A/N Sorry this is so long, it got out of hand & I couldn't stop ... contains references to L&K.

-oo-

On something close to autopilot, Millie managed to reach the doors of the front office and out to the street beyond before the fragile veneer of her controlled facade began to crack. She had ignored the wary glances shot her way by the two PCSOs behind the desk, vaguely hearing their whispered chatter as the doors closed behind her with a gentle thud. But if she was hoping for fresh air to clear the fug inside her head she was disappointed. Outside, it was still heavy, clogged with fumes, the air only moving with the draught of passing cars. Her head hurt with the tension of holding back the urge to scream and from fighting the wave of nausea threatening to overcome her body. It had been bad enough for Suzie to belittle her. Millie didn't know the woman so she could choose to believe it was just her unpleasant nature, nothing personal even though her dismissal had stung all the same. But although Grace had never precisely been a friend, it was devastating to learn that she believed Millie to be a fool. But of course, that's exactly what she was, wasn't she? At least, that's what everyone else thought. She looked back over her shoulder, the two PCSOs were gawping through the glass, apparently fascinated by the minor spectacle of the DI's girlfriend in a state and it was enough to shore up her battered self-esteem. She wasn't a fool, she wouldn't be a fool. With her fingers at her temples she eased away some of the tightness, taking as deep breaths as she dare without blackening her lungs with polluting gas. Was Max capable of cheating, she wondered. Could he? She dismissed the notion, they'd only just got engaged, surely that counted for something? But perhaps he might in the future, after all he had a twisted past, could she really count on him to be straight with her, as long as they both lived, in the words of the vows?

Millie chewed on an already ragged fingernail before cursing herself for not leaving it alone. She'd have to beg a nail file from someone now. With a sigh she realised how useless it was to ask these questions of herself. There was only one way to have them answered. After permitting a few more seconds to pull her mind back together, Millie pushed away from the fence and made her way back towards the station entrance. As she walked a black cab drew up and parked ahead of her. From it appeared a woman, long brown hair and dressed in some sort of short belted denim playsuit, skimming her upper thighs to reveal orange-hued legs ending in a pair of stacked heel lace up shoe-boots. Millie blinked at the ensemble, despite its skimpiness it was hardly practical even in this heat. But she looked down at her own effort today, her usual cropped jeans, cotton shirt and comfortable loafers, and felt like a complete dowd. With a heavy heart she followed the woman into the station, relieved that the PCSOs would have someone else to focus their attention on.

"I want to see DS Max Carter!" the voice demanded sharply.

Millie froze, her hand stretched out to the keypad. The voice was vaguely familiar but she couldn't place it.

"Sorry, but he's not in at the moment," replied the younger officer nervously. Millie felt his eyes on her. "Can anyone else help you?"

"No, I need to see him. It's important."

Slowly Millie turned and immediately recognised the woman as being the one standing next to Carly in the salon, when she had visited earlier that week. Jessa, she remembered from her extravagantly gold embellished name badge. "Perhaps I can help. You work for Carly Fleischmann don't you?" Millie kept her voice level, was this the woman who had, in Grace's opinion, had so appealed to Max? Was she the one he had flirted with, just days after asking her to marry him because he couldn't imagine life without her by his side? Maybe this was what he liked after all.

"Yeah. It's you isn't it? You look ... different in those clothes," the woman curled her top lip into a derisive sneer as she sized up Millie's appearance from head to toe and back again. Their eyes met in stand-off for a moment before the woman's mouth formed an ugly smile. "No, I don't want to see anybody else," abruptly turning back to the PCSO and dismissing Millie. "I want to see DI Carter and I know he'll want to see me."

-oo-

Max squeezed his eyes shut. The message from Tommy had come out of the blue. He'd fully expected Millie to stay with Fleischmann and now he felt like a complete idiot for his naive assumption. He also had only a few minutes to get his story straight before Mickey left him at the station and went off to talk to Lesley at the Parisa bar again. As the seconds ticked by, the station drawing ever closer, Max was still no clearer as to how to defend his economy with the truth. He'd have to rely on her good nature and understanding. Or better still, there might have been a significant development while he was out and could hide behind that for a while. Clutching at that unlikely straw, Max reluctantly opened the car door.

"Call me as soon as you've talked to her," he ordered curtly causing Mickey to raise his eyebrows. After all, both had decided that Lesley was unlikely to give them much more, it was a long shot asking her to get closer to Barsukov's men but having spent the last hour and a half picking his way around two of Barsukov's slum-like properties they had agreed that they needed someone inside the organisation, and Lesley was their only chance.

"Yeah, sure Guv, but-"

"Just do it Mickey, we've already wasted half the morning, I want to see some results," he snapped, slamming the door shut behind him. With all his attention focussed on the phone in his hand, Max didn't notice the fracas threatening to take over the front office until the doors had shut behind him. If he had, he would have taken the long route to the rear of the building and slunk in without attracting any attention.

"Look for the last time, I am not interested in talking to you," shrieked a voice.

"And I've told you he is not here," retorted Millie firmly. "If you want to talk to someone in CID, then you'll have to take a seat ..."

Max looked up instantly, taking in the scene. His eyes darted from the PCSOs sheltering behind the front desk, to the rear view of a woman with unnaturally tanned skin but with very good legs, finally coming rest on the expression of his fiancé who was now watching him stonily. Max swallowed and faltered for just a moment, wondering if it was too late to back out of the doors and escape from the lot of them, but of course it was. The woman spun round, her eyes glittering with triumph when she caught sight of her quarry, giving a sly glance back at Millie.

Max squared his shoulders and smiled. "Hello Miss Bennett," he fixed his attention on her, "you wanted to see me?"

"Oh," Jessa breathed, softening her stance and running a hand through her shiny dark hair, letting it come to rest on the lapel of her playsuit, pulling it slightly to reveal a heaving expanse of tanned, plump flesh. She toyed with the fabric and pulled at the gold chain around her neck, while catching her lower lip with perfectly white even teeth. "I've been so scared since you left the salon yesterday." She walked towards him, coming to a halt only a few inches away. Her perfume, heavily sweet, the same as the day before, invaded his lungs threatening to choke him. He would never have to see her to know she was close by. Her intention was as clear as it had been the day before. She was interested, very interested and a couple of years earlier he would have been interested too. The ideal type for a casual fling with no strings, someone he could walk away from when the sex failed to compensate for other inadequacies. It was undeniable that she had a great body, slender arms, full breasts that would call out to any straight man, a nipped in waist perfectly curved for an arm to snake around and hips leading to luscious thighs, perfect for spreading and... Max shook himself inwardly to bring his wandering mind back to heel. Over her shoulder he caught Millie rolling her eyes up toward the ceiling with irritation and his shame immediately dampened any ardour that might be developing against his own better judgement.

"Really? Has something happened?"

"Er, no, but I feel like I'm being watched. I heard that she has been kidnapped by some freak. What if he comes back? I need protection."

"Miss Bennett, Jessa," Max instantly regretted using her name as she seemed to take it as invitation to move in even closer, brushing against him seductively. "There's no reason to believe that you are in any danger. But-"

"Yes?" she whispered, her darkly kohled eyes filled with the fear of a damsel in distress in need of her knight, her glossy lips quivered.

"Oh, please," muttered Millie. Her headache was returning. There was something so familiar about this woman. Not physically but it was in her manipulative manner, the way she used her body to appeal to Max and make sure it left Millie feeling vulnerable. She had never known how to play those games.

"If you are worried," Max tried to continue.

"Yes?" Jessa edged closer still.

"Then," he persevered doing his best not to be forced into retreat, "I suggest you stay with family or friends for a few days. Maybe you should keep the salon closed for a while and I'll ask one of my colleagues to keep you informed."

"Oh," her disappointment was palpable. "But he might find me! Isn't there anything you can do?"

He felt her hand come to rest on his arm and gently he prised it off. "Miss Bennett, there is no reason to believe that you are in any way connected to Miss Flesichmann's disappearance. I'm sorry, but unless you can tell me otherwise, I'm in no position to offer you protection."

Jessa's expression grew indignant from his rejection. She clenched her jaw and pulled herself up a little taller, coming to terms with her failure. "Well, I just hope you're right," she bit out tersely and with a brief hate-filled glance over her shoulder at Millie, stalked out of the station.

With the barrier between them gone, gone was also any hope Max might have had that he could avoid Millie's displeasure. Mindful of the two PCSOs still watching what was the highlight of their day and would surely be round the station within a matter of minutes, Max walked over to where Millie stood, hoping that she would meet him halfway. She didn't, instead defensively folding her arms in front of her body.

"Millie," he spoke softly reaching out to touch her arm but she jerked away and his hand found only air. She stared back at him coldly, giving him nothing to encourage his hope that she would be receptive to his explanation. "Millie, please. I can explain."

"Oh I bet you can," her hushed voice filled with bitterness. "I bet you can explain why you decided not to tell me that Manson is here. And just why is he here?" she hissed. "Is that something to do with it? What is it that you don't want me to know? And," she couldn't stop herself from continuing, what about her? Why was she so certain that you would want to see her?"

Max ran a hand through his hair, catching the PCSOs out of the corner of his eye. He took a deep breath. "Not here, somewhere quiet." Millie held her gaze, making him wait for her answer before finally pushing past him and into the small interview room just off the foyer. With a sigh of relief he followed and leant back against the door, pushing it closed and obscuring the glass panel.

"Go on," Millie instructed quietly, standing in the corner of the room, as far away from him as she could get.

Max rubbed at his forehead, wondering where to start, grateful that she wasn't bombarding him with any more questions. "Alright. Manson is here because he's been tracking Georgie for years, even while he was DI at Sun Hill, but until now there's never been enough to pull him in on."

Millie frowned. A day earlier she would have protested Georgie's innocence but that was no longer possible. Her Godfather had been fooling them all. "Okay," she had to concede that this was entirely understandable. "But why didn't you tell me? Why?"

Max struggled with his answer, it didn't make any sense now. "I don't know. I didn't want you to think we were hounding Georgie-"

"We?" she cocked her head to one side. "I take it you shared Manson's interest in him? Is that it?"

Max hesitated, answering her question truthfully was going to open the floodgate. He had a choice. Either come clean or bullshit his way out of telling her anything. He closed his eyes for a moment and realised there was no choice. "Yes," he nodded slowly.

"You've been investigating him? That's why you were so familiar with his businesses yesterday."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" she demanded angrily. "Why did you keep me in the dark? I suppose everyone else knows."

"Because I knew how you would react. You'd tell me that I had it all wrong and was looking for something that wasn't there. That he's a wonderful man who wouldn't harm anyone, wouldn't get involved in anything illegal."

"No, I-"

"Oh come on Millie, you know you would," he fired back in frustration. "And anyway, it's not all about what I want." He stopped abruptly.

"What? What do you mean?" Max looked away. "Tell me what you mean. Look at me!" Millie's voice rose sharply.

"A few days ago, I overheard your parents talking," he mumbled.

"Overheard? Or were you listening in? Spying?"

"Passing by and happened to overhear. I heard them talking about Fleischmann and ..."

"And you couldn't keep walking," Millie finished, noting his guilty reaction. "So, go on. What did you find out?"

"Only what you heard this morning from Georgie. That he was asking your father for money and that your mother agreed that he should have it."

"And? That's not it is it?" Max held her stare. "Is it?"

"You don't want to know."

"No, of course I don't. You know best, better keep it to yourself, eh?"

Max blinked, for a split second hoping she was being serious but her words dripped with a sarcasm that was unmistakeable and he hated her being sarcastic. His hackles rose defensively. "I have only been trying to protect you," he retorted, his anger beginning to match hers.

"Oh that's good, because I can't handle the real world."

"Will you stop being so fucking sarcastic!" exploded Max.

"Then will you stop being so fucking controlling!" she shrieked back.

"Okay, you want to know the truth? Your mother only agreed to let Georgie have the money on the condition that it was the last time and that all ties with him would have to be cut. She wanted him out of your lives."

"No! I don't believe you. Mum could never-"

"Could never what? Be so hard? So callous? I think you underestimate your Mother. She and your Father have sheltered you from birth. They've done you no favours."

Millie flinched at Max's statement, so closely echoing Georgie's view. "So now you're saying that I don't even know my own parents?" she countered. "What the hell do you know about family anyway?" Millie spat out before she could censor herself, the hardening of Max's features telling her that she had struck a low blow. But she was too strung out, too confused to stop. "And what about her? Jessa?"

"What in God's name are you talking about now?" he wailed.

"I know that you were leading her on yesterday, I heard Grace ..." but this time she did stop herself to look down at her hands, unable to speak her own suspicious thoughts for fear of them being true. Max's eyes narrowed, a cool fury taking root. He shouldn't be angry at Millie, after all he was the one who had been less than truthful, but if Grace had opened her mouth to Millie about his subjective tactics, then he would gladly take her as substitute to vent his rage on. Quietly Millie continued, "You've humiliated me. I thought I was playing an equal part in this investigation, in us, but you've deliberately kept me out of the loop."

"Look, Millie, I'm sorry but I've explained the reason why I did what I did. If I could turn back the clock then maybe I would do things differently-"

"Maybe?" exclaimed Millie.

"But I can't change what's happened and finding Carly is more important than this."

"Oh, I'm glad you think so, because for a moment there I thought putting Georgie behind bars was the most important thing to you!"

"Now you're being ridiculous!"

"Yeah, that's right. Ridiculous, nothing between the ears-"

"Will you stop bringing that up! It was years ago."

"Except that maybe nothing much has changed." The pair stared fiercely at each other for a few moments, both wondering if a line had been crossed and if there was any going back. Into the void between them however piped Millie's ringing mobile. "Hey Dad," she answered, forcing stiff calm into her voice.

"Hello, love. Are you still with Mum?"

"No, she brought me into the station a couple of hours ago."

"I thought she was taking you back to get your car?"

Millie frowned at the agitated edge to his voice. "Change of plan, traffic was terrible so we came here first. She wanted to do some shopping and then drop it into the flat on her way back to you. Have you called her mobile? I'm sure she had it with her."

"Of course I have, but it keeps ringing. I've left two messages but she hasn't called back. I'm getting worried."

Millie's blood chilled. Her mother always answered her mobile, and always returned messages, especially from her father. "Well, maybe she's lost her phone somewhere, or had it stolen," but Millie didn't believe her own words. Sondra was too organised to lose her phone and not realise quickly enough to let her husband know so that he wouldn't worry. It simply wasn't possible and even as she spoke she knew her father wouldn't buy it.

"No, that's not it. Something's happened to her. Can you find out if her car has been in an accident?"

"I guess so, but-"

"Please Millie," pleaded Richard anxiously.

"What is it?" asked Max, his tone serious as Millie disconnected the call having agreed to do as her father asked.

"It's Mum. Dad's been trying to get hold of her but she hasn't answered or returned his messages."

"Well, like you said, she's probably lost her phone, or left in the car while she's shopping."

Millie shook her head jerkily. "No, no matter what you think," she stared at him accusingly, "I know my mother. She would never, never allow any of us to worry about her like this, especially with Carly ..."Millie broke off for a moment. "I want to go home, maybe she's there. She might have had an accident ... or something."

"Sure, er," Max looked at his watch, there was so much he wanted to do here, Grace being at the top of his hit list.

"Look, if you're too busy, I'll find someone else to drive me over there," snapped Millie, "obviously I can't rely on you," she added bitterly.

Max hesitated as she stalked from the doorway. "Shit," he muttered irritably, following her back out into the foyer and guiltily aware that despite his attempt at honesty, he had made no mention of Nikolai Antonov.

-oo-

The security gates opened more slowly than Millie had ever noticed before. As they rolled forward she scanned the car park, searching for Sondra's car, her heart sinking as she realised it wasn't there. She had pinned her hopes on finding her mother here, uncharacteristically unaware of the concern she had caused. Millie would even have settled for her mother being injured and unable to make contact with her family but even that was dashed by the largely empty parking bays. Max pulled into his usual spot, his phone ringing as he cut the engine and Millie got out.

"Yeah, Tommy?" he answered, watching Millie wander over to what looked like some rubbish on the ground close to the steps up to the door of their apartment. His brows furrowed as she crouched down to inspect whatever it was at her feet. However, his attention was diverted by the information Tommy was feeding him. He absorbed it in something of a haze, mechanically ending the call. His feet took him to where Millie was now standing.

"This is Mum's lasagne dish," she held one broken piece in her fingers, staring at it in disbelief. "Why-"

"That was Tommy. Your Mum's car has been found. It's been abandoned and set alight."