AN/: I'd like to clarify, for the introduction and conclusion of the previous chapter, that Arthur still does not know who Guinevere is, or her name for that matter. They will be properly introduced below. Once again, text in italics is past tense, while non-italics is in the present.

zZz

It had been a full week after Tilly Romney's murder when Medical Examiner Merlin Emyrs finally called Detectives; Inspector and Sergeant Pendragon down to the lab to give them his full autopsy report on Tilly's cause of death. Unfortunately, Tilly Romney had not been the only body to pass through the lab that week. One in particular, was the body of a young male runner. Another medical examiner had ruled that his death was due to natural causes. Apparently his findings did not sit well with the young man's parents, so they got a referral for a second opinion to Merlin. Natural causes did not sit right with Merlin either. There was nothing "natural" about a twenty six year old, physically fit, athletic male collapsing and dying of respiratory failure.

While Merlin conducted his autopsy, he found trace amounts of rodent poison along the man's trachea and in his lungs. Nothing natural indeed…The man was poisoned. After Merlin's final findings, he phoned the young man's parents who confided in him that they had suspected their son's girlfriend was to blame for his death. So Merlin notified the police, who questioned the girlfriend…and she finally broke down and confessed to the murder. She had suspected and accused her boyfriend of infidelity, so she tampered with his asthma inhaler and put crushed rodent poison into the inhaler's filter. He would always take his inhaler with him on his morning runs…And that's how he was found, collapsed in the park. His inhaler was later recovered in the park and tested…corroborating the girlfriend's confession. She was immediately taken into police custody. The young victim's parents, despite Merlin's vehement protest, made a grandiose donation to the lab in the memory of their son, to show the medical examiner their gratitude. So it was a busy week for Merlin…Surely Arthur and Morgana would understand.

zZz

Arthur and Morgana decided to walk to the lab, it not being too far from the police station. It was late September, summer nearing to an end, autumn on its cusp. The air was pleasant and not at all stifling.

"Arthur, you've been sporting a sulk, and perfectly pouting all week. 'What's eating Gilbert Grape?'" Morgana asks, barely hiding her grin.

Arthur looks over at his sister, his pout ever present "I still can't get what she said to me…out of my head" he confesses.

"She was angry and wanted to blame someone. We all were. But you must know that you are not to blame for Tilly Romney's demise. Unfortunately…in a way…she is" Morgana says sadly.

Arthur halts and looks over at his sister, bewildered.

Morgana holds up her hands in defense "I only meant that if the poor woman had pressed charges against that monster…at the very least just run away from home, she may still be alive today".

"Right" Arthur nods and they continue to walk "But Tilly finally did try to escape, and that's what ultimately got her killed"…

On the night of Tilly Romney's murder, Arthur and Morgana interrogated Magnus Romney at the police precinct. He told the detectives that Tilly wanted to file for divorce and that she was leaving to go stay with her mother. So he snapped. He wasn't 'in his right mind' he admitted. Then the murderer sat there, still in cuffs, cupped his face, and actually began to sob. But not one tear escaped his eyes…Not a' one, as Morgana and Arthur sat across from him and watched him intently. His attorney, Sylvester Barnes, sat there "consoling" his client. Arthur could practically see, and hear, the wheels of Sylvester's mind in motion. There was no doubt in his mind that Sylvester ("Slime" as he was known at the precinct) was going to push for a crime of passion, or even a temporary insanity, defense.

Arthur and Morgana reached the lab building at last.

After exiting the lifts, they pushed through the double swing-doors and made their way down the sterile-white corridor leading to the morgue. Arthur halted his steps for the second time while voyaging to the lab. Only Morgana wasn't the cause this time. It was her…

zZz

Guinevere marched out of Merlin's morgue, sick to her stomach. Though Tilly's body had been expertly cleaned by the medical examiner, his description of her injuries paired with the lacerations all over Tilly's face and body still painted a very vivid picture of her last moments on this earth. Now that her body was drained of all its blood, her skin was stone white, making her injuries much more visible. Merlin had warned Guinevere when she contacted him via phone and again, when she hadn't changed her mind, in person.

"Ms. Leodegrance –"

"Please. Call me Gwen" she cut in.

"Gwen. You do not have to see the victim's body. I will give you a full copy of my autopsy report" Merlin says.

"Dr. Emyrs –"

"Please…Merlin" he offers.

"Merlin, I want to witness the injuries to my client first hand. When I address the jury in court during Tilly Romney's murder trial, I want to be convincing with the full knowledge that I've seen the horror that she suffered at her murderous husband's hands. She's dead, Merlin. I am Tilly's voice now. I want to make sure that the citizens of Albion hear everything that she has to say. So please, I must see her body".

Merlin looked at Gwen, proud in knowing that Tilly Romney would not be another 'Jane Public' left un-identified, unspoken for and never having justice as her final portion

Merlin slightly pushed the morgue's door with his foot, reached into the drawer on his left and handed Gwen a pair of disposable booties and face mask. "This way"…

zZz

…Guinevere shook her head trying to rid it of what she just saw. Merlin was right and so was Percival…That was not how she wanted to remember Tilly Romney. Then she thought of the small woman; shoulders hunched, arm in a sling with a swollen eye and trembling like a leaf standing next to her in the courtroom just last week, and knew that she had been right to visit the morgue. She owed Tilly at least that. But Gwen was prepared to do more. Magnus Romney would pay…

…Guinevere continued walking through the sterile-white corridor, walking past two figures. She didn't realize who they were until one of them gently caught her arm, to still her.

"Excuse me Ms.…" he waited for her to fill in the blank.

She didn't.

"I'm DI Arthur Pendragon. This –"

"I know who you are" Gwen says glaring at him, swiftly pulling her arm away from his grasp.

"- is my sister, DS Morgana Pendragon" Arthur continues, as if uninterrupted, ignoring her dismissive tone.

Morgana extends her hand, and much to Arthur's surprise, Gwen reciprocates, as they share a brief handshake.

"You were at the Romney household last week" Morgana says, half questioning.

"Yes" Gwen says, her eyes quickly dart to Arthur then back to Morgana's. "I am…was her attorney" Gwen looks away, staring into space.

"We referred Tilly Romney to various battered women's shelters and organizations. We even once offered to put her up in a vacant flat near the police station. But –"

"She always went back to her abuser" Gwen finishing her sentence, now looking at Morgana again.

"We are truly sorry" Arthur says, finding his voice.

"I do not need your sympathy. It is of no use now. What I want is justice for my client" Guinevere says levelly.

"As do we…Tilly Romney may not have been the bravest woman, but she was a kind and giving woman, and well-liked by many. The makeshift memorial outside of Albion's Public Library where she worked, is a testament to that" Arthur says respectfully

Guinevere's eyes softened a bit at his confession. He does care, she thinks.

"You were right…We did fail Tilly Romney. Her death will not go un-avenged- I will make sure of that. But we stand a better chance at convicting Magnus Romney for murder if we work together" Arthur beckons to Guinevere.

Arthur has Gwen's full attention now. "Here's my card" Gwen pulls out her wallet from her handbag and hands a card each, to Arthur and Morgana. "We can compare the notes that we already have and you can update me on your investigation as you go along". Just then, Gwen's mobile rings…

"Yes Elyan" she says answering the phone.

"…One minute" Gwen removes the mobile from her ear, holds it to her chest and addresses the detectives.

"That's my brother" Gwen gestures to her phone "I'm needed back at the office. You'll call me…" she half-asks, half-tells them.

"Yes" they reply in unison. Gwen nods to both Morgana and Arthur, her eyes lingering a bit longer on the latter, then continues down the corridor resuming her phone conversation and disappears through the double swing-doors.

Arthur looks down at the business card he was just given that reads:

Leodegrance & Leodegrance Law Offices

"A trusted family…your family can trust".

He flips it to the back and finds her mobile number, but no name. Arthur stuffs the card into his pocket and looks down the hallway. Something on the floor reflecting the sunlight through a nearby window catches his eye. He walks a few yards to the end of the hallway and picks up the shiny object. It's a small "I.D." bracelet, no bigger than a small child's wrist. Tilly's attorney must have dropped it, for he just came through those doors and didn't see the bracelet there before. It read: Guinevere.

"Guinevere" Arthur whispered.

Finally…A name.


I would like to apologize to those of you who might have took offense to the gore in the previous chapter. I should have added a warning. But in my defense, this is a crime fic as well and I didn't want to skimp on the detail. Any forth coming chapters that have gory scenes will come with appropriate warnings.