Chapter Text
It was a routine burglary, Mickey and Kezia bantering away happily as they approached the crime scene. Uniform had done the hard work of cleaning up and dealing with the immediate trauma of the victims, all they had to do was take a follow-up statement from the homeowner.
The house was big, not a mansion, but the people who lived here were clearly comfortably off. The burglars had cleaned them out of electrical equipment and a few sentimental items which was unfortunate, but the insurance would cover the cost of the expensive items and no one had been hurt. The couple had been at work while their home was raided, the kids at school.
A man in his early thirties, about Mickey's age, opened the front door. Mr Marsden was a stockbroker by profession and looked the part, with an expensive-looking suit hanging off his thin frame.
"Gary Marsden?" said Mickey, holding up his ID. "We're from Sun Hill. I'm DC Webb—"
"Yeah I know who you are, Mickey," spat Mr Marsden.
"Have we met?" said Mickey, startled. The face did look slightly familiar.
"We were at school together. Have you forgotten?"
A distant memory intruded. Gary… An uncomfortable feeling approached as Mickey remembered a skinny kid covered in acne, lashing his arms out as Mickey pushed his head down the toilet—
"Yeah. Sorry," said Mickey, wishing he could evaporate. "I'd forgotten your last name…"
"Yeah, well, you never exactly called me by my name."
"Is this going to be a problem?" asked Kezia politely. "Do we need to get another officer down here?"
Mickey looked at Gary, who shrugged. "We're just here to take a statement. It'll take 10 minutes. If you prefer we can get someone else."
"Nah." Gary stepped back to let them in. "Let's get it over with."
Mickey stepped past Gary into the hall, still reeling from the look of loathing in Gary's eyes. He had spent so long trying not to be a victim, it had never even occurred to him that he might be the villain in somebody else's eyes.
"So you became a copper," said Gary as he led Mickey and Kezia into the living room. "Makes sense. Now you can harass people legally, I suppose."
Mickey ignored the jab. "It looks like you've done well for yourself," he said, looking around.
"Yeah, it pays the bills." Gary flung himself down in an armchair, without telling Mickey or Kezia to sit down. Mickey sat on the sofa opposite him anyway.
"We just have a few follow-up questions," said Mickey, taking out his notebook. Kezia sat down beside him. "I understand the burglar or burglars got in through an open window?"
"Yeah, in the kitchen." Gary addressed Kezia rather than Mickey.
"Do you remember leaving it open?"
"What kind of question's that?" Gary glowered at him. "Obviously I didn't know it was open when I went out to work. One of the kids could have left it open."
"Why don't I make us all a cup of tea?" Kezia suggested. She exchanged a meaningful look with Mickey as she left, clearly intending to have a look at the kitchen window. Mickey was left alone with Gary, who was now refusing to look at him. Maybe it was just Gary's evasive attitude, but Mickey was beginning to suspect that this might not be a routine burglary after all.