We Could Be Heroes
Chapter 2.
DI Carling had only been at his desk seconds, his trusty old desk, when the main office doors swung open with force. DCI Gene Hunt strode in, his long dark coat, and belt flowing behind him, shoulders broader than usual.
"Morning Guv", rattled round the office.
"Carling, my office, a word in your shell like" Hunt growled.
The new recruits shuddered, they knew what this meant, they'd all been there. The older long standing ones like Terry, just smiled. Hunt liked to make it quite plain who was the Guv, right from the start.
"Shut the door, blinds Raymondo"
This really wasn't the welcome Carling expected, he'd seen many a new recruit, whatever the rank, held up by the collar, back to filing cabinet, eye ball to eye ball, while Hunt made one or 2 points rather clear. He was ready for Hunt...
Hunt produced a flask from inside his coat pocket.
"Toast"? Hunt said.
Blimey Carling thought, it was only 9.30am, but got his flask out. Their flasks clanked
"To the return of my team, unbreakable, Raymondo, un bloody breakable"
"Unbreakable Guv"
They both took a swig.
Carling sighed loudly with relief.
"What Raymondo, you didn't think I was going to... did you?"
They both laughed...
Hunt took his coat off, hanging it up.
"Do you remember that smug banker bastard Edward Markham, held DI Drake hostage, briefly?" Hunt seemed to drift off somewhere far away in his thoughts, looking out the window through the blinds.
"Yes Guv"
"Yes Guv" Carling repeated louder, bringing Hunt back from his thoughts.
Hunt turning round to face Carling.
"I think he's behind these new drugs hitting my streets, no proof yet, just my guts, and snouts, he's not been out long. He needs nailing, quickly"
Hunt sat down at his desk, in his rightful place, always looking as if that's where he belonged. No sign of stubble this morning.
"Also reckon the bastard is putting new shooters on the market, on my bloody patch. If he's involved, so is that Layton. How do you fancy bit of old fashioned intimidation, these PO blaggers"
"Yeah, I'm up for it Guv"
"We'll talk to the younger of the 2, he gives me impression dead nervous about something, or someone" Hunt smiled.
DI Carling headed off to collect the prisoner, just like old times, he thought. Happy days. Carling roughly escorted the scruffy, fair haired, slim lad, had a smell that reminded Carling of fags, booze, and cats, to the interview room.
DCI Hunt soon joined them. Carling put the tape on. Mind you those can be persuaded not to work, amazing how many just broke, Hunt thought.
"Present DI Ray Carling, DCI Gene Hunt, and scum Steve Taylor" Carling said for the tape.
"There's no disputing you're guilty of armed robbery Taylor" Hunt paused.
"We caught you with your trousers down. What I want to know is where the guns came from" Hunt said, while walking round behind the cuffed Taylor, leaning over his left shoulder, literally breathing whisky fumes, down his neck.
It was obvious Taylor was nervous of Hunt, perhaps his reputation preceded him.
"I don't know, I get a call, do the job"
"Bollocks, my sources tell me different" Hunt barked.
Carling put 3 mug shots on the table,
"Know any of these"?
"No"
"Don't lie to me Taylor" Hunt said, banging both fists on the table. Making Taylor jump, and Carling!
"You can make this easy, or difficult, your choice" Hunt growled.
Hunt nodded to Carling, who knocked tape machine off table, stamping on it with his heel. Taylor's heart sank, his heart now thundering in his chest, he'd heard about DCI Gene Hunts interrogation tactics. Hunt grabbed him from behind, banging the right side of his head down on to the table"
"Now I'll ask again? Do you know any of these"
"I can't, they'll kill me"
"Well it's either them, or me, stand up" Hunt barked.
Hunt again nodded to Carling, who joined Hunt round the other side of the table, giving Taylor a striking swift forceful blow to the ribs, followed by another in quick succession, and then with one hard swinging back hander to the head, put the prisoner squarely on the floor, with a sickening thud.
"Ok, ok, yes I know one of them"
"There's good lad" said Hunt picking him up, and sitting him back on the chair, dusting him off.
"Which one"?
"Him" the prisoner pointing to one in the middle. Hunt grinned, the result, and ID he wanted.
"Ok Raymondo take him back, lock him up"
"I want a phone call" the prisoner shouted, as being shoved through door by Carling.
"Well I want Linda Lovelace flat on her back, but it ain't gonna happen" Hunt retorted.
Hunt went back to his office, taking bottle of Scotch out of filing cabinet. Carling appeared, pleased with the outcome, and definitely glad to be back.
"Well we got the ID we wanted, we'll get those bastards charged, a good day Raymondo" Hunt said with grin, finishing his rather large Scotch.
"Now we need to find this smug bastard Markham, nail him. I'm pretty sure Layton will be somewhere close too, pub Raymondo?"
"Why not Guv"
Their exit was halted by the Super.
"Another DS starts tomorrow Gene, from Hyde"
Hunt and Carling looked at each other, both thinking the same, saying nothing. They didn't need to, their looks said it all. Anyone from Hyde was always trouble! Always...
"I'm still waiting for another DI sir" Hunt replied.
"Yes I know Gene, sorry all this reshuffle is taking a while, you know what it's like, the powers that be take their time, I'll leave it with you Gene to make the new DS feel welcome"
Hunt wasn't going to bother looking at the file he was handed till tomorrow, but the Hyde part got him curious, he chucked the opened file on his desk.
"Oh Christ on a bloody bike" Hunt exclaimed, cupping his hands behind his head, turning to face the wall.
"That's great, just bloody great"
Carling looked at the opened file,
"Oh bloody hell Guv, of all the bastards from Hyde. Mind you he has been demoted, so that's gonna be fun"
"Oh it'll be fun alright Raymondo, believe me. I need a drink"
Cartwright's wasn't that busy, few diners dotted about. The food had improved since Luigi left, well it couldn't get worse! Proper English grub, mostly with chips.
"I'll get 'em. Pint Guv"?
"Whisky chaser too, need one"
First time Carling had met George, the new landlord. About same height as the Guv, handsome chiseled looks, age difficult to tell really, dyed coloured hair, eyeliner, odd clothes too Carling thought, bright snazzy jacket, tight jeans. Oh jesus, it suddenly crossed Carlings mind, surely the Guv wasn't spending his drinking time in a poufs wine bar. Blimey times had changed.
"2 of your finest beers, 2 chasers too, mate" Carling said in his deepest, gruffest voice.
"On the tab"? George asked
"Yes, great, thanks" said Carling, slightly taken aback, perhaps George wasn't so bad after all.
"I'll bring them over"
Hunt was watching Carling, and George. Carling's body language made him smile. He'd forgotten to mention about George, it was probably bit of a shock to Raymondo. George was good lad, quiet, grafter, deserved a break, served good beer, good grub, always on a tab. Hunt had immense respect for him, what he'd been through to get here.
"Is he um, you know"? Carling asked curiously
"Yes, you noticed then" Hunt laughed. .
"See that's why you're on my team Raymondo, bloody observant!"
Carling sat down opposite Hunt, offering Hunt cigarette, then lighting both. George brought drinks over on a tray.
"George, Ray Carling returning to my team" One of the best coppers I've ever had good fortune to work with Hunt thought, but kept to himself.
George offered his hand to Carling, they shook hands. Blimey, strong handshake for a pouf, Carling thought, not what he expected. George knew what Carling thought of him, he could tell, it was always obvious, but if Gene thought Carling was ok, then that was ok with him. Gene had sorted many problems that George had, when taking over the wine bar, the hatred, the threats, the intimidation, George owed him a lot. It was never mentioned, but George could never repay him, or so he thought.
"Well tomorrow should be interesting. Of course the new DS will get my usual welcome. Happy days" Hunt said with grin, a twinkle in his eyes. The twinkle that had sizzled many female hearts, that had been fading lately, was returning daily now, along with the old Gene Genie attitude.
"Some bloody odd stuff going on Raymondo, so many good, bad, and ugly bastards returning to my team"
"Thanks Guv, I think" they both smiled. It was good having Raymondo back thought Hunt.
"Any idea who the new DI might be Guv"
"No, few been put up for it I think" Hunt knew who he wanted it to be, who it was in his thoughts, who it was in his dreams, but also knew he had more chance of finding Linda Lovelace handcuffed to his bed when he got back to his flat!
Carling was thinking about DI Drake too, funny how the Guv hadn't mentioned her once, since he'd come back. He was sure Gene hadn't forgotten about her, that was bloody obvious. Carling had always thought Gene was slipping her one.
Hunt wanted to ask Carling about Bols, what happened when she walked through the door of the Railway Arms. Did they have drink together, did she stay after he left, did they talk about him, after all they were both going to miss Gene Genie weren't they, they were both human after all! Not knowing was gnawing at his insides. Although deep down, he knew the answers really, Bolly Kecks wasn't coming back, that's what his head told him, oh why didn't his bloody heart listen.
"I need another drink, 2 more of your finest George" Hunt lit another cigarette.
"Coming up"
"Then we'll call it a day Raymondo, busy one tomorrow"