another quick chapter to set up some of the longest and most complex I have written! I hope you all enjoy it and I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback!
"Oh, hey," Liz smiles as she opens her flat door, though is confused by the man's appearance.
"Hey," Dot smiles back, slightly awkward but nevertheless charming, "Sorry, I would have called but we were passing by anyway…"
"Don't worry about it," she dismisses, opening the door wider for him to enter, "Everything alright?"
He nods, sheepishly, which worries her, "Yeah, yeah, uh… Sorry about everything. I know this must be hard."
Liz folds her arms, shifting uncomfortably, "Well, the sooner we find evidence the sooner we prove him innocent."
She watches as Dot winces at her determined, if somewhat futile, tone. Her stomach twists, uneasily.
"So why are you here?" she asks, hoping it comes off as polite.
He hesitates, "We have something-"
"Who's 'we'?"
"Kate's in the car outside," he explains, "We have something you might want to see."
"So what is it you want to show me?" Liz asks from the passenger seat, Dot drives beside her and Kate sits in the back.
Her gut is aching, unsure if she even wants to know. SHe can only assume she knows what - or who - this is about. He had been ignoring her calls over the past twenty-four hours since his suspension.
Dot remains quiet, focussed on the road, prompting Kate to answer, "We've been doing some surveillance."
"On Steve, I am guessing?"
Kate hums, the dissatisfied noise echoing tauntingly in Liz's chest. Oh no.
"Where are we? Where is he?"
Kate' eyes flick to Dot who turns to Liz as he pulls the car over. They park on the side of the road, across from a park.
Liz looks around, unsure why they are here. It seems familiar, only being a few roads away, "Danny Waldron's flat is just up there."
She gestures to the road, though it seems the two others in the car already knew that.
She turns to them, seeing their eyes fixated on something through the other side window. Leaning forward slightly to follow their gaze, she almost immediately retracts.
There is Steve… with Lindsay Denton.
Dot turns to her, hearing the woman gasp. His eyes are apologetic as he watches her mind run with thoughts, her brow furrowing in confusion and realisation.
"We thought you should see for yourself."
"But-" Liz begins, choking on the harsh words cutting her throat, "What is he-"
"Told you we needed to keep an eye on him," Dot says, looking back out the window himself.
Liz can only gape as she glares at the pair. Lindsay stands beside him as they talk. There seems to be little tension between them, the two discussing something with ease. Liz's heart twists.
He had been ignoring her all day. And all that time he had been with her.
She doesn't know what to say. Nor what to think, even.
Other than Steve is the dumbass she always knew he was; what did this mean?
"Looks like that lead we have on him is going to pan out," Dot mumbles, turning back to the two women in the car, "He really did plant that money at Denton's."
"What lead?" Liz challenges, her voice fiercer than she intended. He had mentioned a lead on this before, said they had evidence. But never told her what. How was she supposed to believe it?
"I really can't tell you, yet," Dot sighs, looking away from her again, "I wish I could."
"Poor bastard," Kate says, seeming to be going along with it, surrendering.
Liz stays quiet, still refusing. It just doesn't make sense.
What is he playing at?
Yet again, he has ignored her advice and made things worse for himself. She is unsure how she can help him after this. It seemed for Dot, and even Kate, this was it. He had something to hide.
It burns her chest that Liz supposes it could be true. If Steve can hide something from her, he could be hiding anything from anyone.
Liz glares through the car window at the small figures of Steve and Denton. She can feel bile rise in her throat as the pair walk together, still discussing whatever the hell it was they were up to. She had hoped to never see that woman's cruel face again. Yet here she was, with Steve. Why?
After a moment, they split up, with Steve going one way and Denton the other. They both disappear from view.
"I want to go home," she says, almost in a whisper.
Kate looks over the seat at her, eyes wide and sympathetic. Dot turns too, nodding gently as the woman beside him throws her head to face forward, wrapping her jacket around herself tighter, protectively. He can see tears begin to form in her eyes. She was overwhelmed.
"I'll go after Steve," Kate says, her voice as low as the mood in the car.
"Good, I'll keep on Denton after I drop her off home," Dot nods, glancing at Liz before looking over his shoulder at Kate, "You alright to walk it?"
"That twat won't see me," she bites, "And if he does, well, he has it coming."
If it were not for the sniffling young woman at his side, Dot would chuckle at the other woman's threat as she gets out of the car.
Slowly pulling the car away, Dot turns his hand with his palm now facing upward where it rests near the gear-stick. Liz looks over at it, attention caught by the movement, reaching over to take it. Her urge to cry diminishes slightly at the contact, appreciating the coolness of his hand, which reduces the fire of confusion in her stomach.
The short ride home is silent. Both their minds running with thoughts.
All Liz knows for sure is, throughout all of this, she is glad Dot is there for her. He had proved himself to be a good friend, having dealt with all this in the most sensitive way he could. He knew how difficult this must be for her, and had only gone about it with that in mind. Despite this being his biggest case yet, he had not been thinking of himself, only her. Dot was kind and he was selfless. Exactly the person she needed beside her during a time like this.
He wasn't Steve. But that also meant he wasn't letting her down. He was there for her. She was grateful for that.
Liz had wanted to come home; have time alone with herself to think. But all she had been doing the last few weeks was think. About Steve, in particular. Maybe it would be nice to unload it all to someone she now trusted. Especially someone who understood her situation. Hopefully one day she could repay the favour, if he needed it.
"Do you want to come in?" Liz asks him when they pull up outside her apartment building, hoping she does not sound as eager as she is.
The corners of his mouth twitch upward, but he shakes his head, much to her disappointment, "I need to get back, follow Denton."
"Of course, yeah," Liz shakes her head, embarrassed.
She moves to leave the car, feeling him pull her jacket sleeve before she can.
"I forgot," he says once he has her attention. She watches as he reaches into his jacket pocket, pulling out an envelope, "This was on your doorstep. Nearly tripped over it when I came by."
Her throat dries at the sight of it. She knows what it is.
He holds it out to her, Liz feeling the tear she had just tried so hard to fight back re-emerge and blur her vision.
She tries to say something. She doesn't know what. Maybe confess everything to him. He could help.
Snatching it from his hand, she hurriedly leaves the vehicle with a quick goodbye.
Liz can feel the protruding shape inside, queasing at it.
Dot watches her enter her building, perturbed, before pulling away. He needed to find Lindsay Denton. It was time to finish this.
A few hours later, Liz receives another knock on her door. With three paws now stashed in her drawer, Liz panics at the sound. One paw left, she had bitterly laughed at, too many thoughts exhausting her to process it properly.
Moving from her place on the sofa, where she had been huddled with a blanket, willing the tear that seemed so anxious to fall to do just that and let her rest, Liz shuffles over to the door.
Opening it slightly, she peers through the crack.
"Dot?"
"Hope I'm not intruding," he says, seeming to be out of breath. Liz doesn't question it, just opens her door wider to invite him in.
He moves past her, running a hand through his hair. He is breathing, hard. She watches his eyes dart about the room, as if in a frenzy, before calming as they settle back on her.
"Are you alright?" she asks, stepping closer and holding out a hand to place gently on his arm. She retracts it when he flinches.
He seems to realise his mistake, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. The man almost immediately relaxes, his shoulders dropping and his breath evening out. Though, she notes the small, wild glint in his eye.
"Dot?" she asks, worried, once he has regained some sort of composure.
"I'm sorry," he whispers, her moving closer at his broken voice, "I'm sorry."
"For what? Doing your job?"
"No, not that. For-" he pauses, as if he was going to say something but decides against it, eyes widening in horror of whatever he was about to admit, "For all of it."
Despite his earlier protest, she steps closer, enveloping him in her arms. Wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her head into his chest, she holds back a sigh as she feels his arms encircle her shoulders. Dot rests his chin on the top of her head, tightening his hold on her for a while.
Neither of them speak. Just revel in each other's embrace.
Liz allows herself a small smile. They had both been under so much stress, the last few days in particular. They both just needed time.
She twists her neck to look up at him, too content to ease her grip on him. He looks down at the same time. They stand there like that for a while, just looking at the other, feeling them.
Liz cannot help but think of Steve, to her chagrin. He had never held her like this, or comforted her in this way.
Would he ever? Now that he was the main suspect, accused of being a criminal mastermind infiltrator - Liz wants to cackle at the idea of it. It all still sounded so outrageously ridiculous.
But what she had seen today; him and Denton, that worried her. She had warned him time and time again - and yet every time, Steve seemed to ignore her.
Did he really care so little for her insight? For her opinion? For her?
Liz shudders, Dot holding her a little closer without knowing the reason.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
She feels the man shake his head above hers.
"Is there anything I can do?"
She feels his chest rise quickly in a humourless chuckle. His head moves downward, looking at the smaller woman in his arms.
"You're doing enough."
She has never heard or seen him this vulnerable. Liz does not know what has happened, and can only assume it is a culmination of things, but she feels a strange sense of honour that she is the one he came to.
Turning her head again to gaze up at the much taller man, she notices a speck of red staining his white collar. Moving her hand from around his waist to reach up for it, she notices Dot's grip on her slacken as he realises it too.
She holds the collar between her fingertips, inspecting it, "Is that blood?"
She can practically hear Dot's heart quicken from their close proximity. He only stares at her, blankly.
Liz moves her fingers to the side of his face, delicately placing them to the side of his jaw where his wound from Hari Baines still blemishes his skin. One of the stitches looks torn. The skin beneath it had almost healed, no blood to be seen. But that must be where the blood came from.
She hears his deep exhale of breath as she walks away, turning on her tap and wetting some kitchen roll. Walking back over with the wet cloth, she feels him tense again under her touch as she dabs lightly against the bruise.
Once again, like at the warehouse, his hand comes to rest upon hers. It is shaking slightly, though it relaxes once it melds with hers. She looks to it, seeing the slightest hint of blood crusted on his fingernails. Liz does not question it, assuming he must have scraped the wound, and more distracted by how nice the touch feels.
"You alright, Queenie?" Dot asks, quietly, his breath cool against her forehead.
"Yeah," she mumbles, stroking her thumb lightly over his cheek, "You?"
"Yeah."
Liz receives a call from Kate the next morning. Lindsay Denton is dead.
"How?"
"Shot dead in a car," Kate's voice says on the other end, "Steve's car."
Liz shakes her head, face and voice blanks as she tries to comprehend it all, "He's not that stupid."
"Isn't he?" Kate scoffs.
Liz feels her blood begin to boil. She was sick of it. All of it.
"What happens now?" she says, running a tired hand down her face with a sigh.
"We have him located. Dot is on his way to do the arrest."
Well, at least there is that. Dot will take it easy on Steve, she hopes. She had offered for him to stay that night as it was so late when he turned up, so he slept on her sofa. The man had left before she woke up that morning, leaving a note to let her know he would see her at work.
"When are you bringing him in?"
Kate hums, unsure, "Tomorrow, most likely."
Liz shudders at the idea of him in a cell overnight.
To anyone else, Kate may sound indifferent, if not, glad. But Liz can hear the way her voice breaks as she speaks. She is clearly just as devastated.
Liz nods, swallowing her sadness, "I'll be there."
"Beth?" Ted asks, closing her office door behind him, "How are you holding up?"
Liz looks up at her godfather, her face blank. Ted winces. She looks as though she hasn't slept, her eyes slightly wild and dark, rather than their usual bright serenity.
"I want to be there," she states.
He knows what she is asking, or rather demanding.
Hastings sighs, "I don't think that would be appropriate-"
"I am his counsellor," she claims, confidently, though her voice is just as blank as her expression, "Just as I was Lindsay Denton's. My client needs me. I should be there."
Hastings closes his eyes for a moment, inhaling.
"Ok," he relents, finding it difficult not to when she looks so forlorn, "Only if you're sure."
"I am," she lies, Ted seeing the first break in her façade as her eye twitches.
He looks out the glass panel of her office, seeing the lift doors open. The older man tenses as he sees DS Steve Arnott being led through by two armed officers, in a prison sweatshirt and handcuffs.
His sharp intake of breath catches her attention, Liz not hesitating to stand so she can see herself. Following his gaze, she sees him.
Her heart shatters.
He looks tired. Weary. Weak.
She is sure she does not look much better.
Hastings waits for Kate to make the first move, walking over to where Steve stood with the officers, leading them into the interview room. Liz cannot see the expression on either of their faces, both of them walking in the opposite direction.
But that image. Of Steve, her Steve, in handcuffs being led into their own office by armed officers - she would lose sleep over it. Well, more sleep.
The Superintendent pats her on the shoulder, in the most comforting way he can muster, like he did when she was a child, "Ready?"
Liz can only nod once, her head aching more fervently than it had before.
They walk to the interview room together, seeing the back of Steve sitting next to his solicitor. Opposite, Kate and Dot are already waiting, shuffling awkwardly through their documents and files as they await the arrival of their superior.
Hastings sends her one last glance before opening the door, Steve immediately turning to look up at the new arrivals. Liz tries to ignore the way his eyes widen at the sight of her. He shifts in his seat as she looks ahead to the chair Dot is pulling up for her beside him at the end of the table.
Once Hastings and Liz are seated, her trying her best to ignore the way Steve's gaze is burning into her skull on one side and Dot sending her a troubled look on the other, the interview begins. She looks down to the file on the desk in front of her, Steve's name printed clearly on the front where the suspect identification should be.
The room almost shakes with tension as the recorder beeps, marking the beginning of Steve Arnott's suspect interview.