Ray and Margaret dropped Ben off at the public library on their way back to Chowder's Collision Center. To say the silence between Thatcher and Vecchio was awkward would be an understatement. Ray drove the rental car slowly, eyes front. Dief hung his head out the window, oblivious to the humans.
"Great, silence, at least if he insulted me I could retaliate." Meg thought.
"The collision center closes at five, we can wait." Meg suggested, glad the silence was over.
"So does the library, what'll Fraser do 'til we get back?" Vecchio turned on her,
"Constable Fraser will simply have to wait, Detective." Meg answered, her hackles rising.
"You are one cold fish, Inspector." Nothing new about that observation for Meg. Still, it stung.
"Fraser would do the same if the shoe, ah, cast, were on the other foot, so to speak." She stared straight ahead, intently ignoring Vecchio. They sat in uneasy silence for at least an hour, until Dief barked for a bathroom break. Meg scrambled out to accommodate the wolf-dog.

Fraser settled himself comfortably in front of the micro-film a few minutes after entering the public library. He'd had very few opportunities to use on of the bulky machines. Ben had been a young man before seeing his first, permanent library.
"Let me know if you need anything," a gushing, young librarian offered.
Ben gave her a thank you kindly before digging into Williamsport history

"I've met speed readers, but you take the cake." the young librarian commented, her fingers toying with long, auburn curls.
"Thank you kindly, ah, Hope." Ben read her name tag a moment before reaching for a pad of paper.
The young woman lingered, leaning against the heavy, wooden table where Fraser had set up his research. She sighed dreamily, pulling the Mountie away from his notes.
"May I help you?" Ben asked, looking up at Hope.
"I thought that maybe you and I could, I don't know, get coffee, when I get off work." Her exuberance confused Ben. Truthfully, women, well – people in general – confused him.
"Ah," Ben began, his mind scrambling to frame a rejection.
"Constable Fraser," Margaret's voice cut him off.
Ben knew the look on Margaret's face too well. He'd seen it when the stripper had propositioned him while on sentry duty and at every consular event when ladies danced too close.
"Margaret, Ray, hello," he greeted.
"Another time maybe," Hope said softly and slipped away.
Ben watched Margaret walk toward him, glaring, while Ray smirked.
"Do you have anything to report, Constable?" Margaret demanded.
"Yes, Sir, here are my notes so far." Ben handed her the pad of paper he'd borrowed.
"Ready to go, Fraser?" Ray sat down across the table from him, leaning forward on his elbows.
"No, not quite, Ray, I haven't searched through the high school yearbooks yet." Ben indicated a stack of molding books to his left.
"We'll help, right, Inspector?" Ray pushed out a chair for her directly across from Ben. Margaret sat down and grabbed a yearbook, glaring at Ray silently.
"Who are we looking for?" Margaret finally asked.
"Winston Charles Beady, the Mayor, Harold Blackwell, the Sheriff and Adam Cartwright, the Police Chief." Fraser answered in a low voice.
Each of the investigators added to Fraser's notes, though the yearbooks did little other than give them insight into the suspects' personality profiles.
"The library closed in ten minutes," came a harsh voice over the loud speaker at 4:50 pm.
"Ray, Margaret and Ben were glad to leave. The yearbooks smelled musty and their stomachs rumbled angrily.
"Finally," Ray breathed, laying his yearbook on the stack.
Fraser graciously thanked the three, fifty-something librarians and Hope before they left the building. Ray couldn't help but snicker at Margaret's jealous, green-eyed glare.
"Were you able to find the Mayor's original bumper?" Ben asked once they were in the Riv.
"Yes, Chowder's Collision Center hadn't disposed of it yet. Detective Vecchio identified it immediately." Meg filled Ben in from her seat in the back, Dief dozing beside her.
"Good, now all we have to do is present our case to the state's attorney." Fraser nodded resolutely. That started their earlier argument over again.

Dief snored steadily, laying on his dog bed in the corner. The air conditioner hummed, chilling the room to sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit.
"It's been a long day." Ben sighed, lifting his casted leg onto a mound of spare pillows at the foot of the bed.
"Hmm, it has," Meg agreed, perched on the side of the bed. She vigorously rubbed lotion onto her bare feet.
"Williamsport is a lovely town, reminds me of home." Ben pulled the covers away from Margaret's pillows for her. She'd barely said five words since leaving the library, though both Ben and Ray had included her in the conversation.
"Mmm hmm," Meg agreed, twisting the cap on the lotion bottle tightly.
"Margaret," Ben spoke.
"Yes," she answered, not looking at him.
"Margatet, have I done something, said something to upset you?" He watched her closely, noting the tension in her shoulders and the way she held herself, arms around her torso.
"No," she said at first, "well, yes," She sighed, turning to look at him finally.
"You didn't do anyting intentionally to upset me, Ben. It's illogical, I know, but when you're polite to a woman like that air headed librarian, who was so obviously fawning over you, it upsets me." she let it spill, giving Ben an honest piece of her mind.
"On the other hand, I know, in my head, that's just the way you are. My head and my heart are at odds." she shook her head in frustration.
Ben sat up and scooted across the queen size bed. He would have never suspected her of feeling that strongly.
"Come here," he pulled her against him, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"I understand your feelings, Meg. I've often felt envious of your other suitors, the ease with which you talked and interacted." Ben put his arms around her, Meg's back to his chest.
"Envious? You?" Meg turned to look at him. Her expression softened.
"Yes, terribly jealous." Ben looked her squarely in the eye.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea." Meg planted a soft kiss to his lips.
"You have nothing to worry about, it's you I love, Margaret." Ben assured her, holding her tighter.
"Oh, Ben, I love you, too."
**********