"You're investigating Jake?" Steve asked surprised.
"Who?". The name meant nothing to Kate.
"Jake," Steve repeated. "The male half of the aforementioned amorous couple. He was threatened with the sex tape going public unless he paid some money. Eventually he couldn't and the video was sent to the very email account at Edgeburrow. There was an investigation and his password was the last used on the computer where the video was sent from. Claims he's innocent of course but was sacked from the force. Thinks it must be someone else in the response unit,".
The last bit of Steve's information was new to Kate but she did remember Lizzie's sister mentioning something about a male officer being sacked. "I'm investigating on behalf of the female," Kate revealed. "Well her family really,".
"You know who it is?" Steve asked. This might be a breakthrough he thought. "On the video I've seen, her face is blacked out,".
"It was Lizzie,".
"Lizzie Littmann?".
"Yeah," Kate confirmed. "She was being blackmailed that her identity would be revealed unless she paid up. Eventually she ran out of money,".
"Shit," said Steve as he sat back against the chair. That was why Lizzie had committed suicide. "I remember the last time I saw her she seemed a bit odd. She had a brown envelope in her hands," Steve recalled. "Could have been the blackmailer's latest correspondence,".
"Possibly,".
"Damn it!" Steve said annoyed. "I should have talked to her more. I could see something was troubling her,".
"You didn't know what she was going to do," Kate pointed out as she reached out and squeezed Steve's hand. She knew Steve well enough to know he would be blaming himself now for Lizzie's death. "People who commit suicide often cover up their real feelings,".
"Yeah, but still," Steve argued, still feeling bad for not helping Lizzie out.
"So have you got any ideas on who the potential blackmailer could be?" Kate asked changing topics.
"No. Everyone seems really nice," Steve replied.
"And what exactly have you done in your investigation before I arrived? Maybe we need to change tactics?".
"Well seeing as the blackmailer took advantage of a drunken mistake I've been trying to do the same," Steve explained.
"Pardon?" Kate asked. Steve certainly went about his undercover work in a very different manner to Kate. Probably because he hadn't done any training.
"Well every time we go out for work drinks I make sure to get really drunk and-".
"Sleep with someone," Kate finished as she remembered seeing Steve do exactly that on the last trip to the pub they had undertaken with the response unit.
"Yeah,".
"And that's the only reason you've been doing that?" Kate checked.
"Yeah," said Steve cagily. He wasn't going to admit he had been doing it quite a bit in his private life as well. But he was so lonely.
"Ok," Kate replied, knowing he was lying. "And has that yielded any results?" Kate asked knowing the answer already.
"Apart from a hangover, not much,".
"You're an idiot," Kate concluded.
"Oh alright Miss Marple, what have you discovered?" Steve challenged.
"Not much either," Kate said despondently. Silence reigned for a while with each officer thinking about how to proceed with their case.
"Maybe you and me have sex?" Steve postulated on a whim.
"Excuse me?" Kate said, alarmed.
"No no no, listen," Steve said as his idea got clearer. "At the next drinks we get a bit flirty. Catch our blackmailers attention. I think we agree it is someone in the unit?". Kate nodded her agreement. "Go back to one of ours and have sex. Well make it look as though we're having sex," he clarified.
"Please explain how we do that?".
"Undercover," Steve retorted being clever which earned him an eye roll from Kate.
"Blackmailer will hopefully follow us home and video it. We get contacted and obviously don't give any money. Blackmailer uploads video but we're waiting for him and...job done. Whaddyathink?".
"You're crazy," Kate said dismissing Steve's suggestion. "There's lots of things that could go wrong with that,".
"Like what,".
"Maybe the blackmailer isn't at the party. Maybe he doesn't follow us home and video ...us," Kate started. "We do all of that acting for nothing,".
"Ok," replied Steve. "Sorry was just an idea,".
"I think it's a sign you need some sleep," Kate suggested before they both wearily got to their feet.
Their flats were in opposite directions so they had to part as soon as they left the cafe. "It was good to clear the air," Steve said as they prepared to part ways.
"Yeah," agreed Kate. Before she knew it she was on the receiving end of one of Steve's hugs.
"I've missed these," Steve said in her ear.
"Me too," Kate acknowledged. "Better get some rest,".
"Yeah. Sleep well," Steve said.
"You too," Kate said before they left each others embrace and walked off, both too tired to notice that Mo from the unit had witnessed their goodbye.