DISCLAIMER: All characters are the property of Glenn Chandler, ITV and SMG Productions. No copyright infringement intended.



Love Is A Drug

by

rosera




The last two weeks had been hell.  Two drugs related murders, as yet unsolved, and a spate of running fights between the ‘armies’ of the current drug lords in the area, had stretched the Maryhill team to the limits.  And now this memo had arrived on his desk from the divisional Chief Superintendent informing him that, as from tomorrow, they were to host a visitor for three weeks.

Michael scrubbed at his forehead.  That was all he needed, a bloody visitor getting underfoot and taking up precious time.  He read the memo again.  It seemed it was Strathclyde’s turn to host a Detective Inspector Purdwell from the Australian Federal Police Drug Squad who was currently on a fact-finding mission with various police forces in the UK.  Fact-finding?  What the hell did that mean in real terms he wondered?  And the Chief Super had decided that Michael’s team was best suited to look after the visitor.  Michael snorted, in other words one of the few teams the Chief Super could rely on to behave itself in front a colonial copper on a fact-finding mission!

Oh well he mused, he would fob the man off on Robbie and Jackie, let them cope with a little added pressure from above for once.  Dropping the memo into the ever-growing pile of paperwork he wiped the information from his mind and focussed on the witness statements from the latest murder.



Robbie Ross sat at his desk nursing a large black coffee and an even larger hangover.  He really hated Mondays after a good weekend off.  And to top it off the boss had dumped him with minding this visitor who was due to arrive sometime this morning.  Robbie really wanted to be out and about chasing up leads and talking to his snitches but instead he was tied to his desk waiting on this, he glanced down at the memo, Detective Inspector Purdwell from the Australian Federal Police.  He hoped this guy knew which way was up, he didn’t relish having to nursemaid some Aussie for three weeks.

Staring morosely at the floor his ears registered the rhythmic tap of what sounded like high heels approaching.  The tapping stopped in the doorway to the office.  Glancing over, Robbie’s eyes locked onto a pair of feet encased in those heels.  A good looking pair of legs, that seemed to go on forever, were attached to those feet, the legs ending in a skirt that covered some very shapely hips that tapered up to a waist just revealed by an unbuttoned tailored jacket.  Following the line of the jacket his jaundiced eyes came to rest on a smiling attractive face framed with shoulder length dark blonde hair.  One eyebrow was raised in laughing response to his obvious appraisal.

“Hello.  I’m looking for Chief Inspector Jardine?”  The voice was low pitched and hinted at suppressed laughter.

Robbie shot out of his chair and, hurriedly dumping his coffee, walked forward with his hand outstretched in welcome.  The woman was in her mid thirties with green eyes and would stand close to 5’ 9” in her stockinged feet and with the added height of the heels was practically at eye level with him.  For once he was at a loss for words.

Getting no response to confirm or deny her question the woman assumed she had found the person she was looking for.  She was surprised that the DCI didn’t have his own office.

“Good morning Sir, I’m Alison Purdwell.  I’ve been assigned to your team as part of my secondment for the next three weeks.”

Robbie almost blushed.

“Ah sorry, I’m….ah not the DCI.” Robbie took her hand in his and giving it a brief shake he seemed loath to let go.  “I’m DI Robbie Ross.  Welcome Alison.  You’re ah… certainly not what I..we were expecting.”

Alison looked down at her hand that Robbie now held between both of his.  Robbie also glanced down and with what he hoped was a winning smile reluctantly let go.

“The DCI’s office is just through here.  I’ll er..take you through now shall I?”  A fatuous grin spread across Robbie’s face.

Alison merely smiled and nodded.

Robbie led the way and, with a brief knock at Michael’s door, ushered Alison through first just as Michael acknowledged his knock and called out, “Come in.” Without looking up from the paperwork on his desk he also snapped out, “Yes?  What is it?”

Robbie gave a discrete cough and at this Michael looked up.  Taking in the sight before him and, just like Robbie had, he shot to his feet.  Recovering from the shock better than Robbie however, Michael walked around his desk and with hand outstretched took the visitor’s in his briefly and let go saying,

“Inspector Purdwell?  DCI Michael Jardine.  Welcome to Maryhill.”  Michael continued to stand and stare at the visitor then spoke, voicing his thoughts without thinking,  “I have to admit you are not exactly what we were expecting.”

“So Inspector Ross informs me Sir.  Can I ask what’s so surprising?”  The look on her face was one of mild annoyance.  Alison knew she was putting the DCI on the spot, his chagrined expression giving him away, but she was relishing his discomfort, tired of this reaction based on preconceived ideas, just as Ross’s reaction had amused, and she admitted, annoyed her.  Then, realising that she was in fact questioning a superior officer she hastily backtracked.

“Sorry Sir, forget I asked.  Can we perhaps start again?”  At Michael’s relieved nod she smiled.

“Detective Inspector Alison Purdwell Sir.  Just in case it hasn’t caught up with me yet I have a copy of my CV for you so you can see from my background that I won’t be any sort of hindrance, or at least, I hope I won’t.”

As Alison went on Michael heard the words but focussed on the face and the expressions that flitted momentarily across it, the idea sprang into his mind unbidden that the professional exterior hid a personality worth getting to know.  Giving himself a mental shake he focussed back on her actual words.

 “I’ve been in the UK for nine weeks now and have been with three other major forces.  This is my first time in Scotland however, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I have trouble with the accent for a while.”  She smiled disarmingly,  “But I have a good ear for accents so should be able to pick things up quickly.  I also hope that you don’t have too much difficulty with my accent Sir?”

Michael smiled,

“No Inspector Purdwell, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble with your accent.”  Michael shook his head in amusement, then he turned and flashed a beaming smile at Robbie,   “Ah thank you Robbie, I think you can leave us now.  I’ll brief Inspector Purdwell on our current cases then we can work out who she’ll be teamed with and some protocols and so on….” 

Michael’s smile told Robbie that he wanted Robbie to basically bugger off and leave this rather attractive woman to him.  Robbie gave Alison a brief smile which he hoped carried that ‘I’ll see you later’ invitation look and, with a rueful frown at Michael, retreated muttering almost inaudibly “Oh aye! Rank has it privileges!”



“Please Inspector, take a seat.”  Michael moved back to his chair and drawing it up to his desk leaned his elbows on it and rested his chin in his hands.  The Australian visitor was not at all what he had been expecting and the mental picture of a middle-aged man with a toughened exterior faded before the sight of this very attractive woman sitting in front of him, obviously waiting for him to say something.  Giving himself another mental shake and hearing the little voice of reason inside quietly remind him ‘professional distance remember?’ he sat up straight and smiled across the desk.

“Well as I said, welcome to Maryhill.  I have to admit that we’re snowed under at the moment with two murders on our hands and several running battles between some street gangs just to liven up our days.  So I’ll probably team you up with Jackie…..DS Jackie Reid.”

Michael smiled inwardly, so much for fobbing the visitor off on Ross, no way was he going to do that now.  “Jackie normally works with me but as you can see the paperwork is winning the war at the moment and I really can’t spare the time to get out there.  So she’ll be grateful for some support out there on the streets.”  Michael held up his hand as Alison made to interrupt. 

“Not that you have any jurisdiction here but another pair of eyes and ears never go astray.”

“Yes Sir, thank you Sir.”  Handing Michael some papers she went on,   “This is a copy of some notes from my boss in Canberra.  I thought they might help you get some idea of my background.” 

As Michael leafed through the papers she continued,

“You’ll see most of my recent experience has been in the Drug Squad but I spent several years in Vice and some time with one of the state homicide squads so I have experience covering most major crime areas.”

Michael looked up from his reading,

“A degree in criminology and a partially completed Masters in Forensic Psychology?  Impressive Inspector.  I’m afraid you won’t find my team so well educated but we all have years of street experience and..”

Alison jumped in,

“Please Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt but I’m not one of those coppers that thinks a degree makes for better thief takers.  I did my degree before I entered the service and the Masters is simply because I’m interested in what makes these bastards, sorry Sir….criminals tick.  I for one think street experience makes for better coppers.”

“I think you misunderstood me Inspector.” Michael’s smile had faded.   “I’m not saying we’re against officers with university qualifications.  I just wanted you to know that round here we judge everyone by their work and results, not by qualifications or….years of experience.”

This old argument had been thrashed out when he was younger and had first joined Jim Taggart’s team and had to work with a university educated sergeant who had taken the time and trouble to point out Michael’s supposed ‘lack’ of education as often as possible.  But time had told.  He was still here and had made DCI at a younger than normal age, and the sergeant?  Well, last he had heard he was running some security firm in Edinburgh.

“Sorry Sir, message received, in other words shut up?”  Alison smiled, her eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.

At this refreshingly honest response Michael laughed out loud.



Jackie stopped short.  The burst of natural laughter issuing from Michael’s office was amazing.  She hadn’t heard him laugh like that in ages.   Not since his disastrous relationship with her friend Elaine.

Walking slowly up to Michael’s office door she heard laughter again, this time a woman’s laugh followed closely by more laughter from Michael.  Curiosity got the better of her as she knocked on the partially open door.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt Sir but I’ve just been…..”

Jackie walked into the office and stopped in mid sentence as a very attractive and very tall woman she didn’t recognise rose from the visitor’s chair.

“Ah Jackie, just the person I wanted to see….DS Jackie Reid this is DI Alison Purdwell from the Australian Federal Police.  Alison will be with us for three weeks, on a ‘fact finding mission’, I believe is the official term.”

Jackie shook hands with Alison, each woman sizing the other up quickly.

“DS Reid, nice to meet you.”  Alison smiled but her eyes were saying ‘it’s okay, I’m no threat’ but all Jackie could think was ‘oh yes you are’.  A threat to peace in the office.  Jackie could hear the testosterone gearing up already.  This explained the stunned look on Robbie’s face as she had walked through the office.

Jackie smiled back,  “Jackie please, DS Reid is only for the villains.”  She had the feeling that she was going to like this woman even if she became a problem with the males in the office.

“Well if informality is okay I’d rather be called Purdey.  To be honest, if people keep calling me Inspector I think I’m in trouble and, only my mother calls me Alison and then I know I’m in trouble.”

Michael and Jackie both laughed at this.

“So Purdey it is, unless of course you’re in trouble, right?”  Michael’s smile went all the way to his eyes.  Jackie looked from one to the other as Michael and Alison continued to just smile at each other.  All she could think was ‘oh brother, not him too?’.

“And I can call you….?”  Purdey queried cheekily.

“Sir.”  Michael kept smiling as a look of chagrin, quickly suppressed, flitted across Purdey’s face.  Jackie could have laughed out loud.  So Michael was hooked too but still showing enough sense to keep business as business.  She hoped Robbie could do the same.



Jackie walked Purdey back to the main office and introduced her to the rest of the team.  She watched as all, well, most of the male members of the team preened and strutted as they were introduced to her.  When all the fuss had died down Jackie and Purdey sat down at Jackie’s desk to start going through the current files so Purdey could get up to speed.

“So tell me Jackie, which one’s yours?  I don’t want to ah… tread on anyone’s toes while I’m here so which one’s yours.  Robbie or the Boss?”

“Neither.”  Jackie replied with a smile.

“Neither!  You’re kidding right?  You have two very sexy looking guys in your immediate vicinity, all day every day, and you’re not with either of them.  I know relationships at work are hard but with this amount of temptation how do you say no?”

“Neither.”  Jackie repeated.

“Okay….but you would like it to be…..?’ Purdey left the question hanging in the air but when she got no response she pushed on.

“Now if I read this right the body language with Robbie says that there’s something there beyond being colleagues.”  Jackie tried hard not to blush at this.  “And there’s obviously a lot of history with the Boss.  So my guess would be…”

Before Purdey could say any more Jackie jumped in,

“Neither.  I have a friend, well partner really.  He’s a Chief Super in C & D.”  At Purdey’s puzzled look she explained. “Complaints and Discipline.”

“Ah…Toe Cutters.”  At Jackie’s equally puzzled look Purdey laughed. “Sorry, Australian slang but it means the same thing, coppers investigating coppers right?”

“Yes.”  Jackie smiled, she couldn’t help but like this woman.

“So getting back to my original problem, the next question has to be is either of them spoken for by anyone else?”

“No, not at the moment.” Jackie quickly qualified.  “That is, as far as I know.” 

“So both are free agents.  Interesting.  Although it doesn’t surprise me, this job doesn’t really let you have a private life does it?   Except it sounds like you’re managing one.”  Purdey’s gaze sort out Robbie,

“Mind you, Ross doesn’t look the type for any sort of long-term relationship.  That one looks like he would have trouble with the big C word, you know, commitment?” 

At Jackie’s nod of agreement and rueful smile Purdey went on,  “But the Boss surprises me.  He looks like the commitment type, seems strange that he’s stayed free this long.  Or is he divorced or something?”

Jackie shook her head, this conversion was heading into territory she would rather leave alone.

“Look Purdey, no offence but we should really get on with these files.  Michael’s just as likely to come in and want to know how far we’ve got. Okay?”

“Yeah, sure, no problems.  I guessed he was probably a bit of a slave driver.”  Purdey’s stared off into the distance.  “So……you can call him Michael, but I have to call him Sir.  Interesting.”

Suddenly something occurred to Jackie.

“Purdey?  What about Stuart?”

“Stuart?  My guess is he’s gay, right?  I can usually pick’em.”

“Yes, you’re right.  Is that a problem?”

“That’s he’s gay?  Hell no, some of my best friends are gay…and coppers.”



About 3.00 in the afternoon Michael suddenly appeared in the office.  Robbie and Stuart had just returned from a fruitless visit to a few snitches and were writing up their notes.

“Okay, everyone listen up.  A call’s just come through that some rival gang members are gathering under the railway bridge by the river.  It looks like another fight.  Uniform are on the way but we’re supplying backup as well.  Protective gear please.  I don’t want any unnecessary heroics out there people.”

As everyone moved quickly Michael called out across the room,

“Purdey.  You can come with us but you’re to stay back and just observe okay?  You can coordinate the transfer of any casualties if necessary, that will free up someone else.  Understood?”

“Yes Sir.  Understood.”

“Okay everyone, let’s go.”



By the time they got to the railway bridge the fight was well underway.  The sound of approaching police sirens had scared off some of the combatants but many were still hard at it.  Pounding the hell out of each other with any form of weapon they could find.  Uniformed officers were moving in and breaking up some fights, disarming many and arresting even more.

The ebb and flow of the fight broke up even more as many of the battles split into one on one fights between gang leaders.  Stuart and Robbie had broken up one fight that had spilled out across the street and into an alleyway.  Both teenagers had been armed with knives as well as broken bottles and it had taken some fast-talking on Robbie’s part to get them to drop their weapons.

As Stuart moved in to search his catch the kid took to his heels up the alleyway but when he found it was a dead end he turned on the pursuing Stuart with a syringe in his hand as a weapon.  Stuart backed up and cast a quick glance over his shoulder for backup.  No one was in sight.  Robbie was probably dealing with his catch and couldn’t get to Stuart. 

The kid began circling, menacing Stuart with the syringe.  Stuart couldn’t tell if it was used or not but wasn’t willing to risk the possibility.  These kids took drugs like little children ate lollies and god knows where that needle had been.

As the kid backed Stuart around into the dead end hoping to clear an escape back down the alleyway he got careless, forgetting to check over his shoulder.  With a show of bravado he began to get closer to Stuart, waving the needle in his face.  Suddenly an arm came around his neck like a vice and he felt the full force of a knee in the small of his back forcing him down.  Then a deathly quiet voice seemed to whisper in his ear.

“Drop it.  Drop it now or I’ll break your back.  Your choice.”  The accent was wrong, the words had the wrong sound to them but the meaning was very, very clear.  Dropping the needle he fell to his knees, anything to ease the pressure on his back.

“Okay, okay, I dropped it, I dropped it!” 

Stuart jumped forward and kicked the needle out of reach.  Grabbing his handcuffs he snapped them onto the nearest wrist and twisting the arm around the kid’s back he grabbed the other arm and dragged it back as his rescuer released their vice like hold on the kid’s neck and stepped back.

“Thanks Purdey.  But what happened to you staying back and just observing?”  Stuart smiled up at her.

Before Purdey could answer, a steely cold voice came from behind her.

“Yes, tell me Inspector.  What did happen to you staying back and just observing?”

Purdey swung around and came face to face with a very controlled but obviously very angry Michael.  Before she could say anything Stuart leapt to her defense.

“Sir, she helped me out of a very tight situation.  The kid was armed with a needle.  I….”

“Be quiet Stuart!” Michael’s quiet but ruthless tone cut Stuart off.  “I asked Inspector Purdwell for an explanation and I’m still waiting.  Take your prisoner and get out of here….now!” 

“Sir.”  Stuart retreated down the alleyway dragging the youth with him.  Jackie and Robbie came at the run but were pulled up short by Stuart.

“I wouldn’t go down there if I was you.  Purdey’s about to get one of his ‘yelling’ sessions.  I don’t think she’d want us to be around to hear it.”  Robbie and Jackie looked at each other, shrugged and went back with Stuart.  They had all survived Michael’s yelling sessions in the past and figured Purdey would just have to cope.




“So Inspector, I’m still waiting.”  Michael’s voice was icy.

“Sir I…..Sorry Sir.  No explanation.  I ah…was wrong.”  Purdey hung her head and waited for the blast.  He didn’t disappoint her.

“Wrong!  You bet you were bloody well wrong.  You disobeyed a direct order from me to remain behind the scenes and not to place yourself in the line of fire.  But no, you have to go running off at the first opportunity and prove to everyone that not only are you a brave, if somewhat stupid officer without a protective vest, you are also a very clever one in subduing an armed assailant.  What the hell did you think you were doing?”

Michael’s voice had risen in volume with each sentence.  He was now well and truly shouting.

Purdey opened her mouth to respond but before she could utter a word Michael went on,

“Just for a moment consider what would have happened if you’d been injured or, god forbid, if you’d been killed?  What do you think would have happened Inspector?”

Ever truthful Purdey couldn’t help her flippant reply,

“The shit would’ve hit the fan, Sir?”  At the honest look in her eyes, Michael’s anger broke just for a moment, but the reaction was so fast that she couldn’t be sure that she even saw it.

“Oh aye, you’re damn right the shit would’ve hit the fan and I would’ve been right in the firing line to cop the lot.  And guess what Inspector?  I’m not wearing any shit for some jumped up smartarse colonial who thinks she can get away with disobeying the direct orders of her superior officer.  Got it!”

Stung by the colonial gibe Purdey almost bit back but knowing his anger was justified just dropped her head and said, “Yes Sir, got it.”

“So there’ll be no repeat of this type of behaviour unless you want to spend the next three weeks tied to a desk and never seeing the light of day.  Understood?”

“Yes Sir, understood.”  Purdey’s answer came out on a resigned sigh.

“And Purdey?”

“Yes Sir?”

“You did alright.”  At this he turned and quickly walked away and what she didn’t see was that as soon as his back was turned his face broke into a rueful smile.  Three weeks of her and he would be damn near ready for early retirement!



When they were all back in the office and Michael had headed upstairs to give his report, Stuart came over to sit on the edge of Jackie’s desk beside a very subdued Purdey.

“You survived then?”  Purdey looked up, her expression puzzled.  “The famous yelling session with Sir?”  Stuart grinned cheekily.

“Oh aye, I survived.”  Purdey answered in a very good impersonation of a Scottish accent.

This drew a laugh from everyone.

“Right you lot, who’s for the pub?”  Robbie called out.  “Hey Stuart, I think you owe Purdey a large one don’t you?”

“Yes Sir, a very large one.  Coming Purdey?”

“What about the Boss or don’t you guys drink with upper ranks?”

Robbie answered with a grin,

“He’ll know where we are and he’ll join us if he wants.  Come on, let’s go.”



Michael was moving around the kitchen of his flat throwing things together for a makeshift meal yet again.  He had thought of stopping for a carryout but couldn’t face the wait.  He was tired and had just wanted to get home and shut the door on the rest of the world.  He had thought briefly about joining the team in the pub but he wasn’t in the mood for that either.

The front door bell rang.  Looking at his watch, it read 8.43 p.m., he couldn’t think who the hell would be calling at this hour.  Wiping his hands on a towel he padded in his socks down to the front door.  Pulling open the door he was surprised to find Purdey standing there, a bottle in her hand and a very sunny smile on her face.

“Purdey?  What are you doing here?  More to the point, how the hell did you find out where here is?”  Try as he might, Michael couldn’t help but smile in return.

Tapping the side of her nose Purdey grinned, “Ah…I have my sources!  Can I come in?  I brought gifts, well one gift actually.”

Resting against the doorframe he effectively barred her entrance.

“Purdey, why are you here?”

“Ah come on Michael, don’t make me apologise on the doorstep.  Surely you can let me in after I’ve come all this way to put things right.  Please?  Pretty please?”

Michael blinked at the casual use of his first name but unable to resist such pleading he chuckled and opened the door wide and waved her through.  Purdey headed straight for the kitchen, following the smells that were wafting down the hallway.

“Whatcha cookin’?”

“Dinner, my dinner!”

“Well that’s good because you can have this with it.”  Purdey handed over the bottle she was carrying and then shed her coat onto the back of a chair.  “Got an opener?”

“I’m tee-total.”  Michael said.

“That’s good, so am I.  It’s non-alcoholic, Australian.  Took me a while to find it here but find it I did.  So… now you’re just goin’ to have to drink it with me okay?”

“Purdey, when did a promotion come through that gave you the authority to boss me around, in my own flat?”  Michael was finding it difficult to keep the laughter out of his voice.  This woman was outrageous!

“Ah…you see you may have the authority at work but here we meet on equal terms.  Work’s not involved.  Well it won’t be once I apologise for my stuffup this afternoon that is.”

Michael was leaning against the worktop watching her search through the drawers for something to open the bottle with.

“Did it ever occur to you that because I don’t drink I may not have anything to open a bottle of wine with?”

“You’re kidding?”  Purdey looked up, her face creased in a frown.  Then a smile came into her eyes.  “Hang on, doesn’t matter, I’ve got my trusty Swiss Army Knife in my bag, that’s got one built in.  Problem solved.”  She made to reach across to the chair for her bag but Michael reached forward and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“Bottom drawer, it’ll probably be towards the back as it doesn’t get used very often.”  Purdey’s eyes lit up again and she smiled at him for admitting defeat and giving up the fight to get rid of her.

Chuckling at her look of triumph Michael grabbed an extra plate from the cupboard and showed her where the glasses were kept.



Dinner finished, the bottle of non-alcoholic wine empty and the coffee drained twice they were sitting on the sofa facing each other stretching out the last of the coffee that Michael had.  It meant his morning heart starter would have to wait until he got to work.

They had talked of anything and everything, finding much common ground in their opinions, taste in music and films and in their experiences in life.  Realising that her job was the most important thing in her life Alison, like Michael, had given up on personal relationships and any other form of commitment.  She had also had a mentor in her first boss.  He had retired years ago but she still saw him and talked to him when she felt she needed his advice. 

Michael sighed deeply, the sigh tinged with regret.

“You’re lucky, you can still talk to him.  When Jim Taggart died I felt like I lost the one person in the world I could really talk to about work and about life.”

“Surely you can talk to Jackie? You’ve been friends for so long.”

“Oh aye, I suppose I could, but with Jackie working for me, well…. sometimes it gets difficult.  And she’s making her own life now and doesn’t need to be burdened with my troubles.”

Michael looked at her, stretched out and relaxed at the other end of the sofa, smiling at him with a look in her eyes that said ‘I’m enjoying your company and I want you to know it.’  He felt a strong attraction to this woman.  She was refreshingly open, matter of fact and no hidden agendas.  She just came out and said whatever she was thinking.  The little voice of reason spoke up again, ‘professional distance Michael!’

“So Purdey, why are you really here?  You don’t seem the type to be sent on a ‘fact finding mission’.”  Michael had wondered from the moment he had met her.  She would be the last person he would send on such a trip.

Purdey’s eyes dropped and her face lost the smile.  Getting up and walking across to the mantelpiece she began to fiddle nervously with the knickknacks there.

“Your right.  It wasn’t supposed to be me.”  She looked over her shoulder at him and, putting the photo frame she had been adjusting back in place, she came back across the room and sat down, facing away from him, her eyes fixed on some unseen thing in the distance.

“Three months ago I was undercover in a big drugs operation in Melbourne.  We, my partner and I, had been undercover for some months.  We were close to the ‘Mr Big’ of the syndicate and things were moving towards a probable arrest.  I don’t really know what went wrong….. but my partner was killed.”  Michael made to move towards her but stopped as she went on, her voice dispassionate.

“The shit hit the fan big time, I was pulled out in a hurry and had to go into hiding for a while until things calmed down.”

“How did he die?”  Michael couldn’t stop himself asking.

“They cut his throat and let him bleed to death.  Apparently they stood around and watched and laughed.  Thought it was some huge joke slicing up a cop and watching him bleed.  They dumped his body outside a police station with a note saying I was next.”

Michael reached out and gently laid his hand on her arm. 

“Purdey, I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No it’s okay.  The shrinks say I should talk about it.  It’s supposed to help.”  She looked up, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Anyway the Powers That Be decided to bundle me out of the country.  So here I am.”  She glanced at her watch.

“It’s getting late and we both need some sleep so I better make a move out of here.”  She stood up and stretched, joints cracking audibly as she arched her back.  Looking down at him still seated in the corner of the sofa she shook off her dark memories,

“Michael?  I really am sorry about today.  I was out of line and I should’ve known better.  I guess instinct just kicked in and took over. It won’t happen again, I promise.”  The smile was back in place.

“No, it won’t happen again.”  Michael smiled with his eyes and, taking her cold coffee mug put it on the coffee table.

After calling a cab he walked her to the front door helping her on with her coat.

“Thanks for tonight Michael.  I needed to unwind a little.  I hope I haven’t been too much of a disturbance.”

“Purdey, disturbance is one word I think I’ll always associate with you.”  Michael’s quiet laughter drew a rueful grin from her.

The cab arrived and Purdey started down the path to the street.  Looking back she couldn’t resist trying to get another smile out of him so she blew him a cheeky kiss.

“Night Boss!”



The next day the office was almost empty all day as officers interviewed everyone that had been arrested the afternoon before.  Purdey sat in on most of Jackie’s interviews and some of Michael’s as well.  Robbie had been angling to get her to sit in with him but she had very adroitly managed to avoid that.  It wasn’t that she didn’t like Robbie, after all he was very attractive in a sexy, confident sort of way, but having spent hours in Michael’s quiet company she found the word brash surfacing every time she thought of Robbie.

By the end of the day they were all ready for the pub, Michael included.  As they sorted out drinks and seating arrangements Purdey found herself sitting between the two men.  Robbie was jammed right up against her even though there was plenty of room on the bench seat and she shifted slightly, moving closer to Michael who didn’t seem to notice.  The crowd started to break up a couple of hours later and Purdey walked with Robbie and Jackie out onto the pavement and the cool night air.  A car pulled up and Jackie introduced her to her partner, Brian Holmes.  They offered her a lift but realising she needed some fresh air she decided to walk for while, that’s if she could shake off Robbie.

As Jackie and Brian drove away Robbie took her arm and made to walk off down the street with her.

“Robbie.  I don’t need an escort thank you.  In case you haven’t noticed I’m a copper too and quite able to look after myself.”

“That’s okay, I could do with a walk too….and ah…I’m just being sociable.”  Robbie had put his arm around her shoulders and was rubbing his hand up and down her back.  Purdey moved out from under his restraining arm and turned to face him, her smile gone.

“Look Rob, you’re a nice guy but I’m only here for three weeks and I’m not really interested in short term flings for the hell of it okay?  So do both of us a favour and bugger off…..please?”  Purdey had backed up to the wall of the pub in an effort to shake him off but realised her mistake as soon as Robbie put his hands against the wall on either side of her head.  The heavy smell of beer on his breath made her realise that he had had one too many and would be difficult to brush off.

“Ah come on Purdey, you can’t blame a guy for trying can ya?”

“No I can’t Rob.  But if you’d care to look down you’ll see that my knee is poised to do you some damage and if you don’t back off, right now, I just might have to follow through.  Okay?”

Robbie looked down at her knee only inches from his groin, then, looked up at her unsmiling face.

“Er…..okay…..point taken.  See ya tomorrow.”  Robbie’s smile admitted defeat but as he moved away he couldn’t resist a quick peck on her cheek.  Right at this moment Michael and Stuart came out of the pub.

Purdey was not sure if Robbie blushed but she knew she did.  Talk about perfect timing.

Michael’s frown said it all and Robbie, seeing the frown, beat a hasty retreat to the carpark, waving a cheery if somewhat sheepish goodnight.  Stuart also thought better of hanging around and, with a quick goodnight to both Michael and Purdey he left, muttering that he would make sure Robbie got home alright, and he too headed off into the dark.

“I think the word you used was disturbance wasn’t it?”  Michael’s face was devoid of emotion.

“Sir!  Sorry again Sir but I was trying to avoid a tricky situation.” Purdey dropped her head, not wanting to meet his eyes and wishing she were somewhere else right now. “You missed what really happened, or didn’t happen I should say.” 

“Alison?”  She looked up at that.  “I saw it all.  I have to admit I was a little disappointed that you let him off so lightly.”  The grin that spread across Michael’s face brought her laughter bubbling up.

“You bast.…Sir!  You wanted to make me squirm didn’t you?”  Without thinking she lashed out to hit him playfully on the arm.  Michael grabbed her hand in defense and suddenly found her in his arms when her follow through made her lose her balance.

Standing toe to toe and eye to eye they stayed like that for seconds that seemed to stretch into hours.  This close Purdey could see the little lines of laughter around his eyes, eyes of a dark blue almost gray colour that she had never seen before and long blonde lashes that would be the envy of any woman.

Purdey said quietly, “Did I ever tell you my theory on relationships?” Eyes still locked on each other Michael slowly shook his head.  Purdey went on,  “Well, I live by the theory of ‘good times, great sex and then I’m gone’.  A good theory don’t you think?”

Michael blinked and this broke their deadlocked gaze.  Before he could think of an answer Purdey leaned in and kissed him.  A soft, open-mouthed kiss.

“Your place or mine?”  She whispered, risking a lot.

Michael hesitated for a moment then a small smile broke across his face.  “Mine, it’s closer.”




Michael woke to the sensation of having his nose tickled.  It was hair, dark blonde hair.  Purdey.  He lay unmoving, taking in the delightful feel of her body wrapped around his.  Wrapped was the only word he could think of.  Her head was resting on his chest, one leg was curled over both of his and her arms, well one had somehow found its way up and under his shoulder and her hand rested at the back of his neck, fingers splayed through his hair.   The other arm was draped around him, her hand resting suggestively on his thigh.

She was still asleep, her breathing deep and even.   By turning his head slightly he could see the trail of discarded clothing that he knew stretched from his front door.  Smiling ruefully to himself he remonstrated with the little voice of reason in his head, ‘so much for professional distance’.  The little voice remained strangely silent as if not interested in a reply.

Michael tried the gentle approach.  “Purdey?  Come on, wake up.” Getting no response he tried moving out from underneath her only to have her tighten her arms with a muttered, “No, don’t want to.”

“Purdey, we have to get up.  You have to go back to your hotel and change.  C’mon Purdey, wake up!”

“Slave driver.”  Came the muffled reply as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.

Thinking that he had finally succeeded in waking her he again made to slide out from under her only to be brought up short by hands digging into his arms as she dragged herself up to his face and opening sleep glazed eyes poked her tongue out at him.

“Can’t we stay here just a little while longer?”  The pleading look that went with this brought a smile to his face.  Brushing the hair back from her face he pressed a light kiss to her mouth.  He instantly realised this was a mistake.  Her mouth latched on to his, tongue searching and probing.   Without breaking the kiss she squirmed her body completely on top of his, chest to chest, her fingers tracing delicate lines up and down his skin as she chuckled against his mouth.

“Tricked ya!  Now try and get out of bed!”  She started taking little nips along his jawline then, sliding her tongue down the line of his throat, began alternating between nipping and kissing his chest and shoulders.  Raising her head and looking into his eyes she saw that she was winning the battle.

She pushed herself up on her hands so that she was looking down at his face, her smile widened as she felt the natural reaction from him to the movements of her body on top of his.

Michael knew when to admit defeat.  But it was worth one more skirmish!  Wrapping his arms around her he rolled both of them over, reversing their positions.  Smiling down at her now he couldn’t resist teasing her,

“Now Inspector, this lack of respect from a subordinate officer is unacceptable.  If I say get out of bed, you should get out of bed, don’t you agree?” 

He had some difficulty in confining her struggles to get back on top, she was almost as tall as him and certainly fit.  Last night had proved that!  He leaned down and, brushing his mouth across hers and running his tongue around her lips, he stilled her struggles and, chest to chest, felt the laughter building in her.

“So, what’s it to be, obedience or insubordination?”  Michael murmured against her mouth, unable to keep the smile off his face and out of his voice.

“Oh definitely insubordination Sir.  Mind you I think another ‘member’ of the team has the same idea as me unless I am very, very mistaken.”  Her hands disappeared under the duvet and suddenly Michael knew not only was the battle lost but the war as well.  He surrendered gracefully.




Sometimes Michael found having a reputation for being first in the office had its drawbacks.  Pulling into the yard he did a quick check and saw only Stuart’s car in before his.  Well that was okay, sometimes Stuart came in just after him so if questioned he would use car trouble for an explanation.

Jogging up the stairs, humming softly to himself, he came to an abrupt halt, face to face with Jackie.

“Morning Michael, you seem very happy for someone who’s late this morning?”

“Oh aye, er... car trouble, probably only a flat battery.”  Michael avoided Jackie’s eyes,  “Where’s your car?”

“Brian dropped me off.  Mine’s in the shop, flat battery.”  Jackie’s smile contained no hint that she suspected Michael was lying.  But then why would she?  Deception always made him nervous!

Still standing there, facing Jackie, he jumped when a voice sounded right behind him,

“Morning Sir.  Morning Jackie.”  Purdey glided by with only a brief sideways smile for both of them.  She was dressed and made up as if she hadn’t jumped out of Michael’s car outside her hotel just over thirty minutes ago. 

“Michael, are you okay?”  Jackie’s puzzled look brought him back to earth.

“Ah, yeah fine, fine..just a little tired.  I…ah…didn’t get much sleep last night.”  The sound of a muffled cough that was suspiciously like a laugh echoed back down the stairs from above.



The day progressed slowly.  More interviews with the youths arrested two days ago.  Some had been allowed out on bail, some of the more violent and those with long criminal records despite their years were still being held in the cells.

Purdey made sure she was not partnered with Michael.  She gave into Robbie’s pleas and teamed up with him for most the day.  Back in the office once the interviews were done for the day she indulged in a mild flirtation with him, a sort of apology for her rough treatment of him the night before.  Robbie was responding well and from the covert looks from other team members she guessed that many thought they would end up spending the night together.  They knew Robbie’s reputation with the ladies all to well and just assumed that Purdey would be another notch on his belt.

Michael came into the office to collect the typed up reports and to check that all the interviews were finished and all necessary paperwork was either done or nearing completion.  As he sorted through the pile of reports on Heather’s desk he was all too aware of the by-play going on behind him at Robbie’s desk.  He was finding it increasingly difficult not to laugh out loud at Purdey’s outrageous remarks to Robbie who was preening himself at being the centre of attention.

Jackie came over and, leaning over Michael’s shoulder, said quietly,

“Those two seem to be getting along fine now.  I heard about last night and thought that Robbie had overplayed his hand.  Looks like I was wrong eh?”

“Aye, so it seems.”  Michael’s face remained stony as inwardly he smiled, knowing that once Jackie’s curiosity was aroused she wouldn’t be satisfied until she knew what Michael really thought.  Hoping to damp down her insatiable need to know he threw in his usual rider,  “As long as they keep it out of the office.”

Jackie looked sideways at him, his response had seemed normal, but there was an undercurrent there that she thought she picked up.  Stranger still that he hadn’t already drawn the line and put a stop to the performance going on.  Michael had always stressed that the office was not the place for a love life.  Much to Heather’s regret.  Heather’s partiality for the DCI was well known to Jackie and she wondered if Michael had any idea at all of the interest in him.  She suspected not.  Men could be so thick when it came to the opposite sex.



The usual suggestion to retire to the pub was not so popular tonight, most of the team seemed to be heading home for a well-earned rest.  Robbie tried to interest Stuart, Jackie, Purdey and Michael hoping to work more magic on Purdey and persuade her to go out with him afterwards.

Michael was the first to say no.

“I’m for home and an early night.  It’s been a long week and I could do with some rest.”  As he spoke he briefly caught Purdey’s look of pure mischief and wondered what outrageous idea she was going to come out with as an excuse not to go.  She didn’t disappoint him.

“Well I for one am going to take home some of these reports and just study up on your procedures, you know, make notes on the differences?  After all, my superiors will expect some sort of report out of me when I get home.”  The smug look that went with this statement tested Michael’s willpower to limit.

Jackie and Stuart commiserated with Robbie and begged off going as well.  In a last ditch attempt Robbie turned to Heather.

“Sorry Sir, got to wash my hair tonight.”  She grinned at Robbie as his face fell.

“Come on Purdey, I’ll give you a lift back to your hotel.”  Stuart volunteered smothering a smile at Robbie’s look of defeat.

Purdey glanced quickly at Michael who gave an imperceptible nod.

“Many thanks Stuart.  Night everyone, see you in the morning.”



Stuart dropped Purdey at her hotel and drove off, not realising that another car had been discretely tailing him from the station.



Steam rose and wreathed itself around the two bodies luxuriating in the warm scented water.  Purdey sat with her back to the end of the bathtub, Michael lay back against Purdey’s chest, enclosed on both sides by her legs which were hooked up around his waist.  He groaned and flinched as her long fingers worked their way across the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders.

“Oh you men, you’re such whimps when it comes to pain.”  As she said this she dropped a light kiss on the back of his neck, running her tongue up the line of vertebrae causing him to shudder in reaction.

“And you think I’m going to argue at this point?  Go back, you missed a bit……there, that’s it, just there.”  Michael’s eyes were closed.  The combination of the hot bath, the massage and the sensual but calming feeling of having this woman wrapped around him left him close to drifting off to sleep. 

“Michael?”

“Ummmmm?”

“If you go to sleep now you might regret it?”  With this she dug her fingers in deep.

The howl of outrage that issued from Michael told her that he wasn’t going to sleep now.  He sat up and, the result of trying to turn around in a confined space to retaliate saw the displacement of more water to the floor than was in the bath.



The sound of his mobile ringing jarred Michael into wakefulness.  It was still dark outside.  He was lying on his side spooned up behind Purdey with one arm wrapped around her, his other arm was trapped somewhere under her and the lack of feeling in that arm said it had been there for some time.

Trying to push himself up and reach across Purdey to the phone he was thrust out of the way as she, also startled from a deep sleep, automatically reached out to answer the ringing phone.  Throwing himself across her he grabbed the phone from her hand just as she attempted to answer it. 

“Jardine.”  Michael gasped out in a strangled whisper, the close call making his heart race.

“Michael, is that you? I can hardly hear you.”  It was Jackie. Michael turned away from Purdey, hoping she would go back to sleep.  He slid out of the bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom to stand shivering the cold hallway.

Moving down the hall towards the kitchen Michael spoke normally.   “Sorry Jackie, must be a bad line, is that better?” 

“Aye that’s better.  There’s been another murder.  Body found under the railway bridge where the fight was.  It’s one of the boys we interviewed yesterday.”  Jackie sounded just as tired and sleepy as he felt.

“Okay.  Give me maybe twenty minutes.  I’ll meet you there.”   

“Michael?  Are you alright?  You sound sort of ….nervous.”

“No.  No I’m fine.  It’s just early and I’m still half-asleep.  I’ll see you there okay?”

“Okay.  I’ll see you there.”  Jackie rang off.



Jackie turned to Brian who was trying very hard to go back to sleep after the phone had woken both of them.  One of the pitfalls of living with Jackie was when she was on call he lost sleep as well.

“That’s funny you know.  I could have sworn someone else was there.  He sounded really nervous, jumpy even.  And you know I thought I heard another voice just as he answered the phone.”  Jackie muttered.

Brian thought about not answering but knew she would just worry at it until she got an answer so he dragged his head out from under the duvet and fixing her with one bleary eye said,

“He is allowed to have a private life you know.  Maybe he did have someone there, so what?”

“Aye, but who?  I didn’t think he was seeing anyone at the moment….except maybe…..”  Jackie’s voice was muffled as she shrugged into her clothes.

“Maybe who?”  Brian was intrigued now.

“No, it doesn’t matter.  I was probably imagining things.”  Not really believing that Michael and Purdey may be involved, not just for three weeks, she leaned down and gave him a brief kiss,

“Go back to sleep.  I’ll see you later eh?”




Michael sneaked back into the bedroom and was just lifting his clothes off the back of the chair when a voice issued from the depths of the piled up duvet in the middle of the bed.

“Tell me I don’t have go too.  Please?”

“No, stay in bed.  There’s no reason for you to be dragged out at this hour.  No one would expect you to be there.”

“How long before you have to be there?”  Purdey’s docile question carried no hint of her intentions. 

“I told Jackie twenty minutes.  Why?”  Michael looked over to the bed and realised his mistake immediately.   Like the Venus de Milo Purdey had risen from the bedclothes and knelt naked in the middle of the bed, her arms extended and her hands beckoning.

“No Purdey, I have to go.”  Michael couldn’t help but smile at the disgruntled response this got.

“But it won’t take twenty minutes to get there will it?  You could maybe….spare a few minutes to warm a girl up again?”  Her look of innocent inquiry caused him to laugh out loud.  He moved towards the bed and thinking that she had convinced him to stay, she crawled across to the edge and leaned up to wrap her arms around his neck.  Closing her mouth over his she ran one hand up into his hair and slid the other down his partially clothed body.

Finding it one of the hardest things to do Michael broke the kiss, eventually.  Hooking the duvet up with his outstretched arm he wrapped it around her body and closing it right around, he trapped her arms inside.

“Purdey?  I have to go……I’ll see you later in the office okay?  Go back to sleep while you can.”

Michael turned away and finished dressing knowing she was watching his every move.  When he glanced back as he paused at the bedroom door she was still kneeling in the middle of the bed with the duvet securely wrapped around her.  Her sunny smile was spread across her face.

“Michael, you know that theory of mine?  About good times and so on?”

Smiling back at her he nodded.

“Well the second bit, the great sex?  I was right, it is great.”

Michael couldn’t help it, he blushed.




With three unsolved murders on his hands Michael couldn’t justify time off for any of the team.  All of the youths arrested after the last fight were interviewed again but no one was talking.  The overtime budget was shot to hell but they had to get a break on these murders, and the break better come soon, before they started to break from the strain. 

A week had passed since the last murder, a week of backbreaking slog going through statements, chasing up forensics and hounding snitches for leads.  Everyone was tense and arguments were a daily occurrence as tempers shorten.  Even the unflappable Stuart was short with everyone and had actually lashed out at Heather after one particularly frustrating day.  The only thing keeping them all from losing completely it was Purdey.  Somehow she managed to make them all laugh occasionally, somehow she kept things in perspective and Michael marveled at her ability to work the team and juggle the diverse characters without losing her own calm, sunny nature.  It certainly took the pressure off him.

And the nights with her were the best stress relief a man could ask for.  It wasn’t just the sex, they talked and talked and laughed about so many things they found in common.  Being able to share with someone all the problems and stresses of the job, someone who really understood was something Michael had never experienced in any relationship before.  He wondered if that was part of the attraction for Jackie with Brian.  Being in the same job made it so much easier to cope with the pressures.  The old proverb rang true, a problem shared is a problem halved.



Just when Michael was beginning to think that they would never get the break through they needed and even Purdey was showing the strain of maintaining the peace in the office, the mother of one of the youths showed up at the front desk asking for the officer in charge of the murder cases.

Jackie was out chasing up more forensics and knowing he needed a female officer present Michael thought about using Heather but a glimmer of a hunch that this mother was going to provide them with the break they needed made him take Purdey into the interview room with him.  He wanted someone with a little more experience than Heather if his hunch proved right.




“Mrs McAllister, I’m DCI Jardine, this is DI Purdwell.  You told the front desk you have information about the murders?”  Michael and Purdey sat opposite the woman in the interview room.

“Aye, I do.  I know who did ‘em.  An’ I can prove it.”  Glenda McAllister had a careworn face older that her years.  The stamp of hardship was embedded deeply in the lines in her face and the slump in her shoulders.  She seemed almost ethereal, lacking bodily substance she was so thin and worn.

“Ya hafta understand, I do’ na’ want to do this thing but I hafta.  I hafta for the sake of my boy….ya understand?”  She was rubbing her hands together, not for warmth but with worry.  “He’s in so deep to these lads an’ I canna see him comin’ out alive if I don’t do somethin’ to help him.  Mind, he won’t think it’s helpin’ seeing as I’m gonna grass him up like.”  She looked up at them, her eyes dulled with pain and unshed tears.

Suddenly Purdey got up and walked around the table.  Crouching down beside Glenda she took her hands in her own and stroking them softly she said very quietly,

“It’s okay Glenda, we understand that you don’t want to hurt your boy but you can’t stand by and watch him throw his life away can you?” 

“Aye, ya got that right hen.  I canna watch him go down with that lot any more.  Even if your man here has gotta lock him up for a while, it’s better than bein’ deid.”  With this Glenda freed one of her hands from Purdey’s and drew a cassette from her handbag.

“Their all on it, all of them that did the killin’.  Braggin’ they are, braggin’ about how brave, how clever they are an all.  My boy taped it, insurance he called it.  But I found it and I thought mebbe the police could use it, use it ta get these scum away from my boy.  Then mebbe he would have a chance…..”

Michael picked up the tape and, looking across at Purdey nodded for her to continue.  She had the woman’s trust now, he wasn’t going to break in on that, not now.

“Glenda, can you give us the names of the boys?  The boys that did the killing?”

“Aye hen, I can an’ I will. All of them.”

Purdey smiled at Michael, knowing she was overstepping the bounds but sure that he would understand.

“Michael, I think Glenda would like a cup of tea, don’t you?” He returned that smile and nodding assent stood up and left the room.

“You’ve a good man there hen.  Funny that ya should be working together so close.”  Glenda looked at Purdey, a tired smile on her face.

“Sorry?”  Purdey’s looked at her, unsure what she meant.

“Yon man, ya boyfriend isna he?”

“Mrs McAllister…..Glenda.  He’s my boss, not my boyfriend.”  Purdey stressed the word ‘boss’.

“Oh aye, ya boss?  An’ ya canna let on about ya bein’ together like, at work I mean.  Oh I understand.  Mind, I canna see how everyone else canna notice it, it’s there for the seeing, on both of ya.”

Purdey blushed,

“Well…..you understand that we can’t let on, don’t you?”

“Oh aye, I’ll no let on ta anyone hen.”  Glenda’s smile told Purdey that she had a friend for life if she wanted, they shared secrets now.  Suddenly she reached out and laid her hand on Purdey’s arm.

“Listen hen, ya understand I have somethin’ of ‘The Sight’.  Ya understand?”  The intense look on her face made Purdey pause.

“You mean you can see the future?  Predict events and so on.  Is that why you’re giving up your son?  To change the future?”

“Aye something like.”  Glenda nodded then her face clouded over.  “He’s not for you hen, ya man.  Ya understand?”

Purdey frowned, if she understood Mrs McAllister right she was saying that she and Michael would not stay together.  But she knew that, it couldn’t last, tens of thousands miles would take care of that.

“Yes I know.  I’m leaving soon.”  Purdey touched her hand to reassure her.

“No no…..not that.  I shouldna say anythin’ but……” At Purdey’s blank stare she shook her head,  “Well never mind that now, ya take care of yourself hen, while you can, eh?”  Glenda patted her hand.



Still in the interview room, Glenda McAllister now gone after supplying the names to the voices as they listened to the tape, Purdey suddenly remembered the strange conversation with her when Michael had been out of the room.

“Michael, what do you know about ‘The Sight’?” 

Michael looked up from his notes and seeing Purdey’s serious face didn’t voice the flippant reply that sprang to mind.

“Why?  Are you having visions?”  His smile reassured her that he wasn’t laughing at her.

“Glenda, Mrs McAllister, she claims she has ‘The Sight’.”

“So?”

“She knew about us.  Said she could see it in our faces.”

“Guesswork.  Stab in the dark.”  Michael could see she was troubled by whatever it was Glenda McAllister had said.

“Yes, probably.  But she knew I was leaving you, knew our time was nearly up.  No…my time was nearly up.”

“Now you getting fanciful.  Maybe she overheard someone talking about you downstairs, heard them say you were leaving.”  Michael reached over and laced his fingers through hers.

“But….”

“But what?”

“No, nothing, forget it.  Forget I asked.  Put it down to tiredness.”  Taking advantage of the fact that they were alone she leaned in for a quick kiss.  His response was immediate and it was a few moments before either of them came up for air.  They broke apart suddenly at the sound of approaching steps outside in the hall, guilty grins on both their faces.




It took three days to round up and formally charge all of the youths named on the tape.  At first they all tried to tough it out but one by one they caved in and fell like a row of dominos.  The ringleader was the last to give out, but eventually the enormity of the consequences of his crimes got through to him and he too caved in and in the process gave up very useful information about contacts and others in the next level up in the drug rings.  This information was handed over to the drug squad and celebrations all round began for the Maryhill team.

To make the decision of who could take some leave as fair as possible everyone put their names into a hat and Purdey was asked to draw them out.  After the draw a relieved Michael handed over the remaining cases to a very disgruntled Robbie and Stuart who had both drawn the short straw and would work through until others returned so they could then take a break.

Michael hadn’t been able to suppress his smile when his name came out for leave, Purdey’s hadn’t been included as she was leaving in three days time anyway and all had agreed she had earned that three days off.  Jackie seeing that smile wondered again who had almost answered Michael’s phone that early morning.

To the rest of the team Purdey announced that she was off to Edinburgh to do some sightseeing but that she would call in and see them all before leaving.  Several offers to show her around were declined, she said she had a friend in Edinburgh who she would be staying with and who would do the right thing by her and show her the sights.

Clearing her things from her hotel Purdey caught a cab to Michael’s flat and found him packing a change of clothes and some outdoor gear.

“So three days away.  Where are we going?  Or shouldn’t I ask?”  Purdey stood behind Michael as he packed.  When he didn’t answer her she slid her arms around his waist from the back, leaned against him and let out a deep sigh.

“Just think, three whole days with no phone, no cases, no interviews…..sheer bliss.  Does this place we’re going to have a bed or are we roughing it?”

Michael turned around in the circle of her arms and, wrapping his arms around her, he drew her in against his body.

“So many questions!  Patience Alison, patience and all shall be revealed.”  Leaning in he kissed her open mouth, successfully putting a stop to all the questions and any more packing for quite some time.




Michael’s Volvo turned into the sweeping drive.  The manor house had been purchased and completely renovated several years ago and was now an expensive and very exclusive small hotel.  He had used his authority as a policeman to vet the guest list.  The last thing he wanted was someone he knew showing up and ruining their last few days together.

As the porter opened the door to the suite and placed their small cases on the racks Purdey let out an appreciative whistle when she spotted the king size four-poster bed.  It boasted a full canopy and ornately carved bedposts with monogrammed bathrobes spread out on either side of the bed.  The room also included two large sofas that were placed before an open fireplace already burning brightly with a small but warming fire.

“I told them you’re an Australian and not used to the cold.”  Michael murmured in her ear as her wide-eyed gaze swept around the room.  Thanking the porter and closing the door after him Michael took her hand and showed her through a door beside the bed.  Inside was a fully equipped bathroom with sunken spa bath, a double shower and mirrors around every wall.

“Wow!  This must be costing you a fortune!”  Purdey spun around in a circle watching her reflection in every mirror.  “Not so sure about these mirrors though……a little too revealing I think.  But still the steam from the bath should help blur the edges.”  Purdey chuckled as she took in the size of the bath.  Plenty of room for two in this one.

“Don’t you think you’re worth it?”  Michael asked, pleased at her reaction.  He had done everything in such a hurry he had hoped that she would like it.

“Well probably not but you needn’t think I’m gonna argue now that I’ve seen it!  I definitely think this calls for a reward!” 

Saying this she grabbed Michael’s hand and dragged him back into the main room.  Turning him and pushing him backwards onto the bed she straddled him and began to pull at his clothes, laughing and tickling him she fought off his protests at the rough treatment.

“For god’s sake Purdey it’s only 2.00 in the afternoon.  Don’t you want to go for a walk, stretch your legs or something?”

“It’s not my legs that need exercising right now and I don’t intend to waste one minute of this beautiful big bed, do you?”  She tried to leer down at him, but the laughter bubbling out of her ruined the effect.  Giving in gracefully Michael stopped resisting.  After all, what was a man to do in the face of such determination?




The three days passed quickly in such peaceful surroundings.  They took long walks, even clambered up some rocky slopes to get the benefit of the fabulous views of the surrounding countryside.  Their evenings were spent in quiet solitude generally curled up before the fire, sharing a sofa and either reading, just talking or in companionable silence.  They also made good use of the large spa bath, luxuriating in the decadence of a bath definitely made for two.

The only mar to the whole time was the second night.  They had made slow and languorous love being particularly tender and gentle with each other.  Lying wrapped in each other’s arms in the aftermath Michael felt driven to say what he really felt for this woman who had breezed so unexpectedly into his life such a short time ago.

“Purdey?”  Michael’s whisper broke the silence.

“Ummmm?”  Purdey was in that half-waking stupor, teetering on the edge of sleep.

“Purdey…..I want to….I need to say something.”

“Ummmm, what?”

“Purdey…..I love…” 

Coming awake suddenly Purdey put her finger across his lips.   “No Michael, don’t say it.  Please?”

“But I …”

“No, remember the theory?  Well in two days it’ll be three out of three….please don’t make it any harder for either of us.”  Purdey’s face was creased with lines of worry.

Hating to see those lines Michael traced his fingertips across her face as if to wipe them out and restore her smile.

“Okay……but it doesn’t change the way I feel.”  Stroking the hair back from her face he touched his lips to her forehead.

“I know, but saying it somehow makes it hurt more when it’s time to go.”  Her smile back in place she snuggled down and rested her head on his chest, her ear pressed so close she felt his heartbeat echoing through her own body.




The drive back to Glasgow in the early morning of her last day seemed somehow all too quick.  They had stayed at the hotel an extra night, deciding to drive straight through and go on into the office.  They were first in and Purdey sat at Jackie’s desk and put some finishing touches to her report to her Canberra superiors.  Michael sat opposite at Stuart’s desk and simply watched her every move, memorising her mannerisms, her expressions, storing up as much of the essence of Purdey as he could.

As the rest of the team struggled back in from leave Stuart and Robbie were in high fettle, knowing that their three days off were about to begin.



“Look I know this seems rude but I really would prefer if no one comes to the station to see me off.  I hate farewells and would really rather just fade quietly away, okay?”  Purdey addressed her request to the whole office.

There were some disappointed faces but all agreed to say their farewells now and to let her go without fuss.  It seemed that everyone wanted to shake her hand or give her a quick hug of farewell and it was some time before she could get downstairs to the cab waiting to take her to the station.  Robbie, Jackie and Stuart helped her carry her cases down and Stuart loaded them into the waiting cab.

“Well this is it.  It’s been fun and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you all.  Take care and look after each other.”  Purdey stood holding the door of the cab.

Jackie kept looking around wondering where Michael had got too.  He had disappeared sometime ago claiming he had said his farewells to Purdey, although in Jackie’s book they had seemed very stilted and unfeeling farewells to someone she thought he liked and respected.

“I wonder where Michael is?”  She couldn’t help asking.

“Oh I said goodbye to him earlier.  We were both first in this morning and I guess he’s like me, doesn’t like extended farewells.”  Purdey’s tone was dismissive.  “Okay, I’m out of here.  Take care, and if you guys are ever in Oz, drop in for a drink, first one’s on me!”  Purdey climbed into the cab and as it drove off she waved through the back window.



As they walked back up to the office Jackie glanced at Robbie’s disappointed face.

“Look, she shouldn’t just leave without someone to see her off!  Robbie?  Want to come to the station, surprise her?”  Jackie smiled as Robbie’s face lit up.

“Aye, let’s do it.  Stuart, you coming?”

“No, I’ve got some paperwork I want to get finished before I go off, but say goodbye to her again for me okay?”




Michael watched as Purdey placed her case in the rack on the carriage.  She turned and, smiling at him, jumped down from the carriage step and into his arms.  Their mouths met and the depth of emotion in the kiss left them both a little breathless.

“So, this is it.” Purdey wrapped her arms around Michael’s neck, her fingers combing through his hair, caressing his neck, tracing the outline of his ears, anything that kept her in close physical contact with him.    “Well…..my theory held up ‘til the end.  We’ve had some good times and definitely some great sex and now……I’m out of here.” 

“I’m going to miss you, you know that don’t you?”  Michael’s smile was a little lopsided.  He had words that he wanted to say, but he wasn’t prepared to renege on their bargain to leave them unsaid, not now.  Time was too precious for arguments.

“Yes, you will…..and I’m going to miss you…..miss the little half smile that sneaks out when your amused about something but don’t want to let on.  I’ll miss that look you give when your angry…….the up and under the eyebrows look…….the one that everyone in the office avoids if possible.”   Purdey punctuated every pause with a kiss.  “And I’ll miss this…..”   She kissed him again.

Finally breaking the kiss Purdey rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing the edges of his suit coat lapels.

“Oh Michael, I will see you again someday, I know it.  That woman might have said you’re not for me but she could be wrong….no….she is wrong!  I will see you again, I promise.”

The bell sounded for departure.  Crushed in an embrace that drove the air from her lungs Purdey sought and found Michael’s mouth for one last kiss.  Breaking away she held his face between her hands and whispered the words left unspoken until now.

“I love you.”

She turned and stepped up into the carriage and disappeared from sight.  Michael watched as the train rolled slowly away from the platform, his lips forming the words that he had ached to say to her face.

“I love you too.”





Jackie and Robbie wove their way through the crowds at Central Station making their way to the platform for the London train.  Finally battling their way onto the platform they scanned up and down for any sign of her, not knowing which carriage she was in.

Jackie stood on tiptoes to try and see over the heads of the crowd.  Unable to see Purdey she was about to turn to Robbie and tell him it was hopeless when she suddenly spotted Purdey jumping out of a carriage further down and, jumping into the arms of a smiling Michael!  To stunned to speak she simply stared at Michael and Purdey locked in a crushing embrace, in what was obviously not just a friendly farewell peck on the cheek, both of them totally oblivious to their surroundings.

Robbie was staring off in the other direction. 

“Well I’ll be damned if I can see her.  This is waste of time Jackie, we might as well go.”

Still unable to speak Jackie touched his arm and, getting his attention, pointed down the platform.

“Shite!” Robbie’s shocked exclamation broke Jackie’s stasis.   “The conniving bastard!  Just how long has that been goin’ on!”  Robbie was practically spluttering.

Jackie shook her head in amazement that Michael and Purdey had managed to hide it from all of them, hide it from her.

“Well….it explains a few things.  That voice I thought I heard answering Michael’s phone the early morning we were called out to the last murder for a start.”  Jackie mused.

Robbie so intent in rushing off down the platform to confront them, was brought up short by Jackie grabbing his arm and dragging him to a stop.

“No Robbie, leave them be.  Let them alone.”  Jackie locked eyes with him, reinforcing her request.

“Let them alone?  That conniving bastard!  I wanna give him a piece of my mind, now!  Of all the sneaking, conniving….”

“No Robbie, leave be.  Come on, it’s too late, the train’s leaving and so are we.”

As this argument was going on the train was slowly rolling out of the platform.  Jackie had seen Michael and Purdey embrace again, exchange a few words and a last kiss before Purdey had jumped back on the train and disappeared inside.  Michael had stared after the departing train and then had turned, head down, lost in thought, walking slowly up the platform towards them, as yet unaware that their farewell had been witnessed.  Jackie intended to keep it that way.

As she attempted to steer a shocked and angry Robbie away she glanced down the platform again and, met Michael’s eyes.  His look of shock, then guilty resignation made her smile and shake her head.  Before Robbie could register that Michael was getting close enough to confront she dragged him away.




It was three months since Purdey had left and Jackie, having sworn Robbie to silence about Michael and Purdey, decided that today she would broach the subject of Heather.  Heather, who had waited patiently for Michael to notice her, and knowing his opinion of workplace relationships, had been reticent in trying to further any personal relationship between them.  She was leaving the running to Michael and they were going nowhere, Michael being the usual dense male when it came to subtle ‘come hither’ signals.  Jackie figured it was time she took a hand in things and that three months was enough time to get over the three weeks he had obviously spent with Purdey.  Judging by their farewell, it had not been a purely platonic relationship.

Coming into the office early with the resolve of catching Michael before anyone else came in she noticed Heather already at her desk.  Jackie wished her good morning and received a muffled, somewhat strangled reply.

“Heather, what is it?   What’s the matter?”  Jackie walked over and laid her hand on Heather’s shoulder.

“Oh Jackie, when I got in, there was a fax for Mich…for the DCI….from Australia.  I….I didn’t mean to read it but I couldn’t help it….oh Jackie, it’s Purdey!”  Heather dissolved into tears, unable to go on.

“A fax about Purdey?  Where is it?  Where’s the fax Heather?”  Jackie’s heart filled with dread.

“I took it up to Michael……I couldn’t stay, and I thought…..he wouldn’t want anyone around when he read it.  Oh Jackie, I’m…..”  Before Heather could finish the sentence Jackie was sprinting for the door and Michael’s office.




Without knocking Jackie slid through the partially open door to Michael’s office.  Michael stood with his back to the room, facing the early morning sun streaming through the window.  His eyes were closed as if from the glare but the sun’s rays picked out the telltale trail of tears down his cheeks.

“Michael?”  Jackie’s whisper cut the silence.  “Michael. What is it?  What’s happened?”

Michael opened his eyes slowly and half-turning he pointed to a fax, face up on his desk.  Still not speaking he met Jackie’s eyes briefly and then looked away again.  That brief glimpse let Jackie see the pain and despair in his eyes.

Picking up the fax she noticed it was from the head office of the Australian Federal Police in Canberra.  It was addressed to Michael and dated with today’s date and timestamped as having been received overnight here in Glasgow.  As she read she felt the tears gathering and spilling over, the anguished sobs building in her chest.  Holding on to the shreds of her control she blinked to clear her eyes so she could read the fax again, unable to believe what it said…….



To:       Detective Chief Inspector Michael Jardine,
Maryhill Station, Strathclyde Police, Glasgow, Scotland.

It is with great sorrow that I must inform you that today Detective Inspector Alison Purdwell passed away as a result of injuries received in the line of duty.

Inspector Purdwell was fatally wounded in a raid on an alleged illegal drugs factory two days ago.  Her injuries were incurred whilst assisting another officer to subdue a violent offender armed with a gun. 

Alison (or as she was known to her friends and colleagues, Purdey) was transported to hospital and, as a result of the seriousness of her injuries, placed on life support immediately.  However, doctors confirmed the diagnosis of brain death yesterday and today, at 11.00 a.m. our time, her family agreed to switch off life support.  Purdey passed away some minutes later.

I felt compelled to advise you of this tragic event myself as Purdey talked often of her time in Glasgow and spoke highly of the professionalism and dedication shown by all members of the Maryhill team.  She also spoke of the friendship shown by yourself and your team and I know that she enjoyed her time in Glasgow immensely.

I have had the honour of serving with Purdey for some years now and know, from her character and personality, that even the brief time she spent with you and your team will have made a lasting impression on you all.  That was Purdey, never one to go unnoticed.

Please pass on this news to members of your team and also accept, for yourself and on their behalf, my heartfelt thanks for making her time in Glasgow so memorable.

I know that you will want me to pass on your condolences to her family at this time and I have done so on your behalf.  Purdey’s funeral, with full police honours, will take place in two days time, at 11.00 a.m. Australian EST.  I know your thoughts will be with her family, friends and colleagues at that time.

Respectfully yours

Jack Hogan (Detective Superintendent, Drugs Squad.)




“Michael?”  Jackie’s quiet, anguished cry broke the silence.  “Michael, is there anything I can do?”

“Tell the others….please.  I can’t…..not yet, not now.”  Michael didn’t turn around, his whisper barely reaching her.

Nodding she picked up the fax and walked to the door.  Looking back she went to speak, then, realising that no words would help, she went quietly out, shutting the door behind her.

Michael continued to stare unseeing out the window.  His whisper addressed to no one fell into the empty office.

“You were right Purdey……..three out of three……good times, great sex and then you’re gone….forever.”


The end.