It was nearly three hours later when Barbara returned lugging her over-stuffed backpack which she slung unceremoniously under her desk. Lynley was still sitting a few desks away with Winston reviewing footage and making notes for tomorrow's interviews. He had been worried and with eaching passing hour it had become worse. With effort he had resisted his instinct to phone her. There was only so much rejection he could handle on one day. He looked across and frowned at the luggage. When she looked up he noticed the large, sooty smudge running down her cheek. There was also a black mark on her jacket. A closer look told him she was soaked through to the skin. He rushed over to her putting his hand gently on her arm. "Is everything alright?"

She stepped back from him as if he had tried to bite her. "Yeah, more or less. A contractor hit a gas line beside my building and there was a fire. My flat is okay apart from smelling like the inside of the Edmonton incinerator and a fair bit of water damage. They won't let us back in until they do safety checks and restore the electricity and water. It might be three days. Of course we couldn't have a murder somewhere we had to stay!"

Tommy did not quite know what to say. "I'm so sorry Barbara, that's awful. Naturally you will stay with me for as long as you need."

Barbara looked at him and for a moment he thought she was accept his offer. Then a troubled expression crossed her face and she retreated. "Nah, that's nice of you Sir but that's not appropriate and you already have a house guest. I can stay here."

Not appropriate? "Nonsense. Of course it's appropriate. I'm not going to have you stay here."

Barbara looked pleadingly at Winston who shrugged. "I've only got the bedsit."

She turned back to Tommy. "Look I appreciate it Sir, really, but we will probably be here most of the night anyway. I can sort something else tomorrow. I'll go and freshen up and get out of these wet clothes. Then you can tell me where we are up to."

She picked up her backpack and walked up the corridor towards the Ladies. Tommy was not surprised she wanted to work but there was still tension between them that he was keen to resolve. He followed her and stopped her out of earshot of anyone else. "Barbara wait, please. Today doesn't seem to be one of our better ones but don't shut me out. You've had a shock. I want to help you."

"I know." Barbara looked tired.

Tommy would have sent her home if she had one available. He was determined she was going to stay with him even if he had to kidnap her but he did not want to press too hard. "When did you find out?"

"When we were interviewing the neighbours," she said quietly.

He was not sure whether to be cross or offended. "And you didn't tell me? Why not? That was hours ago. I could have driven you straight there and tried to sort it out for you."

"Exactly. We have a murder to solve and I know you mean well but you don't have to keep trying to solve all my problems. I can manage myself. There's nothing to do anyway. I used my police warrant to get inside. I packed a few things and left. Once I have a quick wash I want to get back to work. I've already lost three hours." She shook her head as if he were mad and marched off to the Ladies leaving a bewildered Lynley staring after her.

Ten minutes later they all sat huddled around Winston's computer. Nkata brought her up to speed quickly. They had narrowed down the likely vehicles to six. The rest belonged to Isle of Wight residents who had been verified by local police. The sports car's registration had been confirmed as being owned by a rental company but had been rented to Brayberry two days ago. "The sheepdog is a mystery though," Tommy said. "Nobody I've spoken to in Oxford had any idea he had a dog let alone one that memorable."

"Maybe he rented it too," Barbara suggested.

"Interesting idea. Winston tomorrow find out where you can hire a dog and check to see if any pounds or shelters have recently signed one out."

"Yes Sir," Winston said almost too eagerly. "Do you think it might have been stolen?"

"Check that out too."

Winston's phone rang and Tommy used the break to study his sergeant. Apart from looking tired she lacked her usual spark. He had noticed it a few days ago but as he watched he could tell she was withdrawn and detached. Whatever was occupying her mind it must be serious. What he could not understand was why she had not confided in him. They had become good friends over time but since the Thompson case they had been even closer. Now they discussed their feelings more directly and took solace in having each other for support. Or at least he thought so. Being angry with her today had not helped and he regretted it. Clearly she had a problem and now it was compounded by the fire. He needed to find a way to get through those old-Havers barriers.

"Right," Winston said after hanging up, "that was the local boys from Cowes. They found the car parked neatly at Shanklin. It was locked and had a valid parking ticket for four hours. The goggles were on the front seat but there's no sign of the dog."

Lynley pulled up the map of the island. "Shanklin is on the other side. Let's see if we can trace the car there. It's large enough to have CCTV. Also Winston check that the local boys contacted the rangers about the dog. They're not small so someone must have seen him..."

"Or her," Barbara interjected, "it might be a lady dog."

"Or her. It seems Brayberry didn't drive his car to the park so we have to find those other cars. I'll ring Stuart and see how he is going. Are you up to coming to the morgue with me Havers?"

"Of course I'm up to it Sir. I'm homeless not an invalid." She sounded annoyed again.

"I've never for one second ever thought that."

Barbara's shoulder rose steadily then fell. Tommy thought she was going to say something profound but instead she simply said, "before I left I started a search on Brayberry's bank accounts. I'll see if the report has run yet." She went to her desk and Tommy went to fetch his coat from his office. She'll tell me when she's ready.

"Anything unusual in his finances?" Tommy asked as they walked to his car.

"Until about twelve months ago everything looked normal. He had about £20,000 in the bank and regular income and the usual sort of withdrawals. After that he drained his account in about six weeks and has been bumping along the bottom ever since."

"Sounds consistent with a gambling issue but we need to check more. Good work Barbara."

Half an hour later they were staring at photographs of a long but narrow Lafferty had matched his teeth with dental records sent down from Oxford. "It's Brayberry, as expected it was a blow to his head that killed him. No traces of anything in the wound which is unusual. I'd say it was a very clean rock or some irregular shaped metal weapon. It feels hasty and unplanned," he announced as they had walked into the lab.

"Any signs of a struggle?" Havers asked.

"No, no defensive wounds to speak of. I would say he was bopped on the head from behind."

"And this 'bopping' was enough to kill him?" Havers asked raising her eyebrows at her boss.

"Almost certainly. I need to see the toxicology to be sure but I'm confident that was the cause."

"Any idea of the type of weapon?" Tommy asked.

"Long and thin like a metal bar of some sort only clean and irregular in shape. You need to see this though," he said pulling down the strategically placed sheet to reveal a tattoo on Brayberry's chest. "Respice, adspice, prospice."

Tommy starred at the words surrounding a circle which contained the word Vectis. "Examine the past, the present, the future," he translated, "but Vectis? To lever?"

"Yes, it puzzled me too. I haven't had a chance to see if there is any record of similar tattoos in our database but Latin is unusual so I doubt it."

Tommy watched as Lafferty detailed the other injuries and lack of bruising. "So you can see he was dead well before he was pushed from the chairlift."

"Vectis means the Isle of Wight Sir," Barbara said looking at her phone, "according to the internet it was what the Romans called the island because it was like a fulcrum in the Solent, whatever that means." Tommy and Stuart stared at her. "Well there's no point standing around speculating."

Tommy could not help but grin. That was what he liked about Barbara, her no nonsense practicality. "I don't suppose it tells us why a Latin professor has it tattooed on his chest?"

"No, unfortunately not Sir." Barbara gave him a quick smile, not a large gesture but enough to give him hope.

"Well if he was a Latin professor I would say it was important to him. This is not an old tattoo but not fresh either. I'd say about one to two years. I think it is highly relevant to him," Stuart suggested.

"One mystery is resolved and another develops."

"Pactum serva" Stuart replied.

Tommy could feel Barbara's eyes boring into him. He knew she would not like being outside the in joke so he translated, "Keep the faith." He smiled at the irony then turned to look at Stuart who returned to his task with exaggerated innocence. Lafferty was talking about Barbara. So he has noticed it too!

Barbara tried hard to stifle a yawn and Tommy glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's gone midnight. Why don't you ring Winston and update him and tell him we will head straight up to Oxford in the morning. Find out if there is any more news then tell him to call it a night. We'll head back soon but I expect him to be gone."

When she stepped from the morgue Stuart did not react for a few minutes as he continued to review his report. "Is Barbara okay?"

Tommy told him about the fire. "She has a lot on her mind."

"She does at that. You should talk to her Lynley, really talk to her. Which means you actually need to listen to her without interrupting or offering to throw your money around."

Tommy grabbed Stuart's arm. "What do you know? What aren't you telling me?"

Lafferty shook his arm free. "I don't know anything specific and she never mentioned the fire but I was watching her look at you today and again tonight. She wants to talk to you Lynley but she just can't say anything. You two are so predictable. You fight most when one of you really needs the other. It's like some bizarre battle of independence where neither of you want to appear vulnerable so prefer to torture yourselves. You need to break that cycle or you are both going to end up miserable."

Tommy bristled at his impertinence. "I don't think we..."

"If you can't be honest with yourself how can you be honest with her? Think about why you are frustrated then go and talk to her. I'll send over the full autopsy report in the morning."

Deep in thought he walked down the lonely corridor towards the exit. The row of fluorescent lights on the ceiling reflected off the grey walls to create the illusion of a tunnel drawing him inexorably forward. Tommy had a weird sensation that when he walked through the glass door at the end and out into the night that his life was about to change. He started to breath harder and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He fought the urge to run back into the morgue and berated himself for his stupidity. He paused at the end then pushed the door slowly open. There was no life-shattering event. He walked over to where Barbara was waiting. It had been a long tiring day and the next few would be busier. Now he just wanted to sleep.

In the car he summoned the courage to broach the thorny question of her accommodation. He thought an appeal to logic might work best. "My offer is still open. Come and stay with me until your flat is ready. You will need your money for repairs and expenses so there's no point wasting it on a hotel. Lizzy will be gone tomorrow so you can have the spare room. Tonight you can use my room and I'll crash on the sofa."

Barbara looked horrified as if he had politely offered to strangle her. "Thanks Sir but no. I couldn't sleep in your bed under any circumstances! And you assume I have no one else I can ask to stay. I am fine." Her tone was firm but not brusque.

Under any circumstances? Tommy understood but could not help but be offended. He had only pure intentions but her comment stirred loose a thought buried deep in his subconscious that now floated inconveniently to the surface. Tommy was shocked that he could think of one circumstance where he very much wanted her to sleep in his bed. It explained a lot of his bewilderment in recent weeks or even months and his anger today. He glanced guiltily at her. Me with Barbara? No surely!

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped unsure whether he was replying to her or to his own thoughts. It was not crazy. It was a very comforting to think of lying in her arms. He shook his head to clear his mind and softened his tone. "I'm not saying you don't have friends but I thought I was your friend. Other than you I don't have friends that I could just appear on their doorstep at one in the morning and know I would be welcomed." There was pain and anger in his voice. He could hear it and he knew she would too. He hated being so transparent.

He heard her breathe in sharply and expected a tirade of abuse. Instead she said quietly, "I appreciate it but I just can't; not tonight. I'll stay at the office."

There was no point in arguing. He wondered if she might have similar tangled feelings. "Will you at least let me take you for a drink? I think we should talk."

"You seem to have forgotten the small matter of a murdered man. We can't go galavanting off for a drink. Besides we are both exhausted. Just drop me at the station and get some sleep. What time do you want to leave for Oxford?"

"About seven," he replied gruffly, his eyes fixed on the traffic. He wanted to shout at her but he did not know what about or what to yell. 'Grrrrr!' was not explicit enough to explain his anger and confusion.

Both their phones started chirping. Barbara pulled hers out and groaned. "We can't go back to the office. They've evacuated it after they found a suspicious package. The bomb squad has been called. Can today get any worse?"

In contrast he was pleased. Now she has to come home with me And we can have that talk. "Are you sure they haven't simply found your backpack?" he joked.

He glanced over to see her reaction. The hard anger on her face dissolved and she grinned at him. It was the first time today he felt their usual bond. Relief washed through him and he grinned back.