TEAM SPIRIT - Part 2
June and Matt are updating Eddie on Rosie's complaint. "Mr Meadows doesn't feel able to proceed with the charge on the basis of what Rosie's told us," June tells him.
"He's knocked it back!" Matt summarises.
Ed's relieved. "That's great. I mean it came right out of the field."
"I think it would be fair to say though that there are still a few unanswered questions all round. In the mean time Mr Meadows has asked us to inform you of the allegation and tell you about his decision."
"Sarge. Is that all?"
"Off you go," Matt dismisses him.
June stops him before he leaves the room. "Eddie, why do you think Rosie made this allegation?"
"I'm not sure I'm qualified to say, Sarge."
"Have a try." Ed makes out that Rosie's insecure and can't handle rejection. "Right, off you go."
Some of the others are waiting just outside the Sergeants' Office for news on what's happening. "Well?" asks Tony.
"DCI didn't want to know. He's chucked it straight back at her! Maybe it'll teach her something." They all congratulate him. "Well nothing to with me is it? Rosie's busy digging her own grave. All I've got to do now is help her fill in the hole."
Dave arrives as everyone except George carries on their way. "Told you didn't I? I mean she must be totally off her head if she thinks…"
"Dave," Rosie interrupts him. "Can I have a word?"
"Yeah, I'll catch you up George."
"I know you think I'm making all this up about the assault…"
"I don't think anything."
"But you know I'm telling the truth about what happened with Sowerby."
"I don't know anything, Rosie."
"Come on, you saw Eddie, didn't you, running back to me on the roof?. You must have done."
"I'm sorry." Dave begins to walk away.
"Is that a No or a No Comment."
"It's a No, I've got to go."
"He's using you, Dave. Haven't you worked it out yet? He's using all of you!" She follows him. "I'm not dropping this you know, Dave. I'm going to prove I'm telling the truth."
Dave goes into the Men's Locker-room. He's thoughtful for a second, then gets out his mobile phone and rings a mate. "Listen I need a favour if you can do it."
Liz is looking for Rosie. She passes the Recreation Room and spots her sitting alone in the dark. "Rosie, what are you doing? I've been all over the nick looking for you."
"Looking for somewhere to hide while I figure out what to do next."
"I told you that this could happen."
"I know. Score yet another point to Eddie."
"Aren't you making this into a personal war?"
"I didn't start it, Liz. I didn't want any of this. He's obsessed. He's the one with the problem; not me! Either you believe that or…"
"Look, alright, I do believe you. I just think your instincts were right on this one at the start: sit it out."
"I tried. It didn't work. I need some way of getting everything out into the open. I need people to see all this for what it really is."
"And how are you going to do that when the DCI won't listen? Noone wants to believe something like this about a colleague, Rosie. It's as simple as that."
"But there's the harassment since then, the intimidation; it's all part of the same thing. They've all watched it happen under their noses half the time."
"Alright, what about an internal grievance procedure," Liz suggests. "But you'll have to drop the assault allegation."
"No. It's all wrong, Liz," Rosie immediately tells her.
"But it will give you a chance to air all the other stuff. .And maybe, if Eddie thinks his behaviour's still under scrutiny, that'll be enough to make him back off."
Rosie's considers this. "I suppose. That's all I want really. To stop him; to know he'll leave me alone to get on with my job."
"You'll have to talk to your supervising officer."
"Anne talked me through the procedure when I first met her. She said I'd need someone to help me if I went that route though, to act as my representative."
Liz understands what Rosie means. "Alright, Rosie, I'll help you. But you've still got the same problem you had at the beginning: you need evidence."
"Well, you're the detective, Liz. What do you recommend? All I've got is the stuff he's been sending me through the post."
"Which is?"
"Half a dozen free intros to dating agencies, some condoms and a set of photos of us at the party."
Liz shakes her head. "Anyone could have sent those."
"He's too clever, Liz," Rosie sighs.
"What about the incident at the warehouse?"
"Same thing: my word against his."
"Who was first on the scene?"
"Eddie, then Dave. I saw him just now so I asked him. I'm fairly sure he would have seen Eddie from where he was, but he said he couldn't help me."
"Or wouldn't." Rosie nods. "We'll see about that."
"Sam, somebody wanted me?" Boyden asks walking into the Front Office. Sam's at the desk today.
"Yeah, that journalist from The Recorder's outside, Sarge." Boyden goes out to meet him.
"Hello Matthew."
"Hello Clive. What do you want?"
"WPC Fox and PC Santini. My info says there was some aggro between them."
"Where did you get this info?"
"You tell me if I'm right, I'll tell you how I know."
"No deal." Matt begins to go back inside, so Clive agrees.
"Michael Sowerby. I know his solicitor, Dennis Bowle. He gave me a call about an incident his client witnessed when he was arrested last night. You were there too, apparently. So what is it? Harassment?"
"No idea, mate! News to me!"
"It shouldn't be, from what I've heard about her."
Ed's surrounded by his mates in the canteen. "Gary said he saw her coming out of the snooker room with Liz Rawton," Polly tells them.
"She could still have something up her sleeve," Tony warns him.
"Sergeants are in conference again," Luke notices Cryer and Boyden having a quiet discussion on the other side of the room.
Ed's not bothered though. "I think Rosebud the Retaliator's all out of cunning plans."
"I'd say she's definitely burnt her bridges!" remarks George.
Sgt Boyden comes to sit down with them. Tony asks him what's going on. "We've got a leak! Sowerby told his brief about what happened on the roof, and Clive Tarrant's just turned up looking for a sniff."
"Well, she needs a good talking to," says Polly.
"From someone with special training!" adds Ed.
"Considering she's done this sort of thing before!" Boyden tells them.
"What sort of thing?" asks Polly.
Boyden explains, "Complained about three other recruits when she was at Hendon. Tarrant's got a contact up there."
"Well, what happened with this complaint?" asks Dave.
"Nothing. They reckoned she was making it up."
Polly spots Liz approaching them, who asks Dave for a private word. "I want to talk to you about last night: what you saw."
"I've already told Rosie."
"She said you were close enough to confirm her version of what happened." Dave looks away. "Dave? Is this because you're mates with Eddie?"
"I'm everybody's mate, Liz."
Liz can see that she's not getting anywhere. "Alright, but if you do remember anything let me know."
"Why? What for, what's going on?"
"Rosie's instigating a grievance procedure against Eddie for harassment. We'll need you as a witness."
Rosie's discussing her grievance procedure with Inspector Monroe and Sgt. Ackland. "I won't be bringing up the assault allegation, Sir, but I'd like a chance to discuss the harassment and intimidation I've had to put up with from Eddie since then."
"Like what sort of thing, Rosie?" June asks.
"It's difficult, there's been all sorts of different incidents, like the paintballing for instance, and on the roof of the warehouse, and he's been manipulating other people into conspiring with him."
"Such as?" Mr Monroe doesn't sound convinced that Rosie's telling the truth.
"Sgt. Boyden. He persuaded Sgt. Boyden to put us together the day we found Jason Jefferies."
"Hang on," June stops her. "How do you know that?"
"Sgt. Boyden admitted it to me."
"With respect Rosie I find that very hard to believe," Andrew tells her. "Nor do you come across as the type of officer who'd be easily intimidated."
"Anyone can be intimidated, Sir. Anyone can become a victim. You should know that."
"Instigating a grievance procedure is your pro-ogative, Rosie. But as a senior officer with a respect for your past record, I'd strongly advise you to think more about this first."
"I've already thought about it, Sir."
"In the absence of hard evidence to support your allegations here…" he picks up Rosie's paperwork.
"I'm hoping to be able to provide evidence, Sir."
"Alright, it's up to you."
"Liz has agreed to sit in with me. I'd like Sgt. Ackland to adjudicate, it that's possible."
June's not totally comfortable with this. "Actually, I'd feel happier if Mr Monroe was in on any discussions. This is still a very serious allegation, Rosie." She agrees. Rosie and June leave the room. "You know this isn't going to be easy, don't you Rosie?" June quietly talks with her. "There are already a lot of people here who think you've got something to prove against Eddie."
"I know that, Sarge, but I'm confident I'll get a fair hearing from the people that matter here.
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