LITMIR.BIZ

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be gutted to lose you from my team because nobody provides me with the excitement or entertainment that you do but it might mean I can hang on to what’s left of my hair. Leave it with me and if you go and really hate dealing with all those Japanese tourists who have lost their cameras then you know I’ll have you back tomorrow.’

      She stood up to leave. ‘Thank you, I really appreciate it Kav.’ She walked out of the door and back to the office to wait for Jake to turn up so he could give her a lift back down to Marsh Street for that statement. It wasn’t long before Jake walked in carrying a greasy brown paper bag and slurping on a giant size drink. ‘I have no idea where you put the amount of food you eat or why you’re not fifty stone. What did Kav say to you then?’

      ‘Just told me I was a prick and basically I need to wind my neck in, but he also said that Will was an even bigger prick and I told him I didn’t know about that because I’d never had the pleasure. Soon stopped him in his tracks, he didn’t know where to look so he sent me out for food.’

      ‘Well at least you’re not in any real trouble, I appreciate you sticking up for me but like I told you before I can handle it.’

      She felt her eyes fill with tears and Jake began rooting around in his bag. He pulled out a cheeseburger and held it out. Annie shook her head.

      ‘You know you could always try batting for the other side, you might have a bit more luck with a bird. We could go to Manchester to the Gay Pride parade as a foursome.’

      He dodged the desk stapler that came flying across the room. ‘Just a thought.’

      ‘Hurry up, I need to get out of here and go get that statement.’

      Jake shoved the last of his burger into his mouth. He was still slurping from the paper cup. ‘Do you want some? It’s chocolate milkshake, your favourite.’

      ‘No thank you.’

      ‘Suit yourself but I bet it would make you feel better.’

      She walked out of the office with Jake behind her; head bent and straight down the corridor just in case anyone was looking. She couldn’t be bothered with polite conversation. There was no way she’d be coming back in here until it was finishing time.

       Chapter 8

      Sean parked the Ford Focus in the car park opposite the police station just in time to have front row seats for the fight which had just kicked off. In reality he should have run over to break it up but he was enjoying the show far too much. He did feel sorry for Annie; the poor woman didn’t have much luck with her men. A bit like him and his women, he chuckled to himself. He placed his bet on Jake, he definitely wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him and he got scary when he was angry. Sean had worked with him enough times to see him in action. Just as he thought about getting out of the car Kav intervened, saving him the trouble. He knew that stuck up bitch Laura was the cause of all this because he’d heard a couple of officers gossiping before briefing this morning in the parade room. Sean had never liked her, well he had until the last Christmas night out when he had bought her a couple of drinks and thought he’d been doing all right until Will had walked in. She then spent the rest of the night hovering around Will and completely blanking him. He hated women like that and an idea began to form in his head. He stayed in the car until it had all calmed down across the road, then just as he was about to get out his radio crackled to life as the control room asked him to attend a job. He started the engine and reversed out of the parking space to go all the way to the other side of town because a group of ten year olds were playing football in the street.

      ***

      It had been four days since Kav had told Annie about Windermere and yesterday he had taken her to one side and told her the job was hers if she wanted it. The only downside was that if she did she had to start there in two days’ time, they were so understaffed. She had gone home and dithered, was she doing the right thing? Should she not let her pride get the better of her? For a couple of hours she had gone over and over it. Then she’d taken a notebook and a pen, writing down a list of reasons she should go and reasons she shouldn’t. It took her ten minutes to realise the list for the move was much more impressive than the list not to. She’d phoned Kav and told him yes, thank you.

      She spent the last hour of her shift boxing up her stuff and her various pieces of uniform and Jake who had hovered around her all day helped her carry them to her car. ‘I can’t believe this is it, that I’m never going to work with you again.’

      Once more she asked herself if she was doing the right thing, but all that was keeping her here was Jake. She would miss the banter in the office and Sally and Claire the PCSOs but apart from them that was it, oh and Kav, she couldn’t forget him, he’d been more like a dad to her than her boss. She wouldn’t tell him that though. She had left a huge box of cream cakes in the fridge to help ease the pain a little; she had never really understood the tradition that if it was your birthday or you were leaving that you had to buy the cakes.

      ‘Don’t be soft; I’ll still see you out of work. It’s not as if I’m moving to London or somewhere far away.’

      Jake pouted. ‘Well I feel as if you are. I want a phone call every day and plenty of emails and if there is any eye candy up there of the male kind then that’s super important because I might have to get a transfer up there myself.’

      Annie laughed, ‘I promise I will.’ She loaded the last box into the back of her now full car and slammed the door shut. ‘Anyway it’s time to book off duty now, come on let’s go to the pub for a drink.’

      Jake brightened up at the thought of alcohol. ‘Excellent idea, should I see if Sally and Claire are coming?’ He went back inside and again she wondered if she was doing the right thing but then a car pulled into the yard and she caught a glimpse of Laura with her bleached blonde hair and felt the familiar pain shoot through her chest. Yes she was doing the right thing, she had spoken to Will briefly yesterday as she had been leaving the station and he had begged her to come home with him so they could speak but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to go back to his house; it was easier to blot things out this way.

      ‘Please Annie; we need to talk about this. One minute we were fine then within the space of twenty four hours you had moved out and I know it’s my fault entirely. But I need to explain it to you.’

      ‘Just give me some space, every time I see you with her it’s like a bloody great knife gets twisted in my heart. I might be soft but I’m not an idiot Will, I won’t have anyone laughing at me behind my back.’

      A van pulled into the yard and she walked away before the officers got out and took an interest in their conversation. She turned to look at him. ‘I think you should know I am transferring to Windermere. Kav told me they were even more understaffed than we are and need someone pretty quick.’

      She had walked away before he even had time to digest what she’d just said. She got into her car and drove it home, parking it on the drive and hoping that no-one would break into it with all her stuff inside or else she’d be in trouble. Locking it and double checking the doors she pulled out her phone and began dialling the number for a taxi just as Jake pulled up in a police van. ‘I thought that you might need a lift back to the station.’

      She grinned at him and climbed in. ‘So who’s coming to the pub?’

      ‘Kav, me, Sally, Claire and of course you.’

      ‘Perfect, my favourite people.’

      He drove them back to the station where he parked the van and then handed her the keys. ‘Go stick them on the whiteboard while I nip and get changed.’

      She took them from him and did as she was told. A wave of sadness washed over her as she walked into the sergeant’s office for the last time. The whole station was a complete shit hole but she loved it and would miss it. Kav walked in behind her. ‘I believe the first drinks are on you. Miss Graham.’

      She nodded, ‘They are, after everything you’ve done for me this

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