**For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1**

Seven Days and Counting 9

As Jack put the tape into the player and started it they all crowded round and listened as a man's voice filled the room.

"Ok I've never owned a dog."

"Then why did you say you did?" Gerry asked.

"It wasn't to cause trouble."

"Then enlighten me." Sandra demanded her voice angry and scathing.

"I saw you in the paper."

"And"

"I liked what I saw."

Standing quietly as the conversation played out and Gerry's face became harder and angrier with each passing second, the tape ended and all four men stood silently for a second.

"The value wine company." Gerry said eventually pulling his computer keyboard toward him and typing frantically as the other's joined him round his desk.

"Is this the guy who sent her the crate of wine when we were working the case?" Jack asked as the website came up and Gerry clicked on the "about the owner" link.

"Yeah and that's him. Tom Christie god her was a slime ball. He's our guy I know he is." Gerry replied "He all but threw himself across the table at her when we interviewed him I mean what sort of tosser messes with a police investigation because they fancied the look of the lead officer when they saw her in the paper."

"This wasn't in the original case notes." Strickland said scrolling through the website as Gerry, Brian and Jack exchanged worried glances.

"Well it wasn't directly relevant to the case sir." Gerry replied "Sandra sent the wine he's sent her as a gift back and she said he was a nut job but harmless so we forgot about him and concentrated on the case,"

"Yeah I can see why." Strickland agreed "But I think we can all agree she was wrong about the harmless bit."

"So what do we do now? Do we have a home address for this guy?" Brian asked as the door opened and Esther walked in carrying a shopping bag in one hand and a casserole dish in the other.

"Dinner is served." She smiled "Mr Strickland I didn't realise you'd be here but there's plenty to go around."

"Thank you Mrs Lane if you're sure then that would be very nice." Strickland replied as Esther pulled plates from the bag and started dishing up the casserole and heating it in the microwave.

"We have an address here in the notes from the public appeal." Jack said holding up a sheet of paper as Gerry took it and immediately headed for the door.

"Gerry wait!" Strickland shouted stopping him in his tracks. "Come back we don't even know how best to handle this guy yet. We already know he clearly has no respect for the law we don't want to spook him too soon. If we go storming in there tonight and he's holding her somewhere else he could take fright and do anything. Come back and eat and while we do we'll decide what's the best plan of action."

"Ok." Gerry sighed catching Jack's eye as he nodded his agreement and they all sat around on the sofa's in the centre of the room while Esther handed them all plates and started to make coffee.

"We need to know if he's holding her at his home address or somewhere else." Brain started as he ate and the others listened "We need to set up some sort of surveillance, twenty four hours should do it. The house is right at the heath so tomorrow Esther and me could go for and "picnic", take the dog and spend the day somewhere near the side of the heath that faces his house. I wasn't there for most of that case so he's never met me."

"That could work if it's ok with you Mrs Lane." Strickland replied

"Call me Esther and of course it is anything I can do to help I will."

"Ok well when we're finished up here me and Gerry will take the night shift." Jack added "We'll park up near the house and keep an eye for the next few hours through the night and early tomorrow morning and see if we can see any sign of him or any idea that Sandra might be there."

"Are you sure we shouldn't just go in mob handed and lift this guy?" Gerry sighed setting his half-finished meal down on the table. "I mean leaving her there or possibly leaving her there for another 24 hours if something happens between now and then could we really forgive ourselves?"

"Could we really forgive ourselves if we went in and she wasn't there and we had nothing to hold him on then he went to wherever she was and did something to her because he felt cornered?" Brian asked "At least if there's always one of us watching the place we'll know if he's there and maybe even if she is."

"Brian's right Gerry." Strickland added "I promise if we have nothing by this time tomorrow we'll go in all guns blazing but let's see if we can be a bit more sure of what we're dealing with first."

"Ok but just 24 hours any more than that and it's just dangerous and stupid."

"Right well we'll get going and find somewhere to park up." Jack agreed getting up and grabbing his car keys from the desk. "Brian we'll change about 10 in the morning ok?"

"Ok keep us informed." Strickland called as Jack and Gerry all but ran out of the room toward the car park.

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I've been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for the last I don't know how long. I know it's the middle of the night the street outside is all but silent and there's no noise from what I now know is the heath on the other side of the road. I've been going over and over how I would work this if I was the one at the office and one of them was here and I keep trying to convince myself they have what they need now. I didn't expect them to come bursting through the door an hour after I spoke to them but I do truly feel like this is coming to an end. The knot in my stomach is a little less tight and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I just hope he doesn't lose patience and do something stupid before I can reach it.

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"He's definitely our guy Jack I can feel it in my bones." Gerry said quietly as they pulled the car up a few hundred yards from Christie's front door in a space that gave them a clear view of the door.

"Yeah I agree but we need to play it safe Gerry when we go after him we want to make sure that we can get Sandra out of there safely." Jack agreed as he turned his attention to the house and watched a shadow move around behind the blinds in the living room. "Well he's there or someone is now let's see her you bastard or at least something that lets us know she's there and ok."

"I'll second that." Gerry sighed as they settled down falling into a nervous silence as they both stared at the house.