Sheelagh and Des Taviner have been married for ten years but they have no children together. They both work at Sun Hill Police Station where Sheelagh is a sergeant and Des is a PC. He hates having to call her 'sarge'. They met when Sheelagh moved from Ireland to Liverpool when she was sixteen. They fell in love as soon as they set their eyes on each other. Recently, though, they have been arguing a lot more and not getting on as well as they had been. Des blamed it on the fact that they didn't spend enough time together. Sheelagh is twenty eight and Des is thirty.

Today Des is in the area car with his best friend, PC Reg Hollis, and Sheelagh was investigating an assault. She was walking along a hospital ward to visit the victim . Sheelagh flashed her ID at the doctor and he pulled back the curtains that concealed the victim, allowing her to go to the victim's bedside. The doctor closed the curtains after her. Sheelagh got out her notebook and pen and looked up at the man in the bed.

"Hello Mr…uhh…" Sheelagh started.

"Patrick Murphy." he told her.

"Right." Sheelagh looked sheepish and wrote it down. "I'm Sergeant Sheelagh Taviner and I'm going to be investigating the assault. Can you tell me what happened?"

Patrick smiled at her. A flirtatious, contagious smile. "Well, I was in my cab. And I was giving a bloke a lift and when he got out…"

"Sorry," Sheelagh interrupted, "do you know this bloke's names?" Sheelagh shifted from one foot to the other in tiredness. Patrick noticed this and said.

"Sit down on the bed." Sheelagh sat down silently. "And no, I don't know his name. I don't know anyone's name." Sheelagh cocked an eyebrow and smiled.

"Well, my name's Sheelagh so now you know mine."

Patrick laughed. "I mean I don't know any of my customers names."

"Oh." Sheelagh said in mock realisation. "Where did you drop him off?"

"Outside a house on Island Lane." Sheelagh wrote it down. Patrick was curious as to what she was writing so he painfully sat up and tried to look over her shoulder. Sheelagh noticed his and turned her head so she was looking at him. This made their faces only centimetres apart. Patrick grinned at her then said. "I wanted to see what you're writing about me."

Sheelagh laughed. "I'm just making notes about what you're saying. Do you know what number the house was?"

"Um 25 maybe? I can't really remember." Patrick winced in pain and Sheelagh stood up immediately. She put her arm around Patrick's shoulders and pushed him gently back down. She removed her arm and said sternly to him.

"Stay lying down."

"Okay." He didn't argue.

"What happened after that?"

"Well he got out and I told him how much he owed. He just sniggered and started walking away from me taxi. So I got out and walked up to him. I said that he had to pay and he swung round and thumped me in the gut. Then he thumped me until I was on the floor. When I was lying on the concrete he kicked me until I was unconscious. The next thing I know I was in here."

"Can you describe this man? Black? White?"

"White."

"Tall? Short?"

"A tiny bit taller than me. When I looked straight forward I could see his nose."

"Okay." Sheelagh smiled. "What clothes was he wearing?"

"A black suit, a white shirt and a maroon tie."

"Shoes?"

"Trainers. White."

"Trainers and a suit?" Sheelagh cocked an eyebrow.

"I know. Not the best dress sense!" They laughed easily and naturally with each other.

"What happened to you cab?" Sheelagh asked curiously.

"I have the keys in my trouser pocket," Patrick pointed to a neat pile of clothes next to his bed, "the cab is probably still on Island Lane."

"Do you have someone who could move it for you?"

"Yeah. A mate said he'd pop by tomorrow so I'll ask him then."

"Good. Well, do you think you'll be able to recognise this man again?"

"Yes. Definitely!"

"Okay. Well, I'll bring a laptop in with some pictures of some men on it and see if you recognise any of them. Do you want to press charges?" Patrick nodded. "Okay then I'll see you in a couple of days. Or tomorrow. Depends how quickly I can get my Inspector's attention."

"Okay. I'll see you again then."

"You will. Bye."

"Bye."

Sheelagh left the hospital and drove back to the police station.