Cath Staincliffe: Blue Murder

‘O’Halloran’ll kill you,’ he teased.

‘Not if The Lemon gets there first.’ She still had to face the music. ‘Think I might need to go off on bed-rest.’

Richard chuckled. Then he stopped smiling. ‘Janine…’

‘Don’t.’

‘The affairs, Wendy – we were both unhappy.’

‘That’s not what I heard.’

‘Well, you heard wrong. Wendy, she didn’t want kids. I didn’t think it mattered. But you get older – the affairs, it was a way out, that’s all.’

‘And I’ve got a ready-made family?’ She said quickly.

‘It’s not like that. You and me, there was always that spark.’

‘Richard…’ She wished he’d shut up.

‘You feel something.’

She didn’t deny it but a thousand buts crowded her mind.

‘We could be good together. The right wavelength.’

‘I come with a lot of baggage.’

Richard observed her bump. ‘I know,’ he said wryly.

‘Not just this. Three kids, Pete. It’s not like before, it can’t be the two of us. It’s never going to be that simple.’

Shap stuck his head round the door. ‘The Lemon, boss.’

‘Sir.’

‘Exactly which part of ‘release Mrs Tulley’ didn’t you understand?’ His words were clipped, sharp. ‘Your promotion…’

‘We got the clothes, sir.’

He stared at her, momentarily taken aback.

‘And a confession.’ She saw the venom in his glare. He loathed being bested. ‘It’ll fly, sir. CPS like it.’

He closed his eyes briefly. Then tight-lipped. ‘Right,’ a wave to dismiss her.

If that’s how he wants to play it. As she reached the door, passing his computer with an error message on screen – Windows was not shut down properly – he spoke again.

‘Janine.’

She turned, smiling, at last she’d get a morsel of praise, a crumb of appreciation. She’d solved the bloody case, after all. She looked at him expectantly.

‘I need all your documents, evaluation, final budget,’ he checked his watch. ‘Five thirty.’

The bastard!

She nodded curtly. Then had a thought. ‘The Chief Constable – he’ll be delighted. Will you tell him, sir?’ And may it choke you.

His face was like thunder. Then she glimpsed, just for a nanosecond, a hint of humour in his eyes. A slight inclination of the head. Touché.

Janine struggled to collate and copy all the relevant papers and the clock raced towards her deadline. Twenty-five past and he was still in his office. Half past. The last page printing. Beeping and the out of paper light started flashing. Damn. She stuffed more paper in, set resume. It was 5.37 when she got to his office. He had gone.

Janine had an infantile moment when she considered burning the lot before shrugging it off. He would not spoil her day. No, sir!

She dumped the pile on his desk and went off to join the rest of the team in the bar down the road.

They greeted her with a round of applause. As boss she did the honours and bought another round. She waited at the bar, tired but pleased with herself. Gazing into the mirror behind the bar she caught Richard’s eye, held it a moment too long. Shook her head. What was she going to do with him? Nothing for now. Never make decisions when you are tired, stressed or emotional: that ruled out most of Janine’s waking life.

He walked her back to the station when she’d made her excuses and left. Looked like Shap and Butchers were settled in for the night.

She and Richard stood beside her car. ‘I could ring you; maybe do something later in the week? Go for a.’ he tailed off.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Not an outright no, then? There is a chance?’

She gave him a frank look. Shrugged.

‘I can wait.’

‘Some things are worth waiting for.’ She smiled, opened her car door, got in and started it up.

He stood back and watched her pull away. Watched until the car disappeared from view. Then turned on his heels.

Tom was home, safe and happy and in bed. Michael had fallen asleep listening to his headphones. She eased them off and switched off his telly. Thought momentarily of Dean and Ferdie and all the young lads who had the odds stacked against them from the word go. The bubble bath was deep and just the right temperature. She slid into the water, leant her head back against the edge of the bath and breathed in the fragrance.

I did it, we did it. Oh, yes! Bone tired but home and dry – well, so to speak.

The weight off her feet was a blessed relief. She massaged her stomach, felt something solid to one side, head, hip? Stroked it. Boy or girl? Didn’t matter, did it, so long as all was well.

She was drifting off when Eleanor’s voice came bawling up the stairs like a banshee. ‘Mum, the washing machine is leaking!’

Please, she thought, oh, please. Give me a break!

Adapting a book for television, and then back again, means many people helped shape this story. Special thanks to Carolyn Reynolds at Granada TV for the amazing opportunity and for encouraging me to write my first script and to Jane Macnaught for helping me through unfamiliar territory. For advice on police matters thanks to Inspector Roger Forsdyke, Inspector Peter N. Walker (Retd.) and Detective Superintendent Patsy Wood. Thanks to the cast of Blue Murder who made the characters theirs – and then some. A toast to Ann Cleeves from Murder Squad who first tipped me the wink and then kept nudging. And finally thanks to Tim – I couldn’t have done it without you.

Cath Staincliffe is an established novelist, radio playwright and the creator of ITV's hit series, Blue Murder , starring Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis, which attracted an audience of 8.4 million viewers. Cath’s books have been short-listed for the Crime Writers Association Best First Novel award and for the Dagger in the Library. Looking For Trouble launched private eye Sal Kilkenny, a single parent struggling to juggle work and home, onto Manchester’s mean streets. Crying Out Loud is the eighth and latest title in the series. Cath’s newest novels, Witness and Split Second examine hot topical issues and tell stories of ordinary people, caught up in the criminal justice system, who face difficult and dangerous choices. Cath writes the Scott & Bailey novels based on the popular ITV1 series. She lives in Manchester with her partner and their children. Cath is a founder member of Murder Squad see www.murdersquad.co.uk

www.cathstaincliffe.co.uk

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