"You want me to authorise a house-to-house enquiry on the basis of a Post Office robbery?"

"Yes sir," Christina replied. "Well, not so much authorise it, DI Burnside has already done that, but provide the uniformed officers to carry it out, yes."

"And why can't CID do it?" Andrew asked, his eyes narrowing. "It is your investigation, after all."

"Because the DI asked that uniform officers be tasked."

"Did he now? Well, I must say that Mr Burnside appears to have taken the view that he not only controls those officers in CID but those in uniform too, along with the budget and overtime that I thought I was in charge of."

"With respect, sir…"

"Respect? I'm not sure any of you in CID know the meaning of the word, especially not you."

She paused, "I'm sorry?"

"Quite the DI's lacky, aren't you? Always trailing in his wake. Mark my words, Detective Constable Lewis, following in the footsteps of Frank Burnside isn't going to win you any popularity contests here, and especially not with me."

"Do you think I really give a toss what you think about me?" she retorted, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them and, instantly, she felt ashamed. Apart from with Frank, she had never become embroiled in an argument with any senior officer during her entire time at Sun Hill and, somehow, arguing with Frank almost didn't seem to count.

Andrew's face darkened, "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Can you provide the uniforms for the house to house or not?"

"When Mr Burnside comes back from his soiree, he can come and ask me himself. Until then, the answer is no. Now, if that's all?"

"Thank you, sir," she replied, turning and leaving his office before she could risk saying anything else. Hurrying along the corridor, she pushed open the door of the toilets, entered a cubicle and sat down, letting out a long breath as she did so. The DI's lacky. Is that what everyone thought she was? Is that how it came across to everyone else in the station? Admittedly, they worked on a lot of enquires together, something that seemed to have evolved naturally as their relationship had improved. Frank would ask her to accompany him before he would ask any of the others and she would always agree whether she felt she had the time for it or not.

Why? Why had she done that?

Because he's your boss and you do what you're told.

Really? Or is because you like spending time with him?

And the way he spoke to her, so much improved from the old days. The banter they had with each other, friendly and joking rather than him trying to do her down. Why did he treat her differently now? Was it as she had said to Viv that morning because she had proved herself and earned his respect? Or was it because he had guessed that she…

"Ridiculous." Getting to her feet, she flushed for no reason and then walked out to the wash hand basins, running her hands under the water and staring at herself in the mirror. "You're married," she told her reflection. "You love your husband and, besides…anything that moves, remember?" During her hands on a paper towel, she left the toilets and made her way back into custody.

"Back again?" Bob asked. "You here for Donnelly?"

She paused, wondering if she should wait for Frank before speaking to Marie again, then remembered Andrew's words. "Yeah, can you get her for me?"

"No problem." He rose from his chair and made his way to the cells, unlocking the door and bringing Marie out to her. "She's all yours."

"Thanks Sarge." Taking hold of Marie's arm, she gently propelled her along the corridor towards the interview room and led her inside. "Take a seat please Marie."

The other woman moved to the opposite side of the desk and sat down before regarding her carefully. "This is about Keith, isn't it?"

Christina slid the tapes back into the machine and pressed the record button. "Interview resumed with Marie Donnelly. The time is three forty-five pm. Officer present, WDC Lewis." She sat down opposite. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about the Post Office robbery, Marie?"

"Well, it was Keith," Marie said. "He told me to do it."

"Who is Keith?"

"Well, he's…I mean he's my…my other half, you know. We live together."

"What does he look like?"

"Look like?" Marie frowned. "Well, kind of normal looking. Tall, dark hair, brown eyes…normal looking."

"How long have you been together?"

"Oh, years. He's always been with me."

"How did you meet?"

"Meet? Well, I…I can't quite remember. He's just…always been there, see."

Christina paused. "When you say Keith told you to do it…"

"Oh, it was his idea," Marie smiled. "He thought it would be a bit of a lark, you know, going in there with the gun and trying to get the money. It was all just a game though. I wasn't going to do anyone any harm, and I didn't, did I?"

"Why didn't Keith do it himself? Why did he tell you to do it?"

"He couldn't have done it himself. He's not like that. Very shy is my Keith. Wouldn't say boo to a goose. He was there though, watching," Marie nodded. "He was with me."

"How can I get in touch with Keith? Is he back at your flat?"

"Oh no, no he doesn't like being on his own. Like I said, he's always with me." Marie looked past her into the corner of the room and smiled. Though she knew it was pointless, Christina found herself following her gaze and seeing only the opposite wall.

"Thank you, Marie," she said. "Interview terminated at three forty-eight pm."

XXXX

Frank felt somewhat deflated after she had left. As he had watched her walking away towards the entrance, he almost called after her and asked her to stay. Something stopped him however, and he instead turned on the famous charm, had a drink and mingled with the great and the good who had also received commendations or were there in a representative capacity. She had been right to persuade him to come. DI was definitely not the rank he wanted to end his career at, and he knew well enough that, sometimes, performance on the ground just wasn't enough. You had to play the game too and, admittedly, he wasn't always particularly proficient at that part. He was a thief taker, someone who worked well on the ground, someone who wasn't always keen to bow and scrape to management and yet wasn't management what he wanted for himself?

There had been talk about creating a new DCI post at Sun Hill. Although Conway had been his line manager the entire time he'd been at the station, apparently given the rise in crime and the other calls on the Chief Inspector's time, it was felt that another cog in the hierarchical wheel was required. There had been no mention of a board being set up or applications being welcomed, but he knew that, if it came, it would be a sure thing. Who knew the manor better than he did?

After brown-nosing for as long as he could stand, he called a taxi to take him back to the station, running into Tosh in the yard as he alighted and paid the driver.

"Any word from Viv on Sheena Rossi?" he asked.

"Not yet. No doubt she's giving her a bit of a run-around."

"No doubt. You seen Christina?"

"On the phone last time I clocked her. How was the ceremony?"

"It was all right as far as these things go. You know the drill, smile, act grateful etc etc…"

"I can imagine." Tosh paused. "Did she go with you?"

"Who?" he asked, as they made their way along the corridor.

"Chris. Did she go with you to the ceremony?"

He stopped and turned to look at the other man. "Why?"

"I was only wondering."

"Why?"

"Well, because she seemed quite proud of you last time I spoke to her about it."

He felt a warm glow in his belly, "Did she now? What did she say?"

"Just that she was very grateful for what you'd done that day and that she was pleased you'd been recognised for it." Tosh peered at him. "Which is why I thought you might have taken her with you to the ceremony."

"She was there, as it happens. More by accident than by design though. We'd been out on enquiries and I was running close to time. It would have seemed rude to have her just drop me off and not invite her in."

"Especially when you didn't have anyone else there."

He paused, "Meaning what?"

"Well, you didn't, did you? No adoring wife, for example."

"Tosh…what are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," Tosh shook his head. "Just…well…be careful, is all, Guv."

The warm glow was suddenly replaced by a cold, insidious sensation. "Would you care to explain that comment, DC Lines?"

"Come on Guv, I think you know what I'm getting at. I just…" Tosh paused. "Well, she's married and you're her boss…"

"Are you suggesting there's something inappropriate going on between WDC Lewis and myself?"

"You favour her," Tosh said, seeming to have found a brazen forwardness. "I don't know if it's because she's a woman or because of something else, but I'm not the only one to have noticed it. You treat her differently from how you treat the rest of us."

"Yes, I treat her worse, or so she's been so fond of telling me."

"Maybe in the past, but not now. Not for a long time. Maybe…maybe having Viv on the firm's a good thing now, Guv. If you take my meaning."

Frank met his gaze, taking his meaning and then some. He'd obviously been careless, too relaxed, too close. First Ted and now Tosh. Who else had been talking about them? "You think I fancy her."

"I think it's more than that."

"Now you're just talking rubbish," he turned away and made for the stairs, not wanting the other man to possibly see through him. Tosh followed close behind. "And I don't want to hear any more about it."

"You care about her." Frank stopped. "I care about her too, only I've got a wife and five kids, and my caring extends to being her colleague and her friend."

"And what am I, the big bad wolf?"

"You're her boss and you're a single man with…well…"

"With what? Go on, say it."

"With a bit of a reputation."

"Anything that moves?" he replied acerbically. "You think she hasn't mentioned that to me herself? Besides, I've never hid who I am and, you're right, I am single, and I can do what I like. But for the record, I do not fancy Christina nor care about her any more than I care about any of you. Now, this subject is closed, am I making myself clear?"

"Yes Guv."

"Good!" he moved into his office and slammed the door before sitting down at his desk and lifting the first bit of paperwork he could find, anything to distract him as he watched Tosh move slowly into the CID office and sit down at his desk. As his eyes danced across the page, taking in not one word of what was written there, he replayed the conversation over in his mind. Ted had said months ago that he thought he fancied her, now Tosh had taken it once step further and said that he cared about her. Well, that had to stop for a start, the rumours and innuendos. A DCI could be one of the lads, but there was also a certain professional distance that had to be maintained, much more so than that of a DI. If he wanted to climb the ladder, and he did, then perhaps he needed to remember that. He couldn't have favourites, even if he wanted to. Perhaps the best thing all round was to cut her loose.

And maybe, as Tosh had said, having Viv on the firm wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

XXXX

"So, she's not in her right mind then," Bob said as Christina returned Marie to custody.

"No, she's not."

"The surgeon determined her fit for interview."

"Oh, she was fine to be interviewed, but she claims that she was told to do it by Keith."

"Who's Keith?"

"Someone who's 'always with her' apparently. I think she needs to be assessed by a psychiatrist."

"Well, that's not your role, is it?" Bob said. "Your role is to determine whether she should be charged or not and, on the face of it, you've got the evidence to support a charge. She was there, with the gun, committing the robbery. It's not for you to assess her mental state. That's for her brief."

"If she gets a decent one, no doubt they'll get a judge to throw out any confession she made to us on the basis she's bananas."

"Maybe, but she didn't ask for a solicitor, did she?"

"No, but maybe she should have." Christina sighed. "I don't know…I feel sorry for her in a way. I mean, she seems happy enough with her own life with Keith but…going around with a gun and trying to rob a Post Office because he thought it would be a lark…" she shook her head. "I suppose I should speak to the DI."

"He's back, apparently. I saw him with Tosh earlier."

"Thanks. I'll come back to you." She turned and headed back through the door and up the stairs to the CID office.

Jim, Tosh and Mike were all there, laughing about something and, in his office, she could see Frank, head bent over his desk. As though sensing her, he looked up and met her gaze, before standing up and opening his door. She made a move towards him, to speak to him about Marie, only for Jim to suddenly laugh loudly and clap his hands and she turned to see Viv coming into the office, her skirt ripped, her hair in disarray and her face red.

"Oh dear, what happened to you?" Mike chuckled.

"Looks like she had a bit of rough over lunchtime," Frank said, the males around the room descending into fits of laughter.

"I was bringing in Sheena Rossi, actually," Viv replied acerbically.

"Ah," Tosh said.

"I'm not too late, am I? She's downstairs now."

"There's been a development. We don't need her anymore."

Viv looked incredulous, "Do what?"

"But thanks for bringing her in," Tosh said, patting her arm.

"After all that…"

"Maybe we could do her for possession whilst she's here," Mike suggested. "She's usually got something on her. Be your first proper CID nick, Viv."

"She was clean."

"Yeah well…" Frank said. "At least it gave you something to do. That's if you were actually chasing Sheena Rossi. I still reckon you were having a bit of rough." He turned back to his office only for Viv to leap her to feet and round on him.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that again…. sir!"

For a moment, there was silence, then a smirk spread across Frank's face. "Welcome to the firm Viv. Chris, a word."

"Yes Guv," Christina replied, giving Viv's hand a squeeze as she moved past her. "We'll grab a coffee in a minute, yeah?" She stepped into the office and closed the door behind her, rounding on Frank before he could say anything. "That was out of order, Guv."

He looked at her, an expression of mild incredulity on his face, "I beg your pardon?"

"I said, that was out of order. You sat in this office three months ago and told me the senior management wanted to encourage more women into CID. And yet, when women do join the department, they're subjected to sexist and inappropriate remarks from their line manager!"

"I must have missed your election to Federation Rep," he replied sarcastically. "Or are you intending to found a women only version? If Viv can't take a bit of banter, then she shouldn't be in the job, and neither should you. You want to be treated like equals; you have to take the rough with the smooth."

She took a deep breath. "I reckon you would have made some comment to one of the boys if they'd come back looking like that but…you wouldn't have said that to me."

He met her gaze, "Wouldn't I have?"

"No."

"And you're complaining about that, are you?"

"I…" she floundered for the right words. "I don't want you to treat me differently."

"Oh, I see. I must be losing my marbles then because I recall you pulling me up on more than one occasion in the past regarding the fact that you didn't think I treated you the same as the others and more than that, that I spoke to you inappropriately. Now you're telling me that you want me to speak to you like that."

"That isn't…I mean…I don't want special treatment any more than I want to be spoken to…like that."

"And you think that you get special treatment from me?"

She paused and looked away. How was she supposed to convey, without actually saying anything, that it was her own feelings she was worried about, rather than his? That she liked the fact that he treated her better in some ways than the others and yet disapproved of herself for the very fact that she liked it? She took a breath. "You favour me, and you shouldn't."

"Do I."

"Yes." She met his gaze again. "I don't think either Viv or I should be spoken to that way just because we're women, but nor should we be treated any differently from the others."

"Fine," he said, "I don't have a problem with that. This is the nineteen nineties after all. Maybe the canteen culture needs to be stamped out. Maybe I'll even apologise to Viv." He paused. "But maybe, on the back of that, you need to understand that, now that's Viv's part of the team, you're not special anymore."

"What?"

"You're not special anymore," he repeated. "You're not the rare entity you once were. I've got two of you now, probably more to come in the future, and right now Viv's going to need a lot of guidance from me if she's going to make it in CID. You're more than capable of doing your own job."

She felt a pang of regret at the implication of his words, even though she knew it was for the best. She needed to just be one of the team, one of many, nobody special, just like he had said. That was the way to quiet her mind, to still the intrusive thoughts and the never-ending game of back and forth that her brain liked to play when she thought about her boss in one breath and her husband in another. There was nothing wrong in having a crush on someone and after all, that's what it was; a crush, but, sometimes, a person needed to step back, even if they didn't want to.

"Yes Guv."

"Right then." He paused. "What happened with Donnelly?"

"I interviewed her again. You were right, she's bonkers. I reckon we should charge her and then let the great legal minds decide whether she's competent to stand trial or not."

"Fine, you can charge her, you don't need me." He sat back down behind his desk. "Oh, and send Viv in on your way past, will you?"

Something about it felt so final, as ridiculous as that was. It wasn't as if she was going anywhere but…still…something had changed in those few minutes, something she had initiated and yet couldn't help feeling sore about. It wasn't going to be the same again. A lump inexplicably rose in her throat as she opened the door. "Yes Guv."