Author's Notes: A short chapter but one that's needed none the less. This is all i've got for now, so you might have to wait a while for the next chapter, I can guarantee at least 1 more chapter possibly 2 or 3, depends on how much space it takes to finish it off.
One more thing, Neil isn't married to Phillipa in this story, They divorced over 2 years ago. You'll see the reason for this in the next chapter.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and to anyone who has read this story but hasn't reviewed.
A special note to Gem6 (and anyone else who's interested) they have got to be alot more careful, but it gets worse before it gets better.
DAY 4A special note to Gem6 (and anyone else who's interested) they have got to be alot more careful, but it gets worse before it gets better.
The sun rises over the horizon and envelopes the city of London in a beautiful golden glow. In a small, but cosy apartment in the centre of the Canley borough a young couple are fast asleep. The buzzing of the nearby alarm clock, not enough to rouse them from their sleepy haze. The alarm clock is joined by the ringing of the telephone, which eventually wakes up the sleepy pair.
Not realising where he is and still half asleep Neil picks up the phone and says sleepy into it, "Hello!"
The person on the other end of the line is shocked to hear, a familiar voice but not the one they expected to hear.
"Neil is that you?" says Gina Gold.
"Shit," Neil mumbles, realising what he's done, "Yes Ma'am" he reluctantly answers.
"I was trying to call PC Dunbar, I must have dialled the wrong number, well I'm sorry to disturb you, oh and Meadows is looking for you."
"You haven't dialled the wrong number, it's my fault, what was it you wanted?"
"I was calling to see if PC Dunbar was going to grace us with her presence today, considering it's now nearly half past eleven and she should have been here at nine this morning."
"That would be my fault," Neil admits, "I'll make sure she gets there as soon as possible."
He puts the phone down and gently tries to wake Andrea up.
She wakes up to the sound of Neil quietly whispering in her ear. She rolls over to face him but makes no further sign of getting up.
"Gina Gold just phoned," he tells her.
"What did she say?"
"Nothing much, just wondering why you're not at work, that and why I was answering your phone."
"Oh crap," Andrea exclaims, "I take it we've both got some questions to answer."
"I would assume so yes, but I may have an idea."
"What kind of an idea."
"The simple answer to the questions she'll probably ask. Just say that I walked you home from the pub last night and fell asleep on the sofa."
"I'm sure she's really gonna believe that. People are already getting suspicious, if ever they here about this …"
"Rumours are gonna fly," he finishes for her.
"Yeah, well best get it over with," says Andrea attempting to get up and ready for the day.
She instantly lies back down when a nauseous feeling overtakes her senses.
"I don't feel so good," she mumbles, attempting to sit up again but more slowly this time.
She treks down to the kitchen to get a paracetamol before heading to the shower to prepare for the day.
Neil follows her example and also gets ready for work.
They arrive at the station sometime around one o clock, of the afternoon and Neil quickly makes a dash for his office, hoping no one has noticed his absence.
Andrea walks straight to Inspector Gold's office dreading what is to come. She knocks on the door and enters when told to.
"Ma'am," she greets.
"PC Dunbar, nice of you to turn up this morning."
"Sorry Ma'am, I didn't hear my alarm go off."
"I'm sure you didn't, I take it your aware I tried to call you this morning? Quite a shock I can assure you."
"Ma'am, it's not like you think."
"Would you care to explain?"
"I don't know what you know or how much you've concluded but, theirs a really simple explanation, I was drunk, he walked me home, it was late so I said he could sleep on the sofa," Andrea explains.
"Fair enough I suppose, right because you've missed half of the shift already, your in custody for today, ok?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Best get on with it then."
Andrea heads out of the office and into custody relived that Inspector Gold didn't go mad at her. Not looking where she is going she almost walks straight into Smithy.
"Sorry," she apologises.
"You decided to join us today then?"
Andrea just nods her head as an answer.
A few hours later.
Andrea is behind the desk in custody when Yvonne and Honey come in ready to go for refs.
"So you did make it in today then," says Yvonne as loud as she can.
Andrea puts her head on the desk and covers her ears, "keep your voices down," she mumbles.
"Somebody's got a hangover," sings Honey.
"I don't think that's all she's got," says Yvonne.
They are interrupted from saying any more when another voice interrupts them. "Haven't you got somewhere you're supposed to be?"
"Sir," say Honey and Yvonne scurrying off to the cafeteria.
"You ok" Neil asks Andrea.
"I've been better," she mumbles.
There is silence why they think of something else to say.
"NEIL," Okaro bellows.
Andrea flinches at the sound and attempts to cover her ears. "This is gonna be a long day," she mumbles.
"Gov," says Neil to Okaro.
"Where have you been all morning?"
"Out gathering evidence sir."
"Very well then, anything to report on our other little chat?"
"Not yet Sir, no."
"Keep at it, I want this sorted as soon as possible."
"Yes Sir."
Okaro walks off in another direction.
"What was all that about?" asks Andrea.
"I shouldn't really be telling you this but he's worried about the leak. Thinks its someone on the inside."
"What have you said?"
"Nothing, he keeps asking me to dig up what I can but as far as he's concerned I've got nothing yet."
"He's not gonna be patient with you for long."
"I know, but that's the best I can do for now. Anyway, I better get back to CID before someone realises I'm missing again. Talk to you later," he says before wandering back up to CID.
The rest of the day is pretty uneventful and the end of the shift rolls round slowly. Andrea meets Honey and Yvonne in the ladies locker room.
"Feeling any better this evening?" Yvonne asks.
"Yeah a lot better thanks."
They exit the locker room and walk out into the yard chatting noisily. Just as they walk out into the car park Neil comes up behind them.
"PC Dunbar can I have a word please?" he calls.
"You guys carry on," Andrea says to Yvonne and Honey, "I'll see you tomorrow."
They wave goodbye before continuing on their way home. Andrea turns to face Neil looking at him expectantly.
"You got any plans for this evening?" he asks her.
"Not that I know of why?"
"Something's come up; some information that I think will be useful, only problem is, everyone else seems in a rush to get home."
"What are you trying to say Neil?"
"Will you come with me to check it out?"
"Yeah, sure," she answers.
They walk over to his car and get in unaware that Adam Okaro is watching them from his office window.
They drive out of the station grounds and towards Andrea's flat.
"What's all of this about?" Andrea asks.
"This stuff about the sniper, you said you think Gabriel Kent might be involved, it turns out you could be right. A snout gave me some info about a meeting in the Red Lion, later this evening. It could be nothing but I think it would be best to check it out; if you think you're up to it?"
They pull up in front of Andrea's flat and get out of the car; they walk to the door and find somebody sitting on the step.
"Honey," says Andrea shocked, "what are you doing here?"
"PC Harmon," Neil says, not really knowing how to react knowing she must be drawing all sorts of conclusions from the current situation.
"Sir," Honey says, not really expecting to see the DI at her best friend's flat, she turns her attention to Andrea and says, "I though you might fancy a girlie night out, but if you've got other plans …"
Andrea opens the door and invites them both in. She leaves them in the living room while she goes and puts the kettle on. She returns to find them standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. She tells them both to sit down on one of the large sofas and then goes back to the kitchen to make the tea. She returns to the living room carrying three large mugs of steaming tea. She puts them on the coffee table in the centre of the room before sinking down next to Neil.
Honey is the first to break the silence. "I'm guessing you don't want to come tonight then?"
"If you'd have asked me half an hour ago I would have said yes," Andrea answers, "but something else has just cropped up."
The telephone rings startling all of them. Andrea gets up to answer it.
"Andrea," says the voice on the other end, "I've got that information you was after."
"This is not a good time," Andrea says into the phone, "can I call you back in about an hour?"
"I'm busy Andrea, why can't we talk about this now?"
"I'll have to call you back," says Andrea before putting down the phone, not waiting for a reply.
Honey stands up, "I better go," she says heading towards the door.
Andrea looses her out and they agree to chat at work tomorrow morning. She walks back inside and sits down next to Neil.
"Who was on the phone?" he asks, "Bruce?"
"Yeah," Andrea replies, "he said he's got that information I was looking into about Gabriel."
"What information?"
"I told you I think Gabriel's up to something, and about him being June's son."
"Yeah, is that it?"
"So far yes, but I'm sure there is something else. Something just seems wrong about all of this."
They talk for a few more minutes before Andrea calls Bruce back to see what he has found out.
Andrea, relay's the information to Neil and they plan what they're gonna do. They agree to go undercover in the Red Lion Inn to find out what information Neil's snout has come upon. They get changed and arrive at the inn at 8pm. Inside they are met with another shock. Sitting by the bar are the last people they expected to see, Adam Okaro and Gina Gold.
They make a quick decision to pretend they haven't seen them but are too late. Gina turns round and spots them and automatically alerts Adam Okaro. With no way out of this awkward situation, Neil and Andrea walk over to where their two superiors are sitting.
"Fancy seeing you here," is the only thing that Neil can come up with.
"Neil, Andrea," Gina and Adam say simultaneously, "any chance of explaining what exactly your doing?" asks the Super completely confused.
Neil is lost for words so Andrea takes the initiative, "some information came to light late this afternoon, so we're just following it up, see if theirs anything in it."
They all look at her stunned for a few minutes before Neil continues her explanation. "I heard some information from a snout earlier that someone was planning some kind of meeting in here tonight, by the time I got back to the station practically everyone had gone home. I managed to run into Andrea on the way home so asked her to help."
"We'll leave you to it then," says Gina, turning her attention back to her drink.
Okaro does the same, leaving Andrea and Neil to find a table elsewhere.
They find a table in the far corner, with a clear view of the rest of the room. Neil gets them both a drink and they sit down side by side. They scan the room with their eyes but see no sign of their target.
"Looks like he's not here yet," states Neil sitting back into his seat.
"Yeah, it seems weird with Inspector Gold and the super here."
"That's true. I wonder what they're doing here anyway."
"Having a drink and a friendly chat," giggles Andrea.
"Real funny; I think that statement applies to just about everybody in here. So … I hope PC Harmon doesn't get the wrong idea about earlier; I mean, she must have questions about me driving you home."
"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine, you know what she's like, I'll have a word with her in the morning but … it's Yvonne I'm worried about, she figured a few things out the other night and I don't think she'll keep it to herself for long."
"What do you mean exactly? What's she figured out?"
"Us!"
"You think she'll say something?"
"She's not known as the station gossip for nothing and if ever Honey says anything about earlier, the whole station will have heard by lunchtime."
"What can we do about it?"
"Not a lot really, I can try talking to them but … we both knew it would come out eventually,"
"There he is," Neil interrupts her, "In the green jacket by the bar."
They cease their conversation and watch the man by the bar, who is soon approached by another man. They exchange a few words and then sit down at a table.
"I can't hear what they're saying," says Andrea.
"Neither can I," replies Neil not taking his eyes off the other men.
The men sit talking for a good hour then get up and leave the pub.
"Lets follow them," says Neil getting up and putting his jacket on.
He passes Andrea her coat and they both head out of the pub.
Outside they get in the car and follow the men through the streets of London. They end up outside a flat that they know belongs to Gabriel Kent. This is confirmed when they see him open the door and invite the men inside.
"What now?" asks Andrea.
"We've got 2 choices. We can stay here and wait for them to come out, or we can leave it and go home."
They decide to go home.
A few hours later at Andrea's flat.
"Do you think we'll ever find anything to incriminate Gabriel?"
"Andrea, we both know this isn't gonna be easy. If what you've said is true we're gonna have to pull out all the stops to prove it, but I believe you may be onto something here, and I'm not gonna give in till we prove it."
"What if we never find anything?"
"Then I'll never stop searching. I'm in this for the long haul Andrea, I'm not gonna give up easily."
They look at the clock and notice its past 2am.
"Lets get some sleep. We've got to be up for work in a few hours," says Neil.
They settle into the bed blankets and fall asleep in each others arms.