So happy to be back in London...
--
"Excuse me, Ma'am, but you don't look so good. Are you feelin' alright? Can I get you some tea?"
Alex looked slowly up from her desk. She didn't feel alright. "Actually, I am feeling a bit tired. Tea would be lovely, Shaz. Thank you."
Pulling her jacket tighter around her she pushed back from her desk and closed her eyes. She'd felt alright last night. They'd arrived reasonably early and she'd had a chance to clean up and do some washing. Although now that she thought about it they had both been so exhausted they'd crawled into bed and fallen asleep almost instantly. Well, it's not unusual to feel a bit of a letdown after a holiday, Alex reasoned to herself. She'd feel better after another good night's sleep.
She looked over towards Gene's office. He'd been on the phone for the last hour, following up on a list of things Ray had given him after their update session that morning. They had three new active cases that had come up while they were away, and a few more dormant ones from before they'd left. Chris and Ray had provided a full briefing, but Alex had been going over files for the past hour to determine next steps.
"Here you go, Ma'am." Shaz set a mug on her desk to a thank you from Alex. "Did you have a nice holiday?" She sat down in a chair next to Alex's desk.
"Yes, actually, it was quite lovely. Went to St. Ives. Beach, boat, the whole lot." She sipped her tea. She did love Shaz, but she wasn't sure she was up to a holiday rehash at the moment.
"Beach?" The girl's eyes widened. "I can't imagine the Guv on the beach."
"Well, neither could I. But he did manage to get his feet into the water a few times." Alex smiled to herself. It had been a lovely week.
"Hate to break up your little party" Gene was suddenly standing over the two women. "Body down the Mile End tube station. Let's go Inspector, 'oliday's over and done."
Gene strode out of the room, Chris and Ray behind him. Alex sighed deeply and followed them.
--
In the car Alex hunched over feeling a chill even in the warmth of the London summer.
"What's the matter with you?" Gene asked gruffly, but not unkindly.
"Just tired. I'll be better with a little more sleep, I imagine."
"That's the trouble with goin' on bloody holiday. Come back too tired to do anythin'." But his glance held a concerned look. She looked ill, not tired.
"Well if it's that much trouble Gene I can take the next holiday on my own." She teased. He raised his eyebrows in a silent protest.
The station had been closed and surrounded by police tape and a uniformed officer led them to the body.
"She looks 18-24. Probably strangled Gene, look here." Alex pointed to ligature marks on the back of her neck.
"Just like the others." He sighed, shaking his head. "Sick bastard." After giving some instructions to the forensics team, he pulled Alex aside. "Alex you look ill. Are you sure you're ok?"
She smiled weakly. "I don't feel well, no. I might be coming down with something." She shivered a little.
"When we get back to the station I want you to go home, get some sleep."
"But Gene, we've got a lot of work to do on this case. There could be others we haven't connected, even in other areas..."
He cut her off. "And I can't afford you makin' yerself sicker. We're going to need you for the long haul on this Alex. Get some sleep. Feel better and start fresh tomorrow. Ray can get the ball rolling on things and fill you in in the morning."
She tried to object again, but he wouldn't hear it. "Then at least let me take some files home. I can read through them later after I've had some sleep."
"Fine. I will bring home anything we haven't had a chance to finish goin' through. You can work on it later, after you've had some sleep." He was about to go on, but was interrupted by Ray's appearance at his elbow.
"We've checked around, Guv. Station manager found the body when he came in this morning and took a routine look-around. Must've dumped the body after the station closed last night. But forensics should have an extra go at the area at the bottom of the stairs. Looks like there's some blood there."
Gene nodded. "OK. Let's get back to the station and see 'ow many of these we can link up. In the mean time Ray, we need to have extra uniform out at night. Make it happen."
--
Arriving home after seven that night, Gene found Alex sound asleep in bed.
"Reckon you won' be needing these, then." Walking into the living room he set the armload of files he'd brought home on the coffee table in the living room and took off his jacket and tie before making his way back to the bedroom. She looked like she'd be out for hours. The team wanted him to join them at Luigi's, so he left her a quick note to call down if she woke and needed anything and went down to the restaurant.
--
"Guv!" Everyone cheered as Gene entered the restaurant, taking his pint from Luigi as he walked past the bar. He took an empty seat at a table where Ray and two other officers were sitting with several bottles of wine, two of them already empty.
"Inspector Drake not comin' down?" Ray asked.
"Nah. Got the night off. She's sick of me anyway." He drained half his pint. It felt good to be back with the team and he enjoyed ribbing Chris and listening to Ray talk about the coroner's new secretary. He didn't stumbled out of the bar and up to their flat until after 1am.
"Alex" He sat heavily on the bed, drunkenly shuffling out of his trousers. "You 'wake? 'Ow you feelin'?" He said none of this quietly.
"Gene?" She rolled over slightly. "How long have I been asleep?"
Gene looked up at the ceiling, scrunching his face as he tried to count. "Don'know. A long time."
"Well what time is it?" She asked impatiently.
"Late. No, early." He thought a minute. "After 1:30 I think."
"In the morning?" She sat up quickly, but exploded into a fit of coughing.
"Woah! Hey!" Gene slapped her clumsily on the back as she continued. "Whisky. Get you a whisky." He stumbled up out of the bedroom, returning in a few minutes with a large glass. "Drink summa this." He held it out, splashing a little over the rim of the glass.
Alex gulped gratefully, feeling her chest heat and open up almost instantly. It might not have actual medicinal qualities, but it did make her feel warm and she was sure it would help her get back to sleep. Gene pulled the blankets up to her neck, tucking them around her shoulders as she drifted off again.
Finally lying down naked and drunk next to her, Gene fell quickly to sleep.
--
Gene woke before dawn, feeling a familiar stirring in his groin. Reaching out to pull Alex closer he opened his eyes when his arm landed on an empty bed.
"Alex?" He stood, walking unsteadily out of the bedroom. "Bloody hell, how much did I have to drink? I'm still pissed."
"In here" she called weakly from the sofa. As he stepped into the living room any hope he might have had of her feeling better by morning deflated quickly. Her eyes were dark and her skin was pale, and she shivered under the wool throw. She tried to smile as he sat on the sofa next to her.
"You're burnin' up" he managed, and she nodded. "D'you want me to take you to see a doctor?"
Alex shook her head. "Really think it's just a bad cold. It should go away in a few days at the most." Noticing his concerned expression she added "Really. I have been ill before. Sleep, and soup. I'll be fine in a few days."
"OK. I'll make you some tea." He went quickly to the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a steaming mug and setting it on the coffee table. "Might as well get meself up. Should get an early start if you're goin' to miss another day."
"Leave the files Gene. I'm sure I'll get a chance to read them." She coughed. "I'll call you if I find anything significant."
He nodded and wandered off to get ready for work.
In the bathroom he turned on the taps, hot as he could make it hoping to steam up the small bathroom. He still felt pissed and hoped he could steam the alcohol out and clear his head a little. He looked into the mirror as the steam built up, shaking his head vigorously. Alex really didn't look well. Probably right though, just a cold. He needed her back at work on this case, soon as she was upright he'd have to have her back at the station. Turning around, he leaned against the sink counter, closing his eyes as the bath continued to fill. He hated to be a pig about it, but he wanted her healthy for other reasons too. Idly stroking his rapidly returning erection, he started thinking about their holiday. How even more than usual they couldn't get enough of each other. She looked great in her bikini. Both of them. Oh god. He'd never wanted a woman this badly. Not for this long anyway. Christ, he'd almost...unnnh...
"Stupid bloody bath." He took a step closer and turned off the tap just before it got too full, still holding himself firmly with one hand. Why hadn't he put in the bloody shower? A quick toss off and a shower and he could be on his way. He leaned back against the sink counter, what was he thinking about? Oh, yeah, Alex, he'd almost...oh god...asked her...unnngh...what was he thinking?...wait, did he really want that?...just a bit more, yeah, yeah, unnnnnhhhh! Shit. He stood for a few minutes while his breathing returned to normal. He'd have to clean that up. Next time in the bath, Hunt.
--
"Ray! Have you connected our murders with anything in any other borough?" Gene sat on the edge of Alex's desk.
"Two possibles Guv. One in Bexley and one in Islington. MO's similar, both women were raped but only one was strangled. The other one had her throat cut. Close enough so I got the file."
"Christ. Do we have any open cases where their throats were slit instead?"
"You took the files to Inspector Drake. Has she had a chance to read them yet?"
"Dunno. Said she'd call if she found anything. I'll call her and tell her to look for that too." Gene looked around. "Where's Chris?"
"Went downstairs to the coroner's to get the report on the latest victim." Ray inhaled his cigarette. "'E should be back any minute."
Gene nodded. "Send 'im in when 'e gets back."
"OK, Guv."
Gene went back into his office and closed the door, picking up his phone as he sat down.
"Hello?"
"You sound better." She sounded more like herself, only a little husky. Gene had to stifle a groan. "Have you 'ad a chance to look through those files yet?"
"A few of them. Do you have an update?"
"Nothing good. We 'ave two more possible victims in other boroughs. When you go through the files look for anyone who's had their throat slit as well as anyone who's been strangled."
"Five possible connected victims?" Alex coughed into the phone.
"Possible. We don't know enough yet." He paused as she coughed again. "That sounds bad. How do you feel Alex?"
"A bit better, actually. I think the fever was at its worst this morning. It's not gone, but I've taken something for it and it's getting better. This cough though." Gene listened to her as she had another fit. "It's getting worse."
"D'you need me to bring you anythin'?"
"More soup would be nice. I've finished the last tin."
"OK. I'll bring some. If you get hungry make Luigi bring you up something from downstairs. 'E must be able to do up a soup."
Her laughter drifted off into more coughing. "I'll call you if I find anything."
--
Alex was sitting on the sofa reading case files when Gene walked through the door, shopping bag in his hand.
"As requested." He walked past her into the kitchen and set the bag down before returning to sit beside Alex on the sofa. "Any better?"
"The same" she shook her head. "But not worse. I may have found two more victims." She reached for two files separated from the larger stack. "One strangled, one with her throat slit. Same age range."
Gene stared at the files but didn't take them. "Bloody hell." He took off his tie and set it on the larger stack, sitting heavily back on the sofa. "This is not good, Alex."
"No. It's not." She set the two files back on the table. "Gene, I think you should have someone go back further, at least six months, and look for any other open cases that we might be able to connect. These have all the earmarks of serial rapes and murders, and we need to make sure we have as much evidence as possible as we move forward." Alex coughed hard, stopping to drink from a glass of water on the coffee table.
"Six months!" Alex nodded as he stared at the ceiling.
"It could be even further, but let's start there. Get Shaz on it."
"Alright." He turned to look at her. "D'you want me to heat some of that up?"
"Maybe later." She moved closer to him, and he put his arm reflexively around her as she leaned against him. "Think I'm going to go back to sleep anyway. I might wake up later and have something."
"Sleep, eh?" He frowned. The team was waiting for him downstairs. "Would you, uh, mind if I, uh..."
"Went to the bar?"
"Would ya?" He looked at her hopefully. If he got drunk he'd be less likely to need a five knuckle shuffle at 3am.
She shook her head, coughing as she did. "No. You go on. I really am going back to bed for a while. Reading all these case files really knocked me out."
"Reading knocked you out?" He rolled his eyes at her.
"Yes. It did. I'm exhausted."
"You'd better sleep it off then." He stood up and walked towards the door.
"Don't stay out all night."
She heard him answer as he shut the door behind him. "Course not."
--
Suitably hungover the next morning as he got to the station, Gene was not happy to find his corridor filled with at least a dozen unhappy prostitutes.
"What's all this, Viv?"
"A few of the girls have allegedly been dealing drugs. Night shift brought 'em all in. Left us with the paperwork."
"Drugs? Can't 'ave that, can we?" He slapped his hand on the desk and walked down the corridor, eying a few of the more attractive ones along the way. "Bloody wonderful" he murmured to himself, wishing he were anywhere else today.
By mid-morning the squad room was full of prostitutes being processed before being locked up in cells, and the team seemed to be taking their sweet time about it. Ray in particular seemed to be enjoying himself as he took extra care filling out the paperwork for each one.
"He should pay as much attention when 'e processes drug dealers" Gene mumbled out loud. For his part, Gene was having a hard time concentrating on the coroner's reports he was supposed to be reading. It really wasn't the prostitutes so much as what they stood for. Sex. Which he wasn't getting any of. Because his girlfriend was ill. Which was not her fault. Christ it'd only been three days! Or was it four? He could go four days. Lord knows he'd gone longer in the past. Not the recent past, though. This was the real problem with getting laid all the bloody time. Now his stupid bloody todger expected it three times a day and it wouldn't listen to reason.
Gene exhaled, tapping his pencil on the desk impatiently. Just don't think about it. Think about something else. What else? Football. Football works. Has Alex ever been to a football game? Not with him. He have to take her. Take her somewhere...he'd have to take her over his desk, that was it. No! That was not it. Up against his desk, her tits pushed up against him. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Stop. Don't think about it.
"Guv" Ray stuck his head in, causing Gene to jump in his seat.
Please god don't ask me to go anywhere Ray.
"What is it?" He snapped.
"We're takin' the girls down to the cells."
"All of you?" He scowled at Ray.
"Not everyone. I don't think." Ray looked around the room. "Well, maybe." He grinned at Gene.
Gene sighed. "Fine, just...hurry back."
Ray turned and left, and Gene watched the squad room all but empty as the girls were escorted to their cells.
He had two choices. Work all day behind his desk, or find somewhere private where he could have a wank. He really didn't like either option. No one ever used the gents on the third floor. Standing quickly, he rushed out of his office and hit the stairs, taking the one flight down quickly. This was so wrong. Maybe he should just go home and do it there. Bugger.
Pushing through the door he noticed no lock, but the place looked like it hadn't been used all day. Did anyone even have an office down here he wondered, checking in each of the four cubicles to make sure he was alone and locking himself in the last one.
Freeing himself with a quiet groan, images of a dozen pairs of tits immediately filled his mind as he slowly stroked himself. God he hoped this wouldn't take long. Some of those prozzies had really huge...he'd love to have his cock between some of them...oh, god he was close...thank god...Alex's tits...oooohhhhh yeah, better...soon as she felt better...he'd...he'd bend her over...come on...on her knees...yeah, oh yeah...that's it...god...in front of him...unnnhh...so good...so...unnnh, unnnh, unnnnnhh! He came hard, images of Alex on her knees in front of him racing through his mind. He leaned one hand against the wall. She'd bloody better get well quick.
He didn't think he could go on like this much longer.