THE PARTY'S OVER - Part 1 Continued

Rod, Eddie and DI Deakin are in the CID office discussing how reliable Mr Jolliffe's information is. "Jolliffe is redundant. He just sits kicking his heels all day. We use his place for an obbo and he's in the thick of the action again. It happens." Rod still is adamant that Bruce Jolliffe's just trying to impress them.
"You've met him, Ed. What do you think?"
Ed's with Rod on this one. "He's a fantasist, Guv. The guy's not credible. Sure, he's been around, but to hear him talk, he took the Falkland's single-handed! You know the type; start to believe it themselves."
Deakin doesn't think that the DCI will authorise an another investigation on Jolliffe's info. Ed's distracted as Rosie comes in and starts searching through her bag. "We're going to look right prats if we ignore this and the job does go down."
Rod assures him that it won't. "It's the old story. Some people get a taste for excitement and they can never give it up."
Ed's goes over to Rosie. "What's up?"
"I've lost my radio." Ed offers to help her look. "No, I'll find it." She walks out as Tom comes in.
"I've just checked the car registration, Guv. The owner's a Pete Harding. Out on license after doing eighteen months for aggravated burglary. I've just phoned Bruce Jolliffe to come in and give us some more details."
"That's the way to play it," Deakin tells him. "Rod, you stick with Tom on this one."

Rosie still hasn't found her radio. She's checking in the yard, in and around the van. Vicky and Reg come out to go back on patrol.
"Have either of you seen my radio, by any chance?"
"No," Reg answers.
"I thought I had it in the canteen, but I can't seem to find it."
"Well you better find it. They cost £800," Vicky tells her.
"Yeah, thanks, I know that." Vicky and Rosie really aren't going to get on!

Tom's gone down to reception to fetch Mr Jolliffe. "Must have been a real blow being invalided out after such an active career."
"Trick is to stay positive. I've got various job applications in. Security, stuff like that."
"Let's hope that one of them comes through. These covert operations in the Navy, they would have bee in the SBS I presume."
"That's right. Special Boat Squadron, in the Far East."
"In the Far East?"
"Singapore. That's where I met Maria. You know about them, do you?"
"Yes, I was into all that stuff as a kid."

Eddie bumps into Dave on the stairs. "Eddie, you going for refs?"
"Yeah."
"Good, when you get back you can put Rosie Fox out of her misery." He holds up the radio.
"Where did you get this?"
"Pulled it from a Christmas cracker."
"You tosser!"
"Eddie, it's time to be a hero again. Stop panicking."

Rosie's checking under the tables in the canteen, but, not surprisingly, having no luck.

"You seen Rosie, Sarge? She's not in your office?" Ed asks Matt Boyden.
"No. Why? You pining?

"I don't understand why you didn't mention any of this before, Bruce," says Rod.
"You were busy with your case. Look, what is this? I'm helping you. Why am I being interrogated?"
"You must understand, Mr Jolliffe. We get a lot of bogus information," Tom calmly tells him.
"I've given you intelligence about a suspicious character. If you don't want to use it, put it in the bin."
Rod decides to ask him to look through a selection of mugshots to see if he can identify the men. "It's not strictly official," he tells him, but Mr Jolliffe's still keen. "I'll set it up then. Oh, Tom, it's not going to take two of us to do this, so how about you nip down to the café and see if they've spotted any dodgy looking characters."

Eddie's finally found Rosie in the yard. He holds up her radio for her to see.
"Alright, Eddie. What's the joke?"
"No joke. I found your radio."
"Where?"
"In the canteen, under a chair."
"No. I looked and searched. Somebody nicked it didn't they?"
"Well it wasn't me. You got it back. That's the main thing, surely." As he doesn't see the point, Rosie just begins to go back inside. Ed follows her. "Is that it then?"
"What do you want me to do, Ed? Fall on my knees?"
"No, I don't. I just want you to accept something."
"What?" she asks impatiently.
"Last night was unacceptable. I was drunk. I was high from the buzz of the operation, from the arrests and the drink and…"
"And what?"
"And the way we'd been before."
"I told you, we were in character before."
"Rosie, we built something over the last week whether you want to admit or not. It came from both of us and I don't want to destroy it."
"Listen, what we built was a good professional relationship."
"Are you honestly telling me it could never have gone further." Rosie looks slightly taken-back. "Look me in the eye and say that."
"Look Eddie. I don't go out with people I work with. Now, you're an attractive guy, and in other circumstances I might have let something happen. But all that's irrelevant. What's important is that I said "No" to you last night and you tried to force me."
Eddie apologises again. "I got it wrong. It won't happen again." She's still unsure. "I was intoxicated, end of story. I just want things to be alright between us, don't you? What do you say?"
"From now on you keep your hands to yourself."
"I will, I promise!"

Mr Jolliffe's still looking through a book of photos. He hasn't spotted the guys he saw. Tom rings up to see how everything's going.
"Nothing much happening down here, Rod. I'll give it half an hour and then I'll come in. Mr Jolliffe still with you?"
"Oh yeah, he's still with us. Still wading through mugshots. I'd be amazed if they even existed to be honest. It's a complete waste of time." As soon as Tom puts the phone down, Harding goes into the house.

Dave and Eddie are just coming off duty. "Ed, I didn't drop you in it earlier, did I?"
"No, don't worry."
"Back on course then?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Maybe I'll catch you later, then. Grab a pint."

Mr Jolliffe's identified one of the suspects from the café. "You sure?"
"Positive. I can't see the other chap, but this is definitely one of them."

Meanwhile, Tom watches a woman close up the bookies, just as Harding comes out and runs across the road. A red car pulls up in front of Tom's. Surprisingly, Harding attacks the man who gets out of it, not the woman. Tom dashes to the rescue and gets pushed aside, before diving back in. He manages to hold Harding up against a wall.
"Look I'm a police officer." He looks at the woman who's fussing over the other guy. Harding's given him a nosebleed. "You're in deep trouble, pal. Someone tell me what's going on here. What's you're name?" he asks the woman.
"Sue Harding."
"Are you his wife?"
"In name I am. What does he think I'm gonna do? Sit at home knitting every time he does a stretch. I'm not a bloody nun!"

Tom's not too pleased as he arrives in the CID office. "Where is he?"
"I had to let him go, Tom," answers Rod. "He picked out a dead man from the mugshots."
"He did what?"
"Well, it's not difficult." He holds the book. "They were all either dead or locked up."

Tom goes round to visit Mr Jolliffe. "What are you here for? Come to rub my nose in it?"
"No. I just want to know why you lied."
"I made a mistake."
"No, you lied. There's a difference."
"What about the lies Rod Skase told me. Smug bastard! Really fancies himself. While he was learning to catch shoplifters, I was behind enemy lines with the Boat Squadron."
"Yeah, in the Far East, you said. Like your father before you."
"That's right."
"The SBS weren't in the Far East during the Second World War, Mr Jolliffe." Looks like he's been caught out. "There never were two men with your suspect last night, were there?"
"How do you know that?"
"I just caught him attacking his wife's lover! There was never going to be a robbery and there never were two other men."
"No officer. I'm sorry. It's a fair cop. I'm a liar. Are you satisfied?"
"No, I'm disappointed." Tom points out the possible consequences of using up police resources in a wild goose chase, before recommending that he gets help.

"'Night Rosie!" says Ed. She's off home after leaving her report in CID.
"Here, Tom," calls Rod. "I'm selling my motor. £5000. Do you want it? I heard you'll buy anything! After all, you bought everything that Jolliffe threw at you."
"Drop it know. I'm not in the mood," Tom warns him.
"Let's face it..."
"I said drop it!"
"Tom, I'm just saying that you should watch out for jokers like Jolliffe. They take advantage. They're a waste of space!"
"Are they? I don't think so."
"They tell you that black is white, Tom. They are pathological liars. Am I right, Eddie?"
"Yeah, I'd say so."
"Well, when I'm as cynical as you two, I'll get out the job!"

Rosie's at home working out on an exercise bike when the doorbell goes. She goes downstairs to answer it. It's Eddie, and she's not thrilled.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I figured I owe you a treat." He's brought flowers, a meal and a bottle of champagne.
"Eddie, you just didn't get the message at all, did you?"
"I got the message. You don't want to have a relationship with anybody at work. We're not at work." Rosie tells him to go and shuts the door on him.
After he's gone she just leans against the wall, thinking.