Now Charlie had her and Helen knew it.Clearly Helen’sillicit use of Charlie’s log-in details to access the PNC had not gone unnoticed.
‘Yes, HR told me about that,’ Charlie continued, aggrieved.‘Traced the breach to a city centre flat, didn’t even need to check the electoral roll – everybody in the station knows your address.’
‘Yeah, that was a mistake.I should have been more careful about where I accessed it from,’ Helen replied briskly.
‘It’s not where you logged in that’s important,’ Charlie fired back.‘It’s the fact that you did it all.You must have known that it would come back on me.How do you think Holmes will take this?It makes it look as though I’m assisting you, as though I’m encouraging your strange obsessions, facilitating your law-breaking, when in reality I’m trying to make a name for myself, to prove to everyone in this station that I can stand on my own two feet.’
Helen immediate reaction was to hit back, hurt by Charlie’s continued insistence on pushing her away, but realizing the pressure her former colleague was under, she chose a more conciliatory approach.
‘You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone, Charlie.You’re too good, have too much experience—’
‘Well, that’s easy for you to say,’ Charlie interrupted.‘But my head’s on the block here.We’ve been up against it from the start, clutching at straws, butfinallywe’ve got a tangible lead.Which is why it’s not bloody ideal to have to come down here to bail you out.’
Charlie stared at Helen, defiant and emotional.Realizing the gravity of the situation, Helen suddenly felt chastened.She had thought too much of herself these past few days, not enough about her old friend.
‘Look, I’m sorry.I shouldn’t have done it, you’re totally right.And I apologize sincerely for that.I wasn’t aware how tough things were for you.’
Charlie said nothing, but Helen could see that the apology had landed.
‘If you need me to straighten things out with Holmes, I will do so, of course.I never meant to cause you any trouble and I know what she can be like.She was in here not half an hour ago, crowing at my misfortune, revelling in my discomfort.’
Now it was Charlie’s turn to look regretful.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ she responded sheepishly.‘If I’d known you’d been picked up, I would have come down here earlier.’
‘Well, I would have called you, but I wasn’t allowed a phone call.Or any water, or access to a toilet, which I could really bloody do with …’
And now Charlie’s expression seemed to alter, concern dissipating her evident annoyance.
‘Are you OK, Helen?Youdolook really pale …’
Never had her friend’s words been truer.Helen looked like death and felt little better.Taking a breath, she chose her words carefully:
‘Well, let’s just say that your joke was on the money.’
For a moment, Charlie stared at Helen in mystification, then the memory of her parting shot in the pub slowly took hold.
‘Oh, my God, Helen, you’re …?’
Her eyes dropped to Helen’s belly.
‘Looks that way.Going to congratulate me?’
Helen’s tone was dry as a bone, but Charlie seemed not to notice.
‘Well of course, I’m thrilled for you, if this is what you want … but I’m more concerned withyou.You shouldn’t be getting into fights, getting arrested, when you’re pregnant.Jesus, Helen,you should be taking fewer risks, notmore.You need to look after yourself.’
Normally, Helen would have bridled at being lectured, but in truth, Charlie’s concern nearly undid her, acts of kindness, of simple fellow feeling, having been scarce of late.
‘Yeah, well I’ve never been very good at that,’ Helen conceded, swallowing her emotion.‘Things keep getting in the way.’
‘Well, first things first,’ Charlie replied, ‘let’s get you out of here.’
The pair marched along the corridor, as they had countless times before.This time the dynamic was very different, Helen no longer leading her deputy in the hunt for justice.Now they were simply two old friends, muddling along in very difficult circumstances.
‘Look, I may be a distinctly average DI,’ Charlie said eventually, ‘and a neglectful mother to boot …’
‘That’s not true,’ Helen protested.‘None of it.’
