Ray couldn't help but feel annoyed when Alex told him what happened in Luigi's. Back at CID the next morning, hushed whispers were flitting around and secret glances were being directed at Alex, whom everyone obviously thought was Ray. The news that Raymondo was a gay copper had spread around the division faster than anyone had anticipated, but Ray knew it wasn't really Alex's fault. They were in this together, and they were going to figure out what Skyler was up to and protect the Guv.
Luckily, there had been huge improvements on the crime front to take Ray's mind off the fact that everyone now thought he was gay. CID had managed to catch and get into custody the four remaining members of Jackson's Army. With photographic evidence from one of their witnesses, these four men could be clearly seen fleeing the scene of the crime with the arrested three others.
Ray was in the interview room (as Alex) with Gene interviewing Tim Franks, a man in his early thirties with blonde hair and grey eyes.
"We bloody know its you, so own up!" Gene thundered. "We have photographic evidence sonny, so if you want to make life easy on yerself you'll bloody confess!"
"All right!" Tim burst out. "I'm in on it, all right? I'm a member of Jackson's Army. But it ain't just me! And we ain't to blame!"
"What do yer mean, 'you ain't to blame'?" Gene scoffed. "You blew up a building! You and your little gang nearly killed a bunch o' posh toffs and my esteemed lady colleague 'ere along with my Detective Sergeant! So how the bloody 'ell do you figure that you ain't to blame?"
Tim remained silent. Gene sighed, getting annoyed. "DI Drake, I believe some o' your psychiatric bollocks is in order."
Shit, Ray thought, right, what does Drake do? She's a psychic, ain't she? So act psychic…
"Well," Ray coughed, "it's…it's clear that…well…well it's clear that something's making you uncomfortable, because you're bloody sitting like a poof who needs a piss and your eyes are darting all over the place. You are to blame, but you don't think you are. So you're clearly messed-up in the 'ead, thinking someone else deserves the punishment."
Gene stared at Ray in disbelief. Ray was looking rather smug, but then his grin vanished when he saw Gene's face.
"That's not bloody profiling, Drake," Gene gawped, "that's just you sounding pissed and insulting the bastard."
"Oh…er…" Ray panicked. But he didn't need to worm his way out, because he was interrupted by a gruff voice.
"No…she's right."
Gene and Ray whipped round to stare at Tim. "What?" Gene said bluntly.
Tim closed his eyes, as if in agony. "We…Jackson's Army…we're not alone. There's someone bigger. A duo. A dangerous double-act and they're…"
"They forced you to blow up Rothmore House?" Ray butted in.
"Not forced," Tim corrected him, "they…they offered us a huge sum of money to blow it up. Jackson's Army couldn't turn it down. But we never got the money, because we got caught."
"Well who are these two twats?" Gene pressed him. "Then they can 'ave a jolly old tea-party with you and your Jackson's Army mates in a nice comfy cell."
"We don't know their names," Tim gulped, "but it's a man and a woman."
"Oh, great!" Gene exclaimed, his voice heavy with sarcastic optimism, "let's go an' round up the whole o' London, Bolls. A man and a woman. Bloody yes."
"There's more," Tim said desperately, "the man's some sort of doctor or surgeon. He works at the hospital. And the girl's blonde. Younger than him. Curly hair."
Ray saw the colour visibly drain from Gene's face. The doctor meant nothing to them, but the blonde woman with curly hair did. There was only one woman they had come across so far who had information on the crime scene, had provided no helpful evidence and had blonde curls.
Skyler May.
Gene burst into CID with Ray on his tail.
"Right boys and girls, round up Skyler May!" he barked angrily.
"What, Guv?" Alex grinned, looking a bit too happy.
"She's a top suspect for the masterminds behind the blowing up of Rothmore House, Ray," Gene said reluctantly, "and the worst thing is, you were bloody right! Since when are you ever right? What the bleedin' hell's happening to the country?"
Alex forced back a smile. "Dunno, Guv. The old Raymondo isn't as dumb as he looks!"
There was a scrabble of phones as everyone tried to get hold of Skyler to call her in. Alex couldn't hold back a smirk as she watched Gene throw darts angrily at his wall, most likely thinking of Skyler's face on it.
"Guv, she doesn't seem ter be anywhere," Chris piped up, "she's not answering her home phone or yours. She ain't turned up for work either, says her boss."
"Shall we search the area, Guv?" Alex asked. "I could go with DI Drake in a car?"
"Yeah, whatever," Gene dismissed them, turning his nose up at the thought of Alex and Ray in a car together, "just no shaggin'. I want Skyler bloody May caught and back here within the hour."
"Yes, Guv," Alex smiled happily, tapping Ray and exiting CID with him. When she got her body back, she could sense things were going to look up…
------------------
"Ma'am, will you stop bloody skipping. There are windows! The bastards will be looking!"
Alex laughed and approached the car they were going to be driving. "Sorry, Ray. It's just about time that Skyler got what was coming to her. I'm glad Gene's finally seen sense."
"Yeah, I bet you are," Ray winked as Alex blushed, "you like the Guv, don't yer, Ma'am?"
"Of course I do. He's my DCI, it comes with the contract."
"Na, I mean you like him like him," Ray sniggered, "yer can't fool me. Or the rest o' CID. Just do me a favour and don't go making the moves on him until yer back in your own body. I'm already supposed to be gay, I don't need that complicating things."
Alex laughed out loud. "Don't be silly, Ray. There's nothing between me and Gene –"
But then, before Ray or Alex could get in the car, four men came out of nowhere. One grabbed Ray round the waist, pinning his arms to his side and covering his mouth with the other hand. Ray struggled viciously, but was no match for the strong man whilst in Alex's body. Alex meanwhile was kicked and beaten by two of the other men, landing on the floor with a sickening thump as she was punched.
"Fight back!" Ray shouted, muffled. "C'mon, you're in my bloody body! Fight the scumbags! I'm tough, I'm 'ard, do you have any idea what this looks like? And help me, yer dozy –"
"Let's get out of here, and take the mouthy bitch!" the fourth man sneered, jumping into the car Alex and Ray were going to look for Skyler in. The man holding Ray suddenly bundled him in the back of the car and jumped in after, closely followed by the last two who had succeeded in beating a defenceless Alex. One climbed in the passenger seat and the other got in the back with Ray. Then, leaving Alex shaking on the floor, cut, bleeding and crying, the car screeched and drove off.