A/N: I'm sensing some mild anger from you reviewers... Or is that just me?
After Manson had left Sam sat by herself contemplating what the DI had said.
With some things he'd been spot on.
Debbie was hardly the model officer and Phil did make more than his fair share of arrests but... there was a difference between them. Sure, Debbie schemed to get herself ahead but she'd never knowingly got involved with a know criminal like Phil had with Ron Gregory and Dennis Weaver.
Anyway, this was Manson's ploy. He was trying to get her to doubt herself.
Perhaps Andrea was right. Perhaps action was needed.
Tony sidled up to Eva soon after Sam had disappeared with Manson. 'What did he want?'
'A go, as usual,' Eva replied. 'How are you anyway, Tone?'
'Sam been filling you in?'
'Yeah, and I read the article.'
'I suppose everybody did.'
'And no one believed it,' she shot back quickly. 'Except Manson.'
Tony hesitated for a moment. 'Do you think he can be brought down?'
'Yeah, I reckon so. And if anyone can do it, Sam can.'
'She's been like my guardian angel lately,' he commented.
'So I heard.'
'Any idea why?'
'She likes you,' Eva said evasively. 'We all do.'
'That's not an answer,' he pointed out.
'It's not meant to be,' Eva smiled.
Tony laughed properly for the first time in ages. 'Do you think Sam's alright with him?'
'Knowing Sam he's probably the one in trouble.'
'Yeah. But Manson's tricky.'
'He won't weasel his way out of it, Tone. He's in too deep.'
'Am I the only one sensing tension in here?' June asked.
'No, you're not,' Jim said with a small smile. 'If you ask me, it's following someone around.'
'So I noticed. Does he have to be here?'
'Saving face probably,' he speculated. 'He's a failure for not managing to make you hate me.'
'You never told me why he did that.'
'That's because I don't know!'
'How can you not?'
Jim shrugged. 'He seems to hate people with histories. Me, Tony, Sam.'
'What's Sam got to be ashamed of in her past?'
'That thing over Abigail's father,' he reminded her. 'But maybe he's more wound up over her being the previous DI..'
'What, competition you mean?'
'Fear, perhaps. She's been here longer, knows the officers better.'
June looked at him with something close to admiration. 'You've really thought about this haven't you?'
'Suppose I have. Not a problem is it?'
'That my future husband spends more time thinking about Neil Manson than me?'
'When you put it like that I feel guilty!'
'No, it's great even if it is a little unorthodox.'
'I'm not following this very well.'
'It means you care! I don't know many people round here who'd bother about Sam Nixon or care if Tony was accused of what he was. There's only one person in this nick that hasn't got a bad word to say about anyone else and you're that person.'
'I say a lot of bad things about the DI,' Jim argued mildly.
'That's another good thing.'
'Oh, I love you, June.'
'I should hope so!'
'Shouldn't you two be mingling?' asked a voice beside them. 'Declarations of love should be saved for the wedding.'
'Hiya, Sam,' Jim smiled. 'We were just talking about you.'
'That explains why my ears were burning,' she joked lightly. 'I take it you were discussing the demon headmaster.'
'Saw you slope off with him,' Jim probed casually.
'We're having a secret affair, didn't you know?'
'Don't even joke about it!' June said.
'What did he want?' Jim asked.
'Nothing really,' Sam replied evasively. 'Anyway, I've got it sorted.'
'Oh, yeah. How?'
'Hmm, wouldn't you like to know?'
Sam made her excuses quickly, she wasn't going to share too much with the happy couple, however much on her side they were.
She was on the lookout for Andrea, it was about time the journalist received an apology and maybe a veiled warning about dealing with Manson.
But it didn't seem Andrea had arrived yet, Sam asked a few people but didn't want to arouse suspicion, after all, a DS looking for a PC? Very suspicious.
Was she just being too cautious?
No time to have an inner debate though as Andrea had just skulked into the room looking nervous, scared, a little guilty? Sam hoped deeply she hadn't spilled the secret or alerted Manson to something, it was just the kind of thing she seemed likely to do.
She was about to make her way over when there was a noise outside, no one else had heard, perhaps it was her imagination.
No, her imagination wasn't that vivid. It had been the breaking of glass.
Then the door burst open, in the dim light all wasn't clear but still the crowded room sensed something and a gradual hush fell. For some reason Sam felt an urge to step forward, make herself known.
Moving forward gave her more light but no faces came into view, just one masked man with his hand inside his jacket. That could only mean one thing.
Suddenly she thought she should shout but she couldn't. And this masked man was a bit quicker off the mark as he pushed forward, through the crowd of silent officers.
Why was no one doing anything?
As the gunman reached Manson realisation dawned. Just as two shots rang out.
