Detective Constable Jenny Lord - Wessex Police

Chapter one: New Job

Jenny Lord walked into the Wessex Police station in Broadchurch excited and a little scared, this was her first day as a newly minted Detective Constable and member of the Wessex Police force. She had received her promotion from Police Constable to Detective Constable on the same day as her transfer from the Avon and Somerset Police force to Wessex. Of course, she had heard of Broadchurch. There had been the two big cases here and the famous Detective pair DI Hardy & DS Miller. Now they were Detective Chief Inspector Hardy and Detective Inspector Miller and her new bosses. She didn't know what to expect but it had to be better than being a constable in Temple Cloud, a village in the Chew Valley with 1400 residents, at least she hoped so.

As Jenny went up to the counter at the entrance to the station, she was met by PC Bob Daniels, a cheerful rotund constable that reminded Jenny of her surrogate father and mentor Constable Adam Goodwin. The man who saved her life and given her a home, a direction and career for her life.

"Hello, I am Detective Constable Jenny Lord, reporting for duty"

"Hello, Jenny, I'm Bob, welcome to Broadchurch, I'll take you upstairs to Ellie, I mean DI Ellie Miller, you will like her.

When they got upstairs Bob led her to an office prepared to knock but stopped. Voices on the other side of the glass door erupted into shouting from one of the three people inside. A young woman was shouting and pointing at the man inside, while an older woman looked on. Bob flashed an apologetic smile at Jenny. No one in the outer office seemed to be paying attention to what was being said even though it was plainly audible. The young woman was saying she could not work with the man anymore, he was a bully, and rude and berated her all the time. Then the man spoke up and said that if the young woman would do her job correctly and be punctual, he would not have to berate her. And he was not a bully or rude.

The young woman turned to the older woman and said: "Ellie, I want a transfer immediately away from this man."

The man said, " That is DI Miller to you, not Ellie."

The young woman said, "see what I mean." She turned and stormed out and began gathering her personal belongings.

Jenny watched DI Miller, glare at the man as if he were a recalcitrant teenager. Her new boss said "Alec, you have to stop this, that is the fourth DC you have run off in two months. I can't keep getting new people to work with you!"

"Well, Miller, then get me an established person from the department"

"I can't, they don't want to work with you either."

The man grumbled something about Miller driving him eliciting a parental eye roll from Miller.

"You know I can't because of our new positions," she said.

"I know that Miller. Just find me, someone!"

With that he walked out of the office, pushed past Jenny and Bob, stalked into the next office and slammed the door.

Bob knocked on Miller's door as if he had not just overheard that confrontation and ushered Jenny into the office.

"DI Miller," he said formally, " this is DC Lord, just reporting in."

"Thank you, Bob, you can return to the front desk."

"DC Lord, sit down, and let me see your transfer papers."

"Thank you, Ma'am, here they are."

"So let's see, just transferred from Somerset Police force after just receiving your promotion to Detective Constable on the recommendation of PC Goodwin, lead Constable in Temple Cloud, where you were assigned for a year. Attended the police academy in Somerset , also on the recommendation of PC Goodwin, where you received high marks. Also says here you lived with PC Goodwin and his wife Ruth for three years. Tell me about your relationship with PC Goodwin?"