Apologies for long time in updating - real life has been busy. Will hopefully get another chapter up tomorrow to make up for it. Again not all words mine but Jed's. On with the story...


Lindsey Denton was going to be a tough nut to crack, Kate knew after working for her for only a short period of time. A role as her DC had unexpectedly come up very quickly and Ted had seized the chance to get Kate working for her. Despite her best efforts, employing every trick she knew, Kate just couldn't get Lindsey to open up at all and she was getting frustrated. She was after all having to miss out on time with Josh whilst she was undercover so she wanted to wrap things up and get this case solved as soon as possible.

She hugged her takeaway coffee in her hands as she waited for Steve to arrive at their usual meeting spot. The graffitied underpass that still stank of piss and vomit. Thankfully it wasn't long before she heard footsteps approaching and could see a shadow on the wall moving towards her before Steve came in to sight.

"Hey," he said in greeting. It was the first time in seeing her in a couple of days and he missed her dreadfully, both in the flat and in his bed.

"Hey," Kate replied as she handed Steve a cup of coffee she had bought for him.

"How's it going?" Steve asked before blowing on the hot frothy milk that covered his drink.

"Slowly," Kate replied. "She won't let me in at all. We're working on a case- a missing girl by the name of Carly Kirk. She seems very invested in finding her. Might be worth looking in to," Kate mentioned as Steve made a mental note of the name. He would write it in his notebook once he had finished his drink. "Other than that she just visits her mum who's in a nursing home a lot,".

"Yeah she had to sell her home to get her mum in to that place," Steve informed Kate. They had learnt that during Lindsey's first interview with AC-12, back when Georgia was still alive. She had been slightly taken aback at how harsh Steve and Ted had been with Lindsey.

"Ooh there was something else," Kate remembered. "She told you she changed routes during the transfer because of roadworks?".

"yes. They had finished the day before but she claimed she didn't know that,".

"She's lying," Kate stated and Steve's ears picked up. "Her sat nav in the car displays up to date information on roadworks. She would have known they were gone," Kate explained. She'd noticed it on their journey to see Carly's parents earlier. "I'm going to have to try and think of something to break her walls down," Kate said as she sighed.

"Just please be careful," Steve warned. One partner lost during this case was more than enough.

"I will," Kate promised, knowing he still hadn't forgiven himself for what had happened to Georgia.

"I miss you," Steve uttered as he reached out and gave her hand a tight squeeze. He wanted to kiss her but couldn't risk being seen so settled for skin contact.

"Me too," Kate replied preventing his hand from releasing her as she gave a squeeze back.

"Just keep," Steve started to instruct before Kate interrupted him.

"Pushing from the inside. You'll keep pushing from the outside," Kate finished. It was his mantra and she'd heard it a lot.

Steve smiled at her response. "See ya mate," he said before disappearing off.


The next day, was another frustrating day with Lindsey. Sitting in her new flat after work Kate couldn't help but get the feeling that Lindsey didn't trust her. She'd gone into Lindsey's office earlier that day when out of the blue the DI had started testing Kate on names of people in the East Midlands where Kate had claimed to have worked. It had stunned her for a second but she thought she had got away with it. An idea formed in her head and before she could stop herself she was out the door and heading to DI Denton's abode with a wine bottle in her hand. She would make the bitch talk to her by ambushing her at home.

"Peace offering," Kate said as Lindsey opened the door to her. "Not sure we've got off on the right foot with each other,".

"Kate, I, uh…..really that's not necessary,".

Kate stood firm until Lindsey backed down and allowed Kate in to the flat where Kate tried making friends over a glass of the wine she had brought. It was hard going but Lindsey opened up on some things regarding her private life although nothing that Kate hadn't learnt already from Steve. Recognising she had just about outstayed her visit, Kate made to leave before extremely loud music reverberated around the flat form a near by neighbour.

"Why don't I go and have a word?" Kate suggested.

"Please don't. A couple more minutes and she always turns it down," Lindsey explained.

"Okay," Kate conceded, betting the feeling however that Lindsey was lying again. She made a note to tell Steve to investigate the neighbours when they next met.

Lindsey moved to open her door to the hallway to allow Kate out. In doing so she moved very close to Kate and managed to drop something into Kate's bag without her noticing. Kate was slightly taken back by Lindsey's proximity but didn't show it.

"There's an interesting exercise. Take the worst thing you've ever done, and state it ion the simplest terms. No dressing it up, no implicit mitigation,".

"I wouldn't want to play that game," Kate replied awkwardly, not sure where this conversation was going.

"Me neither. But AC-12 do," Lindsey stated. Kate felt her heart race and tried her best to keep her emotions neutral with the mention of AC-12. Why was Lindsey talking about AC? Did she know Kate was undercover? "What's the worst thing you've ever done to anyone?" she went on to challenge Kate.

"Have you done something boss?" Kate asked, buying time whilst she rapidly thought of an answer to the question. She would not let this bitch get the better of her.

Yours first,".

"Someone told a lie to help a dead man's family, and I didn't stand up for the truth," Kate admitted thinking back to Tony Gates. It wasn't the worst thing but it was the only thing she could think of on the spot.

"No. You've done worse than that," Lindsey said before leaving a long pause. "We'll work well together only when you can be completely honest with me,".


Steve was at home nursing a beer in front of the television when he heard his front door open. "Kate?" He said as she appeared in the room in front of him. They hadn't arranged a meeting and he was worried at her presence.

"I know, I know," she said. "I'm breaking all the undercover rules by being here, but I needed to talk to someone,".

"What is it?" Steve asked concerned.

"I might be being completely paranoid," Kate said as she dropped her handbag next to the sofa and flopped down on to the cushion next to Steve, "but I can't shake the feeling that Lindsey Denton knows I'm undercover,".

"Why do you say that?".

"I decided to push hard and went to her flat with a bottle of wine. It didn't go particularly well and then just as I'm leaving she gets right up close in my face and wants to know the worst thing I've ever done,".

"Christ!" Steve said as he handed Kate his bottle of beer and watched her take a swig. "What did you say?". There was no way he'd have been able to think of anything on the spot in such circumstances.

"That I didn't tell the truth about Tony Gates, although I didn't mention names".

"I thought you said you were alright with that?" Steve questioned, worried she was still talking about that incident.

"I am," Kate stated, taking hold of one of his hands to try and alleviate his worry. "It was the first thing that popped into my head, that's all," she went on. "Why the fuck would she ask that question?" Pondered Kate as she took another gulp of beer.

"Don't know,".

"She said I'd done worse," Kate admitted. "Not sure what it could be apart from this undercover?". Steve just shrugged his shoulders in reply. He had no answer. "I think she's been researching me," Kate said. "She tested me on the East Mids today. Just hope my fake cover is water tight,".

"I'm not sure I like this Kate," Steve said now really worried. "Maybe we should pull you out?".

"And let that bitch win? No way!" Kate retorted.

"You sure?" Steve checked. It wouldn't take much to convince the gaffer if Kate wanted out, but she indicated she wanted to remain. They sat and watched the television for a while, sharing the bottle of beer between them. "You staying the night?" Steve asked eventually. Kate checked her watch. It was late- the evening had got away from her.

"Why not? Just set the alarm for earlier than normal," Kate said. She would have to pop back to her flat and change there before work. There was no doubt that Lindsey would notice if she was wearing the same clothes as today.

"Done," Steve said, pleased that he was going to have her company that night. He didn't want to waste much time and reached out and slowly started undoing the buttons on Kates blouse. Kate watched him as he made progress up the line. Once they were all undone, Kate's shirt quickly found its way to the floor before Steve tugged her on to his lap where one thing led to another and they were soon making love on the sofa. They were so caught up in the other that neither was aware of a small recording device in Kate's bag that Lindsey had planted earlier. A small red light shone, indicating it was recording the events in the room…...