What with job hunting and decorating (we're currently doing up an old house) it's getting more and more difficult to find any writing time, but I have managed to sneak another chapter in …

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Chapter 14

Gene's eyelids fluttered open and he blinked several times to clear his vision, but the world still refused to come into proper focus. The room was unfamiliar, smelled wrong, and he was dimly aware of being thirsty but his brain felt sluggish, as though he was trying to think through several layers of mud. For some reason he didn't seem able to sit up or to move his right arm properly. After spending what felt like forever attempting to make sense of it all he gave up, sinking slowly back into blissful unconsciousness again.

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Alex leant against the bonnet of the Cortina, stroking the paintwork as though somehow it would bring her closer to Gene.

"The Guv keeps a spare key in his office, I'll come back and collect it later. There's nothing else we can do here, Alex, let's get back to the department and work out a plan of attack, shall we?"

Sam squeezed her arm, and she looked up at him, her face pinched with worry.

"Why didn't I ask to see that damned list earlier? At least then I could have warned him and he'd have been on his guard. The barman said he had his head buried in a newspaper, she must have spiked his drink before he realised she was even there …"

Sam gripped her firmly by the shoulders, his gaze holding hers.

"Alex, you can't blame yourself for this, the woman's clearly ill. From what the Guv said it sounds like she's desperate for a relationship and she's become obsessed with him. She's not likely to hurt the man she thinks she's in love with now, is she?"

She nodded distractedly, and he watched as she took a deep breath and steeled herself to deal with the situation.

"You're right, of course. She craves his attention, his affection, and she's using some kind of twisted logic to convince herself that if he's kept apart from us, from me, he'll eventually turn to her. With the age difference I'm guessing she's got some kind of father fixation going on."

Wrapping her arms defensively around herself, she stepped away from the car.

"We need to find out as much as we can about her, Sam. Before she realises that the Guv is not a man to be easily persuaded …"

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When Gene regained consciousness again, the room was darker and there was a figure seated next to the bed.

"Alex?"

A cool hand smoothed the hair back from his forehead.

"Shhh, now. You'll soon forget all about her. Are you thirsty?"

He tried to speak again but his throat was so dry it was more of a croak. A bottle was pressed to his lips and he swallowed the water greedily before falling back against the pillow.

"Better?"

He grunted, tugging at his right arm and wincing as cold steel dug into his wrist. A hand closed over his.

"Don't struggle, you'll just hurt yourself. As soon as I know you won't try to escape, I promise I'll take them off, alright?"

He shook his head to try to clear it, but without much success.

"We're going to be so happy together, Gene, just you wait and see. I'll be back later with some food, but in the meanwhile you can have a mouthful or two of whiskey if you want."

She helped him raise his head to drink from the proffered glass, and before he knew it he was sinking back down, deeper and deeper, until everything turned black.

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"Alex, you really need to get some shut eye. Tell her will you, Sam?"

Annie's face was full of concern as Alex continued pacing up and down the office, arms crossed, brow furrowed. It was well past midnight and the strain was starting to show in all their faces after several hours of coming up against dead ends. There was no file for WPC Ross to be found anywhere on the premises and she'd moved out of her last known address several weeks previously, leaving no contact details.

"How on earth can I sleep knowing Gene's out there somewhere in desperate need of our help?"

Sam rubbed his tired eyes.

"Annie's right, we'll none of us be any use to the Guv if we can't think straight, will we? Come back to ours for a few hours and get some rest."

She shook her head, the tears springing into her eyes.

"Take me back to Gene's house, please. I need to be in his bedroom … our bedroom … surrounded by his things."

"Fine, but we're not leaving you on your own. We'll take the spare room, OK?"

She didn't think she had any hope of dropping off but she wrapped herself in one of his shirts and buried her face in his pillow, breathing deeply.

"I love you, Gene. And I won't give up until we find you."

The tears came and then finally, overcome by weariness and surrounded by his familiar comforting smell, she fell into a troubled sleep.

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"I love you, Gene …"

"Alex?"

His eyes flew open and he tried to focus, but it was pitch black. The room was quiet apart from the sound of someone else's regular breathing, and he was vaguely aware of another body lying against his chest, her head under his chin, one leg slung possessively over his thigh.

"Bolly?"

His voice was little more than a whisper. No answer. The sleeper slept on. He took a good sniff of her hair, wrinkling his nose up. Not Bolly, she didn't smell right. Who, then? He tried to sit up but his body didn't want to respond and after a while he gave up the fight, drifting back into an uncomfortable doze.

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"Alex, it's a small breakthrough at least. The whole department's out showing his picture around, talking to anyone who might have some information. The Gazette's running a feature in today's issue and there'll be a report on the local news at lunchtime."

She sighed wearily, her gaze holding Sam's.

"It's not much to go on though, is it?"

A cleaner starting her shift at the pub the previous afternoon had reported seeing a dark haired woman driving a blue car with someone matching Gene's description slumped in the back. She thought the registration number started with a 'T', but couldn't remember any other specific details.

Sam squeezed her shoulder.

"Don't forget how well known the Guv is in this city. Someone must have seen something, we just need to jog the right memory. We won't rest till we get him back, don't you worry."

She swallowed, blinking back the tears, her brow furrowed.

"She was in a file, Sam, one just like yours. And she's here. Do you think that means she's dead? She must be deeply unhappy, maybe she committed suicide too."

He shrugged.

"Could be. Alex, you seem to have a real understanding of how people tick, plus you had access to privileged information. Annie's convinced that you've had some training in psychology, maybe that was part of your job within the force?"

She nodded.

"It's possible. I just wish I could remember more, I'd probably be more help to Gene then. I hate this sitting around feeling useless."

He took her hands in his.

"The Guv knows you love him even if you haven't said it yet, and he'll be hanging on to that thought wherever he is."

She gave him a watery smile.

"That, and the thought of Phyllis in dominatrix gear, of course."

His mouth fell open in surprise, and she giggled.

"Sorry, just something Gene said the other day."

He grinned, shaking his head.

"Makes a change from Diana Dors and a bottle of chip oil, I 'spose."

Alex fell serious again, squeezing his hands briefly.

"Thanks, Sam. I don't know how I'd have coped without you and Annie."

"No problem, that's what friends are for."

They both glanced up and spotted Annie making her way towards the office, and Sam squeezed back for a second before releasing her.

"Not a good idea to be caught holding another woman's hands in front of the wife, she's got a mean right hook, you know."

Alex chuckled.

"So has Phyllis, apparently …"

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Hope you're still enjoying – and please don't throw things at me, I promise things will get better for the Guv very soon!