Ruth Galloway
"Thank you, Doctor Galloway, for all your help," Harry Pearce says to her, shaking her hand rather formally. "Your contribution has been invaluable to finding these bastards."
"I'm very glad I could help," she replies, equally formally. She can't quite fathom what Ruth Evershed sees in this man. Then again, most people probably don't get what she sees in Nelson. Some days she doesn't understand it herself.
Harry Pearce, nods and turns, catching other Ruth's eye before quickly striding away.
"I'll take you back downstairs," she says warmly.
"Is Harrold going to be there?" Kate asks.
"I'm afraid not, Kate," Ruth Evershed replies, leaning down to address her. "He's at home right now, but, I'll tell you what, next time you come to London, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to have you visit him."
"Can I?"
"Of course. You're his new best friend."
Kate beams and looks up at her. "Can we come back soon, Mummy?"
"We'll see," she replies, smiling at her daughter and giving Ruth a grateful look.
"Do we go through the woosh doors now?"
"That's right. We go through the woosh doors," Ruth Evershed confirms.
"Hurray!"
And so they follow Kate to the pods – she thinks that's what Ruth calls them – and out the other side, where she has to distract her daughter, who of course wants to do it again.
"How are you getting home?" Ruth asks her as they ride the lift to the ground floor.
"Nelson insisted he pick us up."
"That's kind of him."
She hums, unsure if that's the adjective she'd use to describe Nelson's overbearing, overprotective manner, or the way he'd just told her, not asked, but told her he would pick them up and take them home. Still. She's grateful she doesn't have to get the train back up to King's Lynn.
His black Mercedes is in front of the building, illegally parked, of course, and Nelson is arguing with someone from Thames House about it.
"There they are now," she hears him tell the security guard.
"Hello, Mervin," Ruth Evershed greets the guard, while Kate lets go of her hand and runs to her father, who smiles and scoops her up into his arms, causing her a pang of envy.
"Afternoon, Ms Evershed," he replies, smiling at her.
"It's alright. They'll be fine here for a minute or two. DCI Nelson is with the police."
"So he said," Mervin mutters darkly and walks back up the steps to the building.
In the meantime, she's greeted Nelson and he her, his eyes lingering on her as if to ascertain if MI-5 have mistreated her or something.
"DCI Nelson," Ruth Evershed continues, turning to face him. "I don't believe we've been introduced. Ruth Evershed."
Nelson shifts Kate over to his left arm and shakes her hand and nods, but he doesn't say anything.
"Daddy, did you bring Bruno?"
"No, love," he says. "He hates being in the car long, remember?"
"Ruth has a cat called Harold, but sometimes she calls him Harry, like you. I got to meet him and, when I come back to London, I can visit him again."
"Is that so?" She can see Nelson reassessing Ruth Evershed as his dark eyes return to her face.
"Yes. Can we come back tomorrow?"
"There's school tomorrow, Kate," Ruth reminds her daughter, then turns to Nelson. "Perhaps we should get going before the security guard decides to come out again."
"Fine by me," he agrees and turns to put Kate in her booster.
"Well," she says, turning to face Ruth, "thanks for everything. It's been.. nice."
Ruth smiles. "Yes." Impulsively, she leans forward and embraces her quickly. "I meant what I said. I'd love to have you and Kate visit next time you're in London."
She smiles, genuinely touched by this. "Thank you. I'd like that. So would Kate. I'll ring you."
"Good. Yes. You have my number. Take care, Ruth. Keep in touch if..." but here, Ruth tails off.
"You too, Ruth. Thanks for everything and good luck with-"
"Ready to go?" Nelson interrupts, having closed the car door with Kate safely buckled in it.
She finds this extremely irritating, but chooses not to comment. "Bye, Ruth," she says instead, ignoring him.
"Bye," she replies, then turns to wave at Kate. "Bye, Kate."
That's another reason she likes Ruth – she actually calls her daughter by the right name.
"Bye, bye," Kate yells back and they can hear her clearly, even through the closed doors and windows.
Other Ruth smiles, then turns to Nelson. "Goodbye, DCI Nelson."
"Goodbye," he replies, shaking her proffered hand before turning to get the door for her.
She gets in and gets comfortable, buckling her seatbelt while Nelson makes his way round the car and slips into the driver's seat, starting the car and pulling out abruptly, barely giving her a chance to wave at Ruth Evershed once more before she disappears from view.
"I like Ruth," Kate pipes up from the back of the car.
"I like her too," she agrees with her daughter.
Nelson remains silent.