A/N: I'm thinking Manson isn't so popular with you guys. He isn't with me either.

All thoughts of Manson disappeared over the weekend as Sam had to contend with bringing Abi home. It was a task more difficult than it sounded given that Abi was an active teenager who wasn't receptive to the idea of being stuck inside all the time.

So Monday morning came and Sam landed up in CID, finding Andrea waiting for her. It was all Sam could do to keep her anger in check, she'd told the young PC they were going to do this her way, and being bothered first thing on a Monday wasn't honouring that agreement. 'Morning, Andrea.'

'Have you reconsidered?'

'Nice to see you too.'

'Well?'

'This is my call, Andrea,' Sam warned. 'We need to tread carefully.'

'Maybe I should do something with the information then,' Andrea said.

'If you do that you jeopardise every chance we've got.'

'Someone has to do something!'

'But not a jumped up little journalist like you,' Sam hissed with instant regret.

'Just remember who started this, DS Nixon.'


'Nice of Gina to organise this party,' Jim commented as he and June shared a coffee at lunchtime.

'I think you mean it's strange,' she answered.

'Well, maybe,' he conceded. 'Still, it should be fun.'

'A chance for everyone to get drunk,' June smiled. 'Have you thought who else you want to invite?'

'Just the station lot,' he said. 'Oh, and Eva Sharpe.'

'Eva, why?'

'I bumped into her the other day, it was nice to see her.'

'Fair enough,' June said. 'Anyone else?'

'I don't think so.'

'Good.'


It took Samantha a while to hunt down Tony. He wasn't in the canteen or the writing room and no one had seen him for ages. After running out of ideas she headed up to CSU to double check with Ramani.

'Sam,' Ramani hurried towards her. 'I was just about to call you.'

'Why? What's happened?'

'Tony appeared up here just after you went,' explained Ramani. 'He's in a bad way, babbling about the DI.'

'Is he still here?'

'No, but he said something about sorting out the boys who were beating Adrian the other day.'

'Oh, no,' Sam said. 'You haven't got a location for where Adrian was found have you?'

Ramani handed over a slip of paper. 'Already dug it out.'

'Thanks.'

'Hope you find me.'

Sam silently agreed.


There was happiness about him for the first time in a long while. Perhaps it was just his time for it, life hadn't been that good for him in recent years, this might be payback. And some payback!

June had been hurt, by him and others, he was going to make sure she was alright. Okay, every man about to get married made that promise but Jim felt extra sure, extra determined. Nothing was going to stop him, no long-lost sons, ex-wives or evil superiors.

Nope, just them together.


And there he was.

He looked a forlorn figure sat on a bench gazing at the children's playground, probably one where Adrian had been playing recently.

'Are you trying to give Manson more excuses?'

Tony barely glanced up. 'He's got all the excuses he needs.'

'Come on, Tony,' Sam pushed. 'Talk to me.'

'He's not giving up, Sam. He wants my head on a platter. If I don't do anything he's still gonna crush me into little pieces.'

'You were so confident, what changed?'

'Manson didn't.'

'Tony, you're talking in riddles.'

'I'm thinking in 'em,' he said apologetically 'Manson really is on a vendetta with me.'

'He didn't get what he wanted with Jim, he won't with you.'

'How can you be sure.?'

'Men like Manson always get what's coming to them,' she answered. 'Just look at the number of people we've put away like him.'

'They weren't coppers,' he reminded her.

'No one's untouchable.'

'Sam,' Tony struggled with his words. 'It gets to the point where I don't know if I'm totally innocent, what if I am looking at little kids and thinking these things?'

'You aren't!'

'But what if I am?'

'God, I could kill Manson for all this!' Sam said angrily. 'What is it about him that makes you doubt yourself?'

'I don't know! His certainty?' Tony offered. 'He believes it so much, maybe it's starting to rub off.'

'There are plenty of people who believe in you, Tony.'

'Yeah, like who?'

'Me, for one.'

'How can you believe in me, how can anyone, when I don't even know if I can believe in myself?'

'It's just Manson making you think like this, anyone who knows you knows he's barking up the wrong tree.'

'I've gotta pull myself together, that's all,' he said.

'When Ramani told me you were in a state I was worried,' Sam admitted.

'Why do you care so much?'

'Well, it's Manson isn't it?' she replied. 'Can't give me a break, can't show anyone that he's got a heart somewhere, at he end of the day he's in the wrong. You just need to remember that.'