First thing Wednesday morning, Innocent stopped in.

"No one is shouting, that's an improvement." She seemed to expect an answer to her non-question.

"You two are . . . ?"

"Still partners, Ma'am." Lewis's tone was flat.

She scowled. "I'm sorry if that is a problem for you, Lewis. You are well aware of your tenuous situation here. It is not the time to assign you a new sergeant on what could be your last day of employment."

"No, Ma'am. I wasn't talking about being technically still partners. Hathaway and I are still work partners in spirit. Workmates. Which means any attempts by you to divide and conquer us will fail." He smiled pleasantly.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, won't that be a nice change. But, still no arrest?"

"You'll be the first to know, Ma'am."

After she had gone, Hathaway closed the door and looked straight at Lewis. "Sir, it's troubling to me that you expect me to trust you when you obviously aren't telling me everything. How can I be the 'objective eye' here when I don't have all the facts?"

A moment's thought. "Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

"Who's doing this and where he is." Hathaway gulped and took the gamble. "He's staying at your house, isn't he? Drinking your beer?" He squirmed internally at being so frank.

Lewis focused directly on James's eyes. He spoke very slowly and very quietly.

"You need to think about what you will have to do if I answer that. You're a good cop. Think about what will have to happen." He just sat there, concentrating very hard on his partner.

James was hit full force by the implications embedded in Lewis's words. By not answering, Lewis had answered him, in the only honest way he could. He was an accessory to crime, and possibly interfering with an investigation. But he had taken care to ensure that Hathaway had no evidence of that. Lewis would lose his job for protecting his mate, but at least he would avoid criminal charges. James was shocked by the high price Lewis was willing to pay to help his old partner.

Hathaway swallowed. "Let me try asking about something else you're not telling me. What is it you do on Tuesday nights?"

Lewis looked blank for a minute. Then he averted his eyes, flushing a bit. "It's nothing. It's personal."

"Sir? Trust me?"

Lewis clearly struggled in his head. Finally, he muttered, "It's a cooking class, okay? Tryin' to learn us how to cook."

The sudden defusing of tension made Hathaway start to giggle. It was contagious, and soon they both were wiping their eyes and gasping for breath.

Eventually, they regained control and just looked at each other a moment. Lewis's eyes were shining.

"Hathaway. Thank God you're back."

While Lewis went out to take another call on his mobile, Hathaway thought about what he knew. By the time Lewis returned to the office, James had made up his mind.

"Sir, I'm going to arrest Danny. His last name is Carter, isn't it? One of the day-laborers. He's your source for the murderer of the woman, right? If I arrest him, no one needs to find out about your involvement."

Lewis shook his head. "He knew all about Walling beating his woman, and was there when Walling confronted Fairington about cutting in on him. When he saw the body on the lawn, he felt he had to call. Only the first responding unit got there faster than he expected." He looked sad. "James, I have to do what I can to protect him."

"And you have done, Sir. Look, I checked his prior and it's nothing. Cautioned for vagrancy. Fined for drunk and disorderly. Petty stuff. There's no evidence linking him to any other house, just the DNA from the bottles at Stoneleigh. They'd never get a conviction on any of the other places."

"I won't let him get put in the nick, James. An ex-cop? He'd be torn to shreds in minutes."

"I'm doing some checking. Called an old schoolmate, Blair Crandall. He's now with CPS. I'm trying to find out what they would recommend for sentencing. And if they could even convict him on what we have. But he hasn't called me back yet, he's in trial today, apparently."

Lewis glanced at his watch. Less than five hours. Hathaway noticed the movement.

"Really, Danny will be fine, Sir. Let me go pick him up." He searched for the right way to say what he was thinking. "I just got you broken in, Sir. I can't start on a new inspector tomorrow."

Lewis smiled briefly. "You can't pick him up today, he just got a new job and he has to be there tomorrow. Unless CPS doesn't charge him at all, he's going to be in at least til noon tomorrow, even if he pleads." He thought it over. "We could get him Friday after work if your chap at CPS promises he gets no time. Then he'd be out before Monday morning."

Lewis became chillingly serious. "And you won't be the one to go on Friday, Hathaway. If anyone brings Danny in, it has to be me."

James stared. The man is in complete denial. He could barely get out the words. "But, Sir, by Friday . . . you won't be a cop any more."

Lewis closed his eyes and slumped. His only comment, just above a whisper, was a word Hathaway almost never heard him use.

"Shit."

By four o'clock, Hathaway had not heard from Crandall. His sense of alarm was growing.

"So you don't have a backup plan or anything? You knew you wouldn't make an arrest and were just going to accept the sack? Lose your pension?"

"Well, my best bet right now is to grieve it. I've been back and forth on the phone with the Federation all week. Innocent can't sack me just because I can't solve one petty case. It's way disproportionate."

"You can't always count on them to take your part, Sir. What's your worst bet?"

"I shouldn't tell you this, but I'm supposed to be trusting you, right? I looked into finding anyone making a plea this week who'd be inside a long time. Maybe he could be given a bit of a break for admitting to this." He looked away from Hathaway's reproachful look.

"But that's . . . I mean, if you got found out at that . . . You actually considered it?"

"Not for very long. It would involve trusting a criminal. Not to mention inciting perjury. It was a stupid idea. But it was the only other one I had."

The clock's hands continued to move.

"Sir, we have to try to stall Innocent. Tell her we know who it is and know he's in the area but just can't find him and it's just a matter of tracking him down and making the collar, and I can't do it alone, so she has to keep you on and she needs to give you until six on Friday and we'll have him by then."

"That was quite a sentence, Hathaway. What happens to Danny?"

"I'm sure I can work with Crandall. He owes me from school. They're not going to lock him in the nick for uninvited house-sitting, for Pete's sake."

"It's worth a try. But if Crandall goes south on us, I'm taking the hit on Friday. Danny's not going down, promise?"

"I'm supposed to be saving your arse, not his."

"You're helping me keep a promise to me mate."

Hathaway nodded.

Lewis smiled. "Good. Let's go double-team her."

The Chief Superintendent was not surprised to see her most brilliant, and most aggravating, team of detectives at her door at four-twenty-five that day.

"You still have thirty-five minutes to find him. What are you doing here?"

"We know who it is, Ma'am. But we can't locate him exactly. He's in the area, though. It was one of the day-laborers and he's still doing odd jobs around here." Lewis used his most groveling voice.

Hathaway chimed in. "We'd like you to consider extending Inspector Lewis's . . . um, probation until Friday at six. I can't bring the man in myself, very well."

"I could assign a uniformed team to accompany you."

Lewis spoke up. "He'd bolt. I've been tracking him all week, getting closer all the time. I know how he thinks, and I know where he'll be on Friday after work."

She appraised the situation. "So you two really are getting along again?"

"Thick as thieves, Ma'am."

That lad is really going to get me sacked some day, Lewis thought as he just barely suppressed a snort.

She looked very nonsmiling. "Not my favorite idiom."

After considering the matter for some time, Innocent looked up at them.

"Right. Friday. I'll give you until seven, and that's it. And Lewis?"

"Ma'am?"

"You can have this back. Since I will not be approving it, I think it's best if it stays out of the system completely, don't you?" She handed him back his form requesting a new sergeant.

They returned to their office without a word. Hathaway checked his messages. Nothing yet from Crandall. He glanced up at Lewis to tell him but the words stuck in his throat. Lewis had his head tipped back all the way, his eyes squeezed shut. Tears were streaming from the corners of his eyes. Not a sound came from him. Hathaway felt his own eyes watering. He got up and quietly went out.

He was alone at his favorite smoke break location and had just lit up when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out so fast he almost dropped it. But was Dr. Hobson, not Crandall.

"It's been days, James, what is happening? Last time I saw you, you were bottling it and bolting from the Saracen's Head. I've been worried about the wall of silence from you two ever since."

Hathaway blew out his cheeks. "We're on the brink of Hell here, Laura. It's a long story and it doesn't yet have an end."

"You're still not talking?"

"Oh, no. That—we're good on that. Better than ever, I'd say. But we had to go to battle against Innocent for Lewis's job today and it's still on the chopping block. And he's facing a moral dilemma, big time."

She made an exasperated sound. "I am so far behind. Can you two go for a drink tonight? Catch me up?"

"I doubt it. Lewis will be too shell-shocked, I expect. And I'll be doing whatever he needs me to do."

"Is Innocent seriously thinking of sacking him?"

"If she's not, she puts on a good bluff."

"I must say, you do sound like a team again."

After a moment's reflection: "Is any of this my fault, James?"

"Strangely, no. In fact, your little indiscretion with him may have been a catalyst we've been needing for some time."

"Any idea how long the current crisis will last?"

"In the perfect world, Saturday would be a great night for a party. Either that or we'll need you to help keep Lewis away from sharp objects."

"I'll keep it clear."

When he got back to the office, Lewis was on his mobile. He quickly ended the call as Hathaway entered.

Hathaway looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "There's still more I don't know, isn't there?"

"I'm not providing you anything admissible until this is over."

Hathaway nodded. "I'm good with that. Hey, do want me to be there when you tell Danny?" Can I safely leave you two alone?

Lewis thought for quite a long time. "I don't really have room for you to kip. At least one of us should get a good night's sleep." This needs to be between just him and me.

"Well, you have my number." You better call me if anything happens. "Look, if I hear from Crandall tonight I'll buzz you no matter what. So don't you and that Geordie fugitive get pissed blind until after you've heard from me."

"Pallatic."

"What?"

"Geordie for 'pissed blind.'"

Hathaway gave him a strange look.

"Like 'paralytic,' I think."

Hathaway rolled his eyes. Then he became more serious. "Are you okay, really? You're telling Danny tonight what we worked out today?"

"Of course—to both questions."

About ten o'clock that night, Hathaway finally got the call he was waiting for.

"James, my good man. Sorry to call so late. We're in jury deliberations and thought for sure they'd have a verdict if we made them stay long enough. So I can't talk very long, we're bringing them back first thing tomorrow. What can I do for you?"

Hathaway gave a somewhat edited version of events, explained about the break-in and how Innocent was rabid about seeing someone punished for it. He told Crandall they were reluctant to arrest the fellow responsible because they knew he was no longer inclined to squat in vacant houses, now being gainfully employed despite a few past arrests.

"The guy is an ex-cop, Blair. A good man. He was just down on his luck for a bit and homeless, trying to stay off the streets."

"That doesn't make it legal, mate. How strong a case is it?"

"We have DNA linking him to the site. But he was a day-laborer there, too, along with nine other chaps."

"And?"

"And that's it, really."

"What makes you think he did it? Has he confessed?"

"All we have is inadmissible hearsay from a witness who won't talk any more. Somebody said that somebody said. That kind of thing."

"Shit. You can't get your witness to testify?"

"No way. Even if we find him, he won't testify because he'd incriminate himself."

"And that's all?"

"Yep."

"For what, a pound or two of cheese and a couple bottles of beer? Your Chief Super is pushing for this? What a waste of time and money. There's no case here. We can't even caution him on it."

"Governor wants an arrest, Blair."

"So arrest him, and we'll let him go."

"Guaranteed?"

"Unless you get your witness to talk, hell, yes, guaranteed. Even then, I mean, who cares? Fix the lock and get on with your lives, people. What's got your Chief Super's knickers in a knot, anyway?"

"The Chiltons are friends of hers."

Crandall was silent a moment. "You know, that kind of thing really sets them off around here. Supervising officers trying to influence investigations because of their own interests. You guys talk to the Assistant Chief Constable about this?"

"No way. We're just trying to keep our noses as clean as possible."

"Well, that's you all over, i'n'it, James? Look, I need to go. When's the pinch planned?"

"Friday, after five."

"Give me a buzz and I'll take care of it. You'll be having a pint with the bloke by eight. Cheers."