A/N: I realize that this story may have some similarities to 'Limbo'. I would just like to say that I had never read anything about the new Lynley episodes when I began writing this fic, and I certainly hadn't seen the episodes (since this story was first published in may 2007).

"Excellent, just great!"

Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers was in a state. Even though she fully realized that he was still her superior, she brushed that all aside, ready to tell him off. She marched through the hallway, followed by a tense D.I.

"You just had to let her go, didn't you?"

She turned around and faced him. Lynley placed his hands in his hips and bit his lip.

"God what a mess," she grunted.

"Everyone is out looking for her and we have sealed off the airports…"

"Oh now you wanna go and do that? You didn't even see her as the murderer, why go through all that trouble?"

"Havers…" He warned her with a whisper, but she had gone too far near the edge and couldn't stop herself from plunging over.

"Oh wait. Maybe you had this all planned out so you could set off into the sunshine, is that it?"

Lynley felt his anger coming slowly to the surface. He didn't know what to do or say. He knew she didn't mean what she'd just said. He felt a lump in his throat. Everything they had built up for these past six years… Had it all gone? Had it been a waste of time? He opened his mouth to speak but Lafferty saved the day.

"Inspector!"

He ran towards them.

"I have something I'd like you to see."

He looked at Lynley and then looked at Havers and he winked at her. He turned around as she grinned shyly. When Lafferty was out of range, Lynley closed in on Havers.

"What was that all about?"

She merely shrugged and said nothing further. On a positive note, their argument had seemed to be forgotten.

They went to the cutting table where Lafferty was already waiting impatiently.

"I heard you lost her," he said.

Lynley said nothing but his eyes told Lafferty everything. ­

"Yeah… I thought you could use some useful information real quick. See this?"

He pointed at a small cut in Barry Jones' chest. Lynley rolled his eyes.

"Just get to the point Lafferty."

"Well, one would need quite a lot of power to inflict such a deep wound."

He acted out the action. A quick but powerful strike, slightly upwards.

"The person who did this must've been really strong."

Lynley looked at him.

"Or very passionate about the murder, very angry perhaps?"

"Could be, could be… But my best guess is that there is no way that this type of injury could have been inflicted by a woman."

Both Lynley and Havers looked at him in shock.

"The angle, the amount of force… No. It must have been a man."

X X X X X X

Lynley was driving like a madman. Although Havers had gotten used to his driving, his current state frightened her just a little bit. They were on their way to Lindsay's house in the hope of finding something, anything, that could lead them to her. Every uniform had been alerted. They were all looking for her. Havers observed him from the corner of her eye. After all that she'd said to him, she felt sorry for him now. He looked as if he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. She had wished happiness for him after Helen's death, but not this. Although they hadn't voiced their suspicions, Barbara knew that they were both afraid that Lindsay had run into Darren. Barbara knew that if anything should happen to this girl, Lynley wouldn't survive it.

He kicked down the front door and sped inside. Havers quickly followed him.

"Quick, look for anything that has anything to do with Darren. Pictures, memoirs, you name it. Anything."

He rushed to a small sideboard and examined it. Havers walked up to the table that had some newspapers and other papers on it. She browsed through them but found nothing interesting. She looked up at Lynley once she heard him pausing his search. His back was facing her but she could imagine the look on his face. He was staring at a picture in which Lindsay was happily kissing her former lover. He quickly tossed it away and Havers lifted her eyebrows. She looked around to think of a new location when her eyes fell on an interesting item on the floor, underneath the couch. She squatted and retrieved the photograph.

"Sir!"

She handed it to him. He turned the picture of the London Bridge over.

Meet me.

It was not Lindsay's handwriting. That meant that it could only be the handwriting of another person…

X X X X X X

Within seconds, they were driving towards the London Bride.

"Calling all units! Suspects are likely to be in the surrounding area of the London Bridge!"

Havers practically shouted the message. She had to abort it as her mobile phone rang.

"Lafferty!"

She glanced at Lynley who looked at her for a split second.

"Yes… Right! Thanks."

She hung up the phone.

"He managed to find a uncontaminated finger print on the murder weapon."

"And…?"

"It's Darren Sheffield."

Lynley cursed. Suddenly someone called them over the radio system.

"We've found them."

X X X X X X

Havers paused to catch her breath. Lynley just kept going. Up the stairs, into another alleyway, more stairs… It was a maze here in the middle of these tall buildings. Somewhere above him he could still hear the helicopter. He went around another corner and suddenly he saw them. Darren was dragging Lindsay along. She looked terrible and beaten up. A flash of anger went through Lynley's body.

"Stop!"

Darren spun around, forcing Lindsay to do the same. As soon as he saw the nearing detective he drew a knife and put it against Lindsay's neck. She squeaked. Lynley came to an abrupt hold. In the background, Havers had just made it round the corner and stopped running as soon as she saw what was going on.

"Stay right there or I'll slit her throat," Darren grunted.

Lindsay sobbed and looked at Lynley. He could see the fear in her eyes. He cursed inside. He raised his arm towards Darren, as if to draw the knife to him with some magic power. They were only a few feet apart.

"Come on Darren…" ­

Lynley felt the sweat gathering on his forehead as Darren pressed the blade against Lindsay's skin. Even the slightest sound coming from his mouth seemed to push Darren further. Still, he knew he couldn't win unless he bargained more time, or convince the man that it was all over.

"You are surrounded. There is nowhere to run. It's over."

As if the pilot had heard him, the helicopter came circling over their heads. Darren looked at it anxiously. His hands began to shake uncontrollably and the knife pressed deeper into Lindsay's skin, making it bleed. She let out a terrified scream and Lynley leapt forward. Everything happened so quickly. He pushed Lindsay away, not knowing whether the blade had already damaged her or not, Darren had turned, there was a flick of a knife…

Lynley's eyes widened. He could hear vague screams as he saw Lindsay fall. Images of Helen falling to the ground flashed through his mind. He saw Helen lying there in her own blood, staring endlessly into the night. He tried to shout but no sound passed his lips. He saw Havers jumping on Darren's back, flooring him, he saw how she looked at him with terror in her eyes. She said something, but why wouldn't the woman speak up? He could hardly hear her if she whispered so softly. Silly Barbara, he thought. Oh, now she was coming his way. She walked funny. It was as if she ran towards him in slow motion. Then she suddenly began to fade… Sir! was the last thing he heard as he drifted away…