Inspector Gina Gold strode into the Parade Room the next morning with her usual air of authority.
"Before we begin the play for today I'd like to put a couple of spanners into the rumour mill. Everybody here?" she asked.
"Except Nick. Again!" Sergeant Boyden replied grumpily.
"I'll have to have a quick four letter word with that boy when he eventually shows his face. Anyway onwards and upwards. Now as you lot have doubtless heard by now we had a little incident in Custody last night when Carl Trent, a burglary suspect, overdosed in his cell. He is now recovering in St Hughes.
"What caused it, ma'am?" Reg Hollis asked, raising his hand.
"Sergeant Murphy gave him a takeaway, a favourite from the local grease factory 'Sid's Café, all containers were properly examined and a salt shaker was found to contain traces of cocaine, it must've been full to the brim of the stuff, a little teatime treat. CID are now crawling over the place much as the DPS are about to do to us so I want everything done by the book. Sergeant Murphy and PC Hadleigh have also been suspended.
A murmur shot around the room.
"Only temporary I assure you they'll be back in a few days once complaints and the bloody press have been satisfied. Needless to say I don't want to see any exclusive interviews from you lot on the front covers."
The Inspector finished her speech and handed power back to Sergeant Boyden to assign the days duties.
"Rob, Tony, you're confined to the station for today. The DPS will want to talk to you about our mystery chef, Sheelagh told us you two spoke to him briefly. CID will also want a description as there's a raid planned for this afternoon."
"We're certainly in demand today," Tony noted.
"Don't get too used to it will you," Matt replied with a smirk. "The rest of you, same as yesterday, any problems come and see me. Dismissed!"
Tony noticed his partner wasn't saying much compared to his chattier persona of yesterday as they both got up and followed the less than enthusiastic crowd towards the door.
"What up with you? Thought you'd be pleased at the thought of all day doing the paperwork," he said a little sarcastically.
"Ali G's going to get away with it isn't he? This is going to seriously muddy the waters come the trial," Rob replied.
"That's the way it goes I'm afraid. I wish there was some way we could rip the wind out of his sails now but he's more or less untouchable by us."
"There had to be some way of doing it. Jail time obviously doesn't scare him and in fact if you think about he'll be treated like a king in there anyway, criminal lineage and all that," Rob complained.
"Can go both ways. Up and comers are always on the lookout for someone that they can take down to prove they're the hardest nut in the land. Anyway, as I said, nothing we can do," Tony added.
Rob looked thoughtful considering the facts for a moment.
"We need to take down the father then, he's the reason why the lad's so cocky, having a famous dad," he concluded.
"You want to arrest Jerry Trent? What for, forged bus pass?" Tony added.
"Maybe just discredit him a little in the boy's eyes."
"We'll call Max Clifford in then."
Sergeant Gordon appeared from around the corner looking dishevelled but still distinguished, head held high like a man who had spent all night at a poker game and come home with all the winnings. His shift should've been over an hour ago but all the interviews and questions about the incident at the very beginning had kept him about. A long overdue cigarette hung from his lips, his thin black tie lay loosely around his neck and his jacket was slung over a shoulder.
"Long night, Sarge?" Tony asked.
"I've had longer and harder, Stamp. A wannabe bad-arse inhaling too much sherbet isn't about to lose me any sleep. Hello, I spot a new face in the ranks," Gordon replied with a broad smile.
"Robert Weston, Sarge," Rob introduced himself and shook the man's hand firmly.
"Ah, our new signing, yes you've been mentioned to me, laddie. 'Tis a shame you had to get mixed up with the barrel of bad apples that we call the Trents and all the crap they bring along with them during your first week. The father was a mess too but he was old school and they at least had some respect for us, once you were caught it was game over."
"You knew Jerry Trent?" Rob asked.
"Aye, arrested him a couple of times meself," Gordon replied.
"Tony, I'll catch you up. Can I ask you a couple of questions about him, Sarge?" Rob asked taking Gordon to one side.
"Breakfast better be included, full English fry-up, the works. I could eat twelve of them right now!" he replied with another grin.
"Toast or fried bread?" Rob smiled as they walked in the direction of the canteen. Tony rolled his eyes and set off for a quiet place to make yet another start on his mountain of paperwork.
Nick Klein looked feverishly at his watch, or rather where it had used to be, since he had sold it, a simple imprint of the underside of the timepiece reproduced perfectly on his skin. Sweat was continually pouring down his arms and forehead too as he marched along the corridor. Poking his head around the door of the parade room he noticed the absence of, well, everyone. Cursing himself under his breath he walked towards the Sergeants office and found Matthew Boyden buried beneath a mountain of paper.
"What am I on today, Sarge?" he asked hurriedly.
"I dread to think, Nick. Where have you been, you're late!" Matt bellowed.
"Bought an alarm clock off a market stall recently, must've been faulty its been playing up all week, I'm sorry," he offered, stumbling over his words.
"Really," noted Matt with cynicism. "This bloke must be doing a roaring trade as most of B Relief seem to have the same problem. Anyway everyone's been assigned now so you might as well catch up on some paperwork and if I were you I'd keep out of the Inspector's way she's out for your blood at the moment. You better buck up your ideas and quickly, Nick."
"Yeah, yeah," Nick sniffed with his attention waning. "See thing is, Sarge, I really wanted to be out and about today."
"Did you really? Well I wanted Cindy Crawford to sign on the dotted as a new Sergeant with a locker next to mine and adjacent to the showers but we don't always get what we want. You're on thin ice enough as it is at the moment plus the fact that we've just had a major incident here last night so shut up and do what I say! You can join Tony Stamp and Rob Weston in the Happy Club!" he ranted.
"Rob Weston's still here?" Nick said, perking up a bit. "I'll get right on it, Sarge."
He left suddenly, leaving the door half-open in his wake. As Matt pulled himself from his seat to give it a good slam he had the feeling he may have just made a bad situation even worse.