Helen Phifer - The Secrets Of The Shadows

Will nodded once more; he couldn’t bring himself to speak. As far as he was concerned they could drive to bloody Blackpool for some candy floss and a stroll on the beach – as long as he didn’t have to look at them. He leant back, putting his feet up on the desk, then he put his hands behind his head and shut his eyes.

***

Annie finally got to book her prisoner in twenty minutes after the fiasco. He was now snoring loudly in the back of the van and she had to shake him to wake him up. He fluttered his eyelids at her, ‘What, where am I?’

‘You’re about to be booked into the cells Peter, again.’ She emphasised the again bit seeing as how she had arrested him twice this month already.

‘What for?’

‘What do you mean what for? What did you get arrested for the last two times I met you?’

‘Oh yep, I forgot about that.’

She shook her head in disgust. ‘You can’t just forget about making someone’s life a misery.’

She helped him get out of the cage and led him to the door, which clicked open. The internal door to the custody suite buzzed and they walked into the small room, where they went through the process of getting him booked in until court tomorrow. Once this was done and he was tucked up safely in his cell Annie went to find Jake. She stuck her head through the community office door; it was empty. So was the parade room. Surely Kav wasn’t still bollocking him. Not really wanting to go and face Kav but not knowing what else to do she walked into his office where he was sitting on his own reading the paper.

‘Erm Sarge where’s Jake, is everything okay?’ She could feel the cooked breakfast she’d eaten earlier rolling around in her guts.

‘He’s gone to get me a McDonalds to make up for his bad behaviour.’

She let out a sigh of relief and he pointed to the empty chair opposite his desk. ‘Take a seat and don’t look so worried, what did you think I was going to do send him to the Inspector? I have the feeling that whatever it is Jake had a pretty good reason for it but do not tell him I said that.’

‘Thanks, I suppose he did and he is very good at protecting my honour but sometimes I’d rather live without all the drama. It’s knackering.’

Kav nodded. ‘I should imagine it is. Anyway enough of that, how are you?’

‘I’ve been a lot worse.’ Images of her lying in casualty last year filled her mind. ‘I just wish I could lead a simple life away from all the hassle. Maybe I should take up flower arranging.’

‘I actually think that’s a good idea, how much trouble could you get in making pretty bouquets?’

She laughed, ‘Knowing me probably a lot. I think I need a change of scenery or a lottery win, either one would be nice.’

‘Then this might just interest you, there is a vacancy about to come up in Windermere which is top secret because you know how many people would like to escape and work up in the heart of the glorious English Lake District, dealing with lots of tourists and sheep.’

‘Really, do you think I would be able to apply for it?’

‘Well I can’t make any promises but if I have a quiet word with the Inspector up there and tell her you need to get out of here for the sake of your sanity but more for the sake of mine, it might just be possible. Plus she owes me for not arresting her teenage daughter a couple of weeks ago for being drunk and disorderly and trying to fight every copper outside that new nightclub where you can drink yourself into oblivion for a quid.’

‘That would be amazing, I need to put everything behind me and have a fresh start.’

‘Yes Annie, I think you do. Although I will be gutted to lose you from my team because nobody provides me with the excitement or entertainment that you do but it might mean I can hang on to what’s left of my hair. Leave it with me and if you go and really hate dealing with all those Japanese tourists who have lost their cameras then you know I’ll have you back tomorrow.’

She stood up to leave. ‘Thank you, I really appreciate it Kav.’ She walked out of the door and back to the office to wait for Jake to turn up so he could give her a lift back down to Marsh Street for that statement. It wasn’t long before Jake walked in carrying a greasy brown paper bag and slurping on a giant size drink. ‘I have no idea where you put the amount of food you eat or why you’re not fifty stone. What did Kav say to you then?’

‘Just told me I was a prick and basically I need to wind my neck in, but he also said that Will was an even bigger prick and I told him I didn’t know about that because I’d never had the pleasure. Soon stopped him in his tracks, he didn’t know where to look so he sent me out for food.’

‘Well at least you’re not in any real trouble, I appreciate you sticking up for me but like I told you before I can handle it.’

She felt her eyes fill with tears and Jake began rooting around in his bag. He pulled out a cheeseburger and held it out. Annie shook her head.

‘You know you could always try batting for the other side, you might have a bit more luck with a bird. We could go to Manchester to the Gay Pride parade as a foursome.’

He dodged the desk stapler that came flying across the room. ‘Just a thought.’

‘Hurry up, I need to get out of here and go get that statement.’

Jake shoved the last of his burger into his mouth. He was still slurping from the paper cup. ‘Do you want some? It’s chocolate milkshake, your favourite.’

‘No thank you.’

‘Suit yourself but I bet it would make you feel better.’

She walked out of the office with Jake behind her; head bent and straight down the corridor just in case anyone was looking. She couldn’t be bothered with polite conversation. There was no way she’d be coming back in here until it was finishing time.

Chapter 8

Sean parked the Ford Focus in the car park opposite the police station just in time to have front row seats for the fight which had just kicked off. In reality he should have run over to break it up but he was enjoying the show far too much. He did feel sorry for Annie; the poor woman didn’t have much luck with her men. A bit like him and his women, he chuckled to himself. He placed his bet on Jake, he definitely wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him and he got scary when he was angry. Sean had worked with him enough times to see him in action. Just as he thought about getting out of the car Kav intervened, saving him the trouble. He knew that stuck up bitch Laura was the cause of all this because he’d heard a couple of officers gossiping before briefing this morning in the parade room. Sean had never liked her, well he had until the last Christmas night out when he had bought her a couple of drinks and thought he’d been doing all right until Will had walked in. She then spent the rest of the night hovering around Will and completely blanking him. He hated women like that and an idea began to form in his head. He stayed in the car until it had all calmed down across the road, then just as he was about to get out his radio crackled to life as the control room asked him to attend a job. He started the engine and reversed out of the parking space to go all the way to the other side of town because a group of ten year olds were playing football in the street.

***

It had been four days since Kav had told Annie about Windermere and yesterday he had taken her to one side and told her the job was hers if she wanted it. The only downside was that if she did she had to start there in two days’ time, they were so understaffed. She had gone home and dithered, was she doing the right thing? Should she not let her pride get the better of her? For a couple of hours she had gone over and over it. Then she’d taken a notebook and a pen, writing down a list of reasons she should go and reasons she shouldn’t. It took her ten minutes to realise the list for the move was much more impressive than the list not to. She’d phoned Kav and told him yes, thank you.