Cathy Bradford opened her eyes slowly and looked around, she wasn't in her room, her security area, the place she felt safe.....
"Cathy! Calm down! Nurse get me something to sedate her quickly!" Cathy heard the voice a man she didn't know, was it him? She felt a sharp stab in her arm and felt consciousness slipping away "No!" she tried to shout but it was a hoarse whisper. Cathy tried to hold on but the drug pulled her back into the darkness.
Many hours later DCI Meadows and Inspector Gold stood looking through the window of Cathy's room "You can go in now" said the nurse "But, please, remember Cathy's mental state, you won't get much sense from her, and try not to upset her, she's very fragile" Gina glared at the nurses ample backside as she waddled off
"As if we're likely to bloody well forget Cathy's a loony tunes!" she snorted
"I think the phrase is mentally unstable!" reprimanded Jack as they entered Cathy's room.
"Cathy, you really must tell me, where is Polly?" said Jack for the umpteenth time
"Sir, I can't, the operation you put me on, it's a need to know basis!" replied Cathy
Gina rolled her eyes, looking at the restraints on Cathy's arms and legs
"I know, and you have done some excellent work Cathy, but we need to find Polly" Jack had soon realised the quickest way to get through to Cathy was to humour her
"She needs to be punished" was all Cathy said "And it's my collar! I'm the one who caught her and I'll be the one to send her down!"
"Calm down, Cathy!" said Jack "I promise, if you tell me where she is, I'll get her and bring her to justice, but everyone will know it was your work, you will get the credit" he soothed, Cathy looked doubtful
"He said you'd talk me round, that's why I wasn't allowed to know," she muttered
"Who said?" Intoned Gina "Who's he?" she demanded
"He said you'd ask questions, demand things that I mustn't give in that this is my case!" Cathy's voice rose to a screech, Jack and Gina stood back, shocked as Cathy started to fight the restraints, screaming, her mouth twisted with rage and fear.
The nurse charged in "I told you to keep her calm!" she scolded them "She went off it when your uniformed colleague arrived earlier – and now look at her!"
Gina and Jack exited the room as Gabriel arrived to guard the door, with Andrea in tow, having dropped him off, "She off again?" he remarked looking at Cathy, all the officers turned to look at Cathy as she was being sedated by the nurse "Him!" she said "He's here! He's here!" Her voice got more slurred, quieter as the drug took effect "Mustn't tell" she uttered before once again falling asleep.
"What does she mean?" Asked Andrea "Who is she talking about? Did she have an accomplice?"
"In her head maybe" said Gina dryly "She won't tell us where Polly is because she says that a man told her not to, that she must bring Polly to justice herself"
"What justice?" queried Andrea
"Polly was charged with assisting a suicide, it was later dropped, but Cathy was instrumental in bringing the charge, she lied to try and get Polly sent down" explained Gina "Presumably that's what she means, though really it could mean anything" she finished.
Smithy answered the phone behind the desk "Custody Suite" he said
"Inspector Gold is out at the moment" he listened
"I don't know when, sorry, is it important, I can take a message?" he offered
"Right" he said writing down a name and number "Aren't you with forensics?" he asked "OK, OK I understand, bye" he replaced the handset and twiddled the pen, looking up as the door swung open to reveal Juliet, Gary and a suspect they had been interviewing, Smithy smiled, couldn't help himself "Finished?" he asked
"Yeah Sarge" said Gary, Smithy took the prisoner down to the cells, locking the door he heard Gary talking to Juliet
"Do you fancy going and getting a bite to eat?" said Gary, in his best telephone voice
"Oh, yeah I am quite hungry actually, meet you in the canteen?" replied Juliet
"Actually... I, um, was thinking more along the lines of tonight?" fumbled Gary
Smithy held his breath, trying not to laugh
"Oh, Gary I'm sorry I can't tonight" she apologised
"Well, how about...." He didn't finish as he saw the look on her face "It's ok" he stropped "I get the message" and stomped off through the swing doors, Smithy came out of the cells area, laughing.
"Don't!" said Juliet, trying not to laugh herself "You rotten sod, he's sweet!"
This made him laugh louder, he moved towards her "So" he said, and stopped laughing, "What are you doing tonight?" he asked
"You know fine well what I'm doing!" she retorted, saved from his insistent gaze by Inspector Gold and DCI Meadows coming through the door.
"Ah, there was a phone call for you ma'am" he said to Gina "Someone from forensics, wouldn't say what they wanted..." he handed her the slip of paper with the number on it
"That's because I'm the Inspector and you are the Sergeant!" she quipped, heading for her office "Jack, you'll want to hear this" she said "And Juliet, you'd better come too"
Juliet followed the DCI through to Gina's office, turning and sticking her tongue out to Smithy in a cheeky way, he shook his head as she went in.
Gina replaced the handset of the phone on her desk "Forensics found a receipt for £300 pounds from a letting agency in the glove box of the car Cathy was driving" she said, handing Juliet a piece of note paper "Get over there, take DC Sim with you, it's probably where Polly is, if what you find is not nice, I don't want any of Polly's friends there, call in as soon as you know the score" she ordered.
Juliet left the office at a run, calling Suzi on her mobile.
Suzi Sim screeched the car to a halt outside the address they had been given from the letting agent, it was a seedy looking place with all the curtains drawn.
Suzi and Juliet looked at each other as Juliet shakily opened the door with the keys they had borrowed from the agent, they went in to the darkened hall, pushing the door to the lounge area open, both turned away in disgust, retching at the scene before them.