by Linda Regan
Alysha lifted the bottle in the air like an Oscar, ‘Alley Cat Killers,’ she said, shaking it and sending some of the contents flying in the air like an exploding cork.
‘Alley Cat Killers,’ Tink said, holding a paper cup under the leaking bottle, then passing it on to Panther.
Panther filled her cup and raised it. ‘To the end of them Chinese bastards around here,’ she said.
‘To the end of any bastards that try to dirty our estate or taint our kids,’ Lox said, lifting her cup.
‘Alley Cat Killers,’ the girls said in unison as they high-fived their cardboard cups to each other.
Stephanie had told Georgia she was taking her to the pub for a very large vodka. All the casework had been put to bed, and normally the squad would go to the pub for a celebration, but they had decided not to out of respect for Banham and Alison’s tragic loss.
‘You deserve a drink,’ Stephanie told Georgia quietly, ‘And so do I, so let’s down a few together.’
Georgia agreed wholeheartedly.
Just as Stephanie was clearing her desk and putting everything away, and Georgia was putting her coat on, Banham and Alison walked into the investigation room.
‘My office, now,’ Banham barked at Georgia by way of a greeting.
Georgia flicked a glance in Stephanie’s direction and just as Stephanie was about to wink, to wish Georgia luck, Banham turned to her, ‘You too, Sergeant Green.’
Surely Stephanie wasn’t going to get it in the neck for going to the hospital with Alison without asking for permission from him, Georgia thought. It was an emergency, for heaven’s sake. How insensitive could the man get?
Once inside the office Georgia and Stephanie stood facing him. Alison was next to Banham on one side of his desk, and Stephanie and Georgia on the other.
Georgia thought how pale and ill Alison looked, and hoped she wasn’t intending coming back to work immediately.
Banham pulled his chair out and gently helped Alison to sit in it. Then he turned back and looked first to Georgia, and then to Stephanie. It seemed a long few seconds before he spoke.
‘There is a certain amount of respect that is expected from officers of your experience and positions,’ he said to them, his blue eyes burning into Georgia. ‘Telling your superior officer that he is “losing the plot and to get a grip” isn’t what I would call respect.’ He turned to Stephanie. ‘And being told, via a message, that you, Sergeant Green, had taken it upon yourself to go to the hospital with my DI, and “would deal with it,” is at the least, insubordinate.’ He looked from one to the other. ‘Your behaviour towards your senior officers, in front of an army of other officers and civilians, is totally unacceptable.’
Alison turned and looked away.
‘I’m very sorry, sir,’ Georgia said.
‘Well I’m bloody well not,’ Stephanie said defiantly, and holding Banham’s fixed stare.
Georgia turned to look at Stephanie. Less than an hour ago Stephanie had told Georgia to take it on the chin and apologise to Banham, even though she wasn’t in the wrong, and here she was doing just the opposite.
Stephanie opened her mouth to say more but Alison butted in. ‘Stop it, Paul!’ she said to Banham. Then she shook her head and said to the girls, ‘He’s winding you up.’
Banham’s mouth then spread into a wide smile. ‘Sorry. I couldn’t help it,’ he said. ‘It was a way of breaking the ice. Actually, you were both right, and it is I who should be apologising to you.’ He looked straight at Georgia. ‘I was in the wrong, and I’m very sorry I embarrassed you.’ He then turned to Stephanie. ‘And I want to offer you my sincere thanks for going in the ambulance with Alison.’ There was a pause before he added, ‘And for the sherbet lemons.’
Before either Georgia or Stephanie could answer, he spoke again. ‘So, by means of making amends, I wanted you to be the first to know that Alison and I are getting married.’
Georgia turned to Stephanie, both looked delighted and bemused as Banham carried on.
‘It’ll be a small, very small do, but we would both be honoured if you would join our celebrations.’
Stephanie sighed loudly. Georgia turned her head to look at Stephanie. She could read her thoughts. Banham was one of the few officers in the squad that Stephanie hadn’t bedded, and she knew, by her friend’s large sigh, that Stephanie acknowledged she had now missed her chance.
‘I’d love to,’ Georgia said smiling at Alison. ‘And congratulations.’
Stephanie turned to Alison. ‘He’s a good catch,’ she said. ‘Bit of a chauvinist though,’ she winked at her. ‘Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?’
‘Watch it, Sergeant Green. I could take that invitation back,’ Banham teased, lifting a bottle of champagne out from under his desk and holding it in the air.
Stephanie laughed. ‘OK. I’ll do anything for a glass of champagne.’
Katherine John
The Defeated Aristocrat
James Green
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Published by Accent Press Ltd 2015
ISBN 9781783758975
Copyright © Linda Regan 2015
The right of Linda Regan to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon CF45 4SN