To those of you who reviewed last chapter, thank you! To those of you who read last chapter thank you!
To Rolephant: Thanks for describing what lofts are like, as I have never been in one.
To 5A7AH: Thanks for everything, including motives and criminals :)
Chapter 5: Surprises
Gene sat next to the shallow grave, staring at it for what seemed like hours. He had slowly uncovered more of the body. All that remained was bone and clothes. He was grateful for this. To see her body, decomposing, covered in maggots was his worst fear. He knew that if he had seen her rotting corpse, that would be the only thing he would remember.
Gene picked up his radio.
"Skip."
"Yes, Guv?" his voice said.
"Send forensics to 531 Wilmington Street. I've just uncovered a body."
"Right away, Guv."
Gene heard the question in Viv's voice, but the man had enough sense not to ask anything. Everyone knew what had happened on that street six months earlier.
After thirty minutes or so, cars started pulling up in front of the house. Unable to resist, Gene reached out and stroked the cheekbone of the skeleton, imagining the face of the woman it had used to help shape.
"Bye Bolly," he whispered before storming to the Quattro, letting forensics in to examine the remains.
~(*)~
CID was quiet when Gene returned. No doubt Viv had told them all what he had said over the radio. Gene steeled himself for the inevitable round of questions that would soon be emerging from everyone.
There were several moments of silence as CID just stared at Gene, who was stuck in the doorway. He knew they were still digesting the information, and that very, very soon, someone would break the silence.
"Are we sure it's her?" Shaz asked.
Gene pulled her warrant card out of his pocket and showed it to the room. "I found this," he said, carefully controlling his voice.
Although CID remained silent, Gene watched their faces change from question to despair.
"This was on the remains, tucked in the pocket of a white leather jacket. The body was buried about six inches underneath the ground. The pathologist is looking at the remains right now. He's going to identify whether or not it is really DI Drake."
One of the men raised their hands. "Riley, what is it?"
DC Jeff Riley had joined the team about three months after Alex had died. He had proven to be an asset to the team, offering up suggestions that often lead to the capture of the suspect.
"I don't understand one thing, Guv. If we've been watching the house, then how would he be able to bury her without anyone noticing the soil being disturbed?"
"We only watched it for the first week or so. After he didn't take anyone else, the Super ordered us off the case."
"But wouldn't he want to get rid of the body somewhere? He couldn't hold on to a body for more than two days without it starting to smell."
"He could have stored the body," Chris piped up. "If he had access to a large freezer, that would work. Or maybe he emptied out a fridge and put the body in there."
Gene, not enjoying the way the discussion was going, intervened. "The point is, Riley, he had plenty of opportunity to put the body in the back garden."
With that, he stormed into his office to brood. CID continued to chat, but although there were grins on some faces, no laughter emerged. He could tell that most of them were affected by the idea that there really was no hope for Alex to be alive. He knew that even though there had been a memorial service, some of CID had the idea that Alex wasn't really dead, that the killer had faked it. But now, with a body, how could the evidence be faked?
Gene put his head in his hands. Suddenly, his phone rang. Gene sighed. Great. Another call to go out on.
He picked up the phone. "Hunt," he growled.
"I must say, it is disappointing to find something like that, isn't it?"
It was Burrows. Gene had to stop himself from yelling down the phone. "Why did you show me that?"
"You wanted to find her, did you not? And you want to find me as well. I told you that there were seven steps to finding me. You've just completed step one, and I'm assuming that step two will be completed in just a few hours. Remember now. Someone you're working with isn't what he appears to be. I'll ring you again after step two is finished."
The line clicked off, and Gene slammed down the phone angrily. He had to find the bastard. Gene opened his drawer and pulled out his scotch. He needed a drink. He poured the amber liquid into a glass and downed it in one gulp as someone knocked at the door.
"Enter," he said.
The door opened, and Evan White walked in, followed closely by little Alex Price, who was holding a Rubik's Cube. Only, she wasn't so little anymore. A year and a half had passed since he had last seen her. She had grown quite a bit and her hair was a bit darker than he remembered. She was out of her school uniform, now just wearing what was stylish for little posh girls.
"DCI Hunt," White said, extending his hand.
"White." Gene looked down at the little Alex. "Hi, little lady."
She looked up at him, and Gene felt the breath knocked out of him. Twenty five years may have separated their ages, but the eyes were the same. Alex Price had Alex Drake's eyes. The hazel orbs peered at him cautiously, before turning to Evan for reassurance.
"It's alright, Scrap," he said kindly. "This is Gene Hunt, remember? He's in charge of this station."
Alex looked around Gene's office before peering out into the main CID. "I remember this place," she said in a clear, high voice. "You and him and a woman were in here talking. I sat on that desk." She pointed to the place that had been taken over by DI Boyle. "He wasn't here, that was the woman's desk. Where is she?"
Alex stared at Gene, her eyes demanding an answer. It amazed him how much that look reminded him of Alex Drake.
Evan knelt down in front of Alex. "The woman left one day and she didn't come back. DCI Hunt and his colleagues looked for her, but they couldn't find her. But it doesn't look like she's going to come back."
"Did she leave like Mummy and Daddy?"
Evan hesitated a moment before answering. "Yes. Like your Mummy and Daddy."
Alex looked up at Gene again. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hunt."
"Alex, why don't you go play with your Rubik's Cube with Chris and Ray?" Evan asked her.
"Which ones are they?"
"They're the two with the worst hairstyles in the office," Gene replied, smirking. Alex peered out into the main office again, searching.
"Is it the man with the highlights talking to the man with the perm?"
"Yes," Gene said, trying not to laugh.
"Okay," the girl said, holding up her cube. "Seven steps to solving it," she said. "I've solved it once, but then I mixed the colours up and haven't been able to do it since."
Gene merely nodded. Alex walked out of the room and Evan closed the door behind her, an apologetic look on his face.
"Sorry. I couldn't find anyone for her to stay with, and she hates that school she goes to."
"No problem. How's she doing?"
"It was rough for her at first, but she's adjusted rather well I think. I think she blocked most of it from her memory however, and we never speak about it."
Gene nodded, staring at the little girl, amazed at how much she reminded him of Alex Drake.
"Has the search progressed any?" Evan asked, snapping Gene out of his reverie.
"We found her body today. Guess that's it really. No doubt now."
"You're certain?"
"Her warrant card and clothes were on the remains," Gene said stoically. "We're waiting for forensic report, but it should match up."
Evan nodded, looking back out on the little girl.
"So, White, what did you need?"
"I'm here on behalf of my client, Derek Lawrence. He alleges police brutality."
"Course he does, nasty little scrote."
"Listen, DCI Hunt. If the timing's bad, I can come back."
Gene looked at Evan. He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Yeah. Why don't you come back in a few days. It's nothing that can't be put off."
Evan nodded. "Right. I'll see you in a few days."
With that, Evan swept out of the office, only stopping to collect Alex from Chris and Ray who looked like they were quite enjoying trying to work out the cube.
I work with a bunch of bloody teenagers, he thought to himself.
Suddenly, his phone rang again. Gene sighed. If it was that Burrows bastard again...
He picked up the phone. "Hunt."
"DCI Hunt? This is Brian Greene down in forensics. I think you may want to get down here. Immediately, if not sooner."
Gene dropped the phone and rushed out of his office. "Ray, Chris, with me," he snapped.
The two looked at each other, shocked, but moved quickly with him down the stairs into the lab.
Greene met them at the door. "DCI Hunt, good. I have to show you something." He led them to a table where Alex's bones lay, spread out into the form her body would have been. Only a few were missing.
"Please indulge me here, DCI Hunt, but I'm not going to get straight to the point. I understand how you are, but this needs to be explained. First off, this morning you found this skeleton about six inches under the ground. It was dressed in the clothes Alex Drake was wearing. Obviously this caused you to believe the body was her."
"It was her warrant card," Gene said flatly.
"Yes. But, I dug around and took the molar that we found on the crime scene out to compare with the rest of her teeth, and found something interesting." Greene picked up the skull, showing both sides of it.
"There's not a tooth missing," Gene breathed.
"Exactly. Also, these bones are not consistent with what we'd find with someone buried underground for six months. There is no cartilage left at all, and the bones don't have a waxy substance on them. Usually, when skin has just finished decaying off the bone, there is that substance. Quite simply put, DCI Hunt, this is not Alex Drake."
~(*)~
The three men walked back into CID, all wearing expressions of shock. Gene had felt the little stab of hope enter again. Could she be alive? Was it possible? Composing himself, he stood by the marker board.
"Right, you useless lot of tossers. I just talked to the pathologist. That body we found this morning wasn't Alex Drake."
Riley raised his hand. "Does that mean Drake could be alive?"
"It's a possibility, Riley. Why would they fake us out with a body? Its used to throw us off the scent of where she really is. Revealing where that body was is a dickheaded move by the killer. It gives us the opportunity to renew the search for her."
CID nodded, sitting staring at Gene.
"Well, what are you lot waiting for? Get to bloody work! We've got a DI to find!"
CID jumped into action and Gene retreated back into his office. Only five minutes later, the phone rang for the third time that morning.
"Step two finished. Congratulations. On to step three. Go to the old Price house."
The man rung off before Gene could say anything. He had to go there. He had to find this man.
Gene raced out of CID, just like he had that morning. Boyle just smirked as Gene raced out, but Gene didn't bother with it. In just a few hours, he could possibly have his DI back.
Gene got into the Quattro, letting it roar to life. The mood could not have been more different than that morning. When he pulled away from the kerb, the tyres squealed their protest loudly, but he didn't care. He had to go there. He had to go to the Price house.
He finally arrived, ready to kick the door down when he remembered what Ray had told him a year and a half before. Ray and Alex had snuck in. She had used a key hidden under a turtle. Gene looked around, and sure enough, there was the turtle. He lifted the statuette and found the key. He slipped the key into the lock, opening the door.
It was silent in the house, reminding Gene of the house he had invaded only that morning. This time, however, sunset was falling. He didn't feel the need to be quiet this time. "Alex!" he called.
There was no reply. Gene was starting to get creeped out. Nothing seemed to have moved from the last time he was in the house. It was like a shrine to the family. He walked up the stairs, peering in every room. And in every room it was the same. Besides a heavy layer of dust, everything seemed like a family was going to be back any second.
That was, until he got to what he assumed was Alex Price's room. Everything was gone from it. Faded spots showed where posters and photos used to hang, where furniture used to sit. He moved toward the wardrobe. Opening it, he was surprised. Most of the little girl's clothes were still there.
Baffled, Gene moved out into the hallway when he heard a shriek of surprise followed by a clunk of something falling to the floor. It sounded like it was coming from up in the loft. There was a ladder sitting on the wall opposite. Gene immediately spotted the door to the loft. There was a little bar hanging down that crossed with another one attached to the ceiling. It was fastened by a heavy silver lock. Luckily, he had taken some advice from Sam. Now Gene Hunt could pick girly locks.
Only a few minutes later, the lock opened with a clunk and Gene pulled it off. He slid open the door, blinded by a bright light. Gene put the ladder up, climbing into the loft, unknowing of what he would find there.
He came face to face with an Adam and the Ants poster. A few pictures of daisies hung next to it. He turned slowly to his right, a table full of dolls and stuffed animals staring at him. A little pink radio sat next to them. Although the button was pressed to play, no sound came out. Gene continued to turn, taking in the room. Three quarters of the way through his revolution, he saw a small table. Bears and dolls were sat around it, all with tea cups in front of them. In the centre of the table was a Rubik's cube, all the colours put in place. And sat at the head of the table, with her hair in braided bunches, a tea pot in her hands and an expression of utmost shock on her face, was Alex Drake.
to be continued.