Disclaimer: I have no rights to the characters, books, show and anything else related to the wonderful show. I based this most of the show itself and I personally want to thank my friend Jennifer for all the help she gives not to mention the confidence to write this.

Murder Most Foul

She had telegrammed him when she arrived in London without incident despite wanting to throw her father out of the plane on an occasion or two. She also sent a telegram to Dot and Hugh to tell them the same thing the only difference was the one to Jack she had told him that she meant what she said. He replied a few days later saying he was glad to hear she arrived, there was nothing else. She telegrammed him again and still no reply was sent, that was over a month ago. Dot had told her that City South had been busy but refused to elaborate when she asked.

"Are you going out tonight?" Phryne had been lost in thought when her mother asked.

"No," she told her silently as she pushed the plate full of food away. She had gone out and danced, drank, and flirted when she first arrived in London but after a while the joys she once felt for the nightlife was not a thrill anymore. She had even gone on a few dates and had a good time and a few had ended with her taking the gentlemen to bed but in the morning she left as quickly as possible from whatever place she had ended up.

She certainly wasn't dressed to go out now, wearing a simple white pair of trousers and matching blouse, a red scarf gave her a flair of color but it was a far cry from the short beaded dresses and feathers in her hair. She could go out, could smile and smoke and drink and dance the night away like she was so used to.

But none of it was as exciting as solving a little light murder with Jack.

"Should I call the doctor?" Her mother inquired as she looked down at the uneaten dinner.

"I'm fine, mother," she got up front the table and made her way into the boudoir. She wanted to go home, be back with her "family" to be solving a murder but mostly she wanted to be spending her evenings talk to Jack about the latest development in their case.

"Phryne, dear, I will be at your aunt's and your father is out drinking with some of his friends," her mother said from the entranceway.

"Lovely."

"Phryne, I told him to go out. You know how much he hates spending time with Prudence," her mother placed her hat on her head and slipped her arms into the coat that Connor held out for her. "You should go out dear, it would do you a great deal."

As her mother closed the door, she got up from the lounge she walked over and grabbed a tumbler from the small table and poured herself a good amount of whiskey. Sitting back down she closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the lounge. She mentally cursed her father for her current predicament. She was still working on clearing his finical situation while also trying to make sure that he didn't ditch mother again. She calculated mentally that she would be here at least another month or more before everything was settle so she could return home. Home. Home meant back to normal and maybe solving the elusive mystery that tormented her the most currently, what exactly was happening between her and Jack Robinson?

She knew the answer currently: absolutely nothing. It frustrated her to no end that she did not have the answers. In her previous relationships she had been the one doing the vexing, but this one was different. This time she felt something far more than harmless fun. It was exhilarating but not harmless. In fact, she knew that she was in more danger of losing something very precious this time and that terrified her.

After another glasses of whiskey, she rose to her feet and started her way up the stairs to her room. It was going to be an early night but she didn't care. She wanted to seek the comfort of sleep where she wasn't tormented by these questions, when there was a knock on the door. Connor reached the door and opened it to a young gentleman with a cockney accent.

"Yes?" Connor asked.

"I'm looking for a Miss Fisher," the gentleman told Connor.

"I'm Miss Fisher," she told him as she came down the steps. "What is it that you need?"

"I've got a bloke in the back of my cab, was told to drop him off here," the cab driver nodded to the cab that was parked in the front of the house.

"What was Father done now," she told Connor as they followed the cab driver over to his cab.

"He's been slurring your name since I picked him up,"

"Sorry for any inconvenience that he may have caused you. You will of course be paid for the hardship," she told the driver as she peeked into the back seat of the cab. Her jaw dropped as she looked down at the gentlemen inside.

"Jack!" She swung the door opened and placed her hands against his face. She could smell the cheap whiskey on his breath.

"Miss Fisher," Jack slurred as he slumped forward in his seat.

"Where did you pick this man up from?"

"The pub near the dock," the driver told her.

"Conner help me take him inside," she told Connor as he came over to help Jack out of the cab.

"Did he have anything else with him?"

"No ma'am I was just told to drop him off here," the driver informed her.

"Help us carry him in and you will get paid extra," she told the driver who tipped his hat and then help Connor carry Jack into the house.

"Thank you," the driver nodded and tipped his hat again after she paid him generously for his help before he left. Then she turned her attention back to Jack. He was sitting on the lounge look worse than she had ever seen him. His clothes were in disarray; his hair, which was usually neat, was all over the place. He did have a slight tan, which told her that he did get some sun on his voyage to see her. Her detecting stopped when she realized that he had indeed come after her.

That thrilled her almost as much as she was a bit amused by this situation of a very inebriated Jack once more. She couldn't help but smirk at the memory of his bewilderment of waking up in her bed. Poor man, but he hadn't seemed to mind too much.

"Why is there a cab leaving?" Her father asked as he walked into the house. He took in the scene and saw the inspector sitting on the couch or at least trying to. "When did the inspector arrive?"

"The driver just brought him over," she told him as she knelt in front of Jack.

"Jack?"

She noticed that his eyes were cloudy, not to mention he could barley keep them open. He once again slurred her name before collapsing backwards.

"What happened to him?"

"Not sure, father, but by the smell of it it seems like Jack has been drinking."

"Smells like he has been drinking cheap whiskey," her father told her as Jack muttered something incoherent. "A shame, a man should stick to better quality to get stinking drunk."

"We need to get him upstairs and let him sleep this off. Maybe in the morning her will be able to tell us what happened," she told her father who nodded and with the help of Connor, they managed to get Jack upstairs, changed into pajamas and into bed.

"I will press his suit, miss," Connor told her as he came out of the room. She whispered thanks as he father came out.

"My dear that is the second time I had to help carry that man up the stairs," he told her before giving bidding her goodnight. She walked into the room and looked down at Jack's sleeping form. This was not the reunion she had hoped for, but he was here in person. She lent down and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead before turning off the lights to the room and closing the door behind her as she exited.

She had been eating breakfast when she heard sounds on the stairs; she couldn't repress the smile that came to her lips. She'd been a bit more careful about getting dressed this morning, wearing a light yellow dress and matching hat that set off the color of her hair. Getting up from her chair at the table she walked over to the stairs just as Jack was coming down them.

"Jack," she said simply. He stopped in his tracks and looked down at her.

"Miss Fisher," he replied with a smile as he descended the rest of the way down the steps.

"You are here," she whispered as he stopped in front of her.

"I am," he smiled.

"What do you remember about last night inspector?" She playfully questioned him.

"Sorry about that. I met a few people on the boat and we had a couple of drinks to toast the end of our voyage," he told her but she noticed a look in his eyes that told her that he wasn't telling the truth to her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She asked him in a serious tone.

"I wanted to surprise you."

"You did indeed, Jack, but I was hoping for a different type of reunion."

"What type of reunion were you hoping for, Miss Fisher?"

She smiled before leaning up to give him a soft kiss on his lips. "Something like this, Jack," she whispered before Jack captured her lips with his own again. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he wrapped his around her middle and pulled her closer to him. A knock on the door interrupted any further exploration. They broke away from each other as Connor came out to open the door.

"I'm Inspector Davis and we are looking for a Jack Robinson," the inspector told Connor.

"I'm Jack Robinson," Jack told him as Davis and constable entered the house.

"Mr. Robinson you are under arrest," the inspector nodded to his constable to arrested him.

"Under what charge?" Phryne demanded.

"Murder."

To Be Contiuned.