NOTE: Set in the episode
'Painted In Blood', major spoilers for that episode
With The Same Brush
by elfin
*on the green*
Troy strolled off, obviously rattled, and Joyce looked up to study her
husband.
"Pushing his luck, is he?" she asked gently. She was sensitive to
Tom's feelings about being 'ousted' from his own investigation and
being treated like a has-been by his own sergeant.
But Tom smiled and shook his head, crouching down next to her, watching
Troy vanish back inside the pub.
"He's excited. It's the NIS!" Joyce chuckled, ruffling
Tom's hair. "Under most circumstances it would be a real
opportunity. But there's something going on. I think he's
being used." She heard the note of regret in his voice.
"They're going to break his heart. I'm counting on him being
strong enough to come out of this with his dignity in tact."
"I'm sure he will."
"Ummm." Shrugging with a deep sigh, Tom rose to his feet.
~
*in the office*
Tom could see the cogs turning in his sergeant's head. And he
smiled to himself.
Troy might have been a 'flat-footed country copper' but he was a proud
and intelligent man.
All Tom had to do was point him in the right direction and give him a
little push.
~
*Mrs Tyrill*
Later, after the interview, news soon travelled back to Tom about
Troy's interruption. The NIS officers were apparently still
fuming about having their 'planned' interrogation messed up by a local
CID sergeant.
Tom was all smiles that afternoon. He'd trained Troy well and he
was proud of him. It was strange not to have the man constantly
at his shoulder but he'd be back soon enough. He had to let Troy
set his own pace now.
The young man was far too sensitive for his own good when it came to
such matters. He'd been hurt in a way and had to sort things out
for himself.
Meanwhile, Tom's own investigation - Operation Pond Life - was taking
on a few interesting twists of its own.
During the very blond Mrs Tyrill's visit, he'd almost been unable to
keep the grin from his face. He knew almost everyone else had
seen it as something of a joke, and he'd set up the taskforce of one
(Troy) more as a brick in the wall of his continuing education rather
than with any view of catching the perpetrators.
But he'd stumbled on to something big and he knew it. A randy old
man and a couple of teenagers would bring about the end of a case that
was over four years old. An NIS case at that.
There was a burst of laughter bubbling up inside of him and eventually
it would have to come out.
He could see the links forming, the connections being unveiled.
He was sorry Troy had to get involved so personally, he really
was. He cared deeply for his sergeant. But Troy needed to
find his own way back and Tom was sure that he would.
~
*that night*
He smiled when he saw Troy on his doorstep. He was in too much of
a good mood not to tease him or to make him suffer any more than he had
done.
He congratulated him on his forthright move into NIS territory, proud
of him for taking a stand.
They shared a bottle of wine. Troy was all apologies and
explanations, more than willing to share any and all information the
NIS had on the murder of Ruth Fairfax/Angela Browning.
He was more than up for the idea of poking around in their evidence, to
pull one over on them.
But it was on the doorstep, later that night, that he actually said he
was sorry. And it was then that Tom realised something had been
destroyed by the events of the last few days.
The endearing innocence of his sergeant was gone, broken finally by his
treatment at the hands of the NIS men who'd invaded their not-so-quiet
but at least settled lives.
For that, and for that alone, he hated them. He knew what they
were up to with the money, knew that their DCI wasn't interested in
justice for their fallen colleague. But they'd hurt a man he had
very deep feelings for and that was unforgivable.
~
*in the bank*
Tony wasn't a joke. He was a violent and dangerous man and
Barnaby hadn't any doubt that he'd have killed someone had he been
pushed.
He'd almost killed Troy.
When this entire fiasco was over, he'd have to have a serious word with
his sergeant about the correct way of dealing with men holding guns.
Of course, by then he'd be too relieved that it was all over and he'd
owe the man a very large drink for saving his life.
But it was seeing off the two plain clothed NIS idiots that was the
icing on the cake.
~
*finale*
Troy almost choked on his beer as he laughed.
"I could hardly keep a straight face," he told Cully and Joyce, aware
of the wide, proud smile being directed at his back from the man
sitting beside him. He basked in the warmth of it. "'We're
not used to dealing with such large sums of money,'" he mimicked Tom.
"I can't believe they fell for it!" Cully commented.
"Thank you, daughter!
I'm not that bad an actor." He put his hand dramatically on his
chest to prove it.
The two women finished their drinks. "We'll leave you two to
celebrate," Joyce told them as she dragged Cully to her feet.
"Mum...." But she wasn't hearing any arguments.
Tom smiled at his wife and winked. Gavin, completely lost to the
nuances of a tactful withdrawal, waved his fingers in goodbye.
"Something I said?" he asked, sipping his pint.
"Joyce thought we might like some time to ourselves."
"Oh." And then the words, the tone of them and their underlying
meaning, sank in. "Ooh."
elfin
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