Disclaimer: I imply no ownership of the characters. They are the property of Shed Productions and the BBC.
I use them only for creative purposes.

Part Five

When Victoria went in the next morning, it felt nice to her to be able to walk straight up to the office as if
she'd been there for years. Julie Johnson was there giving the computer screens a dust and she asked
Victoria if she'd like a coffee.
"Please, that'd be wonderful."
"Drink a bit too much last night did we?"
"Just a bit. It was fun though. It's funny but everyone tried really hard to make me feel one of them."
"Oh yeah. We're a pretty closely knit bunch around here."
Victoria sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. She was preparing to see what e-mail she had
and also to check up on any stories that might have come in over night. But she didn't get further than her
in-box before Nikki and Mike came in to the office talking about something and the look on Nikki's face told
Victoria it was serious. They came straight over to her.

"You may as well turn that off again," said Nikki looking at Victoria's computer. "We're off out again. You
know that woman, Rachel Hicks, who I went to see yesterday?"
"The one who's house was torched? Yes."
"Well, we're both going to see her this time and we're taking Denny. Someone tried to walk off with her
baby last night."
"Shit!"
"Quite," was Mike's rejoinder. "And that's exactly what we'll all be in if we don't get this story right. We
need to tread very carefully. One wrong move and we could be doing that poor woman more harm than
good."

Nikki and Victoria ran down the stairs and found Denny outside smoking a cigarette.
"Sorry, Denny, you're gonna have to put that out. We need you now."
"What's the friggin hurry man?"
"Attempted kidnap on Rachel Hicks' baby, that's what the hurry is."
"Give us two minutes and I'll get a camera and stuff." Denny rejoined them outside and Nikki drove at a
ridiculous speed towards the hospital.
"Get any picture of anything that interests you, Denny. Well, anything accept pretty nurses. We're not
doing a page three number this morning." Denny giggled. "You know the score," continued Nikki. "If so
much as a facial expression catches your eye, I want it."
"I'll do my best, innit."
"What do we know about what happened?" asked Victoria, already scribbling in the notebook she never
went anywhere without.
"They were going to let Rachel and her baby home today but after this they think that hospital will be the
safest place."
"Like shit it will!" Came Denny's scornful voice from the backseat.
"Why?"
"Well, it stands to reason. It's far easier to get in to a hospital, I mean they never lock their doors and once
you're asleep, you're anyone's." Nikki thought that Denny was talking from experience but she knew
enough of Denny's background not to press the point in front of the new girl.

When they drew up in front of the hospital, Denny retrieved the most unobtrusive camera she had and
followed Nikki and Victoria inside. They found Rachel Hicks and her baby in a private room so that Rachel
could keep an eye on her daughter. The young girl looked very tired and very frightened.
"Rachel, are you feeling up to talking to us. I know we're not the police but we might be able to help you."
"Not you lot back again. It was the publicity about the fire that caused what happened last night."
"You don't know that," Said Nikki though Victoria could tell she didn't quite believe it. Meanwhile, Denny
was snapping away and taking picture after picture of Rachel cradling her baby and of the complete lack of
flowers by her bed. Victoria also saw this and made a mental note to ask Mike if they could send her some.
"Rachel, why don't you start by telling me what happened last night?"
"You know what happened. Someone tried to steal my baby. And what I want to know is why are you
journalists doing more about it than the police?" Bloody good question, thought Nikki.
"Okay, so where was," She consulted her notebook of yesterday. "Maddy when whoever it was tried to take
her?"
"She was down on the kids ward. We were supposed to be going home today." Rachel began to cry.
"Okay," Said Nikki. "We'll come back in a little while."
"No, please stay, I'm sorry. I just feel so scared."
"Rachel," asked Victoria. "Do you know who is doing these things to you?" Rachel went very quiet and
even stopped sniffling. "Because if you do, we may be able to help you. You can't go on living with this
amount of fear." Nikki was amazed at Victoria's apparent ability to hit the nail on the head. She could have
screamed, therefore, when Denny suddenly ran out of the room. Nikki looked towards Rachel who didn't
appear to have noticed.
"I can't tell you who tried to take Maddy."
"Does that mean you know?" Victoria didn't seem to need Nikki there at all.
"Yeah, I know, I know who nearly made off with Maddy and I know who set fire to my house, but like I said I
can't tell you. Now I suppose you'll decide you can't help me just because there's no story in it." Oh, if
you only knew, thought Nikki. She stood up.
"Why don't I go and get us all a coffee. Victoria will stay with you and if at any time you decide you can tell
her who this person is, you feel free."

Nikki left the room and began to look for Denny. She didn't need to go very far till she heard angry voices.
"You've gone way too far this time, Shell. You could've killed her for shit's sake. Why her anyway?"
"Yeah, well, now she knows not to mess with my bloke, don't she?"
"What bloke?"
"Back with Mr. Fenner, ain't I. She shouldn't have been shagging him behind my back."
"Er, Shell man, you got it the wrong way round. It's Fenner who's been playing away with Rachel, so why
torch her house?"
"Needed to teach her a lesson didn't I."
"But Jesus man! I didn't think even you could steal a kid. I mean that's mad that is."
"Yeah, well, she didn't listen the first time did she."

Nikki, having heard the majority of this appeared around the corner.
"I might've known you'd be mixed up in this, Dockley. When are you gonna take your psycho brain away
from here?"
"I don't work for you no more, Wade. So you ain't telling me what to do. Right?"
"You mad bitch! You nearly killed a mother and child."
"Nearly killed a two-timing bitch more like." Nikki lifted her mobile out of her pocket to call the police and
Shell tried to run for it. In an instant, Denny had sprung on her, had her hands behind her back and was
holding her down.
"Want me to break your wrist do you, Shell? After what you did to Shaz, you fucking deserve it!"

When the police had taken Shell Dockley away in handcuffs, Nikki and Denny returned to Rachel's room
but outside, Nikki put a hand on Denny's arm.
"Wait. Don't say anything about this in there. I wondered if it was anything to do with that psycho bitch
ex of yours yesterday."
"Cheers man, you didn't have to remind me about that."
"when I arrived to see Rachel yesterday morning, Fenner was leaning over her bed and I swear he was
threatening here."
"Shit man! I knew he was a twisted bastard but, bleedin hell."
"Now, Victoria doesn't know any of this. And I want you to fill her in while I talk to Rachel. She's got to be
persuaded to give the police a statement. Otherwise, Dockley walks and her and Maddy are history."
"You really want me to tell all this to Victoria?"
"She's got to learn just who she's sitting next to in the office some time. She just thinks Fenner's an oily
little bastard and we both know that he won't be touched by any of this, even though he's in it up to his
neck. She needs to know. Take her for a coffee or something."

When Nikki reentered the room and told Victoria that she needed her to follow up something with Denny,
Victoria looked unsurprisingly quite annoyed. Nikki smiled at her.
"What I need you and Denny to do is extremely important. You remember that fraudulent vicar we were
following up yesterday," She winked behind the cover of Rachel's medical charts. "Well, there's been a
huge development so I need you and Denny on it right away." Victoria, getting the hint followed Denny out
of the room. Nikki took the vacated chair and turned to Rachel.
"Now, are you going to tell me what Mr. Jim Fenner was doing threatening you yesterday?"
"No! I can't. She'll kill me."
"She's in custody so she won't be doing any killing for the moment."
"You don't know her. She'll do anything just to prove a point."
"I do know Shell Dockley, Rachel. She used to be my boss's PA. That's how she met Jim Fenner."
"I didn't say Shell Dockley!"
"No, but I do know that she's who you were talking about. I caught her and Denny having a fight about
you. Denny was sticking up for you and Shell was telling all for the world to hear."
"All I want is for me and my baby to be safe."
"And I'll do everything to make sure you are. Tell me, how did you meet Jim Fenner?"
"I sometimes work as an escort, just to earn a bit extra. I leave Maddy with my mum. Jim Fenner was one of
my regulars."
"What do you mean, was?"
"Well, Shell warned me off him."
"So is she working as an escort as well now?"
"Yeah, she rules that area of business round here. Piss Shell off and you sign your own death certificate."
"And are you going to speak to the police?" Rachel began to look scared again.
"They'll have to promise to put me and Maddy somewhere safe. I won't do it otherwise."
"Well, I'll see what I can do about persuading them. And will you think about giving me a story. I don't
mean about all the stuff to do with Shell. I'm not that stupid and neither are you. I just mean about you and
your daughter and the fact that you've lost your home to a complete nutter."
"Maybe. But you've got to promise me one thing."
"I'll try," said Nikki who hated promises at the best of times.
"I don't want that Jim Fenner anywhere near me." She shuddered. "He's probably the slimiest customer
I've ever had."
"Yeah. But if he knows shell Dockley, I'm not really surprised."
"The police will find somewhere safe for us, won't they?"
"I hope so." Never had Nikki wished something so fervently. This young mother was still in a hell of a lot
of danger and it wouldn't do anyone any good to forget that.