Chapter 38

Rest wasn't on the top of Steve's agenda when he got back to the flat. Given he wasn't seeing Lottie that day he had twenty four hours to do whatever he wanted. What he desperately wanted was to go back to the office and watch Holly Lightstone get dragged to a jail but that was out of the question. There was only one thing for it – cleaning. The neat freak in him went into overdrive and he got to work on making the flat spotless as well as putting on a load of washing. A couple of hours into this venture, without thinking he walked into Lottie's room to check for any mugs and other kitchenware that may have been forgotten about. Only a couple of steps in he tripped on a camisole top Lottie had left on the floor and stumbled just before he hit the bed. Frustration bottled up with him. He picked it up and walked quickly out the room ready to explode.

"Lottie?! How many time have I told you –" he said loudly as if she was sat on the sofa to hear his annoyed rant but she wasn't there. The realisation stopped him mid sentence. He had forgotten. Or maybe he thought he was dreaming and so expected she would be there? Either way it threw him. He stood in the silence of the flat, feeling the air turn oppressive. A sense of panic crept up his spine and seemed to sit in his chest. He had to get out. He threw the camisole through Lottie's open door and slammed the door shut so he couldn't see inside. He stood there for a minute, his hand still on the door handle not able to let it go somehow. His phone ringtone rang through the flat making him jump and dragging him back to reality. The air and feeling of panic shifted and he was able to let go of the door handle at last.

"Hello?" he asked answering the call not bothering to look at the called ID.

"Steve? Are you alright? You sound a bit stressed," he heard Kate's voice say which relaxed him more.

"Yeah fine, just trying to keep myself busy. How are things going on the case? Has the Chief Super been informed?"

"Yeah, we still need to interview and officially arrest Nicholas which we have had confirmation will happen tomorrow morning. His doctors have finally said he is well enough to talk now. The Gaffer has given us the rest of the day off as we have been working 24/7 for a week on this case. Everyone is exhausted but happy we have closed it for you and Lottie," she explained and for the first time he heard the tiredness in her voice.

"You should be resting not coming over to visit me," Steve said remembering what she said when she kissed his cheek a matter of hours earlier.

"That's what I'm calling about. You up for a bit of fresh air? I need to run an errant and will have to go home after that before I drop asleep on my feet. Can you meet me at the Café Nero on Brimley Street in half an hour?"

"I'll leave now."

When Steve arrived at Café Nero he found Kate sat at a table for four out front waiting for him, wrapped up against the cold in her winter coat and scarf. She looked tired but seemed to glow in the chill of the winter air. She gave him a warm hug on seeing him and she felt him cling to her like he did when they were at the hospital.

"I don't know how to thank you for everything mate," he said in their embrace.

"You are the one who found the final pieces of the puzzle, not me" she clarified as they parted. She gestured for him to sit down and he did so. She pushed a large take away cup of coffee towards him which was sat on the table. Kate took another on the table to drink from herself.

"Yeah but, the gaffer and everyone else has taken on so much in the past week. You most of all with looking after me and Lottie, my mum and dad, making sure the flat was ok." She raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh come on, I know you restocked the fridge and freezer."

"Ok you have me on that one. Seriously though how are you doing with all this? Your mum and dad know?"

"Yeah I told them. It was a lot for them to process but I think now they will actually sleep properly knowing they, me and Lottie are safe. I say safe but, until Lottie wakes up …. I'm ok. Just trying to keep myself busy. Feels odd having 24 hours to myself with nothing to do," he explained before taking a swig from the cup. Kate lent forward. He could see something was burdening her. "What?" he asked.

"I need to tell you a couple of things. Not exactly case related but kind of. The gaffer is going to call you tomorrow after Nicholas is arrested to tell you that you are being signed off for compassionate leave for a few weeks and occupational health is going to get in touch with you." Steve raised his eyebrows in an involuntary surprise. He had counted on getting back to the office as soon as possible to give himself some balance but that was out of the question now. He opened his mouth to speak but Kate cut him off before he could utter a sound. "No ifs or buts. You need a break and it may mean trauma counselling as well. Before you ask, I've not told anyone what you told me in the hospital. I never will. You won't be able to get back to work without doing it, Hilton has said that himself. I wanted to give you the heads up. I know if our places were switched you would do the same for me."

Reluctantly he nodded. If there was nothing he could do there was no point fighting it. He let out a frustrated sigh before running his hands over his face. His week old stubble scratched his fingertips. "I guess I'll be going without shaving then for longer. Save my clean shaven face for when I'm back in the office."

"You do what you need to do mate," Kate smiled softly before taking another swig of her drink.

"So what's the other thing?" Steve asked. Kate's face fell, turning serious and she put down the cup. He followed suit knowing that he may not like what she was about to say.

"We got a request this morning from someone. Someone who wants to see you," Kate replied clearly thinking of her words before she said them.

"Nicholas?" Steve asked as the thought of that scum of a human being thinking he had the right to request such a thing. Kate shook her head. "Holly?" he asked, but again a head shake. "Then who?"

"Hi Steve," he heard behind him. Steve's eyes widened hearing that voice. Kate's face turned from serious to a broad warm smile looking at the person behind him. Slowly he turned around and there, holding a suitcase in one hand was Gwen.

"Gwen?" he asked in shock. He got up and walked over to her as she put down her suitcase. "How are you here?" he asked taken aback by her presence.

"Ted Hastings called me and told me what happened at the farm. I was told to stay at home but as the week has gone on I haven't been able to get you or your family out of my mind. I had to come so I called Kate," she explained. She then gave him a warm hug and for that moment nothing else mattered. This wasn't his moment to feel relaxed, it was hers. She hadn't left her home town in 40 years. She had broken so many boundaries in her actions to be there for him so he was going to be there for her.

"I'm sorry we haven't gotten the diaries back to you. There has been so much going on –" he began to apologise when they parted. She shook her head.

"My darling boy, they are not why I am here, and you know it. I needed to see you were safe and well. Lottie? Is there any news?" she pressed him for information.

"Still not awake but tests have been carried out and her brain is active and responding to the various tests. We still need to wait for her to come round and the tests get done regularly, but it's a good sign."

"I've prayed for her all week. You and your family too. I will continue to do so."

Steve could see she was shaking slightly. "Come on; let's get you inside with a hot drink." He took her suitcase in one hand and offered his free arm leading her to the doorway.

"What can I get you?" Kate asked her once the trio entered. After giving her order, Gwen got lead to a corner booth by Steve and Kate got her drink.

"Steve," Kate called over a couple of minutes later and he came to her side. "She doesn't know we found him or about the arrests. I thought you would like to tell her in person," Kate said quietly. With no words to convey how he felt in that moment he placed a hand on her lower back and Kate felt a tingle run through her from his touch. The silent communication from their look spoke volumes and was only broken as Steve stepped away to walk back to Gwen.

After sitting down to drinks and general chit chat for five minutes, Steve couldn't keep it in any longer. He turned to Gwen.

"Gwen, I need to tell you a couple of things," he began and glanced around the café. It was semi-busy but they were sat on a side of the café where they were the only ones occupying it so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Tell me what?" Gwen asked.

"Two things. Firstly, after a long investigation we have made one arrest and will be making a second arrest shortly for the murder of Christopher."

Gwen sat back in her chair and took several seconds to process what she had heard. Steve could see she didn't want to give in to her emotions and was trying to think of all possibilities of what could happen after this point.

"Ok … This is going to sound bad but I have to ask. Is there any chance that they could be set free? Any chance at all that you may be wrong? I'm not doubting your work I just … I can't go through the forty years of agony again" she explained, her voice shaky.

"Gwen, we have recorded confessions and official documents showing all the details. Plus, Lottie found a new document written by Christopher explaining why he ended up being killed. This evidence is so concrete and so much of it that if they were to plead not guilty I wouldn't be surprised if a judge threw their pleas out. We also have reason to believe that they committed multiple other murders relating to the bank robbery as well. All that combined with what they did to Lottie, they most likely will never see the light of day as free people again," Kate explained.

"Christopher wrote about why he was killed?" Gwen asked clearly shaken.

"You might not like hearing this but I know you want us to be honest. He wrote a letter to the chief superintendant at the time which Lottie found in the lining of his 1974 diary. He was going to come home to you to retrieve it and get it posted but they got him first," Steve explained slowly.

"So for forty years I had the evidence that revealed everything?" she clarified.

"Only one piece of evidence. If that one piece of evidence alone was found and presented it would have been strong but not strong enough and would most likely seen Christopher prosecuted. It revealed that Christopher did some things because he was manipulated and corrupted into believing what he did was right. He knew it was wrong and his letter confessed that. If a judge only saw that one piece of evidence, we wouldn't be where we are today with two arrests and guaranteed jail time," Kate explained. "He gave it to you because he knew you would keep it safe for when it was going to be needed to see the light. You did that Gwen. You kept your word to your brother and I am sure he is so happy you did that."

Gwen nodded with tears in her eyes. "If that is the first thing, what is the other thing you need to tell me?"

Steve did something that both Kate and Gwen didn't expect. He reached out and took Gwen's hand. It was a gesture the two remembered from their chat in the church archway months previously and Gwen had her gaze fixed on him. "We found him," Steve said softly. Finally the dam of emotion broke and Gwen let free the breath she had been holding for forty years.

"Is he … intact?" she asked though tears not knowing what the appropriate word was.

"Yes, apart from his hand of course which we have also. We need to tell you the rest of his body was buried not preserved in ice as his hand was. So the rest is skeletal remains but we have his whole body."

"Thank you, so much … thank you" was all she could say before words escaped her and replaced with tears.

It was lunchtime. Kate and Steve had seen Gwen to her hotel and made sure she was comfortable before leaving her with the promise they would see her in person for an official chat with Ted as well the following day. Kate yawned leaving the hotel and only just managed to get her hand up to cover her wide opened mouth.

"Sorry," she apologized before wiping her eyes.

"Come on," Steve said guiding her across the street, his hand resting on her lower back to guide her.

"Where are we going?"

"To my flat. It's only a few minutes' walk from here. Besides, I'm not having you driving when you're this tired. No one is there or will be coming by until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

Kate frankly was over the moon at the offer. She didn't think she would make it to her car let alone home in her state. When she got into the flat she turned to head to the sofa but was surprised when Steve took her hand and led her to his room.

"I changed the bedding this morning. Do you want something to sleep in or are you ok?" he asked.

"I'll be fine. Thanks mate."

She went to kiss his cheek as a gesture to thank him being so sweet to her but he didn't realise and went to turn his head. In the cross fire her lips brushed against his making them both freeze, their lips millimetres apart. Neither of them pulled away.

"Are you saying stop again?" Steve asked. Kate shook her head slowly. She put a hand on the back of his neck and pressed her lips against his. They melted into the kiss and it quickly grew passionate.

"Are you sure about this?" Steve clarified between kisses.

"More than you know," she replied reaching to his belt buckle and the two tumbled onto the bed together. Kate was wide awake now.