Chapter 3
Debbie, aware that Mickey was not exactly her biggest fan, saw immediately that the compliment wasn't actually as innocent as it seemed.
"What do you mean by that Webb?" she asked him, fixing him in the one of her famous stares.
Mickey was saved from having to answer by the arrival of Robbie Cryer who bounded over and immediately started squealing with excitement over Kerry's 'bump', prompting a number of 'congratulations' from those gathered, to the proud parents.
"How many is that now Luke?" Gemma asked, "6?"
Luke grinned, "You can joke woman, but sometimes it feels like that. This is actually number 4."
"4?" June exclaimed, "How do you manage? I can't even handle one!"
"I love it." Kerry said, her obvious joy at her impending motherhood written all over her face, "They're such good kids. I wanted to bring them all to meet you actually but Luke made me leave the little ones with my mother. Craig's here though." She pointed to a nearby pool table where her eldest son and Andrew were mid match.
"Craig?" Gina said questioningly as she returned from the bar, drink in hand.
Kerry nodded, "Yep. We named him after Sergeant Gilmore." Oblivious to the fact that Gina was shooting loaded looks in Luke's direction she carried on, "It was my idea actually because Craig was so good to us."
Gina grimaced, "Oh yes, good old Sergeant Gilmore. Anyone heard from him recently? Luke?"
A very uncomfortable looking Luke shook his head and avoided meeting Gina's eyes.
"It�s a shame." Kerry broke in, missing the subtext of the whole conversation; "I'd love to see Craig again. Wouldn't you Luke?"
Luke, still under Gina's watchful eye, declined to answer.
An hour or so later having been joined by Samantha, Adam Okaro and Phil Hunter, they decided to move into the hotels leisure club. It was a decision that suited Debbie down to the ground - she immediately headed for the sauna vowing to hide in there and stay out of Samantha's way for as long as possible. Unfortunately for her, Samantha didn't have the same idea and immediately followed her inside, lay her towel out alongside Debbie's and plonked herself down next to her. Debbie grimaced, "Did you want something?"
Much to her annoyance Samantha just laughed, "Oh come on Debbie, are you going to keep this up all weekend?"
She nodded, "I want this promotion. You're the only thing standing between it and me. And you know I deserve it, you know my crime figures are considerably better than yours."
Samantha shrugged, "Beginners luck. Anyway, I've got more experience than you - May I remind you I was your DI at Sun Hill?"
"Acting DI." Debbie retorted.
Samantha raised her eyes, "You don't get any less abrasive do you? Hardly a good quality for a Superintendent Debbie, I mean look at Tom Chandler."
Before Debbie could react, or Samantha could apologise (as her gut instinct immediately told her she should) Gina, who had opened the door just seconds earlier slammed it shut behind her.
"You two," she said sternly, "are going to shut up and listen to me. I don't want this weekend ruined by whatever rivalries are going on between you. This weekend nothing outside of this hotel matters - hence the fact that Phil is out there playing pool volleyball with the two men who got him kicked out of the force and into prison. And if Phil Hunter can act like a grown up then I'm sure you two can as well. If you try hard enough."
Feeling slightly guilty and also slightly stupid at having to be read the riot act, not to mention being unfavourably compared to Phil, Samantha and Debbie exchanged appalled looks. Gina glared at them slightly harder, "And stop looking so hard done by, something needed saying." And with that she turned on heel and left.
Samantha sighed, "Well I don't know about you Debbie but she scares the Hell of out me."
"Understatement." Debbie answered, "I guess that proves you can take the girl out of the job, but you can't take the job out of the girl. Still," she smiled, "I don't want to incur her wrath any further. Truce?" She held out her hand hesitantly and Samantha instantly shook it, "Truce. Oh and Debbie, I'm sorry for that dig about Chandler."
"Already forgotten."
For a minute they sat in silence, each wondering where to take the conversation in light of the fact they'd not said a polite word to each other in 4 years of area meetings. Eventually Samantha broke the silence,
"Andrew seems like a nice kid."
"Thanks." Debbie said, more than a hint of maternal pride in her voice, "How's your daughter?"
Samantha pulled a face, "Nothing but trouble. You'd think by the age of 29 she'd be off my hands but no, she steadfastly refuses to go."
"No boyfriend then?"
"Not of the singular variety no." Samantha said resignedly, "Abbie refuses to commit herself to one man, and since she started working in the force she's got even worse - she's slept with more PC's than I've worked with. She even insisted on joining me this weekend� on the look out for more prey no doubt."