Chapter 2

Diane caught me a couple of days later, and suggested we meet for coffee somewhere the following morning.

"No can do Diane. I'm on early shift tomorrow. If you want we can get together today if you're not doing anything else."

"Ok Pug. Meet me at Wetherspoons. What shall we say, about an hour?"

"That will be good for me."

I walked into Wetherspoons fifty five minutes later, ordered a coffee and sat down. Even before my coffee had arrived Diane came in, looked around and with that wonderful smile came over to join me. She offered her cheek for a kiss.

"I'm glad you're not wearing uniform, although I have to say you looked very well in it."

"Well if we're complimenting then I shall have to say that you always did and still do look fantastic."

"Thank you, my gallant gentleman." My coffee arrived and I asked the girl if she would bring another.

"I'm sorry Pug, but I can't stay long. I do a little part time job at a dress shop, and they phoned me just after I spoke to you asking if I could come in. One of the girls has had to go home unwell."

"I am desolate, Diane. But I shall not cry, only allow my bottom lip to quiver a little."

She laughed with delight. "You bugger! God! That brings back memories. That was just the way you used to say things back then. It always got me in stitches." I was smiling too as I remembered those days. Life was so simple then. There was a whole bunch of us girls and blokes. I had felt safe in that group which allowed me to come out of my shell a little. Our particular little circle was constant, but could expand and contract as other similar groups would coalesce with us for a while then split. Diane had been in another group, but after one of the mingled periods seemed to stay with us. That pleased us lads very much. Diane sipped her coffee.

"I am certain that some woman has snapped you up by now." She asked a question but phrased it as a comment.

"Yes and no."

She looked curious. "What does that mean?"

"I was married, but it didn't work."

She nodded glumly. "Isn't that always the way. You remember Pete?"

"Yes." My memory came up with a picture of him. "Wasn't he studying to become an Architect?"

"He did. A good one I believe. He came home early one day and found his wife in bed with another guy. Then there was Caroline, you certainly remember her." Diane had an evil grin on her face. Of course I remembered Caroline. At one party things got out of hand, or should I say in hand, and Caroline and I were getting very personal on the floor behind the settee. I had unbuttoned her blouse, lifted her bra and was paying attention to the two beauties revealed when she went rigid with shock. At first I thought my technique must have been superlative, but then following the direction of her gaze I looked up and there were five faces leaning over the back of the settee watching the proceedings with huge grins on their faces. Diane was one of those faces.

"Now you mention it, I do remember Caroline."

Diane grinned. "Yes you certainly should. Some guy got her pregnant. They married, then after a couple of years he just vanished. He left her with an eighteen month old baby. He just buggered off." She looked at her watch. "Oh damn, I have to do the same. I'm sorry Pug; I was so looking forward to a good catch up. Can I call you again?"

"Yes, but I shall be doing either early shift or late shift for the next few days so it may be a little difficult."

"No problem. I shall keep calling until I get you. Sorry Pug, must dash." She pecked me on the cheek and got up. Just before she left she turned back. "I was always very jealous of Caroline." She whispered. "I would have preferred it was my breasts you were kissing." Then she was gone. I remained in a state of shock. Did that mean what I thought it meant, that Diane had fancied me and I never realised? That thought was brought to mind frequently over the next few days, examined and re-examined. Was it just a throw away remark, or did it have a deeper meaning? Needless to say my emotions favoured the deeper meaning explanation.

It was two weeks before Diane managed to get me on the phone. She had phoned on a number of occasions and left messages. I couldn't return her calls as she was uncertain about my phoning her at home. The Police worked shifts, seven a.m. to three p.m. (early); three p.m. to eleven p.m. (late) and then eleven p.m. to seven a.m. (night). It was a rolling roster so you would spend an equal amount of time on each of the shifts. Then as the Police were on duty seven days a week the roster had to include the normal days off, two in every seven. Even for the initiated it could be difficult at times. I had to understand it as one of my duties was establishing the roster. Ensuring that I had at least two Sergeants on each shift, sufficient Constables on the ground at the same time allowing for rest days, sick leave, personnel being away on courses etc. etc., was a juggling trick. Grey hair comes with being a Police Inspector.

I heard the warble of the phone just as I got back to my flat after coming off early shift. I hadn't actually left until four; I had paperwork to finish before I could get away. It was Diane

"Pug! At last I've got you. Don't you ever get home?"

"Yeah, from time to time. If someone would tell the criminals to work nine to five it would help enormously." I heard her giggle softly.

"I see your dry sense of humour hasn't changed."

"No. Although some would call it a cynical sense of humour these days."

"Oh no. You were the least cynical person I knew."

"Fifteen years as a Copper will make you cynical."

"I suppose so and fourteen years of marriage will do that as well." I couldn't say anything to that. From the things that Diane had said two weeks ago I had suspected that her marriage was not all it should be. She hurried on as if she had said too much. "When can we meet? I can fill you in on more scandals of our friends and catch up with what's happening in your life."

"I have got two rest days coming up from Thursday. Shall we have Lunch?"

"That would be good. Have you lots to do on Thursday?"

"Quite a lot of washing and ironing. " I replied. "But nothing that can't be put off until Friday. Do you want to make it Thursday?"

"Sounds good."

"Where shall we go?" I asked. "I am not too knowledgeable of good places now."

"We'll go to the 'Bird in Hand'." Diane decided. "It's quite good there."

"Ok. Now I suspect you won't want me to pick you up at home, will you?"

"Not a good idea. Mr. Fearnly is taking his duties very seriously Do you know he is even patrolling the avenue?" I laughed, I had suspected he would. "Do you remember Cedar Parade?" She went on. I did. It was a small block of shops. "Meet me there at noon."

"Will do."

"Pug?"

"Yes?"

"No uniform, please."

"It's my day off, Di." I complained.

I drove slowly down Cedar Parade. There was a Post Office at the end of the small line of shops and Diane was waiting for me there. She was wearing a rather pretty full skirted sundress in yellow and green and high-heeled strapped sandals. She took my breath away. She jumped straight into the car, and leaned across and kissed me on the cheek. She was in a good mood.

"All those years, Pug. And that was a far as we got. A kiss on the cheek."

"I treasured them Diane, floated on cloud nine. The loveliest girl in our crowd gave me a kiss on the cheek. Now that was something."

She giggled. "Was I?" Diane was fishing.

"Diane! I just said it, didn't I? I'm a Copper; you can trust Coppers to tell the truth." I turned to smile at her. "Now where's this 'Bird in Hand'?"

"Go towards High Barn, and turn right up Stoke Road." I did, remembering these places as I drove along. High Barn had changed dramatically. It had once been a simple crossroad the junction named after the public house that had once been there. Now it was three lanes in every direction controlled by multiple lights. I was turning right and suddenly realised that the green was only for traffic going straight on or turning left. I hit the brake at the last moment. As luck would have it I stopped before I had conflicted with the traffic coming in the other direction, but not lucky enough to escape the interest of one of our traffic patrols. He sat in his car shaking his head at me until he realised who I was. His face immediately split into a wide grin. He would be drinking on his mates after his shift.

"Oh bugger!" I moaned. The traffic cop got the green for filter left, and as he came alongside me he slowed and his window slid down.

"These lights can be confusing Inspector Anderson, can't they?"

"It's very different since I was last here about fifteen years ago." I replied. But he wasn't interested in what I was saying, he had clocked Diane.

"Drive carefully Sir." He accelerated away.

"That will be all round the Nick when he gets off." Diane was enjoying my blushes hugely.

"Pug, you're blushing." She laughed. The light changed and I made the turn.

"Yes, and I will blush even more when I get back on duty. The comments will be flying about."

"What will they be saying?"

"Oh, just that Andy Anderson has only been here for four months and he already has a cracker of a bird in tow."

"I haven't been called a bird for years. I didn't like it then, but somehow I quite like it now. Makes me feel young again." She was quiet for a moment. I could sense that something was bubbling. "Am I a cracker, Pug?"

"You know damn well you are Diane."

She smiled happily. "It's nice to know you think so, thank you, Pug."

I carried on driving down the Stoke Road until she told me that we were close. I saw the place as I came round a bend and slowed, turning into the car park. I parked and came round to open Diane's door.

"Thank you. Pug. You were the only gentleman around all those years ago, and you haven't lost your touch." I held her hand as she got out of the car, giving me a glimpse of stocking top as she did. I was astounded. All women wear pantyhose these days, don't they? Diane must have known of the exposure and took her time pulling her skirt down. She smiled knowingly.

We walked towards the pub.

"Why did you say Andy Anderson then?" I was off in dreamland thinking of Diane wearing stockings, just stockings and at first couldn't work out the reference.

"Oh! I have always been known in the job as Andy Anderson. You know how I felt about my name. So when I joined and they were looking for a nick-name for me I told them that I answered to Andy and that stuck."

"Do you want me to call you Andy?"

"No Diane. When you called me Pug it brought back so many good memories of when we all went out together as a crowd. You were one of the very few who knew my real name. You knew how sensitive I was and made sure that everyone called me Pug. I was always grateful to you for that." We entered the pub and Diane suggested that we went straight into the Dining area.

"We can have a drink and look at the menu." She chose a seat in the window. As we sat down she looked up at me. "Do you still have that problem with drink, Pug?"

"Fancy you remembering that. Yes I am still afflicted."

"You would be surprised about what I remember." She smiled that knowing smile that women seemed to have perfected. The waitress came and gave us menus and asked if we wanted anything to drink. I raised my eyebrows at Diane and she asked the waitress for a glass of white wine. I ordered my usual. Sparkling mineral water with a slice of lemon, but no ice. When the bottle has been kept in a cool cabinet I can't see the reason for putting ice in, but they always do. As the waitress left Diane reached across the table and took my hand.