers are too expensive and she can't take the money out of her paycheck to get those and all the groceries we need. Besides Uncle Jim says they rot my teeth."
"No, no DC Tyler. Pink wafers courtesy of your Guv." The big man reassured him.
"Uncle Jim," Big Sammy and Little Gene Hunt growled at the same time - like the words were a hairball stuck in their throat. The two boys would be dealing with plenty of child abuse cases in years to come as part of Gene's career as DCI in the 21st Century at this very same station.
"Uncle Jim?" DCI Hunt asked. He didn't like the man; Mummy made them refer to as Uncle Jim either. The man always kicked him and threw him off the radiator when he was sleeping. He wasn't nice to Sammy and Gene wished Mrs. Tyler would go away with him so that they could live with Big Sammy and the Gene Genie's DCI dad instead.
"He's mummy's boss," 8 year old Samuel Christopher Tyler answered. "He lives downstairs from us and he comes up to visit mummy a lot."
Gene noticed the Guv look over at Big Sammy who had tightened his grip on his best mate's DCI father, "What happens when he comes down to visit your mummy Sammy?"
"They go in mummy's bedroom to talk and I have to stay out in the garden to play. Unless it's cold and then I go over to Billy Newton's house to play instead. His mum always makes us biscuits and milk and sometimes I stay for tea and his mum makes macaroni and cheese."
"So does your mummy know you're here DC Tyler?" The Guv asked.
"No," Sammy stuck his lip back out again. "And I'm not going to go home and tell her cause she'll just ground me to my room. I won't be able to go play football with Billy and the others or hang out with your Gene."
"Hmm," the Guv replied. "That is a problem. Boys need plenty of football time. Bet your mum's worried though?"
"Probably doesn't notice," Sammy pouted.
"She's worried sick Sammy," Big Sammy replied as he knelt in front of Sammy and Gene Hunt "I bet she's crying right now, worried about where you are."
"No she's not," Sammy pouted again and wrapped his arms around Big Sammy's neck. "She's too busy fighting with Uncle Jim. That's why I came to stay here at the police station with you. He kicked Ivanhoe DI Tyler sir. He. Kicked Gene Hunt out said he was a copper's bastard. And then he threw my football out into the street!" sobbed 8 year old Sam Tyler when Gene handed him over to his father, DCI Hunt.
"He kicked Ivanhoe?" The tall man asked as Sammy clinged around his legs."He kicked my junior deputy police son?" Gene bore the brunt of Uncle Jimmy's abuse towards Sam when he first tried to get the 8 year old boy and Ruth Tyler out of the abusive situation.
"Yes sir," Sam Tyler sniffled from his place in Big Sammy's arms. "Then he made mummy cry."
Come on DC Tyler. DI Tyler. Lets get some pink wafers and sort this out. No one abuses the Gene Genie or upset my detectives."
"Are you gonna arrest him?" Sam Tyler asked from his place in Big Sammy's arms.
"I might," the big man replied. "I take kicking of my Eugene very seriously."
"Good," Big Sammy and Little Sammy replied at the same time.
A few minutes later the group of them made their way into CID, the Guv and Gene Hunt happily eating a pink wafer and Sammy dunking another in a cup of milk. "Sammy?" Annie Cartwright called out. "What are you doing here luv?"
"I'm going to live here with you Annie!" Sammy called out brightly.
"You are?" She asked brightly and Gene knew that it was the tone big people took on when they were lying to people Sammy's size. "Well isn't that nice! The bunk next to mine's free."
"Really?" Sam Tyler bounced happily in Big Sammy's arms. "Will you tell me a bed time story?"
"Only if you promise not to laugh about my night light and be nice to my teddy bear," Annie replied.
"Deal," Sammy leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I'll even tell Ivanhoe to guard him when Gene and I are at school during the day."
"Bye Annie! See you tonight!" Sammy answered happily.
"Right," the big man replied as they pushed into his office. "Tell me what you know about this DI Tyler." Gene Hunt looked over at Big Sammy and saw Sammy curled up in his lap. He debated jumping onto the sofa next to them but noticed that Sammy was covering it in crumbs. Instead he sat onto the Guv's lap. It was more comfortable than he'd expected.
"Sammy," Big Sammy looked at the boy cradled in his arms. "Could you take Annie a pink wafer please?"
"Yes DI Tyler," Sammy answered solemnly. "Will you protect my milk from Ivanhoe? Mummy says he's not allowed to drink it out of my cup."
"Of course," Big Sammy agreed. Gene at fourteen watched Sammy trundle out the door at a run with two packets of pink wafers clutched in each fist. Enough for Annie, Ray, Chris and himself to all have one.
Little Sam Tyler dropped off the Guv man's lap and sauntered over to curl up around Big Sammy's lap.
"Uncle Jim," Big Sammy told the big man, "is an absolute bastard with no conscience. He's taking advantage of Ruth and he's horrible to little Sammy."
"And what sort of work does Ruth do for him?"
"Cleans offices, nights, while her sister Heather watches Sammy."
"And?" questioned Gene's father hoping it wasn't just a childish fantasy in disguise.
Big Sammy just snorted and glared at the Guv man angrily.
Gene rubbed his chin against Little Sammy's hair to comfort him, even though he was only 14 years of age he was just as reliable as any trusted grown up in authority.
"Right," the tall man agreed. "And I take it she's still not allowing you to pitch in with the bills after Sammy's comment about the groceries?"
"I was slipping some money to Heather," Big Sammy answered. "Told her it was coming from Vic's family - trying to help out now that he's gone. She took it for a while but about two weeks ago Heather starts telling me she won't take the money anymore. Says she doesn't want anything from the Tylers except Vic's lying, cheating, porn peddling head on a platter with his cock shoved down it's throat."
"Bitter," Gene Hunt's father whistled.
"Do you blame her?" Big Sammy snapped.
"No, shame she won't let you help out with the boy though. Sounds like this Uncle Jim isn't what Sammy needs around."
"He's not," Big Sammy agreed. "But it's not like she'll let me anywhere near him. She'd be livid if she found out he and I were together here now."
"Sounds like this Uncle Jim needs to be gotten rid of," the fuzzy man replied.
"Can't. He owns them Tylers for all intents and purposes. He's her employer, her landlord, all of it. We piss him off and they're back to living in Heather's flat." Gene answers confidently.
"Might be able to take care of that," the Guv replied to the young Gene Genie.
"You take Sammy, me Eugene and Flashknickers out for ice cream," DCI Hunt replied. "It's slower in here today than a geriatric orgy so you won't miss anything but paperwork and Skelton can finish that up. Be good for him. I'll make a few calls and go over to see Ruth Tyler. Might have a way to resolve all this."
Big Sammy stood and walked over to lean across the desk. "Why am I in charge of your lad Gene, sir?"
"Shut it Gladys," the CID man replied. "Take your boy and his girl for ice cream. Reward him. You should be proud after all you poof," DCI Hunt ran his hand up Big Sammy's arm. He noticed Big Sammy look back at the door and the man who looked like Gene pulled his hand away. "Right, probably not a good idea with me boy here. Don't want him getting confused and all."
"Stephen," Big Sammy cocked his head to the side and sounded disappointed.
"Sam," the fuzzy man replied. "We should be proud of our boys. They're smart kids. Make fine coppers one day."
"Why's that?" Big Sammy asked.
"Yours managed to convince Cartwright to have a sleep over with him in less than five minutes and he didn't even have to buy her dinner first. Might want to send him to military school when he hits puberty. Or lock him in a cell."
"Nah," Big Sammy grinned. "He'll have problems with girls. Might even stutter and blush around them. I did."
"That, Gladys, is because you are both a poof. My boy is not. He's a handsome tyke who's even charmed Phyllis. You're going to have to beat the birds off him with a stick. Now take him, Sammy and Cartwright for ice cream and see if you can't learn something from the boy. Eugene and I will handle this Uncle Jim."
Seven hours later Gene Hunt stretched from his place on the sofa and yawned. Sammy was asleep at the other end, Big Sammy's coat under his head as a pillow and the fuzzy haired man's coat across him as a blanket. Big Sammy was pacing Gene dad's office, drinking a strange brown mixture that he constantly refilled from the bottle on the desk.
Big Sammy was nervous about the case. Young Gene Hunt wondered if Mrs. Tyler would ground him to Sammy's room as well. Maybe she wouldn't let either of them play football, cops, robbers and detectives. Would this punishment spell the end of their friendship?
"How much of my scotch have you drunk Tyler?" The Guv announced from the doorway. "Hope you have a mind to replace it. That was a full bottle."
"Where have you been?" Big Sammy hissed and jerked his head at the sleeping children. "We went for ice cream, we played in the cells, we did paperwork, we went for chips because that was what he wanted, we watched telly in the locker room and he fell asleep. All I had from you was a note that said 'handling things be back later - Stephen."
Gene had to reply to his father's Detective Inspector "My dad was handling things," the 14 year old boy replied. "He went by to talk to Ruth Tyler, let her know Sammy was at the police station with Annie Cartwright, perfectly safe - lied and told her you were off duty today. Had a nice chat and a cuppa then took her to meet a friend of his."
"That took seven hours?"
"No, had to wait for her to call her sister Heather to help her move all of hers and Sammy's stuff into the new flat."
"New flat?"
"Near her new job."
"New job?"
"Right, thought since she already had experience as a cleaner I called a friend of mine who works for the schools. Know he's always looking for cleaning staff, wife inherited a block of flats just walking distance away from one of them. Turns out job was open, flat was free, he agreed to give it to Ruth Tyler cheap."
"Cheap?"
"She thinks she's paying 50 less than what she is. He knows the rent is coming from two sources. You don't need to worry about dealing with Heather anymore. Any extra you want to slip him he'll put in her pay packet as a 'bonus' or overtime. Whatever, he'll make up a believable excuse."
Big Sammy looked at him and Gene could see his mouth working even though no sound was coming out.
"Good school, not like the one he's currently going to." The fuzzy man added. "Better neighborhood. Safer for her and the boy."
"And Uncle Jim?"
"Had a nice long talk with him about exactly why he needs to get gone. Told him that I was the only thing between him and a Tyler who wanted nothing more than to carve him up and put him in the canal."
"And what did he say to that?"
"Talked a lot of shit about calling the law till I shoved my badge in his face and he realized I was the law. Illuminated for him that the Tyler in question was as well and that if he didn't reexamine his business opportunities somewhere besides Manchester and away from Ruth Tyler I'd be helping you drop parts of him all over Manchester and his case would quickly go cold."
"I see," Big Sammy nodded. "And?"
"I think after he's changed his y fronts he'll be looking at moving on. Need to take the boy home now though. Get enough time with him?"
"Yeah," Big Sammy smiled. "It was good. Really good."
Gene watched as Little Sammy wrapped his arms around his father's neck and cuddled him. He watched his old man cradle the little 8 year old boy. He liked the way Sammy nuzzled. It seemed the Guv liked it as well.
"You're welcome," the spitting image of Gene Hunt murmured.
"See you at home?"
"You going to be all cuddly still?"
"Probably."
"Yeah, I'll be straight home once Sammy's back at Ruth's."
The door of Number 23 is open. Big Sammy knocks on it, then pushes it open. He goes inside. Roger Whittaker is on the record playing, singing "I Don't Believe In If Anymore".
# No, you won't believe in "if" anymore.
"If" is for children,
"If" is for children,
Building daydreams,
La la la la li, la la la ... #
Ruth Tyler is in the kitchen apologising to Big Sammy "I'm sorry for my Sammy running away," sounding apologetic in tone "I knew there was something just not right about Jim."
"I know this was the reason he ran away from home into the station." Big Sammy stated calmly to a worried mother "The Guv's going to move this so called Uncle Jim away from Manchester otherwise he'll find his case being chased on the run."
"Thanks, DI Tyler; tell my mate Gene Hunt I'll be playing football with him tomorrow." winked 8 year old Sam Tyler who admired Manchester's finest coppers.
"You don't have to always be man of the house, but I'll trust your instincts from now on Sammy, I promise." said Ruth Tyler proud of having a son that was wise beyond his years and got him his favourite treacle sponge with the custard.
Ruth Tyler now knows there wasn't something right about her newest boyfriend; the young Gene Genie got a taster of the child safeguarding cases that he'll be working on when he's a Guv himself years later, since he saved his best friend Sammy Tyler from the wrath of an abusive adult. Rating will now be upgraded to 'T' due to this fourth chapter.