Disclaimer: I do not own Ashes to Ashes. BBC/ Kudos do.

AN: I last wrote fan fiction aaaaaaages ago, for Harry Potter. So this is my first story for Ashes and also my first on this site. Let me know what you think.

Case Closed

When Mrs. Elk looked out of her window across the park, she thought it was just another fire. There had been a few of them in this park and, like on previous occasions, she did not hesitate to call the fire brigade.

This one was closer to the trees than the others. Still far away enough that it wouldn't set the whole park alight but closer, much closer.

Still, what did it matter? Probably just kids messing around again. It was barely a matter for police since no one had been hurt and very little damage had been done.

Suddenly, the situation got more complicated.

They found a body nearby.

They called Fenchurch East CID.

"I'm telling you Bolls, open and shut case."

"And I'm telling you, Guv, you can't just take it as what you see. Maybe someone just wants us to think-"

"Chris!" said Gene, halting his storming into his office, instead wheeling around and addressing his Detective Constable, much to the annoyance of Alex, who had been storming after him. "Can you please re-cap the case for my esteemed Detective Inspector since she is clearly unfamiliar with the facts-"

"Oh, for God's sake, Guv," snapped Alex, "I know the case, you don't have to-"

"Oi, less talking, more looking at Chris and the magic wall. Look, things are going to appear on it. Look, look!"

Sighing, Alex took a seat opposite the whiteboard and arranged her features into a look of mock fascination that she instantly felt guilty for. It wasn't Chris' fault Gene had pissed her off so much already and he already looked pretty flustered.

"Erm, right, so yeah, basically, Fenchurch East Fire Department was called to Haladane Park two nights ago at three in the morning, in response to a fire by Mrs. Elk. Sorry, a call by Mrs. Elk about a fire. Once they had put the fire out, they found the body of a twenty-two year old white male. His name was Peter Brown, who was done for possession a year ago and he had died from a heroin overdose, probably taken in the park where he died since he was found with the needle."

There was a pause.

"That's it," concluded Chris with small shrug of his shoulders.

"No it isn't," said Alex, getting up and taking the pen from Chris, even though he hadn't written anything. The Guv made a big show of rolling his eyes and sighing, which Alex either didn't see or pretended not to notice.

"Yes, Brown had previous for possession. However, there was enough heroin in his house to suggest he was a dealer."

Alex drew a line from the picture of Brown that adorned the whiteboard and wrote her point next to it.

"However, you're all missing the most important point: the significance of the fire."

Gene sighed and this time Alex did notice and fixed her slowly narrowing eyes on him. He took this as encouragement to dive straight in with his mockery.

"The significance of the fire, Drake? Is it a premonition of how the Earth will be devoured by the Sun come the apocalypse? A time-old symbol of Man's quest for light and warmth? Or is it the physical embodiment of the burning sexual frustration suffered by every man in this building every time you turn up to work wearing those jeans with those boots?"

Alex looked down at her long legs. So he had noticed.

"Reports from forensics and the fire service put the start of the fire and Brown's time of death within an hour of each other at most. If Brown started the fire himself, we have to ask why. If Brown was already dead and then the fire was started, we should wonder why the fire-starters didn't notice the body, if indeed they didn't notice it. We should also consider the possibility that Brown was murdered and that-" She raised her voice over the sounds of disbelief from her male colleagues, "the fire was started to burn evidence."

"But why burn evidence at the scene?" Ray asked. "Surely it would've been better to take the evidence away, in case the fire didn't destroy it all."

"Well, maybe the evidence was too cumbersome to carry away-"

"Or maybe we should 'consider the possibility'," interrupted Gene, his fingers waggling around Alex's phrase, "that there was a fire, started by some kids in a park. Junkie comes along, sees a nice warm fire, settles down, shoots up and dies. "What was supplying the fire, Drake?"

"Wood."

"Any suspicious objects, or remains of suspicious objects found?"

"No, Guv."

"Case closed then." With that, Gene got up from his chair and finally managed to storm into his office, the door slamming shut behind him.