Defeating the Enemies : Chapter 4 -Things best kept secret
Bit of an emotional chapter with a secret being revealed by Gene as he starts he opens up to Alex about how his father use to lash out at him when he was younger which brings out emotions in both the DI and her DCI . The murder case moves on a gear as they receive some new evidence in the case from members of Katie's family.
"Bolls how's that pretty little head of yours this morning" He suddenly asked her looking wanting to know if she felt ok, he was moving his head to right side whilst they were still going through the list of names Graham Doherty had given them. She looked up to meet his tired eyes. He was drinking coffee for a change rather than his usual favourite scotch. They had been sitting in his office for about an hour.
"I'm ok feeling much better now Guv " smiling back positively at her DCI as they were seeming to having no look with what they were looking for . Most of the names on the evidence files had either died or were still in prison which would rule them out of coming over under suspicion of any involvement with the current investigation.
Complaining as usual that they had way too many document evidence files to go through and study during the long hot Spring day. "Jesus Bolls I've never had to read through so many of these, oh wait a minute what's this name" spotting a familiar name Mike Hughes an old criminal he had nicked back in Manchester nasty piece of shit Gene thought to himself. She shook her head disagreeing the well known criminal had no known connections to any other criminal in the Capital.
Gene also had been not feeling himself for about a week and also that morning as well not being too sure why he'd felt so depressed and stressed out, was it the murder case getting to him or was it something else that he felt troubled by? The office had calm atmosphere hanging over it even though they still had a murder case to solve and nail the bastard who killed young Ricky.
Chris and Ray had been sent out to question a few members of Katie's family at the family home. As they waited for their DC and DS to return. They started talking about early childhood. "Why don't you start Bolls because you've not said much about yer family since i first met you" raising a quizzical but fascinated look at her as he was keen to learn a lot more about his kind and favourite DI .
She was unsure about telling him about her parents Tim and Caroline Priceand how they had died in the car explosion that he himself had witnessed a few months . Sighing as she answered "They died when I was much younger, I'd only just started school a few weeks earlier and Dad wanted to take us out for a big meal and then the car crash happened" she knew it was wrong to twist the story She had been wanting to tell him the truth for a long time but felt a pang of worriness and panic that Gene would start to suspect the girl's hand he held was in fact the younger version of her.
Finishing her story she turned her head away from him not wanting to look straight at his dark wondering eyes. "Alex I'm so sorry I didn't know" feeling a moment of sadness for the emotional DI, he sympathised with her attempting to reach over from his chair and put a hand on her shoulder for support as she fought back a few tears from within her.
"Gene please tell me what's wrong because i can see something's been troubling ya today i can see it in your eyes whatever pain you're hiding tell me" rubbing her hand on his shoulder looking over at his worried DI. As he had taking another sip of his coffee and putting it down on the cup mat on the table . He felt himself struggling to find words he was about to speak. Nerves ,anger, emotions and worry whizzing through his mind. Eventually speaking and opening up to the one person he trusted and felt he confide in, Alex "Back in the day my Dad use to take me and my brother to the old Man City football matches watching the likes of Phil Burrow and Colin Barlow. Use to buy us salt and vinegar crisps at the tuck shop stall outside Maine Road." he smiled remembering back to them good old memories he always treasured deep down within him.
"We'd always go every Saturday to see all the home matches I loved it enjoyed myself, then he even went and got a job working in the racing shop Monday to Fridays he would always come home late… always drunk… everything changed from then, he changed towards all of us his behaviour got so worse , when Stu and mum went out shopping on one Saturday afternoon" suddenly stopping as a moment of sadness and emotion washed into his thoughts
"then what Gene what it is?" holding his hands as she leaned in looking up directly in to his dark emotional eyes. "he'd lost his job the day before had told Ma on Saturday morning and then would take his anger and violence out on me giving me a beating when the drinking was getting worse all the time. I'd never met his approval it was always Stu that got the full attention not me I was pushed out and thrown head first against my bedroom door nearly every god damn shitting night oh god Alex ...." tears filling from his eyes as all the painful memories of his childhood came flooding out he was feeling ashamed to be crying like the way he was right now in front of Alex.
"Come on come here i feel your pain know what you're going through " it was strange thing to tell him but it had bought a few tears within herself listening to what Gene had told her as she got up from her chair and leaned down to give him a hug as he fought back his emotional feelings, she held him closely tight in her arms , looking back to face a teary eyed Gene she managed to wipe a few tears away for him with her thumb. She had not seen him like this before, a very different and emotional man from the usual Gene she always knew.
Worrying he walked over to window requesting for some time on his own looking out of the office window at the world below people going about their business . Thinking to himself maybe the current case was getting to him the violence.
Ray and Chris had arrived back with interesting news as they went to knock on Gene's office door the young DC noticed the blinds were down on the window. "Doesn't want to be disturbed" they had told Alex instead.
The news was that some of the names of Doherty's friends had been former members of a group of London's underground criminals and that most of them had retired and were in living in Wales mainly Swansea and Cardiff. Struggling to understand she wondered why would they want to kill an innocent young man and be accepting money from a protective father that they hardly knew.
"Did any of Katie's family say anything else?"
"Mainly her sister mentioned a few things but other than that, no we couldn't get anything out of her father but all the man kept saying was he was glad the young bastard boyfriend had been killed and felt relieved ", Chris explained. Ray had left them to light up a cigarette outside the station he was completely worn out from being away from the office for most of the day.
The young DC asked Alex if Gene was ok after noticing DCI Hunt's office blinds had been down for most of the day Chris obviously worrying about his boss who he had known not to be that sort of emotional person before. She looked back to see the blinds still closed quickly making up an excuse "oh he's gotta an headache must be a migraine" giving a smile back at the younger detective as he quickly got on with some work he had missed out for half of the day.
Shaz was already busy herself dealing with angry witness over the phone. Pulling the receiver away from her ear for a moment, the person could be heard shouting down the phone at her. "Blimey some people just don't remain calm do they Mam ".
Meanwhile back in his office Gene had found an old photo of him and his mum in his desk drawer the DCI looked at it the photo had been taken when he was around 10 years old standing with his Mum outside of her workplace factory looking like a cheeky naughty young boy with freckles smiling in the photo. "You do me proud when yer grow up my lovely son" always keeping those precious words and treasuring them in his mind that she had always spoken. Clinging to photo in his hand hearing the door knock as Alex entered. "You feeling a bit better" he smiled nodding yes. Explaining about the new evidence that Chris had just told her most of Doherty's friends were former members of a famous group of criminals and some were living with Wales mainly Cardiff and Swansea .
It was starting to become a worring development to the murder case as Alex struggled to understand why they would kill a perfectly innocent young man who had everything going for him in life, love and finding a job and also why these men involved who might have killed Ricky would end up accepting money from a protective father that they hardly knew.
In the end she managed to talk Gene out of coming out of the office deciding that they needed to question Katie while none of her family were around. "Where does she work?".
"Some designer clothes shop in Jackson Abbey" They left the office heading straight towards the Quattro in the car park and racing off to their destination on the busy high street.
The night before Alex realised that she had the strangest of feelings that someone was watching her but wanted to shake the feeling off as her and Gene were determined to solve the case and nail the bastard who killed young Ricky Stevens.
Eventually arriving at the big brand stylish clothes shop and walking towards the Customer service desk. Gene leaned over the hard surface desk and grabbed the microphone angering the person who was sitting behind the desk. The woman quickly wrestled the mic away from the annoyed DCI standing tall above her. Flashing his Police ID badge in the face of the customer service help worker who sighed and then asked for Katie Carlton to come to the main desk.
Alex laughed at Gene, who looked like he'd cheered up since this morning as she was noticing he was trying hard not to look at all of the ladies bras and lingerie wear in the women's underwear part of the shop that were right in front of him, It reminded her of an episode she had saw of Father Ted where the Irish priests ended up getting lost amongst women's underwear department/isle. "Blimey Bolls i think i've already forgotten where about the entrance is" as both of them looked round to see isles and isles of women's underwaer. Taking the opportunity to wind up her already red faced and shy boss even further she whispered in his ear "I'd look good in that black sillky pair of knickers and them bras over there, wouldn't you agree Gene?", she grinned at him as he covered his hand over one side of his rough face. "Stop trying to get me all hot and bothered You naughty filthy woman" he smiled back winking at Alex.
Katie finally arrived at the customer desk as they walked with her explaining that they we're here to ask her few questions about Ricky. She took them to employers room. Alex stood facing the emotional teenager as she recalled the last days of her boyfriend's life.
"We were gonna run away together we told Ricky's mum and she said ahe was happy for us. My dad wasn't he warned him to stay away from me. But i couldn't i loved him so much he was like my Romeo and i was his Juliet"
They asked her if she knew anyone who would have wanted to kiill Ricky. Shaking her head she didn't know but she suspected her dad had ordered Ricky to be killed by one of Graham's friend. Telling the two detectives mentioning that Graham was a reformed man and he had chosen to stay way from his old mates from the criminals' groups. He hadn't believed that violence and killing fellow humans was a way of getting a reaction across.
As they left the store they were busy discussing amongst themselves what they would do next. The same Blue Ford Fiesta from the other night was on the other side of the road watching them . The Quattro took off from where it had been parked whizzing around street corners. Gene had noticed through the driver's mirror that same blue car had been following the Quattro from earlier today and now tonight as the red car itself turned into a dark narrow street alleyway letting the blue car go right past as the driver hadn't realised the Quattro was hidden away from view.
"Gene what the bloody hell is going on" Alex looked around looking confused from her passenger seat wanting to know why her DCI had stopped the car all of a sudden while they had been still talking.
"Sshh Don't move and don't make a soddin sound could come back and spot us hiding here " keeping a focused and very close eye on the road behind the parked red sports car.
"Looks like we're being followed Bolls because i'm almost sure i seen that car following me home the other night when i helped open the door for you "
After a while they pulled out and headed back to Fenchurch East to discuss the latest update in the case with their DC and DS. Both of them It was gonna be one of those long nights of thinking what the plan would be next in order to catch this killer.
For the next chapter i'm hoping to add more mystery towards the identity of Alex's new enemy before i end up revealing him and his agenda. As he continues to watch her and Gene realises they are coming up against some dangerous former members of London criminals as they are being warned off by the group. I will probably be completing Chapter 5 after the Bank Holiday next week.