Melanie Leibnitz stood on the station concourse waiting for the London train to arrive. She had written in marker pen on an A4 sheet of paper, 'Debbie Flint': she felt like an airport taxi-driver. She wondered what the woman would be like. When she had left Blunt's office Cushion pulled her to side and whispered that Blunt and Flint 'had history'.
'Great' she thought 'he's brought in his bit on the side to work with him'.
Cushion also said that Flint could be a 'hard bitch' and she was to be careful.
So it was with some trepidation that she awaited the arrival of Debbie Flint.
The announcer heralded the arrival of the train and it duly disgorged its passengers: most of them business folk anxious to get home after a trying day in the Capital.
'Hiya' a middle-aged woman dressed in white tee shirt and jeans strode towards Leibnitz. She had a Nike sports bag slung over one shoulder and a handbag over the other. She was relatively thin and tall but had what men would call a good 'rear'
She thrust out a hand 'I'm Debbie Flint'.
The younger woman was taken aback. She put it down to the other being a Londoner.
'Hi, Melanie Leibnitz. Chief Inspector Blunt asked me to collect you and take you to your hotel. I'm then to take you to meet him later on'
'Good, let's get going' Flint strode towards the exit leaving Leibnitz to catch up.
On the drive to the hotel Flint thought that Leibnitz could not be long out of training; she looked so young. But she was also attractive and obviously bright to boot. Her heart missed a beat when she realised that they were heading to the THF hotel; the place where she and Blunt had shared a room but not their bodies. Surely, he couldn't have been that insensitive.
She booked into the hotel. Once in her room she quickly freshened up and put on a striped blouse. She approached Leibnitz waiting in the foyer. The girl was certainly attractive. A great figure and she wore clothes that enhanced it. Long auburn hair, green eyes and a pleasing olive complexion.
'Let's have a coffee before you take me to the nick'
They settled into some easy chairs and ordered coffee from the young waitress.
'So what made you join Blunt's team?' asked Flint
'He asked me if I wanted a temporary assignment and it seemed less boring than what I was doing'
'In what way' Flint gently enquired mirroring the younger woman's movements.
'Well, I've just finished the graduate scheme. It's been the biggest mistake I ever made...' she paused
Flint just nodded, slightly leaning towards the younger woman
'...I thought it would be interesting but it's not. My parents did not want me to join the force. They wanted me to be an actuary...but there were no jobs. All the insurance companies were cutting back in the recession. They said that I should have been a teacher as everyone is saying that there is a shortage of maths teachers. However, the more my parents went on about what a lousy job being in the force was the more determined I was to join.
Interesting it has not been. I get given all the shitty jobs, filing, writing up interviews. I don't call dealing with drunks crawling out of the Prince Of Wales Road pubs and clubs on a weekend and spewing up on the pavements exciting. And the guys in the office are all out of the ark positively antediluvian Nothing but sly innuendos all day. Mock requests to go to bed. It seems that their brains are in their trousers. There's one prat in particular. Fancies himself and as thick as shit.'
'Yes, there are some officers like that' Flint agreed remembering Skinner.
'Basically I've had enough. Going into work each day is like a living hell. Trying to act normally puts such a strain on me. When I get home I'm shattered. I just go to sleep. Then when I get into work I find it difficult talking to people. I've been applying for jobs as a maths teacher. Should make my parents happy. I've got two interviews coming up.'
'What's your boyfriend's view?' the older woman leaned in a little further towards the younger.
'Boyfriend, hah' Leibnitz laughed mockingly, 'That tosser got fed up with my shifts. Said that being in the force mitigated against having children and a family life. He was on the graduate scheme with Norwich Union. Chose them because I was here. Now he has buggared off to their branch in Sheffield. We took out a mortgage together on the flat we shared. I can't afford the payments and he wants us to sell it. So crappy job, crappy life and soon to be homeless And now those idiots in the office are making comments about whether or not I am a dyke. What about you?'
'Does Blunt know about all of this?'
'Why should he? You won't tell him. He may throw me off the team, then they will take the piss about that.'
'Why should I tell him?'
'Well, you know because...'
'Because what?'
'Well you and he, you know, know each other. '
'Whoah, I see what you are trying to say. We know each other because I worked for him in Enfield. I've never slept with him if that's what you are trying to say.'
'Omigod I have put my foot in it.' She flicked her hair back with her right hand as a blush spread from her neck upwards , 'I'm, I'm sorry' she stammered.
'It's all right' Flint gently touched the others arm, 'Part of being in the force is that your colleagues will always think that a woman officer is sleeping with someone or other, usually a more senior colleague. And there will always be someone who spreads the rumour. Who did it in this instance?'
'It was Cushion' Leibnitz continued whilst Flint nodded, 'Are you married?'
'Yes. I should never have married him. We only stayed together because of the kids. I have an eighteen year old son and a seventeen year old daughter'
'Are they going to move to Norwich?'
'I doubt it. They are both looking for work in London. They are living with their gran and granddad, my mum and dad. I don't know whether I will move here yet.'
'What about your husband?'
'As soon as the kids finished school I walked out. We had not seen much of each other. He is a security officer. He prefers to work nights for the money and probably because it meant that he saw less of me'
'I'm sorry'
'Don't be. I've felt a lot better since I walked out on him. I've even taken up studying. Blunt had been trying to get me to do it for ages. Anyway, I think we had better get off to the nick and see the man himself. He gets pissed off if he's kept waiting'
'What's he like, as a boss I mean?'
'Do your job and he's fine. Screw up and he will give you hell. Come on let's get going'
When they got to the nick it was after five. Blunt had left a note saying that he had to go and see the CPS and then he was moving onto Darcy and Darcy, the accountants. He was going to have a meeting with all the team at 11am sharp in his office. Leibnitz was not to forget to have a SOCO report by then.
The two women decided to have dinner together at Flint's hotel.
Leibnitz thought that she had better quickly check her desk for messages before leaving. She found one from the lab concerning the bottle of clear liquid found in Morski's bedroom.
Flint enquired whether it was something about the Winterton body.
'Yes, but it doesn't seem important. Here look' she passed the fax over.
Flint looked at it for a moment
'Shit. Get onto the pathologists now! Let's hope that they are still at work. Tell them to check the corpse's hair.'
Over dinner Flint explained to Leibnitz the importance of the fax. The other then filled in Flint on Saeed and Cushion.