Detective Inspector Steve Cutler and Detective
Sergeant Steph Baldwin arrived first by about five minutes and watched as Sarah
Cooper turned the corner into Farmers Lane and Steve internally observed that
she was much more put together than the last time he saw her, in a floral
summer dress and he liked what he saw the first time but this time even more
so.
“Good morning, Inspector” she said brightly
“Good morning, Mrs Cooper, nice to see you again”
“Likewise, but please call me Sarah”
“This is DS Steph Baldwin”
“Hello” she said and shook them both by the hand
as the SOCO van arrived.
“So, as I explained we are interested in where
the two cars were parked”
“Well, the green Lexus was just here by the gate”
“Facing which way?” Steph asked
“Down the lane” she replied
“And the Tesla?”
“That was much further along the lane, facing
uphill,” she said as she led them to the spot
“It was here; they would have had to do a
three-point turn to go back down I would have thought” she said just as one of
the SOCO’s Aoife
Shannon joined them
Scenes of Crime
Officer Aoife Shannon was a
fiery thirty-two-year-old red head, tall and willowy, who led her team by
example and relied heavily on her instincts, which rarely failed her.
She had been married for nearly 10 years when her
husband betrayed her, she hadn’t been able to trust a man after that.
“Hi Aoife” Steve said
“The Tesla was parked around this area, and it probably did a 3 point turn so
can you check the verges, plenty of pictures, a casting if you get lucky”
“I’ll see what I can
do” she replied
“The Lexus was parked
further down the lane by the gate”
“Ok Hannah is by the
van so can you show her?” Aoife said
Hannah Wells was a
younger less experienced SOCO, but she was as keen as mustard and more than
capable.
She was a plain emaciated looking girl, stick thin
with straight shoulder length blonde hair and as she never wore make up at work
she looked five years older than the twenty-six, she actually was but she had
the most stunning eyes.
She also wore masculine looking clothes to work,
and the gossip in the department was that she was a lesbian, the truth however
couldn’t have been further from the truth, if anyone outside of her closest
circle ever saw her outside of work she would not have been recognized.
Even though her features were plain there was
something about her that shone through from within and as a result of that she
was never short of a date, not because she was an easy lay but because she was
good company, she had in fact only had four lovers in her life, as of that
moment there was no one special in her life.
“Ok thanks Aoife” DS Baldwin said and then with a
nod to the Inspector she added “I’ll go and speak to her”
Steff had rushed to speak with Hannah to allow
Steve and Sarah to walk slowly down the Lane because she had detected a spark
between them, that in itself was not noteworthy, they were both easy on the
eye, what was remarkable was that it was the first time since she had known him
that he had shown any interest.
They made small talk
as they walked back to the end of the road in the august sunshine
“I see you're a little
more conventionally dressed today”
“Yes, I thought I
should, as I'm outdoors” she replied with a chuckle
“Thank you for
noticing”
“My pleasure,” he
retorted
When they reached the
bottom and she was preparing to head for home he said
“Well thank you for
your help, Sarah”
Before nervously
adding
“Perhaps when the case
is concluded, you might allow me to take you to dinner”
“Yes, I'd like that
very much”
“Great” he retorted
“I'll give you a call”
“I look forward to it”
she said and flushed pinkly
“Goodbye then” he said
“Bye, I hope you solve
it soon” she said brightly as she rounded the corner and he hoped she was more
concerned with the dinner date rather than the crime rate.
When Sarah had gone Steph reappeared from behind
the SOCO van where she had been discreetly lurking
“So how did you get on?”
“With what?” he asked guiltily
“With Sarah”
“Yes, she was very helpful” he replied
“I’m not talking about the case” the DS said
“I don’t know what you mean she’s just a witness”
“Well, I know what I was witnessing” Steph said
“so come on spill”
“I’m taking her out for dinner” he said quietly
“That’s great”
“But not until the case is solved” he replied
uncomfortably
“So, pull your finger out and help me solve it”
“Yes guv” she replied grinning
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