Thank you to Hollie as always for your reviews!
Jess took a seat next to Sally in the briefing room. Her day was not going well. First, Luke had woken up grumpy and wouldn't get dressed and then he threw his breakfast on the floor. Dan came in, angry about being woken up so early, and then when he saw the mess Luke had made he started to shout at him, making Luke cry. Jess had taken Luke into the living room away from Dan, getting him ready for nursery. While Luke waited in the living room for Jess, Dan was laying in to her in the kitchen.
"You can't let him get away with throwing his food on the floor and not doing what he's told!" Dan had shouted at her.
"I didn't let him get away with it! I told him off before you came stomping down. He said sorry and that was that! And then you start shouting at him and it just makes it worse!" Jess retaliated, crossing her arms, a defiant look on her face.
"I didn't start shouting at him!" Dan said, throwing his hands up.
"You did, and then he started crying. You scared him, and I'm not going to stand there doing nothing while you shout at him and make him cry." Jess hissed, turning to go to Luke.
Dan grabbed her by the arms, "You do not walk away from me while I am talking to you. Do you understand?"
Jess gritted her teeth. She didn't want to give in, but she had to get Luke to nursery and it would do more harm than good if she argued with him. "Yes Dan." Jess replied through gritted teeth. She wrenched her arms free from Dan's vice grip and stormed out the kitchen. She walked into the living room where Luke was sitting on the floor crying. Jess immediately went over to him, picking him up and holding him tight. "What's up honey?"
"Daddy shouted." Luke said between tears.
"I know baby, but he's not shouting anymore is he. Let's get you to nursery so you can play with all your friends shall we?" Jess said, plastering a smile on her face. She wiped away Luke's tears, kissing him on the head before picking up their bags and leaving the house without another word to her husband.
"PC Waite? PC Waite are you listening?" a voice said. Jess was pulled back to the here and now and she saw that everyone was looking at her. "Jess?" It was Callum talking to her.
"Yeah Sarge, I'm listening. Sorry." she said apologetically.
Callum looked at her closely before repeating what he had said, "You and Sally are in the patrol car around the Farmeade ok?"
"Yep fine." Jess replied quickly.
Sally nudged her, "Are you alright? You seemed a bit out of it then."
"Yeah, no, I'm fine." Jess said, nodding.
"Ok, well you know you can talk to me don't you? About anything." Sally said, getting up after Callum had dismissed them.
"Yeah I do, thanks Sal." Jess said, following her out.
They had just done a full loop around the Farmeade when they spotted a young girl running past the shops, being chased by an older man.
"Sal stop the car, look." Jess said, unbuckling her seatbelt and pointing.
Sally stopped the car by the kerb allowing Jess to jump out and chase after the man. She heard Sally shout "I'll follow in the squad car, keep me updated with your location!"
"Oi stop! Police!" Jess shouted, but the man ignored her. She heard over the radio Sally calling it in to the station. Jess could see that the little girl was getting worn out, so she pushed herself to run faster. The girl darted across the road, in front of the squad car and Jess held her breath as the car screeched to a halt in front of her. The girl looked at Sally in the car, startled, but then saw the man catching up so started running again.
"Why the hell is he after a little girl?" Sally shouted as she pulled off again.
"God knows, but it doesn't look like he wants to give her sweets." Jess replied, starting to gain ground on the man and girl.
"Sierra Oscar 686 to all units- any units around the Farmeade estate able to support in the chase, over." Sally said into her radio.
"Sierra Oscar 30 to sierra oscar 686, me and Nate are just around the corner in the car. We'll be there in a minute. Where are you, over?" Callum asked.
"Between the two highest flats, heading East towards the park over." Sally replied.
"Received." Callum said, the radio going dead as he sped up toward their location.
"Are you deaf? I told you to stop!" Jess shouted. She was pleased to see that the man was slowing, but so was the girl. Jess knew she wouldn't be able to run full blast that much longer judging by the stitch in her side, and hoped that Callum and Nate got him first or that he slowed down enough for her to catch him.
"Jess look, the girl's stopped." Sally said, pulling the car to a stop and jumping out next to her, pointing to where the girl was hunched over not far from them. Just as the man was about to catch up with the girl, Callum and Nate swung their car round the corner, coming to a stop in front of the girl. The man ran into Nate's side of the car, sliding down onto the road.
"Is this him?" Nate asked, getting out of the car and yanking the panting man to his feet.
Jess was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath so just nodded.
"What's your name?" Callum asked him, coming round the squad car. Jess and Sally moved round the car, heading towards the girl.
"I no speak English." he replied.
"Really? Right then, let's get you down the station shall we with translating services." Nate said, pushing his head down and placing him in the back seat of the car.
"You can't arrest him for anything can you?" Jess asked, "Because technically he didn't do anything except chase her."
"Yeah, we didn't see him lay a finger on her." Sally chipped in.
"Well no, but we can find out who he is by keeping an eye on him. He'll just be helping us with our enquiries." Callum said with a smile. "Will you two be alright with the girl?"
Jess took a closer look at the girl's face, seeing how pale she was and how she seemed to be struggling to breathe. Her breath kept hitching in her chest.
"Sal call an ambulance, she's struggling to breathe." Jess ordered. Callum ran over and joined her. He bent down until he was level with the girl.
"Hello darlin'. Can you tell me what your name is?" Callum asked.
"Sarge, she can barely breathe let alone talk. Don't worry honey, just try and follow my breathing ok. Deep breath in, then out." Jess said, squatting down in front of the girl and taking her shaking hands in her own. She breathed along with the girl trying to get her to take deep breaths. The ambulance arrived just as the girl's breathing started returning to normal.
"The paramedics are going to take you to hospital now darlin', and Jess is going to go with you. Then we can ring your parents and let them know what's happened ok?" Callum said, crouching in front of the girl. She nodded and looked to where the man in the back of the area car was. "Jess, stay with her at the hospital. Make sure the parents know what happened, ok?"
"Yes Sarge." Jess said with a nod, "Come on poppet, let's get you into the ambulance."
An hour later at the hospital, Jess had been told that the girl was stable enough to talk. She followed the nurse through A&E until they got to minors.
"She's in this one. Try not to get her worked up or anything." the nurse said with a smile.
"Thank you." Jess said, opening the curtain. The girl was sitting cross legged on the bed. She had vivid red hair which was thick and didn't look like it had been brushed for a while. Her eyes were a dark brown, and her face was covered in freckles. She looked up as Jess came in, and smiled. Jess smiled when she saw that the girl was missing her two front teeth. "Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling? I'm the police officer that came in with you if you remember?"
"I'm better thank you. I like you, you caught the bad man." the girl said with a toothy smile and a slight lisp.
"Oh, I didn't catch him, my colleagues did." Jess said with a laugh, sitting on the bed next to the girl. "I want to ask you a few questions, is that ok?" The girl thought about it for a minute, and then nodded. "Good. First, what's your name?"
"My name is Rosie Eleanor Lawrence and I'm six. What's your name?" Rosie asked innocently.
"My name is Jessica Grace Waite." Jess replied with a smile.
"That's a pretty name. I don't like my name." Rosie said, her small shoulders sagging.
"I think it's a lovely name. Now, do you think you could tell me where you live and what your phone number is? We need to let your parents know that you're here." Jess asked.
Rosie looked worried, "I live in flat 12 Mayweed House. My phone number is 478209, but my mummy and daddy aren't there."
Jess frowned, "Where are they?"
"I don't know. Well, my mummy is dead, but my daddy went away yesterday and he hasn't come back yet. I don't know where he is and I miss him." Rosie said, her lower lip trembling.
"Oh honey, it's ok, we'll find him." Jess said gently, putting her arm round Rosie's shoulders. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to ring my friend at the police station and get her to try and find your dad, and then I'll wait here with you until we find him. How does that sound?"
"Am I in trouble?" Rosie asked in a panic.
"No, of course you're not. But while we wait for your dad I can ask you some more questions as well. Does that sound ok?" Jess asked, hopping off the bed.
"Ok then. But can I only talk to you?" Rosie asked.
"It'll be me and maybe one of my police friends, but they're all lovely. I won't be a minute sweetheart." Jess smiled at Rosie as she pulled back the curtain, stepping onto the ward. She pulled it closed behind her, thinking what kind of parent would leave their six year old on their own. Unless something had happened to Rosie's dad to make him not come back, he didn't have any excuses for leaving her.
Jess found the nurse who had shown her to Rosie's cubicle. "Excuse me nurse, have you contacted Rosie's dad yet?"
"We've tried calling him a few times but there's no answer. There's no other guardians or next of kin listed either. We'll keep trying him; she's fit for discharge though." the nurse replied.
"Ok, can you give me the details of the name and number you've been calling? If she's fit for discharge I can take her back to the police station while we chase up her father. Have you completed a safeguarding referral?" Jess asked, getting out her notepad.
"We have yes and marked it as urgent. We've given them all her details and the circumstances of her visit with us, and we've called to confirm they've received it." the nurse said with a nod.
"That's great, thank you. I'll complete one back at the station at our end as well and can let them know to liaise with you. I'll wait with her for the discharge paperwork." Jess said with a nod. She turned and pulled out her phone. "Sal it's me. Rosie, the little girl, is fit for discharge. A&E can't get hold of her dad. I've said we'll take her back to the station and can ask her more questions there and hopefully chase dad down. Can you grab her a sandwich and drink and then bring the car round the front?"
"Yeah sure, I'll meet you there in a few." Sally said, hanging up.
"Come on Rosie, do you want to go in a police car?" Jess asked, smiling at the little girl as the nurse handed her the discharge paperwork. "Let's go." Rosie held Jess' hand as they walked through minors and out to the front of the hospital where Sally waited in the squad car.
Jess took Rosie's hand as they walked up through the front doors of the police station, Sally following behind. Jess was just about to walk into the soft interview room when she heard Smithy calling her.
"Er, PC Waite, PC Armstrong, what do you think you're doing?" Smithy asked, coming to stand next to them.
"I'm taking Rosie into the soft interview room." Jess replied.
"I can see that, but this isn't a crèche. Where are her parents?" Smithy asked, keeping his voice low.
"I don't know Sarge, Sally is going to try and find her father. He left yesterday and hasn't been back since." Jess answered, turning so that Rosie couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Right ok, but if you can't find him, you're going to have to ring social services." Smithy said with a nod before walking off. That was the one thing Jess didn't want to do- she knew that if the father couldn't be found Rosie would be going into emergency care.
"Come on Rosie, let's go sit in here." Jess said, smiling brightly at Rosie. She opened the door to the soft interview room, and watched as Rosie entered cautiously. "Let me know if you get hold of the dad." Jess said quietly to Sally, who nodded and headed off towards the office.
"Am I in trouble?" Rosie asked, climbing onto the sofa and tucking her legs under her.
"No you're not, don't worry." Jess said with a smile, handing Rosie the food and drink Sally had got her. Jess pointed at the woman sat in the corner of the room, a notepad on her lap. "This is my friend Nicola, she's going to sit in here with me while I ask you a few more questions. She's here to help us."
"Ok." Rosie said, nervously looking at Nicola, opening the sandwich packet.
"Ok sweetheart, did your daddy say where he was going?" Jess asked, getting out her pen and pad.
"No, he just said he had to go out for a bit because he had to do something very important. He gave me a little key and said that if anyone knocked on the door and wanted it I had to give it to them, but not to open the door, just push the key through the letterbox. He left me food and drinks in the fridge and said I could watch whatever I wanted on the TV" Rosie said slowly, remembering what her dad had said.
"Did your daddy say what the key was for? Or how long he was going out for?" Jess asked, confused.
"He said he wouldn't be long. Normally when he goes out it's just to go to the shops to get me sweets and he goes there and right back, but not this time. Daddy told me the key opens the special treasure chest in his room. He won't tell me what's in there though, he says it's for grown ups. That's why the man was chasing me, he wanted my key. But I like the key so I didn't want to give it to him." Rosie replied.
"The man wanted the key? Have you got the key with you?" Jess asked slowly.
Rosie nodded, producing a small key on some string from the neck of her top, "Here." She took it off, giving Jess the string. Jess held it up, looking closely at the key.
"Thanks Rosie. And then what happened with the man?" Jess asked, pen poised.
"He was banging on the door and it scared me, but then he looked through the letterbox and saw me and said he was daddy's friend. I know daddy said not to open the door but he said he was his friend. And I wanted to know if he knew where daddy was. I opened the door and he pushed the door open and said daddy told him to tell me to give him the key, but I remembered what daddy said! It's not for grown ups. I ran past him cause he tried to get my key. I didn't know where to go but I knew that I wanted to keep the key! Then I remembered there's a playhouse at the park where I go with daddy and I thought daddy might be there so that's where I was going. But he wasn't there." Rosie said quietly, her eyes wet.
Jess smiled sadly, gently rubbing Rosie's arm. "Thank you Rosie for being so brave and telling me all of that. Now, what we're going to do is keep trying to call your daddy, and I'm going to take you to your flat with some friends of mine. We're going to open the treasure chest! Do you think you would be able to show me where it is?" Jess asked, placing the key in an evidence bag.
"Yeah I could." Rosie said with a smile and a little nod.
At that moment the door opened and Sally walked in, "Can I have a quick word?"
Jess looked from Sally to Rosie, "Sure. Do you want to play with the toys Rosie while I talk to Sally?"
"Ok." Rosie said happily, jumping off the sofa and immersing herself with the toys, Nicola coming forward to play with her.
"What is it?" Jess asked as soon as she had shut the door behind her.
"I looked up Rosie's dad. His name is Lloyd Lawrence, and he's done time for drug dealing. Last known address was flat 12 Mayweed House on the Farmeade. Her mum is dead, and there are no other family members listed." Sally recited from what she had read.
"Well that's interesting. Rosie has told me that her dad went out yesterday for something important and said he would be back soon. He gave Rosie a key to what he called a treasure chest which had "grown up" stuff in. And that man who was chasing Rosie this morning wanted the key. Lloyd told Rosie to give whoever the key if they asked for it, but she liked it so kept it. Now I think there must be drugs or something else of high value in the safe, so I'm going to quickly run up to CID so we can get people over there. Rosie will show us where the safe is." Jess said, watching Sally's face drop in shock, "I know, it's disgusting."
"It's worse than that! What kind of man leaves a six year old on her own in charge of a key which potentially opens a safe full of drugs?" Sally said incredulously. At that moment Callum walked past, but stopped when he heard what Sally had said.
"What was that?" he asked, intrigued.
"Well..." and Jess and Sally repeated the story again.