by L M Krier
Trev had seen her come in and came over to join them, as Ted and Robin were shaking hands. Ted slipped an arm round Trev as he said, 'And this is my partner, Trevor. My boss, Debs, and her husband Robin.'
'Ted tells me you settled on the Ducati after you came to see the Hondas.' The Ice Queen had previously mentioned to Ted having once seen Trev in his workplace when she was looking at bikes, without letting on who she was. 'Let me find you something to eat and you can tell me how you're finding it.'
Ted smiled to himself as he watched his partner deftly escort her away, in full charm offensive mode. The two of them were soon deep in conversation, dark-haired heads close together as they enjoyed some of the food and talked about bikes.
'So, how are you finding it, working for the Ice Queen?' Robin Caldwell asked with a smile. 'It's not entirely a fair nickname, you know. She's a pussy cat really. And she speaks very highly of you.'
'She does?' Ted gaped in astonishment. 'I always get the feeling she thinks I'm a complete idiot.'
Robin laughed. 'I probably shouldn't tell you this, and I will deny it was me if you ever breathe a word, but she was really apprehensive when she knew she was going to be your new boss. You come with an impressive reputation, too.'
Ted gazed across the room again, seeing his boss in a completely different light. It had never occurred to him that anyone might be in awe of him, certainly not the formidable Ice Queen. Then he nodded his head in understanding.
'So starting off by redesigning my wardrobe was her asserting her authority?' he chuckled.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was plenty of chatter and lots of laughter. The whole atmosphere was relaxed. Ted liked to see his team able to have a good time, especially in the middle of a difficult case. But there was something he felt he should do, and hoped he could do it without putting a total damper on the evening.
'Can I just have your attention for a moment please, everyone?' he asked. As usual, although his voice was quiet, it commanded respect and everyone fell silent, listening to what he had to say. 'I'd just like to thank you all for coming, and for all your hard work throughout the year. I wish you all a happy Christmas, and I hope at least some of us get to enjoy our Christmas dinner without being called out.
'This time last year was very hard for all of us who were on the team then. I don't want to rake over old wounds, but I would just ask all of you, please, to raise your glasses with me. To Tina.'
It was a moving moment. Even the newer ones present, Jezza, the Ice Queen, who had not known Tina, raised their glasses in silent acknowledgement.
After that, things started to wind down. The Ice Queen and her husband were the first to leave, full of effusive thanks, followed shortly after by Jim Baker and Bella. It just left the team members and their partners, who were collecting their possessions and getting ready to make a move. Ted and Trev stood near to the doorway so they could speak to their guests as they were leaving.
Jezza was the first of the team to need to go. Leaving her autistic younger brother with child minders was never guaranteed to be easy.
'It's been a great evening, boss, thank you. You really are the best boss I've ever had. I suppose a Christmas kiss is out of the question?'
The colour drained from Ted's face. Trev, standing right next to him, instinctively took his arm, as he looked as if he might pass out. Instead, Ted excused himself and blundered out of the room, through the bar, now filling with the evening's drinkers, and out into the street, Trev hard on his heels.
'What's wrong?' he asked anxiously. 'Are you all right? You look shocking.'
Ted was gulping big breaths of the chilly evening air, leaning back against his car which was parked outside, to make it easier for Trev to unload the buffet.
'It's what Jezza said. Just now. It just hit me. That's the last conversation I ever had with Tina. Almost word for word.'
Trev put his arms round him and hugged him close. 'God, I'm sorry, that must have been so hard for you. Look, why don't you sit in the car? I'll make your excuses to everyone. I'll say it was something you ate. Then I'll take you home. I'll ask Dave if I can come and clear up tomorrow.'
Seeing Ted was about to argue, he said, 'Go on, here's the keys. I won't be long, then we'll go home. Are you all right to drive? I've had a few glasses of wine, I wasn't expecting to be driving.'
Trev sprinted back up the stairs to where the team members were hanging round looking anxious, especially Jezza.
'Don't panic, folks,' Trev said reassuringly. 'The boss just felt ill suddenly. Something he ate, and not my cooking. He thinks it was a dodgy ham roll at lunch time. He's going to sit in the car for a moment, then I'll take him home. He said Merry Christmas, everyone.'
'Are you sure he's ok, Trev?' Jezza asked him. 'It wasn't me asking to snog him that made him feel ill was it?' Her tone was light-hearted but Trev could see that she was worried.
Still reassuring everyone, Trev started to shepherd them all out of the door. Mike Hallam hung back, though he sent his wife on ahead, armed with the car keys.
'Right, Trev, it's just you and me here now so cut the bullshit. What's wrong with the boss?' When Trev opened his mouth to reply, he interrupted, 'And don't say a dodgy ham roll. I had lunch with him and he didn't have ham. And he was fine all afternoon, after he'd eaten. So what is wrong?'
'He's all right, Mike, really. It's what Jezza said to him just now. It was almost word for word what Tina said to him, this time last year. The last time he ever saw her alive. It just got to him a bit. He's a bit tired, and a bit low over the lack of progress on this case. I'll take him home, he'll be fine. Thanks for your concern,' he waved away Mike's offer of helping to clear up, and went to explain to Dave.
Ted was unusually quiet as he drove them home, so Trev said nothing, just sitting quietly in the passenger seat. Once back at the house, Trev installed him on the sofa with the cats and put the news channel on automatically while he went to make them both a hot drink. He came striding back in rapidly when he heard Ted exclaim 'Shit!' and call his name.
'Police in Somerset have discovered the body of a teenage girl, believed to be about fifteen years old, in a field near to Glastonbury, scene of the world-famous festival. No information as to the identity has yet been released until next of kin have been informed, but the death is being treated as suspicious …'
The two men exchanged stricken looks and both exclaimed, 'Shewee.'
Ted got up and went to his partner. 'Phone her,' he said. 'It won't be her. You'd have heard if she'd gone missing. It's not her.'
Trev had his mobile out and was pulling up his sister's number with a hand which shook visibly. He dialled the number then, when someone answered, he said, 'Shewee? Thank God! Are you all right? We just saw on the news …' then, raising his voice, he demanded angrily, 'Shewee, are you in a bloody pub?'
He listened for a moment, then said, 'You are in a pub, I can hear from the background. Shewee, get a taxi and get back to the school, now. You frightened the crap out of us both. We thought you'd been murdered. It's just been on the telly that a girl around your age was found dead near Glasto. We were worried it was you.'
Ted held out his hand and said, ominously quietly, 'Give me the phone.' Even Trev knew better than to argue with him when he used that tone.
'Siobhan? Give me the name of the pub you're in.' There was a pause as she started to protest, then he said, 'I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Give me the name. Then phone a taxi. You have ten minutes to get yourself out of there. I'm sending the local police round. You and I will talk again soon about this. Now get yourself back to school, and don't worry your brother like this again.'
'Are you really going to call the local nick?' Trev asked him, when he ended the call.
Ted sighed. 'I'm a policeman. I've just heard of an illegal act being committed, a pub allowing under-age kids onto licensed premises. I can't turn a blind eye. You should know by now, I'm on duty all the time. Every day. Even Christmas
.
'It could so easily have been her, in that field. Your kid sister. Because some pub landlord somewhere is letting kids in to get drunk and get into all sorts of danger. So yes, I am going to send the local force round there, right now. And I really am going to phone Siobhan, and soon, to give her a sizeable piece of my mind.'
Chapter Sixteen
Being able to celebrate Christmas with his partner was never a certainty for Ted. He couldn't count the number of times an early morning phone call had taken him away and kept him absent for most of the day. He was on call and would go in as soon as he was needed. But for once, the morning was peaceful.
Ted woke up at his usual time, but stayed in bed for a while, revelling in the unexpected luxury. He kept reaching out to pick up his mobile phone to check it was still on and had a signal, hardly able to believe his luck that there had, as yet, been no call.
Trev was still dead to the world and wouldn't be stirring for a while yet. Ted carefully and quietly slid out of bed, pulled on sweat top, pants and slippers, and headed downstairs to make them both a tray of morning tea. It would be a rare treat for them to enjoy breakfast in bed together. Neither Trev nor any of the slumbering felines, dotted randomly round the bed, so much as moved a muscle. Only senior cat, Queen, opened one accusatory eye.
Ted had picked up almond croissants when he and Trev had gone into town the previous day, Trev to do the clearing up at The Grapes from the night before, Ted to call in at work to see if anything needed his urgent attention. It was always useful to have some quiet time at his desk to try to keep on top of the ever-mounting paperwork.
Virgil and Sal had both been on duty and at their desks on Saturday, Christmas Eve. Ted went and sat with them or a moment to chat, reassuring them both that he was fine, once again blaming a dodgy ham roll.
'What's the latest on Nat Cowley, Virgil? And how are the fish doing?' he asked.
'He's still in a lot of pain, boss. He was worried about his job, but it seems the supermarket want to make a bit of a PR thing about him being a hero, trying to protect a customer. Get some free publicity out of it. So clearly they can't do that and then sack him for having too much sick leave.'
Ted frowned. 'I don't suppose there's anything we can do about it, especially if Pocket Billiards gets a whiff of a story. But it strikes me as a bit tactless to the family of the young woman who was killed.'
'As for the fish, I never realised how relaxing it is, just watching those little guys swimming about, without a care in the world. The wife's driving me crazy at the moment, all this shopping and nesting, so they're my sanctuary. My excuse to slip away for a bit and just chill out.'
Ted and Sal both laughed at the image.
'I'd make the most of it while you can, Virgil,' Ted told him. 'It's not a road I've been down myself, but I imagine that once the baby arrives, things will be even less peaceful.'
All was still peaceful in the bedroom when Ted went back up with a tray on Christmas morning. Fresh orange juice, croissants warmed under the grill, green tea for himself, and Trev's usual brew, strong, dark tea, with just a cloud of milk.
Trev opened one sleepy blue eye as his partner slid back under the duvet. 'No phone call yet? That's the best Christmas present I could have.'
'Play your cards right and you might get another one, as long as there's time before you have to start cooking.'
The kitchen was always Trev's domain, especially at Christmas. Ted was put in charge of laying the table, then going to collect his mother. They would be eating in the living room for a special occasion, rather than the kitchen as they did when it was just the two of them. Bizzie arrived, under her own steam, with an expensive bottle of good wine for Trev and more home-made elderflower cordial for Ted, because he'd enjoyed it the last time she had produced some.
Earlier, Trev had phoned his sister and talked at length, before obediently handing the phone over to Ted, in full stern policeman mode.
After she'd listened dutifully while he read her the riot act, Siobhan said thoughtfully, 'Now I get it. What Trev sees in you. You really do care about people, don't you? My brother and I have never known much of that, with the parents we were saddled with. Merry Christmas, Mr Policeman.'
It made Ted feel surprisingly good. He did care. Sometimes he knew he cared slightly too much, which was why he took his job so much to heart.
'Merry Christmas, Siobhan. Try to keep out of trouble, and enjoy yourself.'
They made it through to the pudding before they were interrupted by a phone call, but it was the Professor's phone which rang. She excused herself, moved out into the hallway so as not to disturb the festivities, and listened to the details.
'Sorry to have to abandon you all, especially before the port and Stilton, but I have to go. Luckily, this one's for me, Edwin, you're not needed. Road traffic accident. From the sound of it, yet another drunken driver causing carnage. One young mother dead, two little children without a mummy on Christmas Day.'
She made her excuses and left. It wasn't long afterwards that Ted's mother's eyelids started to droop so he took her home. He still couldn't believe his luck that he and Trev had got to spend an entire Christmas Day, so far, without him being called away. He fervently hoped it would continue. He was going in to work on Boxing Day, at least for half the day, then it would be back to normal hours for most of the team. It was so nice to enjoy one quiet day, just like anyone else.
Boxing Day brought news of another attack, this time in Liverpool. Mike and Rob were on duty, and Rob was already on the phone to Liverpool when Ted arrived, getting further details. There had been a car theft and a sexual assault, but no serious injuries this time, although the attacker had used a knife to threaten his victim. There wasn't a lot they could do with the information until the following morning, when the team was back up to full strength.
'Taking his van to Ireland,' Jezza said decidedly at the morning briefing the following day. 'Trafficking something.'
The rest of the team made sceptical noises. 'You're obsessed with this lorry driver idea. Could be any number of reasons to be in Liverpool,' Mike cautioned her.
'But Jezza could just be right,' Ted said. 'It's worth a shot. So Rob, can you get your contacts in Liverpool to check with the ferries to see if there were any Sprinter vans booked on any crossings, either outbound or incoming. We've got so little to go on, we can't afford to turn our back on any lead. If they do come back with details, cross-check them against Shuttle traffic from Folkestone.
'And I still favour the idea that there is a forces connection, so let's find out where ex-service personnel congregate on our patch and get out there talking to them. Someone, somewhere, has a strong suspicion who this man is, and we need to know.'
'At least he may be off our patch for the time being,' Jezza added.
'Don't get complacent. He was there yesterday, but he might have arrived there coming back from Belfast, rather than heading over there. In which case he's had plenty of time to be back on our patch. Eyes and ears open everywhere, all of you. Jezza, you in particular, be careful. Don't take any avoidable risks.'
Ted thought he'd take a moment to catch up with the local reporter next. He'd promised him a big story and wanted to make it look convincing that he was honouring his word. He was fervently hoping that Pocket Billiards had picked up the clues, as well as the dropped leaflet, and made some progress. If not, he would have to try again, using less subtle means.
The journalist was almost off-hand with him, not at all like his usual obsequious self. It seemed he could hardly wait to get Ted off the phone.
'I just wanted to wish you season's greetings, Alastair, and to say I've not forgotten about you. I did promise you information on a potentially very big story, and I'm just chasing down a few more details for you.'
'Great, Ted, thanks,' he said dismissively. 'As it goes, I got wind of something myself, something big, and it's keeping me a bit busy at the moment. But thanks for thinking of me, and I'll look forwar
d to hearing what you have for me.'
Ted smiled to himself as he ended the call. It sounded like a result. He would just have to keep his fingers crossed that it worked out as he wanted it to and there was no fall-out.
Later in the day, on a whim, Ted made another phone call, then went back into the main office. 'It's still fairly quiet, so if you want to sort it out between you that half of you go earlier this evening and the other half do the same tomorrow? If that's ok with you, Mike?' he said.
'Fine by me, boss, good idea. Can we sort it out like grown-ups or shall we draw lots?'
'I'd really appreciate it if I could go a bit earlier, Sarge,' Jezza put in. 'I thought I'd got Tommy exactly what he'd asked for as his Christmas present but, apparently, it was the wrong colour so he had a bit of a meltdown. I promised to try and change it for him today, if I got time.'
Ted liked to watch the way his team worked together and supported one another. Jezza had had a shaky start, fitting in. Now the others knew more about her home circumstances, they were more supportive of her, without letting her take liberties.
'I'm off now, too, Mike,' Ted told him. 'There's someone I'd like to call on. But phone me if anything happens, or if you need me for anything. Otherwise, I'll see you in the morning.'
Ted pulled the car up outside the house in the quiet street where Kenny Norman's sister lived. He wanted to check that the woman was all right, living on her own as she did. He didn't want to give her false hope, but he did at least want to reassure her that he was doing all he could to keep her name, and that of her brother, out of the paper in connection with the current enquiry.
Although he was expected, Ted once again had to produce his warrant card and hand it through the narrow gap left by the safety chain. He was quick to reassure Miss Norman when she kept him waiting.
'You're doing absolutely the right thing, Miss Norman. Exactly the kind of safety measures we always try to encourage people to take, especially when they live alone.'