A/N: Because I'm now scared that my idea of one staff member working at a busy hospital is me being hopeful. Hopeful! Hopeful? I'm NEVER getting sick in England. If it happens I'm hopping the next flight to Sydney and waiting until I get home to get treatment. lol

Chapter Twenty;
Eleanor

Hayleigh felt bad that she was happy about finally being out of the station again, as she walked alongside DS Carter she couldn't help but feel a lot less useless, something she'd been feeling a lot lately. The break-in, she was still looking into that, but it had left her shaken. Add onto that the shooting, Arthur Faison, it was piling up on her like a stack of bricks. She was thankful for the solace that had readily become Sun Hill but she liked the fresh air too and needed to get away from investigating her own things being rifled through by unknown hands (or as she was starting to quietly suspect – known hands) even if that meant being here for what she knew would be an ugly find.

"Eddie?" Max spoke as the heavy-set man leaned over a body. The figure was clearly that of a young man but the face was unrecognizable. Eddie had opened his mouth and was assessing inside. He glanced up with his tiny flashlight still pinched between two bloody fingers as he heard Max's voice. "Well?"

"Clear signs of tooth damage, as Ms. Roxon stated, a filling that's roughly three years old. Preliminary report I'd say it's about a 75% chance it's Samuel Bolt." He stood, shaking his head a little. "No chance of facial ID but it seems he was dead before they did the damage. There's not a great deal of bleeding from the facial damage. I'd say he was dead maybe an hour before they did this." He motioned to the neck. "Tracheal damage suggests he was strangled. There aren't any burns so with hands I'd say."

"Strangled then beaten?" Hayleigh said in a strangled voice of her own. She was looking at a body that was 75% that of her once-nephew and it was getting to her. The bodies were piling up… just the way Craig liked it. To him death had only ever been a formality. He'd made a point of stating he wasn't scared of it from the day they met, chiding Hayleigh's love of the supernatural, ghosts and the afterlife all a joke to him. Death was just another business deal to men like Craig Bolt. A tool in an already scary and impressive arsenal.

Eddie nodded. "Seems that way." Eddie's normally flamboyant style was lost. Even he knew what tactless meant and he toned the attitude down. "Roger is talking to the sister." He motioned behind him where Roger stood with his ear pressed to a phone. "I've already sent samples of the body's DNA to the lab. We'll have full results in 40 minutes but we'll still need the family's ID of the body."

Hayleigh's face scrunched up. "You think David and Andrea should see this?"

Eddie shook his head. "The body, not the face. There's a few marks on the body, legs and arms, that seem to have been there a while. A birthmark too. We'll need their ID on that." He looked at Max. "They've already headed to the hospital. Apparently the mother hasn't handled it well."

Max's eyes narrowed. "You told them it was him when you're not sure?"

"The sister called and assumed. Roger's been trying to get her to calm down for the last 25 minutes." Eddie shrugged. "I don't think it's working."

Max nodded. "Okay," he momentarily thought about an answer to that when he remembered something. "Ryan Trent? We were on the way to Kingmarsh when PC Roberts called and told me to come here. What of him?"

Eddie shrugged. "I'm not sure, that's Kingmarsh's area, you'll have to contact them." He picked up his stuff and motioned to two men standing nearby, waiting to take the body to the morgue.

"Ok, thanks Eddie." Max muttered as the larger Crime Scene man walked off. He motioned to Roger as he looked at Hayleigh. "Tell Roger I'm sending Millie to meet up with the Roxons, that Eleanor should meet her at the Main Entrance." Hayleigh nodded and wandered off as Max pulled out his phone. Millie answered on the third ring. "Hey, where are you?" He said before she could even manage a proper hello.

There was the distinct sound of wind in the background as Millie replied. "I'm heading to the cab rank sarge. I just got the all-clear."

"Good," Max replied, with pure honestly, glad though he had no idea why, that Millie was okay. "But if you don't mind going in – the Roxons are in there. A body was just found on the Teasdon Road. It's Samuel Bolt."

Millie choked back a sob, it was obvious, and drew a breath. "Okay, where are they?"

"I'm getting DC Spark to get Eleanor up to the Main Entrance now, so if you can wait for her there, I won't be long." Millie was quiet for a moment and Max gave a light frown. "PC Brown?"

"Oh, sorry sarge. Just, will DC Spark be with you?"

Max frowned a little harder. "No, why?"

"Nothing, just… nothing, don't worry about it." But Millie's response was so strange Max couldn't help but do so. He had noticed Millie's avoidance of DC Spark lately but then again she'd been avoiding him too and he just thought it was her mood. Now it seemed it was something else. He didn't push it though as Millie continued. "Alright, I'm heading back in now sarge. See you soon."

Max nodded and flicked the phone shut, pocketing it as he glanced over at DC Spark, the phone Roger had been holding now pressed to her ear as she spoke to Eleanor Roxon. With a light frown still on his face Max started back to his car.

…

"Millie!" PC Brown turned quickly at the voice and saw the smaller, familiar figure of Eleanor Roxon walking towards her. She smiled sadly as the girl jogged up and threw her arms around Millie, sobbed unabashedly into the PC's shoulder as Millie stroked the girl's hair, cooing softly.

"Hey, it's going to be okay." She just stood there as the girl sobbed, rubbing her head gently, waiting for a break in the crying. One showed itself finally and Millie took her chance. "Come on, come sit down, we need to talk." Ellie nodded and allowed Millie to lead her to two soft chairs nearby. She sank down into one with a light sigh and Millie sat on the edge of one looking at Eleanor. "Ellie, tell me the truth okay – did you know Samuel was back in London?" Ellie's eyes rose quickly and something in them gave away that she had. "TIU traced his phone to Manchester just last night and then it went offline again. Today he's in London and we have no idea how he bridged the gap so quickly or why." Eleanor's eyes returned to the ground. "Do you think you can tell me why Ellie?"

She gave a light nod. "He was meeting someone."

"He called you?"

Ellie shook her head. "He left a note." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sticky yellow post-it note. On it in scribbled writing was 'I'm back, I have a meeting, all resolved soon'. "It was on my window this morning."

"Do you have any idea who he was meeting?" Ellie shook her head. "When and where?" Another shake. "Why?" This time she stayed still and silent. "Ellie? Do you know why he was meeting someone?" Still nothing. "Is this to do with your mum?" Ellie looked up again but before she could talk a figure started towards them and Millie looked up at DS Carter. She touched Ellie's leg gently. "I'll be right back okay?" Then, standing, she followed Max a few steps away from Eleanor. "Sam had a meeting with someone." She glanced back at Eleanor. "Something to do with Andrea I think. Eleanor won't confirm it," she looked back at Max with a soft frown. "I think she's worried Andrea had something to do with this."

"That Andrea had Samuel killed?" Max mused on that for a moment. "That's pretty drastic – her own son."

"I wouldn't put it past her. Something about her is just so… wrong." Millie admitted.

Max nodded. "Okay," he looked at Eleanor. "I know her mother's been against it from a start but we need Eleanor to come make a statement about everything. Her thoughts on her mother as well. Hearsay is enough to get a warrant these days if you string it right." He touched Millie's back, ushering her gently back to Eleanor's side, but Millie was so focused on her work she paid the movement no heed.

Returning to her seat Millie smiled. "Ellie, we need you to come down the station today, make a statement on everything." Eleanor's eyes shot up again but this time she just looked terrified. "I know you're scared, I know you just want to run, I get that, we've all been there. But Sam needs you right now, needs you to help solve who did this to him, and surely that matters more than anything?"

She shook her head. "I can't do it." Her hands shook and her feet bounced. Millie knew what 'fight or flight' looked like. Eleanor was overwhelmed, heartbroken over her brother's death, and felt very alone. Millie suddenly hated herself for pushing her even just this little bit. "I'm sorry PC Brown." Then, as Millie knew she would, she stood and dashed off. Millie stood slowly with a sigh just as Max walked up to join her.

"Don't worry about it, we'll still get Bolt's killer."

Millie frowned at him. "I wasn't worried about the case." She snapped before walking after the girl. Max just watched her go with a frown.