An Officer and the Noble Woman, Part 8.1
Title: An Officer and the Noble Woman, Part 8.1 (8.1 of ?)
Author: dtstrainers
Paring: Donna Noble/Peter Carlisle
Beta/Co-Captain of this Ship: WhosInTheAttic- you complete me. Any and all mistakes are my own.
Rating: PG, mostly angsty this time with a bit of kissing and a hint of lust.
Word Count: 7,675 (Parts 8.1 and 8.2 together)
Summary: While investigating a murder, Peter meets a woman whose life is an even bigger mystery.
Disclaimer: Donna and Peter both belong to others, except in my own twisted version of what should be. My Great and Glorious plan is to post at least once a week, and always on Friday. I apologize for not replying to comments last week, but I was busy organizing a Doctor Who fan group meeting at a local theatre and running around trying to get everything in place for that cut into my computer time. And it keeps saying the post is too large, hence 8.1 and 8.2...sorry!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8.1 | Part 8.2 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
Thursday, 26 April 2012, 4:45 PM
“You’re sure of this, yeah? Absolutely sure?” Peter demanded, waving his lolly in Alec Turner's direction as he stalked back to his office studying the report the Forensics tech had just given him. Alec followed him closely and nodded his assent.
“The results just came in to the lab, DI. As I was on my way down anyway, I thought I’d bring them by,” Alec replied. “The tests came back a positive match. The blood is that of your victim, one Alun Morgan of Chiswick, 31 years of age, a maths teacher at Isleworth and Syon. He went out with some mates from his football team for a drink Tuesday evening and walked home after, as always, about 9:30 PM. He was reported missing the next day when he didn’t show for his classes. Nothing out of the norm happened the previous night, according to his teammates.” Alec stopped and put a restraining hand on Peter’s shoulder. “They don’t know yet. I literally just got the report.”
Peter grimly nodded his understanding, pausing for a moment before pushing the door to Homicide and Serious Crime open. The dead man’s friends’ Missing Persons Report had just become a murder investigation, and he didn’t relish the thought of being the one to tell them. Rousing himself from that unwanted train of thought, he looked back at Alec. “And the prints? To whom do they belong?” he asked.
“That’s where this gets interesting, DI. The prints are not those of your victim,” Alec confided, cocking his head to the side and raising his eyebrows as he followed him into the room. “They’re being prepared to send off to IDENT1 right now. If your suspect’s been taken in for a recordable offence and is in the system, you should have fingerprints, DNA and mug-shots by about the middle of next week. It’s just a matter of time,” he said, smiling as he spread his hands in the air before him.
“And what have we here?” came a taunting voice from the back of the room. Peter and Alec turned to see DS Manfred Cave perched on the side of his desk, talking to his partner, Detective Colin Dexter. Making flitting motions with his hands in exaggerated mimicry of Alec's stance, DS Cave sang out, “What news have you flown in with?” before hooting with laughter and hitting Detective Dexter on the shoulder. For his part, Dexter looked apologetic as DS Cave smirked at Alec. Peter stiffened and opened his mouth, ready to retort but he stopped when Alec briefly touched his sleeve in warning.
“Detective Sergeant Cave Man,” Alec responded, inclining his head in tolerant greeting. Alec was rewarded for his pains by another snort of laughter from DS Cave, who grinned and waved him off as he returned to his earlier conversation.
“I’m sorry about him,” DS Ian Keating said as he crossed the office to accept the report Peter held out for him. “The rest of us don’t share his deplorable attitude.”
“Thanks, but it’s all right. He can’t help being a neanderthal, and he’s willing to take abuse as well as dish it out,” Alec said sotto voce and shrugged. He watched Ian read the report and look to his partner in surprise.
Peter nodded as Ian continued to read. “Aye, it’s all there. Turner said they’ve already sent the prints out and are running them in IDENT1,” Peter explained as Alec looked on. “So tomorrow, our investigation takes a new direction. Thanks to the lab and with a bit of luck, we’ll have a suspect.”
“Specialist Turner, I thank you,” Ian said formally with a pointed look at DS Cave. “You went out of your way to keep us informed of the lab results and I thank you.”
Alec inclined his head, graciously accepting Ian’s thanks, then looked expectantly at Peter. “DI Carlisle?” he prompted.
Peter frowned and bit the inside of his cheek, raising a finger to ask for patience. “Ah! I have it!” he said triumphantly before reciting,
“I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful:
Thou thought'st to help me; and such thanks I give
As one near death to those that wish him live...”
Peter rocked back on his heels with his hands in his pockets, eyebrows raised, looking quite pleased with himself. He waited patiently for Alec to continue, and Alec did not disappoint.
“But what at full I know, thou know'st no part,
I knowing all my peril, thou no art,”
he replied, grinning.
Ian looked between Peter and Alec, confused yet again by their banter. Catching sight of his face, Alec explained “All’s Well that Ends Well.” Ian merely shook his head and shrugged, still confused.
Suddenly, Ian clapped his hands loudly and rubbing them together vigorously. “Gentlemen! Thanks to excellent detective work,” he announced to all in the office, offering a nod to Peter before continuing, “and the diligence of our Forensics Team,” he continued, with another nod to Alec, ”we are well on our way to solving this case! This calls for a celebration!” He spun around to see Peter still grinning and thought that, at last, the DI was coming around.
“Indeed it does, DS Keating, indeed it does,” Peter agreed, glancing at the clock on the wall as he reached for his coat. Just as Ian was about to suggest they all reconvene at St. Stephen's in an hour, he heard the door open and turned to see DI Carlisle on his way out. “If you gentlemen will be kind enough to excuse me....” he called as he backed out the door with a lopsided farewell salute to Alec. Before anyone could say anything, he was gone.
Ian, perplexed at Peter’s abrupt departure, looked back at the other detectives in the office, spinning slowly on the spot with his hands outstretched in supplication. “What did I just miss?” he asked, to the snickers of DS Cave and Detective Dexter.
“Only the obvious,” Alec replied from behind him. Ian turned again to find him leaning back against the doorframe, his arms and legs crossed casually as he shook his head in amusement. "And here I always believed acute powers of observation were prerequisites for being a detective..." he added with a sphinx-like smile as he began to mirror Peter's mode of departure.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Ian demanded.
“Oh, he’s off to celebrate, all right," Alec admitted as he took a single step back into the office. "Just not with you lot. The DI’s found himself some female companionship, if I don’t miss my mark.” Once again, Alec made to leave, but this time he was halted in his tracks by a snort of derisive laughter, courtesy of DS Cave.
“That poof?” he snorted. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he hastened to add when he saw Alec staring at him. Alec regarded him for a long moment before responding. He saw DS Cave glance at him worriedly and realized the man really was concerned that he might have insulted him. DS Cave Man, he decided, was thoroughly course and crude, but not unkind. What was required here was a change in tone and an adjustment of attitude and Alec saw his opportunity.
“Oh, DI Carlisle is not of the Lavender Tribe,” Alex explained, nodding knowingly as he scratched his chin, sauntering back into the office.
“Really?! Why are you bringing him love notes, then?” DS cave challenged, gesturing at the lab report on Ian's desk. He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded Alec with frank curiosity.
The whole office had fallen silent and Alec became aware of the fact that he had a captive audience to the show he was about to put on. “Believe what you will," he stated nonchalantly, scratching behind his ear, "but take it from me: DI Carlisle is most assuredly not gay.” Alec examined his nails for just a split second before offering DS Cave his very best, dazzling "Aren't-I-Too-Clever?" smile.
“Prove it, Specialist Turner," DS Cave said defiantly, smiling back. The DS was warming to this game and Alec was pleased to see he now had the undivided attention of everyone in the room.
“Make it worth my while...” Alec smugly countered as several of the Detectives in the room laughed. He looked over his shoulder to see Ian sitting back in his chair, regarding him shrewdly. Alec surreptitiously winked at him before turning his attention back to his target.
“I bet you,” said DS Cave as he pulled his wallet from his pocket with a flourish, “a tenner.” He accepted the hoots and catcalls from the assembled officers with a nod and a slight bow.
Alec waited precisely ten seconds before responding. “Oh, so you’re not very sure then, are you?” he said derisively and he made to leave.
“OK, fine," DS Cave spat, relenting. "Twenty,” he said as he pulled the note from his wallet and held it up by the corners, snapping it tauntingly.
‘You’re on,” Alec tossed back.
“How’re you gonna prove it?" DS Cave demanded. "You can't pull that 'A Girl Just Knows' crap. I want proof! I wanna see him with a genuine woman!"
“You’ll see. I’ll give you proof positive that the DI has a girl in his life,” Alec promised. And probably in his bed, too, he thought. “Anyone else want a piece of this action?” he announced grandly as Ian rolled his eyes and turned back to the pile of papers on his desk.
Continued in Part 8.2
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8.1 | Part 8.2 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12