This Woman's Work
4.
The ride back to Sun Hill was silent. Smithy and Max rode back in one car with Abi in the backseat and Diane and Nate followed close behind. Neither Smithy nor Max thought now would be an appropriate time to discuss Abi's controlled outburst. They really needed to be back at the station for this conversation, preferably where Sam was on hand to give her daughter some motherly support. Abi was silent the whole journey back to Sun Hill, lost in thoughts about Jared and now Mark too. When they pulled up at a set of traffic lights, Max turned around in the driver's seat and looked at Abi.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Smithy shot a warning glance in Max's direction. Clearly the detective didn't know Samantha Nixon as well as he thought he did.
"Just great thanks." Abi replied sarcastically. "You try having your only child abducted by a man you thought you could trust."
"Sorry Abi, I..." Max said whilst lifting off the handbrake as the lights began to change.
"Leave it out, mate." Smithy said, his tone was friendly but with the meaning was clear.
No one spoke again until they were parked up behind the station. All three of the occupants were eager to get out of the car, the silence had been unbearable. Max led the way back inside the station, Smithy followed his arm loosely but reassuring draped around Abi's shoulders. When Max saw the gesture he felt a stab of jealousy, first he had upset Sam's daughter and now Smithy was acting the hero, a role Max felt should be his. He sighed, how was he ever going to win Sam over when he couldn't even be supportive of her daughter?
Sam rushed out to greet the three of them as soon as the car pulled up outside the station. She felt a rush of gratitude towards Smithy as he guided her daughter towards the back entrance to the station. Sam ran towards her daughter, throwing her arms around Abi.
"How did it go? Did he show up? What did he have to say for himself?" Sam's questions flowed out in a torrent very unlike her usual measured and professional manner of speaking. Despite tightly embracing her daughter, Sam's questions were directed at Smithy and Max.
"Abi seems certain that Mark is responsible for Jared's abduction." Max stated.
Sam looked up at him before releasing her hold on her daughter a little so she could properly look at Abi. "Abi?" She questioned.
"I know it mum, he's got Jared or he knows something. He used to think he was smart, when we were together he was always playing mind games. My flatmate is studying psychology and she saw it before I did." The three officers nodded and Abi continued. "I think he might have taken Jared in an elaborate plot to win be back." She concluded. Max and Smithy shared an impressed glance, there was no doubting that this was Samantha Nixon's daughter, appearances aside. Now that she was back with her mum again Abi seemed stronger and much less fragile and vulnerable than before. "I have an idea about how we can get Jared back too..."
Sam led the way back inside the station and the four of them crowded into the DI's office. Sam and Abi occupied the two chairs whilst Smithy perched on the desk and Max leaned against the doorframe.
"What is your idea then Abi?" Sam asked, it seemed strange asking her twenty year old daughter this question when she was the Detective Inspector at this station. Still, her daughter had insight into Mark's personality that neither of the three experienced officers did.
"He said that he wanted to go out tonight and mentioned me bringing Jared. I was thinking that I showed up and was all upset because my son is missing he'd help me find Jared so he can play the hero and win me over." Abi said, aware of three pairs of eyes watching her closely.
"That's not a bad plan, Abi." Max said appreciatively, the first of the three to speak. Abi rewarded him with a smile.
Smithy looked at Sam, trying to gauge her reaction. He agreed with Max that Abi's idea was a good one in theory but he wasn't convinced that it was plausible. Sam's thoughts seemed to be going down a similar track. She believed that Abi's plan could work but at the same time she would be putting her daughter at risk as well as her grandson.
"I don't know, Abi..." She said, the doubt resonating in her tone.
Compared to her earlier mood, Abi seemed almost completely calm now. Despite still fearing for her son's safety, Abi was a little relieved to know that Jared was with Mark and hadn't been abducted by a paedophile.
"Mum," She began, making her tone as reasonable as possible. "I have to do this. You did everything you could to find me when Hugh abducted me and imagine what would have happened to me if you hadn't." She could feel her mother shudder and Abi squeezed her hand. "You've got to let me do the same for Jared." She finished, her resolve never slipping.
Max looked at the two of them in surprise. There was still so much he didn't know about Sam Nixon and the more that was revealed to him, the more he wanted to know. Sam now looked from Smithy to Max for their opinions, Smithy shrugged and let Max speak first.
"I think we should give it a shot, we've got nothing to lose in trying. We'll carry on looking for other leads between now and you meeting with Mark though." The last part was directed at Abi.
"Is everyone okay with all of that?" Smithy asked, making sure that all bases were covered.
Three nods confirmed this and Smithy took Abi off to a interview room to phone Mark where the call could be recorded and traced, leaving Sam and Max alone in her office.
"What a day, eh?" Max said once Abi and Smithy had left; he felt he had to do something to cheer Sam up.
Sam rolled her green eyes. "You could say that."
"Can I get you a coffee?" Max asked, looking at Sam with concern. Despite the fact that Jared could be returned to the Nixon women in a matter of hours, Sam now looked more worried than before and Max was curious as to why this was.
Sam smiled grimly. "I could do with something stronger." She admitted, watching as Max slid into the chair opposite her desk. He smiled sympathetically at her but she could tell that he was really lost for words. With a sudden pang of nostalgia, Sam realised how much she missed Phil Hunter. He had been there by her side the whole way through the ordeal of Abi's abduction; he had been her constant but now he was gone. He was only on the other side of London and she was pretty sure he would come running if he knew she needed him but she knew it wasn't fair to drag him back into the soap opera that was her life, especially after how she had treated him.
"I won't tell if you don't." Max smiled as Sam reached into the bottom drawer and pulled her secret supply again.
She poured them each a heavy measure and Max clinked his glass against her's.
"To team work." He smiled again.
"To team work." Sam echoed, hoping and praying that it would be enough.
So sorry for the lack of updates on this one. Depending on what you want I'll either bring this to an end fairly soon or throw in another twist and a lot more tension between Sam, Max and Smithy. It's up to you! Please review! xx