Tom sighed, squaring his shoulders and rubbing a hand over the tired muscles at the back of his neck. Turning, he started slightly, having forgotten Kay De Vandoorn and her son were even there. Luka was happily colouring in an elaborate picture with crayons that Kay must have kept in her bag, ready for such occasions. Kay herself was watching Tom with sad eyes, knowing the look of a man in torment.
"Sergeant?" she hesitated, but ploughed on. "Can I help?"
"I – Mrs De – "
"Kay."
"Kay" Tom managed a small smile. "Kay, no, it's fine. I can understand your son being afraid for his girlfriend. I can understand him being angry because she was shot at. I just – he, well, he - "
"He chose the wrong day – and the wrong way to go about it. I can see that. Your detective – PJ? He must have really loved this Maggie, you look like you all cared about her" Kay said softly as Tom sat down.
"We did," Tom said equally softly. " Maggie was – she was a good soul. She was – it was like she was the glue that held this station together. Nick – the big lug that went after PJ, he and Maggie traded insults like no-one's business, but he would have backed her up in an instant. Dash, well Dash teased Maggie about PJ daily, she was convinced that there was something going on there – and she was right, she'd have loved that! – but she was – we were like a family" Tom said, easing his desk drawer open and gently taking out a picture, handing it across the desk to Kay.
Taking it with the respect Tom so evidently held for it, Kay looked down at the picture. Bright happy faces shone out at her, each one telling a story. The tall one, Nick, his eyes held an impish delight and as she traced the path of his arm, Kay found out why. Very, very carefully, Nick's two fingers peeked over the top of his Sergeant's head, making small rabbit ears. Dash was looking cross-eyed, another dark haired policeman was obviously doing his best not to collapse with the giggles, and then there was PJ, who was facing entirely the wrong way, his blue eyes flashing merrily as he mock-leered at Maggie, and Maggie was giggling right back at him.
"That one didn't make it to the public, oddly enough" Tom smiled, and Kay continued to look, seeing what was blindingly obvious – the love that arced between PJ and Mag –
Maggie??
"Mama?" Luka's deep voice broke into her thoughts. "Mama? Picture of Mel? Why has the policeman got a picture of Mel?"