The drivers door of the panda car flew open "I'll drive if you don't mind, I've been on the receiving end of your driving once already!" It was Smithy, in a great mood.
Juliet unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, slamming the door, Andrea sighed and braced herself for the explosion "You, Sergeant Smith have an attitude problem, you were just at much at fault as I was, and you know it!"
"How dare you! "he spluttered "You've been here 5 minutes and managed to turn this station upside down! I can't stand coppers who think that batting their eyelids will get them whatever they want we ALL work here and... " Juliet cut him off
"You are a moody, egotistical bad tempered idiot!" she fumed
Smithy backed off a little "And you're a stroppy cow! Get in the car!"
Adam Okaro and Gina Gold were looking out of his office window "I thought those two had sorted their differences out?" asked Adam, gesturing towards Smithy and Juliet
"So did I" sighed Gina "I'll speak to him when he gets back"
"Good, now what are we doing to find Bradford?"
Gina started to explain what she'd assigned each member of the relief when the phone on Adam's desk rang "Yes?" he answered, and paused "Thank you, let me know the minute forensics have finished" he replaced the handset and turned to Gina "They've found Andrea's car, forensics are on it as a matter of urgency, I'll let you know as soon as they have anything" he said effectively dismissing her, Gina left without speaking.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gina closed the door and faced her relief "Right, what we got then?" she quizzed them "Smithy?"
"Nothin'" he said "The last time any of Cathy's family saw her she was still at the loon.. er hospital and most of her friends disowned her ages ago, they all mentioned each other and Sunhill"
"Uh huh" muttered Gina "Phil? Neil?" she asked
"We..." Phil started, stopped by Manson muscling in
"No more withdrawals from the nurses account, one large withdrawal was made at 3.34am, no witnesses as yet, we checked door to door everyone was asleep, and the CCTV camera shows someone with a scarf round their head, could be Cathy"
"Have you checked the surrounding cameras?" asked the Inspector
"Yes ma'am" Phil glared at Manson making sure he got to answer "Just the same woman approaching the service till and leaving in the same direction, no one else around and the car was parked well away from the cameras, no one else used the till for an hour before and three and a quarter hours after"
"Ramani?" Gina continued looking more and more disgusted
"They believe Cathy overpowered one nurse when she was showering, one nurse was found in the bathroom, the other by the nurses station, both with severe injuries, they think that Cathy used a used needle stolen from the sharps bin to take the third nurse hostage"
"A needle?" exclaimed Gina
"Yes, with the risk of HIV, hepatitis etcetera, the nurse will have had no option but to co-operate," said Yvonne
"Right" said Gina, unconvinced "Anything else?"
"She must of got the nurse to disarm the alarms on the doors and side gate, and the CCTV recorder was smashed to bits, as was the monitor and video tape" said Honey "We searched Cathy's room, nothing out of the ordinary, clothes, make up, the usual"
"And the patients" asked Gina
"Nothing Ma'am" said Honey "Well nothing constructive anyway" she finished
"Well, that's that then" she exhaled heavily, longing for a cigarette "Forensics found the nurses prints on Andrea's car, so we know Cathy has Andrea's uniform and warrant card, go home, I'll see you all tomorrow, and people take precautions, try not to go out alone until we catch Bradford"
"And don't take sweeties from strangers!" said Gabriel as they were leaving "She thinks we're all stupid!"
"Some of us are" remarked Smithy
"Oh, come on sarge" smirked Gabriel "You're not all bad"
Smithy lunged for Gabriel pinning him against the wall. "One day Kent, I'll kill you!" he stormed
"Smithy!" Gina hollered "My office NOW!"
Smithy let go of Gabriel with a shove and went with Gina, the gathering dispersed, leaving Juliet and Honey "Wow, he's really got his boxers in a knot" said Honey "He's been great recently too, dunno what's upset him"
"I think it might be me, we had yet another row in the yard, think I owe him an apology" said Juliet
"Don't worry about him, you have to know how to handle him, and believe me there's a queue when it comes to handling Smithy!" Honey laughed "You coming down the pub?"
"Yeah I'll meet you there, think I'd better go mend some bridges" said Juliet noticing Smithy come out of Gina's office and head for his own. she knocked on the door,
"Hmph!" came the reply she went in, Smithy was bashing one of the keys on the keyboard of the computer, the machine kept bleeping at him "What?" he barked, without looking up, she lent over and clicked a few things on the screen, the computer returned to the original screen "You want something?" he asked, looking at her
"I 'er, wanted to buy you a pint, peace offering? We've got off on the wrong foot twice now" she said "Everyone else is going!" she hastily added seeing his raised eyebrow
"OK, I'll meet you down there" he said following her out of the office
"Um, Smithy?" she said, he looked at her "I don't know where I'm going" she said
He sighed "I'll meet you at the back door, let me get changed" he went into the men's lockers.
Cathy Bradford watched as the relief spilled one at a time out of the pub. She watched Honey and a guy she'd never seen walk out with Smithy, Yvonne and a woman she didn't know Honey inviting everyone back to hers "Or ours as it is now!" snatches of conversation drifted through the window. Next came Polly, Jim and June "We'll wait 'till your taxi gets here!" said Jim "No arguing". She heard Polly laugh and watched a taxi draw up and Polly get in, Jim and June walked off round the corner arm in arm, Cathy started the car and followed the taxi, smiling to herself.