Mid-september brought colder weather, shorter evenings, long shadows and Bunty; following the expulsion from yet another finishing school.

Sid had been mooching around outside the station when he'd heard the roar of the engine, and as soon as he'd spied the bright red paintwork he'd let out a roar of delight, which Bunty soon returned.

"Sid!" She squealed excitedly, running to him, arms outstretched.

"Bunty!" Sid shrieked, catching Lady Felicia's niece and spinning her around as they both chattered at a hundred miles an hour.

At this point, Bunty glanced over her shoulder and spotted a rather scared looking Sullivan, who seemed to be outside looking for someone.

"Oooh," She exclaimed, detaching herself from Sid and adjusting her red sunglasses to get a better look at the man, "you must be the dishy Inspector I've heard so much about."

"I-uh," Sullivan stammered, looking very like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"Aunt Fliss was right--you are shockingly handsome. Just the kind of man we need in Kembleford!"

Sullivan opened and shut his mouth like a goldfish. Although he did feel sorry for him, Sid had to laugh at the look of terror on poor Sullivan's face - nothing seemed to frighten the man more than a beautiful woman flirting with him. Good woman Bunty!

"Yes, just what we need. As you can see," laughed Bunty, gesturing at Sid, "Pickings are quite slim here."

Ouch. Sid was about to protest, but Bunty abandoned him and skipped across to the petrified policeman, hand outstretched.

"Penelope Windermere - Bunty. You are Inspector Sullivan, aren't you?"

"Err, yes." Sullivan agreed uncertainly, taking her hand as if it were an unexploded bomb.

"I'm sure you've met our Sid," She gestured to Sid. Both men blushed - well, Sid blushed. Sullivan seemed to be melting at this stage.

"Yes, my troublesome brother from another mother, though he is quite the charmer. I'm sure you've seen a lot of him in the cells."

Sullivan seemed to look even more panic-stricken, though Sid felt that it was not possible.

"Oh leave it out, Bunts. I'm an angel and everyone knows that." Sid interjected. "I'll bet that you'll be in bother with the old bill much quicker than I will."

"We'll just have to see about that. Inspector, what do you think?"

Sullivan was having heart pulpitations at this stage.

"Uh, well, I..." He stumbled, "Well, I doubt you could cause too much trouble-I, I mean-you can't really cause that much trouble... Here in Kembleford..."

Please, Lord, if you exist, he 'prayed', just make this end!

"Well, perhaps we'll be seeing some more of each other," Bunty quipped flirtatiously, "Though I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Sid."

Sid choked on thin air. Sullivan was beetroot red, and they both looked at each other in dispair. Bunty giggled and turned back to Sid.

"Shall we head towards the presbytery? I'm gasping for some award winning strawberry scones."

Sid recovered quickly, and gestured to the car.

"You know the way, m'lady."

They hopped into the convertible. Sullivan was leaning on the police station fence, still probably in shock. Still, when Sid and Bunty drove past (and she waved) he noticed Sullivan looking very appreciatingly at the car.

He was still leaning over the fence when the car turned the corner. Sid wondered who he was looking for.


"Evening beautiful!" Sid yelled, swanning into the police cottage that night. Sullivan had turned around from the cooker to say something but was cut off as Sid threw his arms around him, dipped him backwards and silenced him with what could only be described as a whopper of a kiss. Sullivan could feel himself blushing - though he didn't see why this kiss would mean anything, compared to some of the other activities that the pair had been engaging in.

However, the romantic moment was short lived; Sid lost his balance, dropped Sullivan, and then landed on top of him.

Ten minutes later they were both sitting on the sofa, Sid with a bag of frozen peas on his knee, Sullivan with an ice pack on the back of his head, both of them lamenting and whinging.

"What was all that about, anyway?" Sullivan asked.

Sid seemed to gain some colour in his cheeks. "Just thought, you know, with Bunty today, you might be feeling a little-"

"Jealous?" Sullivan interjected quickly.

"Are you?" Sid asked.

"No." Sullivan said much too quickly. "After all, we said there'd be no strings-"

"No, no, no no no no." Sid waved off Sullivan's quote with his hand.

"There is nothing between me and Bunty. Romantically, that is."

"Then why were you-" Sullivan gestured at Sid, "Spinning her about like that? You seemed very romantically involved to me." He failed to stop his petty, jealous tone from slipping in that time.

Sid threw his head back and laughed.

"Didn't you get her quote about me being her brother from another mother?"

Sullivan looked at him blankly.

"She's Lady Felicia's niece," Sid began explaining, "We basically grew up together. Just like brother and sister, see, or cousins. Nothing romantic between us at all, see?"

Sullivan pouted. Sid sniggered. That man hated being wrong.

"Well it's good to know where I stand, anyway." He said loftily. "What are you giggling at?"

" 'M not giggling," Sid giggled.

"Yes you are, come on, I like a joke too, what's so funny?" Sullivan asked, doing a very good (if unwitting impression) of Sid's old school teacher.

Sid should have been subdued by this. He burst out laughing.

"If you'd have seen you're face," He spluttered, "When she was flirting with you-"

"It took me by surprise!" Sullivan protested.

"How come you never go like that when I flirt with you?"

"Because you never flirt with me like that!"

"Yes I do!" Sid looked affronted.

"No you don't!"

"I treat you better than that--that's why. Would you find me intimidating if I flirted with you like that?"

"I didn't find her intimidating!" Sullivan protested, "Anyway, you couldn't flirt like that."

"What?!" Sid jumped back in shock.

"I know you, so you couldn't just walk up to me and attack me like that."

Sid started laughing again.

"How to scare the mighty Inspector Sullivan - throw a pretty girl at him and watch him panic."

Sullivan scowled.

"You're being very annoying tonight."

"What you gonna do? Arrest me?" Sid asked tantalisingly.

"That's rather tempting at this stage." Sullivan threatened.


Later on, in bed, Sid was mulling over the conversation in his head. I can flirt, he told himself, and I can flirt very well.

He decided that it might be time to turn on the old 'Sidney Carter Seductive Side.'

"Eddie. Eddie."

Sullivan didn't reply.

Sid poked him in the ribs.

"Eddie!"

"What."

"I need to confess to a crime."

Sullivan raised his eyebrows in annoyance, then got up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"The station, if you're going to-"

"No!" Sid shook his head, "No, you see, I've been robbed."

Sullivan looked at him in confusion.

"But that means we still have to go to the-"

"It was you, you see?" Sid grinned widely, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I- I don't get it." Sullivan answered.

"Cause you stole my heart, Inspector."

Sullivan flopped back down on the bed and buried his face in a pillow.

"Why do I find you attractive?" He cried.