I'm sorry if this chapter is dead boring, but it can't all be kicking in doors and/or nonces. Sam would agree with me, Gene would not…

I'm really sorry for making you wait so long for an update but I've been away from a computer for almost a week so I had no time to write.

(Thank you one and all for reading and reviewing, to be honest the best bit as far as I'm concerned is less that you like this fic, but that you took the time to read it!)

Chapter 9

Sam knocked twice and waited. As the door opened slowly the detectives, in perfect unison, dipped their hands into their pockets and pulled out two identical black wallets. "Levin Armstrong?" Sam asked, ever cool.

"Yeah." Came a gruff reply, the guy, half dressed, was unshaven and red-eyed and Gene could smell alcohol.

"CID." Gene said before Sam could as they both raised their badges.

Levin lead the detectives into a shabby sitting room, it was clear that his girlfriend had taken up semi-permanent residence as the normal grime of a bachelor lad's accommodation had been removed.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions about Lucinda Jackson." Sam said taking a seat on the relatively clean looking settee. Levin nodded as he sat down opposite the detectives.

"Right, first off, where were you between 11 and 1 the night b'fore last?" Gene said, cutting to the chase and Sam didn't try to hide a heavy sigh.

"Home. It 'ad bin a long day at work." Levin said and Sam nodded, taking a quick note.

"What would you say your relationship with Lucinda was like?" Sam asked carefully, he didn't want to put his foot in it like Gene wanted to do so badly. Gene rolled his eyes but luckily Levin didn't see,

Can we not play games Tyler?!

"We were in love. We had the odd tiff, but that was all. Daft stuff, mainly about my brother who was always hangin' around…" Levin paused but both Gene and Sam seemed eager to hear the rest. Sam glanced at Gene and gave him a your turn look. Gene smiled slightly and turned to Levin.

"What was Lucinda's problem with your brother?" Gene asked bluntly and Sam hoped that Gene had asked the right question and not mucked up the investigation before it had started.

"My dad kicked him out of the house the other month, 'cos he'd got arrested for stealing a car, it was kinda the final straw 'cos Tony, that's m' brother, smashed up m' dad's car and got his licence revoked. So Tony came to me. And well, Cindy couldn't cope with having my kid brother hanging around, wanting money… She even accused him of trying to chat her up."

"Did you talk to your brother about it?" Sam quizzed and Levin shook his head.

"He's only eighteen, I didn't think he was that daft." Levin said, almost embarrassed as he fidgeted in his seat.

"Levin Jackson isn't our man." Sam said as they got back into the car. Sam had noticed that every time they approached the car Gene would always head automatically for the driver side door, and Sam wondered whether at some point Gene had got demoted from DCI.

"I don't know Sammy-boy. He wasn't telling us somethin'." Gene said and Sam grunted in approval.

"I think so too, but it could be anything, couldn't it?" Sam said and he started the engine, realising after he'd said it that he'd been going on a gut feeling, something he tried not to do.

"What else could it be? That he's been screwing her sister on the sly?" Gene said almost to casually.

"Lesson one Detective," Sam said, receiving poisonous looks as he did so, "in this game, it's better to keep assumptions to y'self." Sam said and Gene looked as if he could scream.

"Then who did it Robin?" Gene asked and Sam frowned.

"Robin?"

"Boy Wonder." Gene said, sighing deliberately.

Aint he ever heard of Batman?!

"Well if I knew that, we could all go home, couldn't we?" Sam retorted and Gene decided to hold his tongue,

That's one of my lines! Gene thought, slightly stunned.

On arriving back at the station Sam went to talk to Maya. Gene had walked slowly past on of their conversations before and had found it to be nothing work related. The debate already seemed heated so he felt like having a nose.

"Sam, I'm sorry, it's the way I feel. I'm not sure I can work with you anymore, let alone live with you." Maya said in hushed tones. Gene found it easy to listen as they where stood by the coffee machine, the perfect place for Gene to busy himself while doing nothing.

"What do you mean Maya?" Sam said touching her on the arm but she wriggled instantly away.

"I mean, I've been thinking of putting in a transfer, to B division, it's closer to my new flat and it best for us, you know, to make a clean break." Maya said before dashing off to the other side of the office and pretending to busy herself with a report.

Gene looked over to Sam and gave him an raised eyebrow.

"You heard that?' Sam asked as he walked over to Gene,

"Every word." Gene said and offered Sam the cup of coffee he'd just made before poring himself a fresh cup.

Ok, that wasn't all that thrilling or exciting but I'm getting there. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and let me know if I can improve it! Ta.