Title: I'll Be Seeing You
Author: Emily Lawrence
Summary: Barnaby's niece, Forensic Psychologist Eliza Lockier is asked to work a particularly puzzling case alongside her uncle. Returning to Midsomer for the first time in years, she is confronted with memories of her past and the meeting of one Sergeant Dan Scott.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
Rating: Not sure yet

Chapter Three

X x X x X

The awkward silence in the car was palpable. Eliza tapped her hands anxiously on her knees and tried desperately to think of something to say. As the car drew up at traffic lights Scott exhaled heavily and beat out a gentle rhythm on the steering wheel.

"So..." Eliza started out of her reverie and cast a glance at Scott, who was clearly searching for a conversation starter "...What information do you think you picked up from the scene? Are we dealing with a crazed axe murderer who was abused as a child and fancied his sister?"

Eliza smiled a little at his choice of words and his off-colour joke. Aha, she thought, yet another profiler-hating bobby "I'm not a psychic, sergeant. I look at the evidence in the same way that you do, I just see it differently, that's all. But since you asked, no, we're not dealing with anything like that. From the scene alone I would suggest that the killer is intelligent and aware of their actions. They dumped the victim in a place where they knew she would be found, showing that they aren't afraid to interact with the police through the scene. These killers can be very dangerous, since sometimes it can seem like they're doing it for the approval of the authorities and the public, which means that their crimes will get more and more brutal until they're stopped. "

"Hmm." Still not convinced, Scott chose to end the conversation.

But Eliza wasn't ready to let go of the bone "Do I detect a hint of dislike toward psychological profilers, Sergeant?"

Scott smiled a little in spite of himself "Not dislike, just an inability to see the use of psychology in the criminal justice system. It's nothing personal," He sped the car up as they reached an open stretch of country road "I'm in favour of good, solid evidence."

"I see." Eliza raised her eyebrows "It's not just that you're afraid of people getting inside your head?"

"What? No, of course not." Scott shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat. Eliza smiled "Don't worry Sergeant, I promise not to analyse you. Or at least not tell you when I do."

Scott glanced over at the passenger seat to see Eliza smirking. This irked him somewhat, that she was so confidant that she was right and what's more, was teasing him about it "I'm not afraid."

"I believe you."

"I'm not."

"OK."

Silence descended upon the car once more and in an effort to break it, Eliza shifted in her seat so that she was facing Scott "So how long have you been working with my uncle? Cully said you were fairly new to Midsomer still."

"I transferred from London around eight months ago."

"Jesus, London to Causton? And you were awake when you made that decision?"

"Not a fan of the countryside then?"

"It's not that, I just can't understand why you would go from a city like London to a place that looks like God's waiting room."

"Well, it wasn't really my choice."

"...Oh." Feeling a twinge of awkwardness, Eliza suddenly became very interested in looking out of the window, at her own feet or the backs of her hands – anywhere but in the direction of Scott.

"It's not what I expected though." Seeing her obvious embarrassment, Scott chose to throw the girl a bone "Plenty of weird goings on."

Eliza flashed Scott a smile of gratitude "Well, you know what big city coppers say about country-folk."

"What?"

"Nothing. They're all too scared to come here."

X x X x X

Scott pulled the car up at Barnaby's house just as Joyce was emerging in her gardening clothes, struggling with an oversized plant pot. She waved at the pair as they got out and Scott immediately went to her aid "Let me help you with that, Mrs. Barnaby."

"Oh, thank you Daniel. Good morning, Lizzie!" Eliza greeted her aunt with a weary smile. Joyce shielded her eyes as she stared into the sun "Beautiful day. How was the scene?"

"Not pretty." Eliza exchanged grimaces with her aunt, who then turned to Scott "How are you these days Daniel? We never see you."

Scott flashed a charming smile at Joyce, one that Eliza suspected was not entirely unpopular with the ladies "It's been a busy few weeks Mrs. Barnaby. Have you missed me then?"

Joyce let out a laugh "Well what would be the use in me telling you that, Daniel? It would only go to your head. But since you are here, it would be lovely if you could stop round for dinner tonight? Make sure Tom gets home before midnight for once?"

"That would be great Mrs. Barnaby, thank you." Making sure the pot was securely in place, Scott straightened up and turned to face the two women "Well I should be getting back to the scene."

"Thanks for the lift. I guess I'll see you later, then." Scott nodded in response to Eliza's comment, shot a last polite smile to Joyce before getting into the car and driving off.

"So what do you think of Daniel, Lizzie?" Joyce reached for a trowel and knelt next to the flower beds. Eliza leaned against the garden wall "Sarky."

Joyce laughed "That's what your uncle said."

"Doesn't seem too keen on the psych bods." Eliza shielded her eyes against the bright sunshine "But then again," She stared down the road after Scott, "I don't think I've ever met a police officer who is."

X x X x X

Eliza lay on her back in the middle of the bedroom floor surrounded by the notes she had taken at the scene, staring at the ceiling and trying to put together a preliminary mental picture. She used the ceiling as a blank canvas, trying to get into some sort of Alpha state. It was a trick often used by writers who wanted to reach a higher level of creativity and Eliza found that by doing it, she could mentally access the scene and view the evidence from a different angle.

The ropes used to bind the victim's hands behind the tree had been tied loosely and haphazardly. This was unusual considering the precise neatness of the rest of the scene. No fingerprints or trace evidence found. The bizarre way the bodies had been dressed had an almost... artistic flair to it. Their hair was perfect as were their nails and make-up. Why would a killer who had gone to all that trouble to stage a body-dump in such an elaborate way then decide that there was no need to tie the dead body up as if she was still alive and kicking? The simple answer, he wouldn't. It was more than his personality would allow.

"Two killers?" Eliza whispered to herself. Perhaps. There was certainly evidence to suggest that there had been more than one personality at the scene.

Aside from the cuts and bruises on the bodies that were consistent with being crushed or trapped underneath something, there were no signs of torture, no obvious sexual abuse, nothing to suggest that the victims had been hurt while they were being held.

Aside from the feet...

What was so important about the victim's feet? Eliza had inspected them at the scene and there was something familiar about the state of them that she couldn't place.

The sound of laughter from downstairs interrupted Eliza's train of thought. She muttered a few choice words to herself for not concentrating hard enough and tried to regain her state of non-thought.

"Lizzie! Would you like a glass of wine?" Cully's voice carried up the stairs.

Now that offer sounded too good to pass up. Eliza hoisted herself to her feet and wandered downstairs where she was greeted with a large glass of Merlot and chopping knife from Cully "Come on old girl, enough work for today. There are some peppers with your name on them."

Eliza followed Cully into the kitchen where strains of Latin music could be heard from the stereo and all sorts of wonderful smells were originating. Joyce was stood over the stove bopping along to the music and Eliza had to smile in spite of herself. This was a scene she remembered well from her youth. The family meals, the excellent food and company were things Eliza had missed ever since her silent exit from Midsomer all those years ago.

The three women laughed and joked as they prepared the food. Slowly, the volume of the music increased and the wine glasses were refilled. Eliza found herself doing something entirely unlike her – relaxing. She envied the closeness between Cully and Joyce. After her mother's marriage to George, Eliza's relationship with her had been strained to say the least. In fact, that had been the point when she and Cully had gotten so close and Eliza had started spending all her time in Causton.

Nobody noticed the sound of the front door opening as the music was reaching a raucous crescendo and Cully was giving Eliza a basic salsa lesson. Barnaby and Scott could only stare from the kitchen doorway at the three women doubled up with laughter.

"Lizzie – you – are – rubbish..." Cully wheezed uncontrollably at her cousin's miserable lack of coordination. Eliza and Joyce were leaning against each other for support, giggling.

Barnaby cleared his throat and the three women jumped as if a shot had rung out. All was silent for a second before the laughter got the best of Eliza and she snorted into the dishtowel that had been wiping her teary eyes. Barnaby shot an amused glance at his niece before opening a second bottle of wine and pouring a glass for himself and Scott.

Soon, all were gathered around the dining room table and order had been restored.

"That was a very interesting dance step you were exhibiting, Lizzie."

Eliza smiled good-naturedly "Thank you. I call it The Goose."

"You always were utterly shameless, Lizzie." Joyce smiled fondly at her niece "I still remember the little girl who stood up in the middle of a school assembly and announced there was no Father Christmas."

"Well, it was an important discovery," Eliza took a sip of her wine and grinned "Ethically, I couldn't justify keeping it from everyone."

Conversation continued light-heartedly for a while and Scott surveyed Eliza from the other end of the table. Her smile was genuine and it lit up her whole face. She tucked into her food without abandon, and her conversation was animated and well humoured. Every so often she would glance to the end of the table and flash him a sweet grin. Scott sent back a reserved smile. He was, he had to admit, still mildly uncomfortable around the 'psychic pixie' as the lower ranking officers had dubbed her (When Inspector Barnaby was out of earshot of course) and he sensed that she knew it. He also sensed that Eliza was the type of person who would make a point of exploiting that to amuse herself. Not in a spiteful way, but in a way that suggested she was not altogether unfamiliar with 'levelling the playing field', so to speak.

"I'd like to go back to Midsomer Worthy at some point, to have a bit of a root around." Eliza was saying, smiling in gratitude as Joyce refilled her wine glass. A smile, Scott noticed, that was slightly askew due to the amount of wine that had been consumed. A quick glance over to the several empty bottles on the kitchen side confirmed this.

"That sounds reasonable Lizzie. I'm sure Sergeant Scott would be happy to drive over with you again and accompany you. Scott?"

"Oh no Uncle Tom, I'm sure Sergeant Scott wants to get on with some real police work...?" Eliza left the question hanging in the air and sure enough, as Scott stared down the table he was met with that smile. That cheeky, knowing smile. The smile that told him she knew exactly how annoyed he was at the prospect of having to spend the course of the investigation babysitting a practitioner of dark arts. Scott felt his insides burning but managed a pleasant smile "No, I'd be happy to."

Eliza cocked her head to one side innocently, like Snow White listening to the animals "Are you sure?" she was giving him an out. She thought he couldn't take it! Scott could scarcely believe it. Well, there was no way on earth he was going to allow her to believe that he was scared of whatever voodoo it was that she practised. He held her gaze steadily, not about to be the first one to break their stare-out "No it's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Oh you are good Daniel. I wonder why you haven't found a nice girl yet?" Joyce smiled kindly as she rose to clear the table.

"You're right Auntie Joyce," Eliza said, her eyes never leaving Scott's "That truly is a mystery."

X x X x X

Sorry it took so long to update – university exams are horrible.

Let me know what you think!