Behind The Smile...

[charmed60]

Really pleased to hear you'll be updating this, I've been reading it from the beginning and can't wait to find out what happens next. I hope you're ok now!

[KirstyEkua]

I just read all of this in one shot and it's fantastic!! So exciting and well written!! I hope everything is okay with you now and you're feeling good Can't wait for the next chapter!

[WYN100]

HERE IT IS, ESCAPED FROM THE VAULT ! LOL - REALLY BIG THANKS TO THOSE WHO ASKED ME TO TRY AND BRING THIS ONE BACK, REALLY HOPE YOU THINK IT'S OK, ANYWAY !!

CHAPTER 21**

Adrian Rogers signed the last remaining gaps on the contract sheet for the completed sale of his printing business that were laid before him on the long oak polished office desk and gave a contented sigh. He flopped back into the into his richly-upholstered leather-backed chair. Responding to a question from opposite he stretched luxuriously and said "WHY did I want to sell ? Well....." he chuckled "....a little more time on the golfcourse never goes amiss, now does it ! But..well, when I first started this it was pre-internet, pre-celeb mags and the like, and though, as I've been able to convince you, there IS ample room for expansion, re-prioritizing etc etc, I'm not really up for the kind of hours and input that would require, plus I do have other business interests, and the cash from those - plus this deal, will help to keep the wolf from the door, if you know what I mean...!"

"Mr Rogers, purely from interest of course, am I able to ask you who's buying the other 50 per cent of this business ? "

The middle aged vendor grabbed the lapels of his well-tailored bespoke suit as if to strike a position of mock humorous authority, and raising a finger, replied "Ah no can do, I'm afraid, business confidentiality and all that !!". Then, breaking into a laugh went on "no, I can't at this point, but by the very nature of this enterprise, I imagine it won't be long before you're encountering the...ah....buyer, you get my drift..?"

He received a smiling nod in reply, but the response that began "Oh yes of course..." was interrupted by a Black Eyed Peas mobile ringtone. Looking down, she said, " Oh I am sorry - it's my husband - - I'd better answer it as I'm sure he wouldn't call about anything trivial knowing I was in this meeting..." An easy hand gesture from Rogers and the call was taken..."Hi !, what....oh..... WHAT's happened...!! ....well of COURSE it doesn't matter about that - yes you get going as quick as you can..speak to you later...love you, bye.."

Having secured her share of the printing business, Amanda Vale stood and made her apologies to Adrian Rogers along with the requisite small talk about catching up again soon- as she turned on her heel and quickly left the plush-carpeted office with a dual worry in her mind -of the natural wife's variety about Peter Baker getting involved in a very hazardous situation...and also hearing about the case he had been assigned to -that of Jack Holden, where prospects were sounding progressively bleaker..

Rachel sat up in bed with some effort and weakly laced her arm round Nurse Julie who was sitting at her bedside and had been bringing her up to date with developments relating to the previous evening. "Julie, I couldn't BE more grateful that you put the blocks on Lewington last night - hey, I may not even be here otherwise, by all accounts !"

Julie turned her head with characteristic modesty, replying " Aw no, it was mainly Craig that did it, but the whole point was that we got you safe through it," and with the hint of a tear in the corner of her eye, "....and I COULDN'T be happier !" The hug instinctively turned into a communal kiss on either cheek as Rachel sank back onto the bed, still smiling - before, a thought suddenly striking her, worry replaced affection on her features , she asked Julie in low tones "Hey, Lewington didn't find out what you'd done , did he ? Can't imagine that would go down well AT ALL, if he did !"

Crossing her fingers in front of her , Julie whispered back "Don't THINK so - but I've been trying to keep out of his way this morning, as you can imagine !"

"Good on you girl- you keep it that way !"

"Anyway," went on Julie, resuming more businesslike mode and pouring Rachel a glass of water - "anything at all I can get you while I'm here ?"

Rachel gave a giggle and said "only a free pass from the hospital food !"

"No can do I'm afraid Madam" responded Julie with mock gravitas before turning towards towards the door which had opened to show Dr Lewington inclining his head inwards - "Dr Armstrong, good to see you back with us, have no fear, we'll keep a very close eye on your progress.."

Rachel responded quietly "...thank you, Doctor."

Then, just as he looked set to leave came the switchblade thrust "Oh, and Nurse Cooper - could you look in at my office on your way out. please ?"

"Of course Doctor", replied Julie, looking back over her shoulder to see Rachel's anxious face with an encouraging 'good luck' thumb raised to the side of her face.

Minutes later in Lewington's office Julie sat and chafed - her only view that of the top of Lewington's head as he quite calculatingly pored over documents, ticking boxes and flourishing down his signature, before finally looking up and saying in his pompous languid drawl "Nurse Cooper, thank you for coming - now, as you're aware we recruit and retain in this department on a series of renewable yearly contracts, and I believe yours is up for renewal in the next few weeks....?" Julie's brow crinkled in confusion as she nodded....Lewington paused theatrically before continuing "I've just been checking some worksheets and performance rosters, ......and I think it's fair to say there's a considerable question mark over whether we'll be offering you a new contract....."

An icy tingle ran up and down Julie's spine, but through the fog that had had dropped on her like a combat agent from a helicopter came the increasingly clear message......so Lewington HAD been aware of her role in the events of the previous evening....

"How in the HELL was this allowed to happen ??!!" Peter Baker's voice radiated genuine anger and concern as he thumped his fist down on the reception desk at Yabbie Creek Police Station. Peter had been summoned from the City to the Bay as soon as news of Jack's disappearance had filtered through, and was now demanding answers from the other side of the desk where an embattled Fitzy was attempting to pass on what exactly she knew " Well, I'd gone off shift as normal and walked home- Jack w as in the back office, and Kelli -a new girl -" in response to his enquiring look - "was on front desk. It wasn't until Harper got in and I returned that we knew what had happened and I raised the alarm.."

"Surely this Kelli girl must have seen or heard something ?" demanded Peter. " No, she says not.." responded Fitzy earnestly "She's very upset about it actually, so I've sent her home for a bit - she DOES say she THOUGHT she may have heard him shouting at around 10 o'clock or so, but assumed it was at somebody down the phone maybe ? BUT one thing we DID find when we searched the car-park was one of these that someone must have dropped...." She cradled the laser pen in a piece pf paper as she passed it to him to prevent any possible vital DNA or fingerprint evidence being corrupted. He regarded it with similar care before handing it back "Thanks -good find - ok, obviously I'll have to speak to Kelli later - now do we know the very last thing Jack was doing before he disappeared ?"

"Well all I know is he was at his pc when I looked in to say goodnight..."

"Thanks, I'll take a look..." Peter went over to the computer and started searching through some files, and websites from the previous day's 'history' tab, After short while, his attention was taken by an audible 'ding' and a " You have new mail" tab. Navigating quickly to Jack's Outlook he saw a top subject line of "HAPPY WATCHING, PIGS !!" from a hotmail address. Homing in quickly on the video attachment , he quickly beckoned over Fitzy to confirm the woman in the picture as Kate Amery.Standing in a dark, nondescript room, Peter upped the volume as she began to talk. "So then pigs, what price do you put on a life ? Oh, say maybe like my guy Logan who got blown away by you yesterday ? Now I'd say priceless - but - ooh, say 50 thousand dollars would be a good start ! Now you wait for my instructions about delivery , and if you don't follow through..." The camera widened to show a dazed, pale looking Jack, still in uniform and trussed tightly to a chair behind a table containing a large and sharp-looking knife - - her voice took on a darkly sinister tone as she concluded "....or I may just be forced to send a certain Constable back to you one finger at a time...." The screen faded - perhaps appropriately - to black...

.

[suzannelgnz]

Hey, thanks for updating this Wyn.

It's a great update, and i am soo glad that rachel is ok The cliffhanger wss really good too

[charmed60]

Yay I'm really glad you updated this one, thank you so much!

Really pleased Rachel's ok and I liked how you wrote the friendship between her and Nurse Julie, they've in the past had scenes which show they're close.

That cliffhanger was scary, please update soon, don't keep us waiting so long next time

[WYN100]

HI ! Not quite so long to update this time, hope it's ok, thanks for the really nice comments

***CHAPTER 22

"Look Julie, I do understand, but the hiring and firing in the various departments has to be done by the head guy there, and I have to be seen to stay at arm's length -you know ?" Craig Anderson's tone was gentle - he'd always liked Julie Cooper in all the dealings he'd had with the nurses, and part of him was vaguely surprised that she'd some to him over a contract issue such as this. She sat momentarily quiet in the homely living room of his official dwelling house set just at right-angles to the hospital itself and chewed absently at a fingernail.

Eventually she spoke with quiet reserve "Craig I hear where you're coming from and if it was only as you describe, I wouldn't DREAM of coming to you about it - I'd be very happy to be judged on my own efforts. But - and I'm sure Rachel will back me up on this - I think we're talking a whole different agenda here. "

Craig's brow crinkled a little quizically..

"I think he's worked out that I raised the alarm about him arriving....let's just say.....a little the worse for drink last night to do Rachel's operation , and - reading between the lines of what he told me, that's a VERY large part of his thinking in hinting about letting me go when the year expires...."

Craig clapped his hand to his forehead - " Of COURSE ! - I should have put 2 and 2 together !! I really ought to have known YOU'D be the LAST person to come to me just asking favours for no good reason -I mean you're one of the most quietly efficient nurses we HAVE on staff !"

She smiled with characteristic modesty as Craig considered what his next

move would be "I'm betting of course that he didn't MENTION last night in terms of the assessment thing ?" She shook her head as he delved deep into thought. Light dawning, he rose from his armchair with a "RIGHT !! I've got JUST the way to stump Mr self-satisfied Lewington - and maybe we can make sure for once he DOESN'T always have the last word !!" Julie smiled with genuine gratitude - it was a shame neither of them realized the resilient Lewington had one further potentially potent weapon remaining in his locker,,,,

Miles and Brad looked uneasily at one another, nervously fiddled with the areas where their hidden microphones had been secreted before being irritably gestured at by McGrath -not for the first time- to desist from doing so . "So then - ah, we ready ?" said Brad, the marginally less edgy of the two about what awaited them.

McGrath looked up from his desk. He'd taken the call from Norris warning of Lewis Rigg's misgivings over the course of action they were about to adopt but had decided they were too far down the line to change the course of , or even abandon, an operation constructed to help find the murderer of Henk Van Patten - purely on the word of a struck-off doctor and convicted drug user supplied only when they were this far down the line both in terms of participants and organization.

"Right, you both know how this is going to work, you two walk to that particular pub together , you try and fix a meeting with Bradshaw -and you get him to admit that he's screwing more money out of you than his so-called "contract" stipulates - once you're in there, our unmarked van complete with recording equipment will roll into range outside and hopefully - - bingo !"

And so it was that ten minutes later , two growingly reluctant figures were shambling with visible lack of enthusiasm towards the notorious 'Diamond Arch ' pub, the sort of place where you tended to even accompany a drinks order wiith a " no offence, mind you !" They wandered into the dimly lit bar, their attempts to look like they were acting naturally virtually guaranteed to have called forth close and possibly hazardous attention were it not for the fact that the bar was largely empty and the two men who were present had their backs squarely to the door and were ranged around a table so choked with empty bottles and glasses even the matchsticks used to power their strong-odour cigarettes had to be dropped down the empty bottlenecks such was the premium of tablespace.

Despite the long and vacant sweep of the barfront, Miles and Brad had congregated rather incongruously at one end of it, so much so they were almost standing on each other's toes.

Turning round from fitting an optic, she short, squat barman raised his eyebrows instinctively on viewing the two, but recovered his poise to ask " What can I get you blokes ?"

"Oh...uh, just a bottle of beer..." from Miles

and , "ah - gin and tonic" said Brad, a little stiffly.

Outside in the van, McGrath, folded in sardine-style next to Sergeant Harper and the recording equipment breathed tensely "Get ON with it..."- not something either man inside could hear, but eventually after the surreal period of shadow-dancing, the two men exchanged looks, Brad gave a nervous cough and asked the barman "Ah....Mr Bradshaw around this evening ?"

The barman, who'd turned back to the optics, shot round at the asking of the question, looked at them suspiciously and asked with equal caution.

"Why, who wants to know ?"

Miles put in quickly " Oh we've done some business with him in the past, and - with just the hint of a wink, "We could be up for doing some more of the same, if you know what I mean !"

The man held his stare briefly before saying "I'll just go check..", before returning and silently crooking a finger to direct them towards a small back room heavily overlaid by a thick cloud of cigarette smoke which clearly did service as an office for the loan shark. Looking up, he smiled and said "Ah, darn good spot there, Maxie, KNEW it had to be these two from that description !"

Leaving through the narrow door, the barman replied "Not just a pretty face, eh boss !"

"Now then, what can I possibly do for Ying and Yang, who've been so kind to come and see me !"

After exchanging a brief nervous look with Brad, Miles began "Well look Bradshaw, that call you made to the Caravan Park yesterday - you know I paid you back that loan in full -and struggled damn hard to do it - what makes you think you can just slap on some mythical interest charge now, months after the event ?"

Bradshaw gave an unpleasant, rough-throated chuckle, "Um, now let me see - maybe because I just can ??"

In the van outside , McGrath breathed "Quality ! Now just a BIT more..."

Inside though, the loan shark had turned his attention to Brad - "And while we're on the subject, Mr Teacher Man, I've been thinking about it, and how about I give YOU ooh....another week to send me a thousand dollar top-up ? "

Outraged, Brad shot out of his seat, leant across the table in the direction of Bradshaw, and snarled "..and how about I give YOU...."

As he did, Miles gave an alarmed double-take at the sound of a clunk on the desk - one noticed also by the keen ears-and eyes- of Bradshaw. Brad's previously over fiddled-with police microphone that had been secreted behind his lapel had dropped and was now grabbed by the loan shark whose eyes suddenly adopted an ominously steely quality.....those listening outside were suddenly hearing nothing....

"Exactly WHAT do we know about Amery ?? " barked Peter at Fitzy as she dragged out a armful of folders from Jack's desk. I need to know the whens and whos and whys dating back HOWEVER long it takes, right !!"

He propped one hand on the adjoining desk as thoughts crashed through his mind like the sea unleashing itself against craggy beach-side rocks propelled by the severest of gales.

One side of his brain was pumping away in search of a solution for the plight in which Jack currently found himself, - the other side expperiencing a ghoulish sense of deja vu - another nurse, another crisis situation, and thoughts hurtling back to the incident at the original Jack/Martha wedding that had so nearly cost him his own life.

Calling across to Fitzy, he asked "have we had that sound enhancing back on the mp3 yet ?"

"No, but they said it shouldn't be too long.." then pausing as concern etched across her face " Do you really think Amery's got it in her to do what she was threate ning ?"

Peter pursed his lips "Truth is, which of us REALLY knows ? BUT - we have to ASSUME she has, right the way until we have her behind bars with the keys buried deep under the Bayfront sands - ok ?"

The door opened to reveal Constabl e Andrews holding a padded envelope which did indeed include a CD with the sound enhanced version of Kate Amery's macabre visual mp3.

Peter listened again - and again - and again, chafing with frustration along with the two women, before eventually snapping "dammit -I just can't ...." before grabbing the disc back, ramming it back in the player, fast forwarding and listening intently. Then - a thump of a fist on the table and he declaimed "That's IT !! I'm SURE I know where they are !" He bustled to the door and despite Peter's protestations that she should remain behind, Fitzy buckled her gunbelt and pulled on her blue jacket - - this was one developing drama she did not and moreover

felt she SHOULD not miss...

[WYN100]

***PART 23

Sally was working her way through a stack of emails involving her council ambitions - nominations, regulations, manifesto etc and was beginning to think it would have probably been easier for her to launch her bid for a seat in four or maybe even eight years time, and she was beginning to feel a headache coming on.

Shes smiled briefly as she flicked onto a mail from Tasha, confirming exactly what she'd suspected that her apparent unexpected and seemingly illogical exit from the coffee shop with Josie had been what she'd steadily come to realize - a ploy to reel Josie in with the next step to be revealed.

She'd look forward to that she thought, as she rose to mix herself a soluble aspirin to try and hi-jack the embryonic headache before it closed in to rule out any further work for that morning at least.

Her attention was diverted by a small but clear 'ding' from the region of the computer and and a robotized voice saying "Jesse, you got mail.." Brow crinkling slightly, she picked up the aspirin glass - it stood out rather for Jesse to have a personal mail announced to their general account as literally 95 per cent of the mails he got were work-related and went unannounced to a hotmail account he'd created for the purpose. Jesse was by no means a creature of the technological age, and would have considered a Blackberry something more to be placed under pastry and sprinkled sugar rather than carried at his side in the work van , hence her slight interest in his getting a mail to the other account.

Setting the aspirin down she thought briefly then decided as Jess was out and about for the day and a possibly misdirected mail could hold promise of a lucrative job he could get started on, she leant across and clicked on the mail. A sharp intake of breath followed, as far from an enquiry about building a jacuzzi or patio wall, she instead read..

"Hi babe, so good to catch up for lunch yesterday - must do it again before long....? Speak soon !" Followed by a mobile phone number.

Sally's mind was racing. On all of Josie's little tricks and deceptions so far she'd remained fiercely loyal to Jessie and seen them all for what they were - but now, a nagging little portion of her brain was asking....just how many chances was one expected or prepared to give.......?

"Oh I'll CERTAINLY help you Craig, one hundred per cent ! Julie 's a MAJOR asset to this hospital, and how DARE he use the fact she called you the other night as a weapon against her !"

Rachel was growing steadily more outraged as Craig laid out the Lewington/Julie scenario for her.

"I hate the way the management side of this operates and that the final decision actually IS his" explained Craig, "but while I DO have bigger guns I can fire at him if necessary, I just thought if someone in my position of OVERALL authority gathered some references, tributes, whatever you'd care to call them on her behalf, I could work the overall dynamic into a more positive one, you know ? "

Rachel nodded with rising enthusiasm and indignation - "Craig he could have operated on me having thrown down a couple of BRANDIES or whatever last night, and if he had, we ll, let's face it I may not even BE here talking to you now at all !" Craig nodded in agreement, and having got Rachel's support as expected, he drifted quietly around the rest of the ward gathering more and so it was that an hour or so later he was sitting opposite Lewington, saying he'd " heard on the ( very active) hospital

grapevine about the possibility of Julie not being kept on and how he'd been exhorted to see if there was any chance of a reconsideration.

Lewington had felt a mixture of his endemic pompous self-importance at being the one someone like Craig had been forced to come to , for, as he saw it "beg for a favour", while conversely he was bridling internally at least that his plan to pay out Julie for her part on the night of Rachel's surgery had firstly leaked out and secondly was now being questioned in this way.

He'd sat in silence reading the various depositions through his half-moon glasses until he reached the final one, that of Rachel.

"Ah yes, the bold Dr Armstrong - how delighted we all are that she's recovering so well from such potentially hazardous surgery !"

Craig murmured his assent before suddenly straightening up in his seat and listening with sharply renewed attention as Lewington continued , firing one of the silver bullets he felt remained in his armoury while under any form of perceived attack -"Of course there are other issues we need to consider before considering a deposition such as this from her...."

"There are...?"

"Yes well I'm sure you're well aware of her growing addiction to strong painkillers...?"

Craig tried hard not to display the jolt of shock that news had sen through him...no that was certainly NOT something he had been aware of...........

　

Peter had ridden his squad car at high-octane speed through the streets of the Bay, crunching through the gears and paying the kind of scant regard

and attention to speed limits and cameras th at only a policeman can with his own mental satnav locked inexorably on where he believed Jack to almost certainly be. Having heard the sound-accentuated CD over and over again, a certain background noise had clicked with Peter - the repeated groaning and rustling of a cement mixer in the background - an industrial style variety - and - due to the financial climate there was now only one active building site currently left in the Bay . Peter was playing a hugely instinctive hunch that the threatening Mp3 had been recorded very close to there, and he was sure he knew where. The site in question was more or less directly adjacent to the former railway line where there was a disused junction box-cum hut , all very near to where Logan had been shot a day or two previously. It was Peter's belief the Kate Amery's sick and macabre 'reasoning' would somehow see this as the appropriate place to in turn hold Jack and make the threats of dismembering they'd witnessed on the computer earlier on.

What he didn't know was that a couple of cars behind him, driving at a strategically slightly slower pace w as a nonetheless thoroughly hyped up Fitzy, determined to play her role in whatever was to actually ensue.

Up ahead of her, she saw Peter take a right turn in the rough direction of the tree and bush-laden hills looking down on the old railway at right angles to where Jack and Norris had parked days previously. As Peter dug out his long-range gun and binoculars he looked up with a start and cursed silently as he noticed Fitzy's car tucking into an anonymous-looking cove a few hundreds yards to his right. As she scuttled bent low to the passenger side of his car and entered carefully, he said with feeling " I TOLD you to stay behind !!"

"Harper's there to take care of the shop and with the greatest respect sir, I DON'T think this is a one-person job !"

Shaking his head but tacitly and reluctantly acknowledging her point, Peter explained his theory, and leaning forward with mounting excitement, pointed down at the building, the windows of which were actually larger than he'd remembered, breathed "SEE !, see- there are people in there. no SHADOW of a doubt !"

Fitzy nodded in agreement, saying, "but what can we hope to do ? "

Pursing his lips gravely, Peter said "Well I'm guessing there's just her and him in there - whoever those laser pen goons were that we're assuming took Jack were probably hired hands, and she's wanting to boss it on herself. OK, we didn't get a second MP3 video yet, but a control freak like her will be keen to get cracking on that soon...now let me just see...."

He slipped out of the car, crouching low, and looking keenly through the binoculars, made a fist of triumph before snaking back to the car. With the repetitive whirring of the tell-tale cement mixer in the background he whispered across at Fitzy, "It's JUST as I thought - someone - obviously Jack- tied to a chair, and someone else - obviously her - pacing around the room.."

"So..?"

"So ! - I get the sights on that gun, and wait to get a clear shot at her..."

"From this distance ?"

"Yes indeed from this distance ! I don't know about you, but I'd rather take my best throw at that than start opening envelopes with- well you know what I mean ! - contained inside them .."

"Do you think you'll be able to do it now...?"

"No time like the present, " replied Peter, already beginning to load the high-powered revolver with the ultra-close range lens finder attached. His stomach was beginning to pump and palms starting to become clammy. Fitzy gave him a sideways look and said "You sure you don't want me to do it ? I've got my advanced Marksmanship diploma...."

"Like I haven't ? " replied Peter, eyes burning with focus as he exited the drivers' door. "This, Sergeant - is down to ME and me alone.." as the Zoe McAllister scenario again shivered through his mind.

Kneeling in the ideal spot at the undergrowth with the steam-hammer accompaniment of his heartbeat, he viewed the dynamic of the room for minute after long minute. Her to the right, table to the left - her to the right, table to the left, her to the right, table to the left.....NOW, NOW was screaming in his head, but as he squeezed the trigger back, fatally Amery chose the exact wrong moment, to cross the room with the obvious intention of further haranguing Jack - the bullet sped, the glass shattered, a body slumped....but the burning and horrific question gnawed away..was it hers - or far more chillingly - was it Jack's...?

　

[suzannelgnz]

This is getting better and better

Yay for Rachel speaking out though, it's just a shame that Craig knows about her Painkiller addiction.

I'm really looking forward to seeing know Peter and Fitzy's stuff pans out and what happens to Jack next.

[WYN100]

****PART 24

"You surprise me a little there, Dr Lewington" said Craig, thoughtfully.

"Yes, I thought I would, " came back the self-satisfied smile from across the desk.

"No, I think you're getting me wrong there, Doctor, said Craig, leaning forward in his seat and applying a harder edge to his voice - "what I mean is that addiction is an ugly, subjective and even dangerous word to be throwing about - I'm sure you have chapter and verse in terms of hard evidence to back that up, or who knows, we could even be facing legal action for slander by Doctor Armstrong if she got wind of it !"

"Well, ah, um, there's plenty of things I've overheard or have been fed back to me - and there's some evidence of painkiller stocks diminishing slightly in recent months...."

Craig's presence seemed to swell in his chair as Lewington shrunk back a little - his so-called silver bullet having been fired and apparently missed its target by a distance.

Craig went on "I have to tell you Dr Lewington, YOU may be responsible for hiring and firing in this particular department. but it's MY job to be a guardian of this hospital's reputation, good standing and image, and I in NO way think that's best served by a court case setting one employee directly against another with nothing but Chinese whispers to support it !

I hope you'll agree Nurse Julie more than deserves another contract with us and your thoughts about Dr Armstrong remain just that -agreed ?

Dr Lewimgton 's expression indicated that he'd been forced to swallow a particularly sour pill. He shuffled his documents before spitting resentfully "

Yes, that's fine Craig, we'll leave it at that..." all the while consoling himself that when Dr Armstrong was recovered, she would STILL have to work with him....WITHOUT the protective arm of Craig Anderson around her.....

　

Having seen Brad's hidden microphone drop onto the table, Bradshaw's previous 'relaxed wide boy' demeanour had quickly changed into one of the dyed-in-the-wool money-lending thug that he was .With Brad and Miles frozen to the spot awaiting developments, a dark silence gripped the room with seconds seeming to turn to minutes and even hours.

Bradshaw eventually broke the highly-charged stalemate by extending his right hand as if to open the small right-hand drawer on his desk.

Fearing what it may contain, and with Brad still rooted to the spot at the sudden unravelling of their carefully-worked out plan, only Miles will ever know how - sitting at right angles to the desk as he was, he made a sudden lunge at the money-lender, winding him with an elbow to the ribcage and grabbing the small handgun he'd correctly predicted would be in there. Miles was of course perhaps the least convincing toter of a gun one could ever wish to imagine, so far from raising his hands or quaking in fear, instead a smile began to be born along Bradshaw's unpleasantly craggy features - extending his hand, he said challengingly "Aaaah now come on Teacher Boy, you hand that over - don't mess with things you don't know anything about - just give it me and we can all have a nice chat, right...?"

Summoning up every ounce of pugnacious aggression he could manage, Miles aimed the barrel at the threatening figure opposite him and said throatily "You just sit down, Bradshaw , don't think I'd be afraid to use this..."

Retaining every grain of his hostile, even stare, Bradshaw snarled back " You just wouldn't have the nerve...."

And suddenly all was chaos as the door shot back and McGrath, holding a higher-grade gun of his own yelled "But I most certainly WOULD !! - now spread your hands against the wall Bradshaw...!!"

Having been alarmed by the silence and subsequent dialogue through Miles's microphone, the Inspector had exited the van and shadowed his way into and through a back entrance of the pub, and had needed only to overhear a few words before making his striking entrance.

Having read Bradshaw his rights and begun to bustle him outside, he looked enquiringly at the other 2 and said, "there won't be much room for you two in the van with all the equipment - - guess we could all squeeze up though...?"

Mopping his brow, Miles put the palm of his hand towards the officer and said " Um - no thanks, after this - ah - jolliness !! - I'm not sure I want to sit on Bradshaw's lap for the next 20 minutes or so !" - evincing a snort from the by-now handcuffed thug, and a nod of assent from Brad who added "Yes, some fresh air would sure be good !"

Raising a thumb, McGrath responded "Right - you head for home, I'll start getting this guy grilled and I'll be in touch soon !"

Brad and Miles followed him out into the developing twilight, and crossing the road in mutually reflective silence, began the fifteen minute or so walk - via a short-cut, back to the Bay. Just before they were out of sight , a dark car with lightly tinted windows pulled out of the pub car park and started cruising in the same direction as them....

Peter's heart was wedged squarely in his mouth like a paving slab inserted sideways as he began the hazardous process of scrambling down the hill towards the disused railway building at which he'd fired that shot, the increasingly ugly screech of which kept grating through his mind as he descended. The shouted words behind him from Fitzy of "Be CAREFUL !!- we don't want YOU breaking a leg or something do we ??" merely drifted past his ears like the neutrally atmospheric hum of the swirling wind, , customary birdsong and the elevated chug of the nearby cement mixer in the adjoining builders' yard - the very reason that - via his educated hunch-had drawn him here in the first instance.

Part of him wishing fervently that the hunch had remained where it was, he continued the hair-raising semi-tumble down the side of the hill, all the while thinking "DAMN Amery for moving at that precise moment, DAMN Amery for taking Jack there in the first place and DAMN Amery for so ghoulishly re-awakening the ghost of Zoe McAllister in his mind. He was vaguely and distantly aware of Fitzy in the distance behind him attempting to propel HERself safely down, when - with a savage gash of emotion and adrenaline firing right across him he reached the bottom, straightened himself carefully, detached his gun from his holster, and - gripping it carefully, began inching his way around the narrow concrete path that bounded the building, Holding his breath he arrived at a rotten, half-collapsed door and , ears pricked, listened for minute after long minute , during which a purple-faced and dishevelled Fitzy appeared to his left, in equally circumspect mode.

Every muscle tensed in ready anticipation, Peter extended a leg, kicked down what remained of the door, and like Fitzy behind him, leapt into the room with a terse "Police, FREEZE !" Peter 'covered the width of the room with his gun barrel, before a tap

on the shoulder and a pointing finger from Fitzy led him to the one feature in an otherwise unoccupied area, that of a human frame at floor level by the wooden table, all too recognizable from the rogue Mp3. As Peter's pulse quickened to crescendo rate with a breathed "Oh my...", Fitzy's probing eye had made another discovery- an irregular path of blood zig-zagging away from the table into the other part of the room. The two officers exchanged quizzical glances before Peter inhaled the deepest breath and made his way towards the human frame, clearly identified by its blue shirt as Jack. Leaning over him, Peter gave a gasp of concern as he saw blood oozing through Jack's hair and onto his own fingers. Giving a groan he prodded the form and gave an urgent "Jack !!, Jack ?? speak to me mate, it's me, Peter - please tell me you're ok !!"

Then, just as he thought he discerned a faint pulse, the joy at that was amplified infinity times as he heard "Oooh - my HEAD !! ..." - and saw a hand reach up to rub the area from where the blood had been seeping. After what he'd feared all the way down the risk- laden side of the hill, he was WELL prepared for explanations to wait. JACK WAS OK !!! But even as his arm cradled the back of the officer's head, professional reflexes and a cold shard of realization simultaneously struck him - - - - - Kate Amery had once again escaped !! - and this time to do who knew what ??

[WYN100]

- YEP, STILL ALIVE !! lol !!

**CHAPTER 25

"Signed, sealed AND delivered !" Jas clinked celebratory glasses wiith Josie and sank back onto the sofa to share some vintage Chardonnay and mark the next stage of progress in their masterplan - the scheme which had united these two most wily and self-aware of women and generated their return to the Bay - a Bay where their previous machinations had earnedthem such suspicion and such invidious reputations both singly and a unit as they were now operating. Josie savoured the first crash of the chilled clear liquid against the back of her throat and licked her lips in appreciation. Falling silent for a while, she eventually observed slowly and deliberately "But now comes the 64 thousand dollar part of all this - making what is HIS become OURS !"

Jas tossed her hair theatrically and responded poutingly "My how you do wound me my partner in mischief - the process is already VERY well underway !”

“Oh DO tell. My dahhling…” replied Josie, entering willingly into the exaggerated ‘girlie’ mode.

“Well-once Master Dominic got the good news he became DECIDEDLY frisky . but though I TEASED some very convincing interest in that department too….” - an involuntary shudder from Josie….” I teased a big finish to the evening – but said that first we should do some ‘rich living’ round all the clubs first – Panache, Gold Rose, Upper Crust - - oooh, and a few more – and by the time the young tycoon had downed copious doses of champagne with a number of whisky sour cocktails thrown in, it was all he could do to stand up, let alone anything more – ah –let’s say …ambitious…!!”

“Like what I’m hearing, like what I’m hearing !!” put in Josie..”so the next stage.,…?”

“Well –tonight I –how can I put it-slip into something a bit more comfortable –point the way and oil the wheels so to speak, and then at ‘the’ vital moment, turn the discussion to ‘business’ matters and how wouldn’t it be great for he and I to work together etc etc…”

“Fabulous !” exclaimed Josie offering her compatriot a high five ..” work’s well under way on MY side of things – and knowing you as I do, it can’t go wrong…!”

But sadly and unbeknownst to them, it was already beginning to unravel, as an early-returning Dom, who’d paused at the closed door of the apartment living room on hearing voices, set his jaw grimly and slipped away….

“Dr Armstrong, good to see you back at work ! – now are you sure this isn’t all a bit too soon ?” Dr Lewington’s tone was obsequious in the extreme as he put his arm round Rachel’s shoulder. She suppressed a shudder at his thoroughly faux friendliness and replied “ No, I’m the worst possible home-patient –Tony would have sent me back here by fast courier express if I’d stayed home any longer !”

With a mirthless laugh more akin to a sneer, the doctor replied quickly “quite, quite…”, and with the previous ‘friendly’ aspect quickly dissolving he swept into order-giving mode “Now you covered routine brain surgery in your training an qualification, I take it ? “

“Y-yes, but….”

But Lewington had overridden her attempt to sound a note of caution and swept on. “Good, good, well there’s an old gent called Max Edwards due for surgery within the next hour – here are the notes, -he’s got Cavernous Hemangiomas –should be pretty straightforward to remove – I guess I’ll hear from you later….”

And before she could object, he strode away down the passage and out of sight.

Both had held unspoken thoughts of very different natures beneath the surface of the brief exchange. While Rachel knew the condition concerned, which involved removing small lesions from the surface of the brain, it had been quite some time since she’d performed the procedure which carried with it the very small risk of seizures in the patient. BUT – after the recent crossings of swords with Lewington, there was no WAY she was about to give him the satisfaction of pulling out of the first task he set her on day one of her return – nor indeed to tell him that brain and neurology work was WELL down her preferred list of specialities as a General Surgeon – even when she HAD had sufficient time to work his way up to it. !

For Lewington’s part, Stage One of his campaign to make Rachel’s life as uncomfortable as possible following what he’d perceived to be her calculated collusion with Nurse Julie over the previous business involved handing her some surgery slightly above the routine, retire to his office, and await what he calculated to be an inevitable call for assistance from Rachel- then emerge as the conquering hero.

It was a shame that the plans fate held in store promised a far from smooth path ahead for either of the two….

“ That was a leetle too close for comfort for my part I do have to say Mr Armstrong..” said Miles with feeling as they walked steadily back towards the Bay , “Next time you choose to drop a surveillance microphone on top of an empty desk, could you perchance ensure it isn’t the desk of a gun-toting lunatic my dear old fellah ?”

Brad’s face wore a wry smile as he replied “Um – gun-toting lunatics and surveillance microphones are NOT high on my list of priorities after THAT little lot , I can assure you – I STILL don’t really know how we got out of it - though your Mad Max routine !”

Miles gave a lordly bow , replying

“But of course, availailable for parties, wedding receptions and all else besides !”

“Hey never mind parties we’ve got that meeting with McGrath in the morning where we finally get to dump the dirt on Bradshaw- and NOT before time. !!”

Neither had noticed the large dark car purring along the road behind them which had now effectively drawn level with them.

Just as Miles was launching into a scene from ‘Thunderdome’, the car stopped and a muscular, tall figure exited the drivers’ door and emerged to enquire, “Ah… either of you guys know where Appletree Grove might be ?”

As Miles and Brad looked at each other in mild confusion and began both saying “Well, no, not real….”, an equally well-built man as the first emerged from the car’s rear door, saying “Well how about we take a little trip there then…” – and in a matter of seconds the car had glided off…. this time with a pair of most unwilling new occupants…