"Will you be having a drink with any of the other inspectors"

"No, just you."

She had been working on him for some time, cozying up to him, she knew he'd come in useful someday. It had been so easy slipping the key into his pocket when he looked away. So gullible, however did he make inspector?

Drinks finished Miss Hart and Insp. McWorthy sat for a while until he said he had to leave, he had work to finish up at home. Miss Hart waited until he was out of earshot then set off in pursuit, following him home. She waited until he had gone inside then knocked on the door. McWorthy was surprised but delighted to see her and invited her in.

xxxXxxx

"I do have work to do but you're welcome to stay." he told her. McWorthy sat at his desk and got out a report he was working on. The Brackenreid case had taken up more of his time than he liked, he was getting behind in his other cases.

"Don't mind me." Miss Hart replied, "I just thought you'd like the company."

McWorthy smiled in response as he started writing. He suddenly stopped, "Miss Hart, your rise to coroner came very suddenly."

"The board came to their senses and realized I was the right person for the job."

"I see, so it had nothing to do with anything I had done for you?"

"Well of course you helped." She assured him, somewhat ingenuously.

"Of course." McWorthy paused then continued. "I was wondering about that bullet fragment in Lucille Palmer's body. It's strange you didn't find it the first time you looked."

"It was a very small shard." Miss Hart replied casually.

McWorthy pushed, "Yes, but surely you checked the path of the bullet. I find it strange you didn't find it."

"Oh? What are you suggesting?" Miss Hart realize she may have a problem.

"In fact I was skeptical of that bullet from the start. It seemed strange there was no blood on the mattress where it was found." McWorthy sensed he had the advantage.

"I can't comment on that Inspector, I didn't see the mattress." She was hoping this would shut him down.

"I also found this in my pocket when I took off my jacket." He held up the cold storage room key. "How did it get there?

"How would I know? What is it for?"

"I have no idea." McWorthy feigned ignorance but knew he was right. Miss Hart's demeanor told him all he needed.

McWorthy was now sure the key had something to do with the morgue and she was trying to incriminate him, but he had no proof she had put it in his pocket. He went back to his paperwork while Miss Hart wandered around the room inspecting different objects until she came up beside him.

"This is interesting." she observed as she picked up the object to admire it. "What is it?

McWorthy glanced up, "A paperweight". As he turned back to his report she raised the object high above his head and brought it down with all her might. She checked his pulse before leaving.

xxxXxxx

"I believe you'll conclude that the cause of death was blunt force trauma."

Of all the people to find him it had to be Insp. Brackenreid. Well, it doesn't really matter. Here he was, Insp. McWorthy, on her slab. How ironic that she would be doing the post mortem.

xxxXxxx

"Detective."

"Miss Hart. Are you happy with your choice."

"What choice?"

"To be city coroner."

"Of course! This is all I've wanted for the last two years."

"Now there's just something about all this that never added up. Insp. McWorthy was killed because he had turned on the Carmichaels."

"I suppose he made the wrong choice."

"That's just it. He made his decision prior to the bullet fragment being planted in Lucille Palmer's body. He was left out of the cover-up."

"He had the key to the cold storage room. Who else could have done it?"

"I can think of only one person."

"Well they should be arrested. If you can prove it."

"I can't, and perhaps never will."

"A shame."

"Shame indeed… Good day Miss Hart."

Miss Hart knew she had been put on notice, he would be watching her from now on. If only the Detective knew the rest….

xxxXxxx

The Murdoch's were sitting in their chairs in front of the fire. William was quiet, distracted, Julia knew he was mulling over a case.

"What is it William? You seem uneasy."

William sighed, "Julia, I went to the morgue today to see Miss Hart."

"Oh, that's not unusual." Julia was confused

"No, but something didn't add up with the cold storage room key."

"The key to the cold storage room in the morgue?" Julia was still confused.

"Yes, it was found in McWorthy's pocket, but he didn't steal it."

"What was it doing in his pocket?"

"I suspect it was planted to incriminate him."

"Why do you think that?"

"He wasn't part of the conspiracy. He didn't need the key, he didn't plant the fragment in Lucille Palmer's body."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, George and I talked to the constable that planted the bullet. He was told McWorthy couldn't know anything about it."

"So what does this have to do with Miss Hart?"

"Julia, she planted the fragment then pretended to find it."

"She falsified evidence?"

"Yes…but I have no proof."

"Are you sure William?"

"Yes, no one else could have done it."

"But why would she plant evidence."

"To become coroner. I suspect she had a deal with someone."

"You think she would do that?"

"Julia, you know how ambitious she is, she's wanted your job from the start."

"I suppose so, but, who would make a deal with her?

"Probably Chief Crown Prosecutor Carmichael. He was trying to protect one of his children…again"

"William, Miss Hart was never in contention for the job. Someone else was lined up for the position then suddenly she was named coroner. If Carmichael knew the skeletons in the closets of the men on the board I doubt it would take much to convince them to give Miss Hart the position. She's a very capable young woman but she really isn't qualified; she shouldn't even have been considered for the position, let alone be handed it."

"It's even worse Julia…I suspect she killed Insp. McWorthy."

"You really think she'd go that far?"

"Unfortunately yes. It's the only thing that makes sense. If McWorthy discovered the key in his pocket it's possible he figured out that Miss Hart planted the evidence, and was trying to incriminate him with the key. He was there when the bullet was found in the mattress, he brought it to the morgue, and he was there when Miss Hart found the fragment. At the time we thought she had overlooked such a small shard but when he found the key he must have realized who had planted them both. What I'm not sure of is when she planted the key. Also…what was she doing in McWorthy's home?"

"Miss Hart was in Insp. McWorthy's home?"

"She had to be Julia. That is if she killed him, but I can think of no one else that would have."

"Could he have been killed by someone related to another case he was investigating?"

"Possibly, but I don't think so. Carmichael obviously thought his death had something to do with this case or he wouldn't have confessed to killing him."

"Let me get this straight William. Carmichael killed himself but before doing so wrote a confession admitting to the murders of Lucille Palmer, Grant Sutton and Insp. McWorthy."

"Yes."

"Did he admit to shooting John Brackenreid?

"No."

"Despite John being in the room when Sutton was shot?"

"That's right."

"But that doesn't make sense. Why would he admit to shooting Sutton but not John when John was shot in the same room, at the same time?"

William tilted his head, "I didn't think of that. In fact it was Watts that pointed out Carmichael never mentioned the gun he supposedly used to shoot Lucille, but then did say he bought a gun to shoot Sutton."

"But Sutton was shot with John's gun so he couldn't have killed him. How would he have got hold of John's gun?"

"You're right."

Julia continued, "Then the same gun was used to shoot a bullet into the mattress to set up John as Lucille's murderer. A somewhat complicated plot."

"Yes and John's gun was actually used to shoot Lucille Palmer. In the end it turned out to be Isabel Carmichael that killed Lucille and Sutton, then shot John."

"So Carmichael knew she'd killed both, and likely thought she'd also killed McWorthy."

"It seems so. Unless Carmichael did kill him. Perhaps McWorthy finally had enough of covering up Arthur Carmichael's crimes, then, thinking he was the murderer, turned on them."

"But you think Miss Hart had more reason to kill McWorthy."

William nodded. "But I don't have any proof."

"Was he shot as well?"

"No, his skull was smashed in with a very large paperweight."

"And fingermarks…?"

"Of course! I assumed one set was McWorthy's but checked both against Arthur Carmichael's, neither set matched. I need to check Miss Hart's fingermarks."

"I doubt she'll give them voluntarily and it may be better not to let her know. You'll have to find something in the morgue that only Miss Hart would have handled. A pen maybe…"

"I'll get George on that tomorrow."

xxxXxxx

Constable Crabtree was on a reconnaissance mission to find out what kind of pen Miss Hart used. He was the perfect man for the job! That morning Det. Murdoch had asked him to appropriate Miss Hart's pen to check for fingermarks. He had the idea to first find out what pen she used then replace it with the same kind so she wouldn't notice and suspect anything. He was somewhat disappointed to find she used the same pen and ink supplied to the stationhouse; he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Now all he had to do was replace the one she was currently using with a new one from SH4. He'd exchange them when she was on lunch.

xxxXxxx

The subterfuge worked well and he now had the pen and was checking for readable fingermarks. He found good thumb and index fingermarks. If both even partially matched the ones the detective lifted from the paperweight it would be pretty conclusive evidence.

"Unfortunately not conclusive George. We need more evidence." Murdoch told him. "Perhaps there's a witness. George, talk to all the neighbours within view of Insp. McWorthy's home. Perhaps we'll get lucky and one of them saw Miss Hart leaving."

xxxXxxx

Miss Hart was seated at the table in the interview room as Murdoch entered the room. "Where were you on the evening that Insp. McWorthy was murdered?"

"I was at home of course." She lied.

"Miss Hart we have a witness placing you at Insp. McWorthy's home." He sat opposite her studying her expression. She was giving nothing away. He continued studying her, his eyes shifted to her cape. He thought he saw minute speck of blood, hardly visible unless you were looking very closely. He scanned her waistcoat, it was very ornate. Did he see a tiny speck of something there too? "Miss Hart, I'll be needing your cape and waistcoat."

xxxXxxx

Miss Hart sat stone faced across the table from Det. Murdoch. "Miss Hart, I now have evidence that you killed Insp. McWorthy."

Miss Hart said nothing.

"Your fingermarks were found on the paperweight used to kill him."

"I admit I was in his home and I did pick up the paperweight to look at it. It's a very interesting piece."

"So you're admitting you were in his home?"

"You have my fingermarks to prove it."

"Yes."

"But that doesn't prove I killed him."

"Not in itself, however, we have a witness that saw you leave Insp. McWorthy's home."

"As I said, I was there."

"Miss Hart, a neighbour was sitting in the window all evening. She saw you enter shortly after Insp. McWorthy, she saw you leave soon after. The next person to enter was Insp. Brackenreid. The neighbour hadn't moved from her position at the window. I also found blood on your cape and waistcoat"

"I work in a morgue in case you haven't noticed Detective."

"Do you usually wear your cape to perform post mortems? Also the blood I found on your waistcoat couldn't have got there during a post mortem examination, it would have been covered by your apron."

Miss Hart's face fell as Det. Murdoch stood. "Violet Hart I am arresting you for the murder of Insp. McWorthy and falsifying evidence in a murder case."

xxxXxxx

AN: I have never liked Miss Hart, she was always so disrespectful of everyone and far too aggressively ambitious. I believe Julia belongs in the morgue working alongside William, the show works better this way. This story is my way of vacating the coroner's position and leave it open for Julia to return.

Reviews always welcome and encouraged.