Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.

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Author's note and summary: Another short fun-thing that had invaded my mind and which had turned into a few chapters. Something that started at a crime scene next to a riding path in a small wood west of London. The detectives have a new case. Later we learn of a different side of Barbara that Tommy never would have thought being possible but he definitely appreciates it. Enjoy...

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HORSE POWER

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In the back of his head he remembered that he probably had been here before. It was a dark tree shaded road he had to drive. The crime scene DI Tommy Lynley was called to on this sunny Saturday morning, when he really could have better been enjoying the sun on his veranda with another cup of tea, was a bit off-side, so he parked his precious Bristol at the kerb between a familiar motorbike and the van from SOCO, climbed over the crash barrier and stumbled more than he walked down a steep embankment. It looked like Lafferty had been the first to arrive here. It was his beloved bike.

On his way he wondered what it could be that delayed his Sergeant's arrival this time.

Someone anonymous had found a male body and called the police and although he knew that she had been informed before him her car had not yet been here when Lynley had arrived. DS Barbara Havers, on call this weekend like him, of course, had been in late for almost the entire previous week, and by the way got off as soon as appropriately possible, so she might have found a new pastime that kept her busy all the time. Maybe she's going to the gym, he thought. He knew the refreshing effects of his rides in Cornwall and Barbara not only looked well-conditioned lately but also very relaxed and happy which could be the results of some sports.

Or some one, he thought.

Suddenly the DI felt a certain, well-known sting in his heart. Since they were friends, or so he thought, and rather more than friends in his opinion, she could at least have told him she was dating someone. This was disappointing in so many ways.

Deep in thoughts about his Sergeant Lynley's foot got entangled with some roots and he almost fell so when he stumbling arrived at the scene, which was not yet secured by officers, he loudly cursed. He had reached the thick scrub next to a small path he now remembered. Once he had been on a ride here with his sister who had visited him in London on her way back south when she had brought two new mares from Scotland for their horse business in Cornwall. Cleaning his trousers Lynley muttered another curse. This was not at all as pleasant as it had been years ago.

Then he saw the behind of a woman, nicely wrapped in the black leather of some tight pants.

"Oh, sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to be rude." the DI apologised into her back. She must be the new trainee Lafferty had mentioned earlier this week with very describing words. He obviously was not too far from the truth, Lynley thought with an appreciative look at her well shaped figure.

Until now she had been bent over something that looked as if it formerly had been a human being and she had cautiously rummaged through the clothings with rubber-gloved hands. Lafferty looked up from the fingernails he was examining and nodded a silent greeting towards the Inspector.

Apart from those leather pants the woman also wore a simple dark blue sweatshirt and a red bandanna was looped around her neck. Wasn't SOCO supposed to wear those white scene of crime suits? Now he could see her body shaking. It obviously was very bad what she saw.

"Sir, since when am I 'Miss'?" She got up, still laughing, and waved a wallet before her boss' nose. "And since when do you mind being rude in front of me?"

"Obviously I've started now, Havers." Lynley answered a bit more incisive than he had intended to sound. This well-proportioned bottom hardly could be his Barbara. She only wore floppy blouses and wide trousers that hid every possible curve and today her hair looked quite different than usually.

"You are blonde." he stated the obvious. Although he only knew her strawberry blonde undefined haircut he definitely liked what he saw now.

Lafferty snorted a stifled chuckle and if he had looked at Lynley in that moment he could have been a second victim this morning, with daggers shooting from the DI's eyes.

"Well, I thought I'd try something different, so I went to the hairdresser yesterday afternoon." Turning a bit rosy Barbara raked her hand through her new hairdo, a short cut light mop of tousled hair, and added slightly uncertain that she had been a bit shocked herself. "It's quite strange to have it cut that way..."

"It looks gorgeous." Lynley had to clear his throat because he not only thought her hair looked gorgeous, he also found the rest of her unusual dashing appearance very attractive. As if he never had seen her as a woman. Which was in fact true, he had to admit to himself, at least on a physical basis although lately he had become quite attracted by his partner of so many years he had stopped counting, and he had searched her proximity wherever it was possible but for now he swallowed down the rising admiration seeing that new fitting and matching style.

For a brief second his thoughts had been all but appropriate for a crime scene. And then there was her new secret pastime that flashed through his mind in a quite ugly way. Lynley had to keep himself busy with the task at hand. "Well, what do we have here?"

"Male, white, but probably southern European, mid-twenties, two stab wounds so far. And a missing face." Lafferty's voice answered. "So many blows upon this face of his, and made no deeper wounds?"

"That's not nice, Stuart." Barbara grinned. "In fact his face is utterly destroyed so scratching could not make it worse..."

The pathologist now laughed out loud. "Touché, Barb. Nice repost! And very iambish as well..."

When both conspirationally winked at each other the DI slowly became annoyed. "Really? Iambish?! 't is not the Shakespeare ev'ning course, nor are we here in Maiden Lane. Would you both at least will keep in mind that we are here to work?"

A sudden pain had pierced his heart. He never had recognised how close his Sergeant was with the pathologist and he never had recognised that he could be jealous of Lafferty, a married man but not averse to flirting on every possible occasion. Could it be that he and his Sergeant...?!

The melody of his question though made the two laugh even harder. Barbara tried to sober up. "Sorry, Sir."

He shook his head in disbelief. "What else, Lafferty?"

"Well, here we have: expensive designer jeans, a fancy jacket, a trendy hairdo, nicely cut fingernails... I'd say he was a time-pleaser, an affectioned ass!"

Barbara sniggered into her bandanna.

Lynley sighed. "Right, William... Well, what's in his wallet?"

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