Joyce glanced at the digital alarm. Seven thirty. "Shit, the bloody thing didn't go off."

Rupert rolled towards her. "What the hurry?"

"I have a small arms update course this morning. I need to be at the Territorial Army range before nine."

"Who is your instructor?"

"The infamous Arthur Cummings."

"You've plenty of time, but I would miss your morning shower."

Joyce was halfway to the bathroom. "No way."

She descended the stairs in ten minutes, wearing a dark blue denim outfit and trainers.

"I made you toast and coffee."

"Don't have time."

Rupert stood in the doorway. "Yes, you do. Please take five, eat your toast and drink your coffee, or I might shout."

She glanced at the kitchen clock. "It's a deal if you move my car onto the road.".

"On my way."

Rupert exited her car as she dashed out, still eating the toast. "Slow down to a fast gallop."

"If I'm last, that miserable bastard will never let me forget it."

"He does have a long memory. Take it easy, and you'll make it/. No problem."

She joined the early morning traffic as she hit the orbital road to the other side of town. At the next roundabout, a lunatic driver forced her to hit the brakes. Screaming abuse, she turned along the first exit route and realised she was in the one-way system. It took time and patience before she arrived at The TA unit headquarters. Arthur didn't acknowledge her as she drove through the gates but shut them behind her.

Like a sergeant major, he marched to the range door, pressed the coded alarm and entered.

"You are late, Chief Inspector, and I don't expect a ranking officer to be tardy.

Stunned by his approach, she nodded.

"Chief Inspector, I have the use of this range for one hour. I doubt you will ever be tasked to lead an armed team. We undertake small arms practice. He removed a Browning Nine millimetre from his gun case and Handed it to her. "Let's see if you can remember the basics. Your first mistake you have not checked the weapon to see if it was loaded."

Joyce checked the weapon, removed the magazine, and placed them on the counter to her left. "Sergeant Cummings, you may be the best weapon instructor in the force, but your attitude is a pain in the arse. You will respect my rank and do your job properly, or I'm out of here."

Arthur picked up the pistol, rammed the magazine home, turned and fired three shots at a paper target.

Joyce jumped as the racket bounced off the walls.

"I will report word for word what you said and recommend you are unsuitable for weapons training. Your decision."

Joyce pressed her fingers into the palm of her hands. "I was late, and that was my fault. I'm here, and I need to refresh my weapons handling. You are the training officer Who is well known to distrust female officers with weapons. You can say what you want on your report, but I will have my say to my governor. You're a rude dinosaur, Cummings. Catch up with the times. Women are in the force, and we can do the job as well as any man."

He gave her a large grin. "My job is to make sure you do not get killed or kill a civilian by mistake. You do have balls. I was beginning to think you were a broken fingernail merchant. Right, madam, pick up the Browning. Take the position and fire three rounds at the target next to mine."

She stood facing the target and fired three rounds. Finished, she removed the magazine, checked the weapons, aimed at the targets, and squeezed the trigger. It clicked on an empty chamber. "Weapon safe." She placed it barrel pointing along the range.

He picked up the weapon and placed it in his gun case before speaking. "Your rusty, but I'm prepared to give my time as a weapons dinosaur to improve your weapon handling. Same time same place for the next two months. Until you finish training, you'll be a probationary firearms officer."

"Suits me fine. What time will you be here?"

"Be here at nine on the dot. Now I have to secure the building."

"See you."

Arthur shut the door behind her as she left.

Set in her car, she relaxed and started the engine. "See you next week, arsehole."

***

Rupert sipped his coffee while watching his team sort and file aged reports. Again, he read the note on his desk. Sir, Have read the appropriate sections in the manuals and talked with Maggie. Police Officer Julie Oddman"

Ready to start, he left his office and approached Julie. "This is the beginning of a journey you can leave anytime. Complete it, and I will see you promoted to sergeant and allow you to buy me a beer. Ready?

She shrugged. "As much as I will ever be."

Once both were seated in his office, Julie asked. "Why are you helping me, sir?"

Rupert smiled. "It's what I do. If senior officers do not help others to achieve their potential, they should not have been promoted. The funny part is you do all the work, and I ask the questions. I will, where necessary, give guidance. Okay, Julie, why do women, in particular, leave their homes and often vanish? Please answer in your own words. Don't try and be clever."

Julie coughed as if to clear her throat. "Sir, from what I've recently read, Men up sticks and do a runner. Women have other things to consider before they leave. More often than not, a woman might feel she is trapped. A hundred years ago, women lay back and thought of England. The man did the business, she became pregnant, and they played happy families. Today it's different. Women can be unsatisfied with their relationships and decide to move on. Couples must learn to grow together both physically and emotionally. When this fails, it gives the woman a motive to leave. The reasons they go missing are varied, and several factors may contribute to a person leaving home.

The obvious answer is they want to. They could be experiencing difficulties or mental health issues, to name an important one. This decision is a way of escaping life and starting a new life elsewhere.

I believe the worst disappearance is by those who wish to commit suicide. The chances of finding them are low.

There is, of course, the absolute bummer of the unfortunate accident combined with unknown circumstances."

Rupert interrupted. "How much sleep did you have last night?"

Julie lowered her eyes towards the floor. "I slept well, sir."

"Answer the question."

"Three, maybe three and a half."

"I guessed as much. You have studied the subject, and your presentation is good. Number one on your list must always be foul play and domestic violence. Eliminate them, and it becomes less difficult. I have a missing person case that was never resolved nine years ago. I do not expect any miraculous revelations, but you;" find it good practice. Listen to Maggie, make plenty of notes and observe the situation. Well done, Julie. You can return to the day job." He pointed to his growing pile of files, "and I'll return to mine."

Julie smiled. "Thank you, sir."

He lifted his head from a thick file. "You did the work. I asked the questions."

***

For the second time, Joyce reread the report on her desk and then her telephone rang.

"Chief Inspector Parsons."

"Harry Harris. Good afternoon Joyce. Our friendly Inspector did it again last night. When he left the bar, I followed him. Same routine as before with Maggie. I changed one thing. I was in the station when Ruth Green came and reported her rape. I even gave the desk sergeant a hand in completing the forms. He was unhappy when I made a copy and placed it in my pocket. Unfortunately, the duty doctor was again unavailable. I checked him out this morning. The poor sod died a couple of years ago, and by a strange coincidence, his name was never removed from the roster."

"Great job. I suppose you had a visit from him this morning? Did he pull rank?"

A chuckle came from Harry. "He might be senior, but now he has a rape case against him."

Slow down, Harry, the man, not stupid. Who polices the police? He will have friends in the right places. Leave it with me. I need to talk to a friend. In the meantime, copy the report and give the Inspector a copy. Tell him you can't be bothered but to be more careful next time."

"You not letting off the hook?"

"No way, but being serving officers, we're better off staying in the background. You know that professional standards offices are meant to be separate from serving officers, but invariably they know staff personally. A copper with a good arrest record usually ends up with his hand being slapped. Not for what he is being charged with but for getting caught. Thank you for your help. "

No problem. Bastards such as him give the force a bad name." The line went dead.

From her handbag, she removed a card and keyed in the number.

"Alvion Legal Services, can I help you."

"Chief Inspector Joyce Parsons. Could I speak to Samantha Harman/"?

"So sorry, Sam is in court at the moment. I can ask her to contact you when she returns. Does she have your number?"

"She does. Could you tell her I have another bad apple which requires treatment? She'll know what I mean. Thank you.