Truth

Natalie drove back to the station in silence. She hated cases like this. It was their job, her duty to take killers off the streets. She had thought it was her duty to take monsters off the street but years of experience and her dad being in prison had changed that. She narrowed her eyes as she thought of her father. The old man had refused to see her since his incarnation- saying she would only bring him trouble. It had been like a knife to the gut but she couldn't do a thing about it. She was a copper, her partner was a copper and unbeknownst to Ronnie his oldest girl wanted to join the police. Her Danny had already looked into joining the Met. That had just alienated her more from her disapproving father.

"Guv?"

"Yeah?" She snapped back to the present as Sam spoke.

"Those kids."

"Play it careful there. Dean and Tiffany are the closest thing we've got to witnesses at the moment."

Sam nodded, he already knew Dean Smith resented the police as a whole but he was still just a kid. He thought of the case the boy had told him about. He hadn't worked on it but recalled the search for the missing blonde has resulted in a happy ending. He just hoped he could gain the teenager's trust.

"He was defensive. Talked about his brother being brought in over a missing girl."

"Well, let's give him reason not to be defensive. A nineteen year old lad is dead. Matt and Ronnie are headed over there to tell his parents. We tread carefully but we find the truth. Then it's up to George and the others to get justice."

"Very black and white."

"Sometimes life is." She sighed, knowing the younger man would never understand.

Xxxxxx

"I hate this." Matt groaned. Ronnie glanced at him as he drove. "Telling the next of kin. Always have but even more so now we've got Cam."

"Now you're a dad?"

"Yeah."

"Don't get better son. We walk in there. Talk to his family . Tell them the truth and we've killed the last big of ope they ad. Their boy ain't never coming ome- and we can't change that. However much we want to." Ronnie sighed. He thought of his own family the day his ex wife had died. The memory of little Lucy staring in shock as Sarah burst into tears broke his heart. He knew exactly how the family of the young man would feel. The shock, anger, denial and disbelief before reality kicked in. Only this time he was the one ending any hope the family had that their son was going to walk in as if nothing had happened.

"Ron?"

"How are we playing this?"

Matt parked the car in front of the block of flats Liam's parents called home. Ronnie sighed. A car alarm sounded in the distance as the drizzle changed to a downpour.

"Liam was no angel. According to Ang, he had six previous arrests. All for stupid things. Causing a nuisance and being a plank. Petty stuff."

"So?"

"His mum; Michelle has been at the end of her tether with him. She's a good person. Single mum, three kids. Liam's younger sister, Sophie is in Lucy's school. Two years above. His brother Peter is training to be a mechanic. Got an apprenticeship in Wandsworth. No trouble from either of them."

"Middle child syndrome?"

"Maybe. His dad has been inside for years. He only got released two months ago. Spencer was released on good behaviour."

Matt shook his head. He felt sorry for the dead boy. At nineteen he had his whole life ahead of him. It just wasn't fair that someone had ended it . He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What was his old man inside for?"

"Drugs. Supplying mostly."

"A link?"

"Could be a motive. Cmon. We can't avoid it forever. I'll tell them. You watch; see if I missed anything."

"Ok." Matt was slightly relieved that Ronnie had pulled rank on this one. He didn't think he would be able to find the right words. Ronnie pulled his collar closer to him before heading out into the rain. Matt sent up a silent prayer for the family; knowing he'd light a candle for them at Mass. Once a Catholic, he thought wryly before following Ronnie into the block of flats.

Xxxxxx

Joe looked up as Angie sat opposite him. She looked exhausted. Joe smiled at her. He was the new boy but he had developed real soft spot for the 'mother hen' of the team.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "I just had Joy on the phone. Seems the dental records confirm the identity. It's Liam."

Joe shook his head. He knew the likely outcome was the body was their missing person but he still felt sick at the thought. He picked up his mug

"Coffee?"

"Vodka."

"Sorry, no can do" Joe smiled as his friend looked glumly at the paperwork on her desk. Angie was a desk officer - the researcher that kept the investigations ticking over. The others may well be on the sharp end but it was Angie who had to collate and make sense of the information they found.

"Ang? What's wrong?"

"Liam. Someone had a grudge against a teenager- enough to kill him? It's nuts."

"Gang related?" He handed her the mug of coffee. She shrugged.

"Maybe. But he didn't have any connection to local gangs. He had been nicked - cautioned for stupid stuff. Shoplifting, D&D."

"Drunk and disorderly? His age!"

"He was fifteen then. God, if my Justine was involved in anything like this. It would kill me."

Joe nodded. He knew how much his mum had worried that his older brother would follow his biological dad rather than the man who raised him. She needn't have worried. All three Hawkins kids were ok. He shook his head.

"She's a good kid."

"I bet Liam's mum thought that too. I shouldn't be letting this case get to me. Bit close to home." She sipped her coffee. He watched her for a moment before deciding it was best not to push her. Angie was the glue that held the team together. He didn't want to upset her. Sighing he turned back to the incident board hoping he could find something that would help find Liam's killer.

Xxxxx