Edward Buchan strolled leisurely along the busy thoroughfare umbrella in hand, lost in the past. When he reached Joe's apartment building, he entered, went up the lift, and knocked on Joe's door. After a few minutes of insistent tapping, he called out, "Joe, it's me Ed, open up!" Five minutes later, Chandler opened the door looking disheveled and unshaven with a bathrobe wrapped tight around his monogramed pajamas. Chandler left the door open and turned abruptly without a word. He walked towards the kitchen and began to warm up some tea. Buchan closed his mouth and the door and followed Joe into his unnaturally immaculate home. He noticed a ukulele leaning against a leather couch. He hadn't known that Chandler played. "Er, Joe, about our earlier conversation, I've been looking into who might be a worthy assistant to share the weight of our investigations, and I believe I've found some worthwhile candidates." Chandler turned from the stove.
"Ed, don't you realize… I'm not even certain I should return to police work."
"Of course you will Joe, it's your destiny."
"You really think I should come back…after…everything?"
"We've saved lives Joe, even on our last case, we saved someone and that is what I take home with me at the end of the day, don't let your ghosts haunt you. Together, we can make a real difference, we have."
"But I failed her."
"Then don't let her death be a waste, be what causes you to abandon all the future lives we can save, I knew her, she would never have wanted that." Buchan looked up at him earnestly. Chandler sighed noncommittally as the kettle behind him began screaming.
"Maybe." He took the kettle off and carefully poured out two cups.
The next day Miles was surprised to see Chandler sitting in his office as if he had never left, scanning a file. Miles knocked hesitantly on his door. Chandler looked up, "Did you need something?" Miles grinned,
"Not anymore." Chandler gave a brief smile in return and went back to his file. When Kent arrived and saw that Chandler had come back he almost looked like he was in physical pain. Kent went quietly to his desk and organized his pens and then reorganized them. Buchan then strolled up with a smug smile as he passed Miles on his way to Chandler's office. Miles nodded gratefully to him, hating himself for making the bumbling historian any haughtier than he already was, but he couldn't help showing his gratitude. Buchan also had a stranger in tow, a tow-headed beauty. She was long, slender, and busty with a flash of blue eyes lamentably hidden behind the pile of books in her arms. Miles couldn't help looking her up and down, even though he had Judy and the kids at home.
When they entered Chandler's office, Miles followed, as did everyone else's eyes. Chandler looked up at Buchan and then at the blond, his eyes staying fixed on hers, and asked, "This is your candidate then, Ms. Trandle is it not?" Chandler stood up and helped her put the books she was carrying onto a chair so that he could shake her hand cautiously. She blinked
"Oh, please call me Sally-" Buchan bustled up and interrupted,
"Indeed, she's already begun alphabetizing the Archive, clever girl." Sally Trandle blushed and muttered.
"Only the foreign cases so far, it is all so terribly fascinating." Chandler smiled coldly and nodded, then looked to Buchan.
"Buchan, can I speak to you alone for a moment?"
"Sure, Joe." Sally left with some backward glances, with Miles who closed the door behind them.
"Ed, you know I can't afford to pay her much, and this is official police business, we can't just let anyone-"
"Oh don't worry about that Joe, I've vetted her completely, no criminal activity whatsoever, and she will work for less than peanuts."
"It isn't just that, I am also concerned about why you chose her." Chandler asked with a penetrating grey-eyed glance.
"Why? I chose her because she took courses in criminology and forensic psychology, and because she needed the work to help her through college."
"So long as those are the only reasons."
"Hum, I'm surprised you even noticed."
"Buchan, I'm complicated, not dead."
It was almost another month until their next big case. Buchan was putting his new assistant through her paces. Kent still seemed oddly strained whenever he worked around or talked to Chandler, though Chandler was too preoccupied to notice. Kent had also taken to wearing completely black clothing. Riley kept asking him if he was mourning the death of fashion. Kent just ignored her. Miles, Riley, and Mansell seemed almost back to normal. Chandler had lost some of his usual confidence but was doing his best at working the local domestics that cropped up. Then his phone rang. "Not a domestic? We'll take it! Miles it's a homicide!" Chandler yelled with a grin.
"You don't need ta sound that cheerful about it." Miles grumbled.
"Oh come on, I know your eager too."
"Well I s'pose you've got me there. So where's the vic?"
"A car park over by East Aldgate." Mansell added,
"That's close." Miles glared,
"Then let's shift!"
By the time they arrived the crime scene was already surrounded by SOCO, looking worriedly at the tent in their midst. Chandler and Miles put on their suits and then led the way to the body. Dr. Llewellyn looked incredibly relived when she saw Chandler. She stood oddly tense outside the tent waiting for them. She put up a hand to block Chandler's path. "Oh, thank God you're alright." Chandler looked at her oddly,
"What do you mean?"
"Chandler, there is something I need to ask you." Chandler eyes widened questioningly.
"Er…Yes?" Dr. Caroline Llewellyn took a breath.
"Do you have a brother?" Chandler shook his head confusedly.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Well, this is difficult for me to say, but Chandler, our victim, he could be a dead ringer for you, hell, he might as well be your twin."
