Attending the RTA had taken longer than she'd hoped. A van had veered into the wrong lane, the driver presumably distracted momentarially, a simple mistake with devastating consequences. His vehicle had clipped another and spun dramatically out of control, careered across the hard shoulder and down the steep embankment, had rolled several times before finally coming to rest; the driver's injuries too severe for the paramedics to be able to do much. The clipped vehicle had braked suddenly causing the car behind to crash into the back of it, and whilst the driver had escaped with whiplash, the passenger had not been so fortunate. A driver in the adjacent lane had panicked at the sight of the scene unfolding in front of them and had swerved dramatically only to hit the passenger's side of the vehicle head on. A simple mistake with devastating consequences.

The scene had been challenging, a vast array of the Emergency Services in attendance, with the pressure on everyone to work diligently but quickly in order to get the motorway reopened. Laura had put all thoughts of her cancelled weekend aside and focused on her work. After making her initial assessment, she'd had to wait for the bodies to be freed from the wreckage which had proved to be anything but straightforward for the Fire Service, particularly in regards to the van driver. The crushed metal that had previously been his vehicle was located at the edge of a field, the closest access point several metres up the muddy bank, which had made transporting equipment difficult. Laura had felt her feet slipping and would have gone over had it not been for an arm of a rather burly fireman who'd luckily been close by, his help rewarded with a grateful smile and a flash of her blue eyes. Eventually she'd been able to undertake the further examinations needed before releasing the bodies to be moved to the mortuary. She'd hung around to confer with SOCO before concluding there was nothing else she needed to do before heading back to the lab for a much needed shower.

And now, as she finished drying her hair with a towel, she heard her phone beep. Fishing it out of her bag she felt buoyed by seeing the message and, more specifically, who it was from. Robbie had mumbled something about a drink when she'd broken the news of the delayed PM to him earlier. She'd not been her most cheerful self at that moment, taking her frustration out on exactly the wrong person, and was relieved to discover that he'd not taken it personally and remembered to tell her where they were going to be. Perhaps a drink with him and James would help rescue something of her day and mood, she thought, pulling on her boots and heading towards the door.


"You really are insufferable," Jean admonished, her tone high pitched and full of frustration. "How can you possibly sit there and say that with a straight face?"

James smirked as he smoothed down his tie. He hadn't intended to get his DCS so riled up but now he had he was going to enjoy it.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "All I'm saying, Ma'am," using her title solely for effect, "Is that people will believe what they want to. If someone is so convinced that they're right and we're wrong then there is surely little we can do to change their mind."

She looked at him with astonishment, "And so, Sergeant," using his title pointedly now, "We shouldn't bother? Not even attempt to demonstrate that we can police fairly?"

"No, of course we should be fair in all our dealings with the public. But why should I have to prove it when my actions should speak for themselves?" James paused to take a sip of his pint. "Don't you agree, Sir?"

Robbie, who'd been mid swallow, narrowly avoided choking as he baulked at the notion of being dragged into their argument.

"If I'd wanted to discuss the whys and wherefores of policing in the modern age I'd have asked the Chief Constable out for a drink instead of you two," he gawffed.

Ignoring Robbie, Jean continued, still outraged at James' position.

"Imagine this then, you see two men fighting in the street, a crowd gathered around watching. What do you do?" the gestures of her hands increasing as she fought to make her point. "Barge in and drag them both out? Attempt to negotiate a peace? Make a snap judgement on the guilty party and focus your attention on them? She paused and pointed a finger at him, "Whatever you do you're going to be judged by that crowd, it will leave them an impression of policing that they'll take away and recount to friends and family."

James shrugged, "I don't know what I'd do," he replied casually. "But I can't go in worrying that later I'm going to have to justify how years of training led me to do what I did. I have to know I'm trusted."

Jean sighed heavily, rubbing a finger on her forehead in muted frustration, "But policing has changed, James. Everyone has a camera in their pocket, you know that. Public perception is everything and we're being watched all of the time." She leant back and reached for her wine, before putting it down again, a thought coming to her mind, "Ok, how about this then..."

"Laura! Over here!" Robbie suddenly called out, gesturing dramatically with his arm to get her attention. The others looked up to see her give a small smile and head in their direction.

"Oxfordshire's finest hard at work, I see," she said as she reached their table, but picking up on the tension between them, frowned before adding, "Did I interrupt something?"

James went to speak but Robbie cut him off by standing up, "What can I get you, Laura? Usual?"

She nodded, watching him skulk off before taking off her jacket and sitting down. She looked at Jean and James questioningly, "Something I said?"

James shook his head, "He's been looking for a reason to escape our in-depth discussion on the perception of policing. You merely saved him."

Laura laughed, "God, well, don't start up again on my account. I'm sure I've got nothing to add to whatever you've already covered."

The three of them sat quietly for a moment before Laura reached for a more neutral topic. "So James, what gig are you headed to tonight?" She looked at her watch, "It's early yet, you'll still be able to make it, won't you?"

He nodded, "Hope so. Be nice to salvage something of the weekend even if it means leaving early," pausing before pronouncing, "For I cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." Laura's arched eyebrow caused him to clarify, "Abraham Lincoln."

"Thank you Sergeant," she said, a thin smile on her lips.

She did rather enjoy how James had a quotation for almost every circumstance but that didn't mean she wanted him to know that.

"How about you, Jean? Plans for the evening?" she enquired politely.

"Yes, friends coming for dinner. In fact, I should be making a move." She reached for her bag and went to stand. "James, don't suppose you fancy giving me a lift, do you? Seeing as you're heading off soon anyway?"

James sighed quietly, accepting his fate. "Delighted to Ma'am," trying not to look too forlornly at the half a pint he still had left.

Acknowledging his stiff nod goodbye to her, Laura watched through the window as they reached his car, bemused at the sight of James holding the door for Jean as she got in. Lost to the thought of what an odd couple they made, she jumped as Robbie appeared and handed her a glass.

"Thank God for that," he said, commenting on their departure as he slid back into his seat, "I don't think I could have taken much more. If you hadn't come when you did I'm not sure what I would have done," smiling warmly at her.

But before she could reply, her phone beeped, but picking it up and reading the message only caused her to slam it back down again on the table and reach for her drink, muttering to herself as she took a large sip. Seeing the surprised look on his face, she sighed, "Sorry, Robbie. Perfect end to a perfect bloody day. I was hoping to go to the cinema with a friend but she's just cancelled on me. Husband's sick so now she has to stay in for the children."

Robbie looked at her sympathetically. It hadn't been a great afternoon for any of them although, he conceded, this was at least his second pub visit of the day, and it's not like too many of his plans had been cancelled, aside from watching his team lose yet again.

"What were you going to see?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing too serious. A light hearted mystery thing. It doesn't matter really." She heard herself back, her moaning and whining, and recognising she needed to stop feeling sorry for herself. She sat up and said decisively, "Actually Robbie, it'll be quite nice just to sit here with you. It's been a while, hasn't it? We could do with a catch up."

He nodded, she was right, it had been a while. Working together sometimes gave them the false impression that they'd seen a lot of each other, but light-hearted chatter amongst the seriousness of suspicious death was no substitute for a proper conversation.

"Well, Dr. Hobson, in that case, and as you're not busy, can I treat you to a bowl of chips and a natter with an old friend?"

She smiled and touched his arm affectionately, "That is honestly the best offer I've had all day."