Just a quick update to get back into the swing of things. Planning to finish this before the year is out!

DCI West's voice sounded as they reached the station entrance. 'Guv - Gene - wait!'

Alex rolled her eyes as Gene refused to break stride, moving purposefully towards the station doors. She reached out and grabbed his coat, tugging gently but insistently.

He turned, sparing her a glare before turning it on DCI West. 'Joining us for a bit of light policin' are you, Gaz?'

'You really think Larkin's involved?' Gary asked, drawing in deep breaths as he reached them.

'No,' Gene snapped, whirling and starting down the stairs. 'I just fancied a chat.'

'We think he may know more than he's letting on,' Alex supplied, sparing Gary an apologetic glance. For all that he gave her the creeps, she felt sorry for him. He was clearly lost with Gene here, torn between wanting to maintain his authority and needing help, and he'd been big enough to go for the latter.

When they reached the car Alex watched, slightly bemused, as Gary climbed into the passenger seat.

Gene gave her a vaguely puzzled look over the roof. 'Gaz,' he said, leaning down to look into the car through the open driver's door. 'DI Drake usually sits –'

'It's all right, Guv,' Alex said brightly. 'I'll be fine in the back.'

Gene shrugged and wrapped his coat around himself before climbing into the driver's seat. Alex barely managed to get the door closed before the Mercedes squealed out of the station car park.

She hadn't been surprised to discover that in Manchester Gene somehow managed to drive even faster than he did on the streets of London. She watched in amusement as DCI West grabbed the handle above the door when Gene tackled a corner with a particularly savage turn of the steering wheel.

Gene barely spared the other DCI a glance. 'Gaz, make yourself useful. Get on the radio and secure a proper bloody interview room.'

'You haven't got a radio, have you, Gene? Left the station in a hurry,' he said, his knuckles paling as Gene took another particularly sharp corner.

'Glovebox,' Gene said shortly.

West leaned forward and opened the glove box. 'Erm… Gene?' he said. Alex watched in horror as he extracted a familiar scrap of black lace from the glove box.

Gene reached out and snatched the lace from West's hand. 'Was lookin' fer that,' he said, not taking his eyes from the road as he stuffed it into his inside pocket.

Alex ducked her head, feeling her cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment.

'Things're good in London on the bird front then, I take it?' West said, sounding amused as he leaned down to root through the glove box again.

Gene smirked, catching Alex's eye in the rearview mirror. 'Could say that, Gaz.'

'You got a couple on the go then?'

'None of your bloody business,' Gene said mildly. 'You found that radio yet or are you just feelin' up the Merc?'

West held up the radio triumphantly before raising it to his lips. 'Alpha One this is Eight-Seven-Zero. Receiving?'

Gene glanced over at him. 'Not enough you took my bloody office, Gaz? 'ad to take my number as well?'

West ignored him. 'Alpha One, can you reserve interview one for DCI Hunt?' Once he received an affirmative response he tucked the radio away in his jacket. 'What makes you think Larkin knows something? He's just a drunk.'

'His wife,' Alex said. 'And their neighbour thinks he knows more than he's letting on.'

'My lads interviewed him,' Gaz said. 'Nothin' to suggest he were hiding something.'

'Maybe they weren't asking the right questions,' Gene said grimly, pulling the car to a stop outside the Larkins' house.

'Mrs Larkin,' Gaz said when the door was opened. 'Your husband in?'

'He's just leaving to go back to work after his dinner,' Mrs Larkin said, stepping aside to allow her husband to pass.

'Mr Larkin,' Gene began, only to pause when Alex laid a hand on his arm. 'What?' Alex said nothing, merely widened her eyes in Mrs Larkin's direction. Gene rolled his own in response and sighed. 'Would you accompany us to the station? We'd like you to assist in our enquiries.''

/\/\/\

Mr Larkin was truculent and had turned hostile fairly quickly. Alex had been prepared for him to be difficult, his silence on the drive over had told her that much, but the man seemed to be being willfully obtuse. It wasn't an attitude designed to bring out the best in Gene and after a full ninety minutes of this, she could see he was starting to lose the little patience he had.

'I think you know just where your daughter is, don't you, Mr Larkin?' Gaz said, eyeing the man across the table as Gene paced behind him.

'If I did I'd bloody tell you!'

'See, I don't think you would,' Gene said, leaning down and pressing his hands against the table, commanding the man's attention. 'I think you know where she is, where she's been this whole time and I think you're lying through what's left of your teeth about it.'

'Guv – ' Alex began, leaning forwards.

Gene ignored her. 'What I can't for the life of me work out, is why. See, while you're pissin' us about your little girl's out there on 'er own.'

'You don't scare me, Mr Hunt,' the man sneered. 'I remember you, back in '75. Terrifyin' bastard you were.' He held Gene's gaze. 'Not anymore though, eh? South's turned you soft.'

Gene straightened. 'Is that right?' he snapped. He shoved the table to the side and dragged the man up, holding him almost six inches from the floor.

'Gene!' Alex snapped, aghast.

'She's a thirteen-year-old kid. Your own daughter. I know you know somethin'. Now you listen to me. DI Drake's about to get 'er expensive French knickers in a twist, thinks I'm being too hard on yer, seeing as you're the victim here. Only you're not. I know when someone's not bein' straight with me and you, my friend, are as bent as a bloody fishhook. I note your lady wife didn't make a fuss when I brought you in. Glad to see the back of yer.'

'I don't bloody know where she is, I swear it!'

'It really would be easier if you'd answer our questions, Mr Larkin,' Alex said. 'We know your son came to the house that night.'

'It weren't my son, It weren't our Mikey.'

'Bollocks,' Gene snapped, dropping the man to the ground. 'You're lying and I'm about three seconds away from-''

'It wasn't him.' Mr Larkin said quickly, pulling himself into an upright position. 'A lad came to the house but it wasn't Mikey.'

Gene glanced at Alex, eyebrows raised.

''Addiction can change a person,' Alex said reasonably. 'Perhaps he-'

'You're not listening. It wasn't my son, it was some other kid. Came in, took Sandra away with him.'

'Against her will?' Gaz asked.

'No. She went of her own accord. that part weren't made up.'

'Does your wife know?'

'No. Kitty believes she were taken.'

'The broken glass…' Alex said quietly.

'I did that. So the wife wouldn't cotton on.'

'Why?' Gaz asked.

'Sandra… She threatened to tell the missus if I said she'd gone wi' that lad.'

'Threatened to tell her what?' Alex asked.

'I lost me job. Turned up a bit the worse for wear a few too many times.' Gene stepped forwards menacingly and Mr Larkin held his hands up. 'An' I've been carrying on with 'er over the road.'

'So you let us believe your daughter had been kidnapped?' Alex said, disbelieving.

'I thought you lot would bring her back, like. No 'arm done.'

'What did he look like?' Gaz said. When Mr Larkin looked blank he added, 'The man you let your daughter leave with. What did he look like?"

'Weren't a man,' Mr Larkin said, picking himself up and sitting back in his chair. 'What do you take me for?' When Gaz only glared in response he went on. 'About your height,' he nodded at Gene. 'Dark hair. About our Mikey's age. Looked like one of the lads he was hangin' around with last I saw him.'

Gene regarded him intensely for a moment, holding the man's gaze and making him squirm. 'You're free to go, Mr Larkin,' Gene said quietly, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Alex exchanged a glance with DCI West and hurried after him. 'Gene-'

'Girl's run off, Alex. This isn't a case for CID.'

'She's thirteen, Guv! And we only have his word for any of it!'

Gene rounded on her. 'You think he was lyin'?'

'No, but she's still a child. We can't just leave her out there!'

'Of course we can't,' Gene said, softening slightly. 'Plod'll keep looking and Gaz's lot are more than capable. You and me, Bolly, have a case of our own. Something we need to get back to, judging by Simple Simon's lack of bloody progress so far.'

'Her brother's twenty-two, Gene. An adult.'

'So?'

'So Mr Larkin said the boy who took her was the same age. Not a boy. A man,' she added, in case he'd not seen her point.

'What do you want me to do, Bolls?'

'Stay with this,' she said, adding, 'please?' when he still looked unconvinced.

'We need to find Carson. In case you'd forgotten, DI Drake, he's the reason for this little trip up north.'

'I hadn't forgotten, Gene, I just think this little girl's in trouble and we should help.' Gene dropped his gaze for a moment and she allowed a slight smile to overtake her face, knowing she had him. 'Spend one more day on it?'

'No,' Gene said firmly.

'Please, Gene?'

Gene narrowed his eyes at her. 'Don't flutter your eyelashes at me, Bolls, I don't like it.'

'Well, that's bollocks for a start, Guv.'

He sighed, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. 'I'm going to look for Carson. If you want to spend more time on this be my guest, Madam Fruitcake.'

'Divide and conquer?' she said, offering him a smile.

'If you like, Bolls. But I'm warning you,' he said, pushing away from the wall and heading off down the corridor. 'I find our man, I go back to London. With or without you.'