AN: Thank you so much to those who left reviews! You are awesome!

Million Degrees

By the time Gene, Alex, Chris and Ray had reached the site of the fire, the firemen had mostly put the fire out. It was too late for the Mayhew family, all of whom had died of smoke inhalation.

The head of the Fenchurch East Fire Department briefed Gene and Alex on what had happened. The Mayhew house had been broken into and a large pile of furniture put in the sitting room and set alight. The fire had quickly consumed the house, killing Grant and Kelly Mayhew and their two sons, all through smoke inhalation.

Alex felt slightly sick as she heard the story, looking at the ruined house. She wondered what motive someone could possibly have for murdering a family.

XXX

Grant Mayhew had no links to drugs, nor had his wife or their children. No drugs were found in the house. The more Alex looked at each case, the two addicts and now the Mayhew family, the more convinced she became that they were linked. The more Gene looked, the less convinced he became.

"The fires," Alex muttered.

"Doesn't mean anything," said Gene. "There is no serial killer here, Drake."

"But Grant Mayhew and his family were murdered, Gene. None of them had any drugs in their system and the house was broken into. How do you explain that?"

"Not with a serial killer! The MO is too different!"

"Guv? Ma'am?"

Gene and Alex turned towards Shaz who had just entered Gene's office. She held a stack of notepaper in her hands and there was a small smile on her face.

"Kelly Mayhew didn't work," Shaz began, "but Grant Mayhew was an accountant for Foster and Son."

"Posh git," said Gene looking quickly at Alex. "Thanks Shaz."

"There's more, Guv," said Shaz. "One of Foster and Son's clients, and a client that Mayhew had worked with closely, was Dominic Dexter, the artist."

Gene snorted. He had no time for art but he did recognise Dexter's name. Alex had left a copy of Cosmo on her desk a few months back and he had flicked through it, out of curiosity, obviously. He wasn't a poof or anything. Once he had got past the numerous articles on shoes and orgasms, there had been a whole double page spread on Dominic Dexter, the hot new painter who would "take the London Art Scene into the future by way of blinding minimalism, bold design and dizzying sexual excitement."

Shaz was still talking. "Dominic Dexter has a first cousin in the furniture business. Specifically, Michael Farrant, the owner of Farrant's Furniture."

Alex leapt towards Shaz and threw her arms around her. "That is excellent work, Shaz!"

As Shaz beamed and left, Gene said, "I hope you aren't under the misguided impression that that was a breakthrough, Drake."

"It's another link to Farrant, Guv."

"By a million bloody degrees of separation!" Gene shouted.

"Maybe they weren't all murdered by a killer with burning furniture as a calling card," Alex shouted back, "but all the deaths are suspicious, yes even the drug users, and Farrant could be the key to discovering a major drug network."

"Or maybe not," said Gene nastily. "Get your coat."

"Why?" asked Alex, annoyingly.

"Because, Madame Fruitcake, I have a murder to solve, if that's alright with you! Arson committed in the afternoon, someone must've seen something."

Gene pushed past Alex into the main office of CID. Alex stood in the doorway.

"I'm staying here."

Gene paused then turned around. "Why?"

"I'm going to go over the stakeout reports. Just in case."

"In case of what?" When Alex didn't answer, Gene started shouting again. "Face it Drake, there is no link! The table we have has no drug traces, even forensics agree! We have no reason to link Farrant to heroin-"

"The table in the shop-"

"What part of no proof do you not understand?"

There was silence, Alex staring at Gene with cold fury and Gene staring back with hot anger. He seemed to be actually shaking and Alex couldn't help but wonder…

"Are you accusing me of lying, Guv?" she spat the last word at him as though it was an insult. This was a new low in their relationship, never before had she had to fight with him this much in order to get him to listen to her.

"Not necessarily. You could have been mistaken."

"I know what I smelled, Gene!"

"Do you though, Drake? Maybe it was vinegar. Maybe it wasn't anything. Ray, come with me, if Drake thinks that policing outside of the office is beneath her."

Ray scurried in front of Gene and at the doors, Gene turned around to look back at Alex.

"And it's Guv, Drake."