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Chapter 4

Molly walked slowly towards CID, knowing that she was already late and nothing was going to stop her from being later.

By the time she did get in, she sat at her desk; the bustling of CID going on around her. Does this really matter?

"Grant, a word." Gene held his office door open. He waited for her to walk past him before he closed the door behind her. "Thank-you for last night."

"Its OK Guv."

"Now, where were you?"

"In the flat. Had a bit too much to drink last night, sorry Guv." She avoided eye contact with him, this place was a whole lot stranger than she had originally thought.

"One of our officers has been taken hostage by the smart arses. He was a special branch guy that they were going on about; the one who was under cover."

"Who?"

"A DI Bolton"

"Oh."

"How do you know that he's hostage?"

"They sent us his fingers in this mornings post. Forensics were pretty quick to match the DNA up. As they sent it to this department, we have to make them think that we're the ones trying to catch them."

"Smart move." Molly couldn't keep the eye contact Gene was so keen to make. "Guv, I'm really sorry but I've got to go." Molly opened Gene's door and left, with him calling after her.

Molly went back home; she didn't have her mobile and she needed a phone.

She rang her house number; knowing that her mum would be in as she was working on The Book.

"Hello?" Alex said "Hello?" She said again, only a little louder. Molly put the phone down, what would she say. "I'm your daughter from the future, and I want to chat." Would never work. But maybe the "I want to chat part" would.

Molly rang again.

"Hello?" Alex said, trying to sound calm.

"Hi. I'm not really sure how to say this, but I heard that you were a police psychologist who deals with police who have undergone trauma of sorts."

"Yeah, that is what I'm doing at the moment."

"I don't know how I got to being here, in this place, it's like I've woken up on a different planet. " She deliberately stole Sam Tyler's words. "I think I could be in a coma; in the real world that is."

"We should meet, come to my house."

"Thank you."

Alex gave Molly her address before hanging up.

Molly arrived outside her childhood home, technically it would be her house in a month, one that she would keep as investment until she was 18, then let out to make a substantial profit each year; never having the heart to get rid of it. She knocked on the thick oak wood door.

"Hi, you must be DI Grant?"

"That's me,"

Alex invited Molly into her home. Making her a cup of tea, Molly savoured the amazing moment of seeing and hearing her mother, smiling in her head at the simplicity of such wonder.

"I'm DI Alex Drake, but I suppose you knew that already."

"Yes, I know. I'm DI Molly Grant."

"Good gracious, you're name is Molly?"

"Yes. Why?"

"My daughter is called Molly." Alex dropped her eyes to the birthmark upon her face.

"Good name to choose." Molly smiled.

"Why did you come to see me?"

"I've heard many good things about you, and I just really wanted to meet you."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I was a uh, friend or rather colleague of Sam Tyler."

"Oh, I don't discus patients, it's confidential."

"But you're writing the book."

"I know, but discussing it is breaching confidentiality."

"How much do you know about Sam?" Molly asked.

"Same amount as you I suppose." All I know is "my name is Sam Tyler, I had an accident and I woke up in 1973, was I mad, in a coma, or back in time. All I knew was it felt like I'd landed on a different planet." Does this mean that all mum knows is the same amount as me? How does that work?

"Did Sam ever talk about when he was in a coma?"

"Yes, he left me tapes. I presume they talk about his time there."

"Why did Sam go back to 1973? Why not any other year?"

"It was a big year, I spoke to his mother and she told me it was the year his father left."

"I came back here then, to this year because it was the year my mother died."

"Sorry, you've lost me. Molly what exactly are you saying?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter, you've helped me so much. Thank you!" Molly got up and left; leaving Alex staring blankly at the door Molly had just walked through.

2008 was a big year for me, if I can get to Arthur Layton now, then my mum would never have been shot and I will wake up...

"DI Grant where have you been?" Gene roared as she walked through the doors; she knew she was in for a bollocking. She went into Gene's office for the second time that day; knowing that this second visit wouldn't be as easy as the first.

"It won't happen again, Guv. I needed to figure out something, it's been a very insightful day."

"I'm glad it has been for you!"

"I've got a hunch, and I think it may work."

"Something I did?"

"No, I think I should stay out of your way; and you're needed here."

"Fine, go off. Not like we have a missing officer or anything."

"Gene, Guv, it's for the case."

Molly borrowed a police car and drove to the only place she thought he'd be. She saw the grease-haired man emerge from the docked boat, the Prince Charlie, the same one that Alex had been shot on. Molly raised her hand feeling for her gun.

Getting out of the car, Molly cautiously towards the boat; gun in hand.

"Arthur Layton? I know you're here."

"Who are you." Layton's words took Molly by surprise making her head spin with the adrenaline which had been released.

Molly fought the fear. "I'm DI Molly Grant. I wondered if we could have a chat."

"Don't look at me! I don't like it."

Molly looked away looking behind him instead to an old mattress Is he living here? "You may be aware that there is something going on. I wondered if you'd work with us to help."

"What's in it for me?"

What the hell? Its not going to make a difference is it? "You get out of this mess."

Layton looked round, then back at Molly. "What do I have to do?"

"Find out about a DI Bolton that has been taken, he'll be using the name Oscar Bolton. Phone me on this number when you get the details." Molly handed him a piece of paper with her office number on.

Back at CID, Gene was the only one in the office.

"Grant! You need a phone! Come with me, now."

Molly could only do what he said. Taking her to the technical department. The phone which was automatically given was the standard blackberry.

Molly walked back to her desk; phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Grant? Is that you?"

"Layton. What have you found out?"

"You're DI took a bite bigger than he could chew. Everyone is keeping quiet, whatever is going down, it's big."

"Where did you get this?"

"You didn't get this from me, Donald Quinn is the man you need." Layton hung up.

Molly didn't hang around; she logged into the database and typed in his name. It came back that he was a thirty year old banker

"Guv?" Molly tapped on Gene's door.

Gene put his feet from his desk and onto the floor. "Hello miss whoever you are. Decided to come back and get on with the proper police?"

"Sorry Guv, I've got us a lead."

"Who? Where?"

"Donald Quinn, Chester terrace."

"Right, let's fire up the Quattro."

On the way to Quinn's Gene looked over at Molly who remained quiet and looking out of the window. Gene could feel nothing but sorry for her, she was Alex's daughter and it was unbelievable that she was here, but would he tell her about her mother that she lost? That he lost? The woman they both loved. Love.

"How did you get this name?"

"I have my contacts, you have yours." She said coldly.

They pulled up to the address, walking up the stairs they found the door already ajar.

"Got your gun?"

Molly felt it at her hip; already loaded from her morning dealings with Arthur Layton. "Yeah."

Gene pushed the door further open.

"Hey, hey, hey? What the hell do you think you're doing? We should dust for prints?"

"Oh just grow up."

Gene held his gun up, being prepared for what could happen next. The door opened directly into the hallway which leaded through to double doors at either end and a door either side of the chest of draws which was placed directly in the centre of the corridor. Stood in the centre, Molly looked into the large mirror which had been hung above the chest.

"Quinn?" Molly shouted. "Donald Quinn. Police."

"Don't think he's 'ere."

They both looked around, all of the doors were closed. There were no windows in the hallway, the sunlight from the open doorway illuminated the dark, gloomy hallway. Molly's eyes were wide; trying to get as much light into them as possible.

"Something is not right." Molly brought to her lips. "Can't you feel it?"

"Keep your gun ready." Gene said as he walked to the door on the right, gesturing to Molly to open the door. The doorknob clicked as it opened. Molly pushed the door open and scanned the room with her gun.

"Clear!" she shouted out of pure instant.

"I can see that you dozy mare."

"Don't you go all high and might on me! If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't even be here." Molly lowered her gun and looked around.

Papers had been scattered on the floor, cushions displaced from the sofa and desk draws on the floor.

"What ever they were looking for, they've found it."

"How did you come to form that conclusion? They didn't find it, if they had, Quinn would still be here."

"No, I think the question is, how did you get that idea?"

"You've not noticed that there is blood over by the desk have you? Or the scuff marks in the hallway leading to the door – indicating that Quinn was dragged from his home."

Gene pouted, and went to the next door, opening it; he found the kitchen. "Grant, get in here."

Molly walked into the kitchen. "What?"

"Touch the cup."

"Guv? Pri..?"

"Screw prints."

Molly toughed the cup which, to her amazement it was still warm. "Shit, they got to him."

Leaving the kitchen they stood in the hallway once again. Molly opened the door to the bedroom. "What's that noise?" Gene asked.

Molly took the safety off her gun and opened the wardrobe. The woman cowered in to the corner raising her bound hands to cover her freshly beaten face. Molly immediately lowered her gun and went to untie her.

"It's OK, we're police."

They drove her to the hospital, had her checked over; few broken ribs and concussion was the extent of her injuries. Doctors said it was lucky, just one more kick to the stomach and she would have internal bleeding.

Molly and Gene sat outside her ward, waiting for news. Molly held her head in her hands.

"What's wrong with you?"

Molly didn't even look up. "I hate hospitals. Especially this one."

"Not a particular fan of it either." Gene tried to sympathise, he couldn't help but want to be there and help take the pain Molly was quite obviously going through.

"Why?" Molly said suddenly. Gene looked up. "Sorry, you don't have to answer. It's personal, I get it."

The words spilled from him, he couldn't help it. He hadn't spoken about it in so many years. "The woman I loved was here for three months."

"What happened to her?"

"She was shot, and was in a coma."

"Did she die?" Molly laughed at the irony of it all. Gene was offended by her brash laugh. "Sorry, only my, urm, my mum was shot."

"And she died." Molly nodded. "Sorry. I really am."

"What about you, did she die?"

"No. She lived. But she left."

"Left you?"

"Excuse me?" The nurse interrupted them, both relieved that this awkward conversation had finished. "You can go in and ask your questions."

"Ta much." Gene said as he got up, Molly followed him into her room.

"Hi, my name is DI Molly Grant, and this man is DCI Gene Hunt. What is your name?"

"Danielle Hardgraves, but I'm engaged to Donny."

"This is Donald Quinn I presume?"

"Yes, that's him. He is OK isn't he? They hit me over the head; I can't remember much else after that."

"We're going to find him, but we need you to tell us exactly what happened."

"There was a knock at the door, Donny answered it – I was drying my hair... I heard something smash and I stopped. I heard that they were in the study, at first there was only one person there, and they were in the study. They were shouting, I heard them say 'tell me where it is, I need it. Tell me or you will die.' Donny wouldn't say, I could hear that they were tearing through the office looking for it. But they didn't find it. At that point a second man came through the door, and came towards me, punched me in the head. I kept going in and out of consciousness, I was aware that I was being kicked, I just wanted it to stop. They tied me up and shoved me in the wardrobe and left. Next thing I remember was DI Grant pointing a gun at me."

"Do you know what they were looking for?"

"I think so."

"What?"

"I can't. I can't tell you."

"You're safe, you can tell us." Gene said to encourage her.

"Donny was involved with something, I don't think he knew quite what it was until he was in too deep. There was a meeting a few weeks ago, he was invited. I wasn't aloud to go, and it took him a while to open up. He told me that it was just a meeting with bankers."

"Bankers?"

Danielle nodded, but winced in pain as she did so. "Yes."

"I'm going to phone for a Police Constable to come and guard your room."

"Thank you DI Grant."

"Its OK, my name is Molly." Molly smiled and left, leaving Gene with Danielle.

"Hello? Is that front desk?"

"Yes." Said the PC at the other end of the phone.

"I'm DI Molly Grant, I need a Constable sent to St Mary's Hospital."

"When for?"

"Now."

"I'll dispatch one to you right away."

"Thank you." Molly hung up and returned to Danielle's room.

"They're sending a PC now, but we should wait."

"Right-o." Said Gene

"Danielle, the man who attacked you, what did he look like?"

"I didn't see him, but I think his name was James. I think that's what the other bloke shouted, but I can't be sure."

"Was it more like Haines?"

"Could have been yeah."

Gene took molly from the room, "Its Michael Haines."

"Who?"

"Back in the late 90s, I nicked him for gang leadership, he got his cronies to cover him, he got off scot free."

"What was his gang doing?"

"Robbery, assault, the usual. People would go missing where Haines was involved."

PC Webber arrived, allowing Gene and Molly to find Haines.

"I'm into the database and get Haines's file up – we need an address."

"Great, you do that while I get some petrol for this baby." They drove through London; stop, start, stop, start, trying desperately to get to the nearest garage. By the time they got there it was nearly four in the afternoon. "Lunch?"

"Sorry?"

"I don't usually let anyone eat in my car, but promise me you'll 'oover up any crumbs you make." Molly nodded. "What do you want then?"

"Cheese and onion pasty with plain crisps... and a coffee."

"Anything else?"

"I don't think so, thanks Gene."

Gene filled up his car, then went into the garage and bought them both lunch. When he returned he shoved the bag of lunch and two cups of coffee in Molly's direction before driving to a quiet street to eat.

"Where is the scum bag then?"

"Last known address is 59 Baker Street."

"This case, involves bankers and gang leaders."

"What could they have in common?"

"That's what we aim to find Molly. Now drink up, or eat up whichever you think is more important.

They drove back through the traffic they had come through in order to get to the garage and drove to Haines's address.

"Gene, I think we should call for back up." Molly said once they'd stopped

"Its one man Molly."

Molly reached for the glove compartment and took out the handcuffs she'd put there when there that morning. Getting out, Gene banged on the door and stood to the side, allowing Molly to be in frontal focus.

"'ello my darlin' 'ow can I 'elp ya?"

Molly smiled; luring him out. "She ain't your darlin' you scum bag" Gene said as he slammed his fists into Haines; he buckled onto the floor. Molly cuffed him and Gene dragged him back into his house.

"So Haines, mind telling us what you've been up to recently." Gene asked

"Piss off!"

"Wrong answer." Gene gave him another punch to the stomach.

"You can't do that Guv." Molly said in disbelief at what she'd just witnessed.

"He was resisting police arrest." Molly remained quite, and watched as Gene tried numerous ways to get information out of him.

"Why has everyone sewn their lips together? Including you? I can get you something to loosen them... A night in the nick with a jar of Vaseline perhaps?"

"I don't know anything Hunt."

"You lie." Molly decided to talk. She walked around behind him and whispered in his ear. "You've been lying to us, and to yourself. You think that you're a key player in this don't you. You think that if you decide who gets a kick in. You don't decide, someone tells you to do it don't they?"

"Tell us who they are, or I'll make sure you never feel you're balls again." Gene threatened. Haines kept his lips sealed. "Inspector, will you be OK while I go and get the vice from the boot of my car do you?" Raines flinched.

"He's serious you know." She said into his ear. "I'll be absolutely fine Guv."

"Please don't! I'll tell you."

"Go on then." Gene said, and Molly tightened the cuffs.

"Quinn wanted more than he was going to receive in the deal. He'd taken a chip or something and they needed it back, otherwise the plan wouldn't work, the others got angry and told me to kick him about a bit. They needed the chip back. Then his girlfriend was there, had to show her who's boss now didn't I" He gave a cruel laugh.

"Who was your accomplice?"

"He ain't going to say anything else. I've still got my vice in the boot, but I think the cells are a more appropriate place for him to be at the moment."

Gene drove him to the cells, telling the monitor that he was to be contained there until he and Molly came back to charge him for the assault of Danielle Hardgraves.

It had been a long day, Gene drove from the cells straight to the restaurant.

"Tough day today."

"Yeah." Molly replied. "I think we need to get someone in to help interview Haines tomorrow."

"Like who and why?"

"He opened up to the psychology stuff."

"Who?"

"Perhaps DI Alex Drake?" Gene had to pretend he didn't know her. She was only there because she was Molly's addition to the alternate reality. He'd waited for her to come through, but would this Alex Drake be the same as his Bolly?

"Fine, get her to come in for interview at 3PM."

Molly looked at her watch. "It's too later for her now; she'll be in bed. I'll ring her tomorrow."

"Want another?" Gene hinted towards her glass.

"Better not, its' been a long day." Molly got up and left; leaving Gene alone.

She won't even know me, I've known her for three years and loved her for twenty seven, she won't even know who I am.

Molly walked home under the pitch black sky holding her jacket close to her as the breeze caused Goosebumps on her arms. She checked her phone messages; empty.

Will she know who Gene is? I never knew of a man called Gene... So, if I didn't know then she doesn't know. She's not going to be able to help me.

Molly walked over to the cassette player, still loaded with the tape she'd listened too much earlier that day.

"Sometimes, I wonder what this world is. Everything seems so real, and I wake up sometimes and this world becomes my reality. I know that I'm forgetting something, but sometimes I can't quite get there. Of course I remember Molly, she is my most vivid memory. It's just the details of things I know I used to remember."

Pause.

"Gene Hunt, the insufferable man he is, he has this aurora about him which in his presence makes me feel so safe and not alone in this world. Luigi, he is the owner of the bar and this flat, he is convinced that there is something between him and me. Probably most of CID think that we're shagging or something, always calling me to his office, and our rows are so loud and bitter. And the nick name 'Bolly' doesn't help things does it? Bloody calling me Bolly because I woke up in this world dressed as a hooker, used my psychological tactics to get out of a situation and he thinks I'm a posh hooker, that will only 'drop her knickers after a drop of Bolly.'" Alex said Gene's quotes in a sarcastic voice. "Is my mind that filthy that I will dress myself up, and then come up with the nickname Bolly to give myself?"

Pause.

Molly let the tape continue, but it was just blank tape; July was over.


to be continued...

Thank you for reading chapter four, I hope that you've enjoyed it so far... If you have any thoughts/opinions they're very much appreciated and I always get back to signed reviews :)