Laura sat with Osborn the rest of the afternoon until he was out of danger. The dog responded to Laura's voice and touch, recovering quickly and was able to go home the next morning. Laura took the day off. Robbie called a few times during the day to learn that the dog was doing well, sleeping most of the morning and becoming more active as the day wore on. Late in the afternoon, Robbie called to say he had ordered the pizza and wouldn't be home too late. Laura again tried to put Osborn in his bed but he insisted on following her around the house on his three good legs. She made a salad to go with the pizza and shared a few pieces of carrot with the dog.

Laura realized she needed two bottles of wine from the cellar. Not willing to wait for Robbie to get home, she decided to get them herself. Osborn followed her to the door of the cellar. Worried that he would try to go down the stairs on three legs, she firmly told him to 'stay' and then shut the door behind her as she went down the stairs.

After Laura started down the stairs, Osborn made a noise, not quite a bark, more of a ruff. Laura called to him. "I'm okay, Osborn. I'll be right back." As she got to the bottom of the stairs she tried to convince herself that she really was okay. Forcing her legs to function normally Laura walked to the wine rack, stood for a moment to take a deep breath, and then actually put some effort into selecting two bottles of red wine that would go well with the pizza. Heart pounding and gripping the bottles tightly, she did an about face and managed to return to the stairs without bolting. "I'm on my way up now." The dog responded with an encouraging bark.

Safely back upstairs to her relief and Osborn's delight, Laura brought the wine into the kitchen. Osborn did not follow her into the kitchen as he stayed by the front door to welcome Robbie. Once inside the door Robbie called out, "Want me to go down and get some wine?"

"No need." Laura rushed to the hall and threw her arms around him.

Robbie responded in kind. "You do remember we have company coming?"

"I know." She released her hold on him.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm just happy you are home."

Robbie suspected there was more to it than that but didn't question her. Instead he asked about Osborn and they discussed the dog's progress.

While Robbie went upstairs to change his clothes, the doorbell rang and Laura and Osborn found Donald from down the road and his human outside with something for Osborn. It was a red wagon that had been sitting idly in their garage for some years. They wanted to lend it to Laura and Robbie so they could take Osborn on longer outings than his three good legs could manage.

Laura thanked them for their thoughtfulness and said she would take Osborn out in it the next morning as they were expecting company soon. The two dogs appeared excited about trying out the wagon so the neighbor offered to take them both for a short test drive. Laura agreed that the fresh air and time with Donald, who Osborn genuinely liked, would be good for him and waved to them as they headed off.

Robbie came downstairs just as the doorbell rang again and he admitted James and Liv. James was carrying two bottles of wine. Liv brought a plant and looked nervous.

Robbie took the wine from James while Laura thanked Liv for the plant.

"The pizza should be here in about 20 minutes." Robbie poured them each a glass of wine. He looked at Liv. "Do you want to wait until we eat before we talk about..."

Liv was nervous and cut in. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk now."

James had not sat down yet. "Laura, maybe you and I could go over some forensic results in your office."

Laura was about to agree when Liv corrected James. "It's not Inspector Lewis I want to talk to about my mother, it's Dr. Hobson."

James and Robbie were confused while comprehension showed on Laura's face.

James touched Liv's arm. "Why would you want to talk to Laura about Alison McLennan? She was Robbie's sergeant. He knew her best and may have been the last person to see her alive."

"Who?"

Robbie raised his eyebrows and James stared at Liv. "Unless your mother is someone else?"

Laura came and took Liv's elbow. "C'mon, let's go into the office."

Robbie pointed to a chair and James sat.

"You must have got the wrong end of things, suspecting Ali was Liv's mother."

"I've worked that out. I was taken in when Liv said her mother did things she didn't approve of."

"And did she ever actually say that I was the last person who saw her alive?"

"No, she just wanted me to get her invited to your house to talk to that person."

"And you complain about the way Laura and I communicate." Robbie reflected on the past. So, it's Laura who was the last one to see her mother alive."

"I've worked that out too."

James and Robbie sat in silence for a few minutes wondering how the talk was going between the two women.

Robbie heard the doorbell and went to receive the pizza.

James watched Robbie carry the pizza into the kitchen. "What happened to the glass doors to the kitchen? I noticed last time I was here for pizza they were missing and forgot to ask."

"We removed them. One day they were closed and Jack was running through the house and smacked right into them. Laura kept the glass so clean he didn't see them. Other than a slight bump on the head he wasn't seriously hurt. Laura insisted we take the doors off." He wrinkled his brow. "I suggested the lad could learn to not run in the house but Laura wouldn't hear of it."

The doorbell rang again. This time it was the neighbor returning Osborn. As Robbie lifted the dog out of the wagon and set him gently on the floor, James prepared for the dog to come and slobber on his shoes, or worse. Instead, Osborn, after briefly greeting Robbie, went and sat outside the door to Laura's office. He made his presence known with a series of ruffs. Laura opened the door and let him in just after she told Liv that her mother did not say anything in the moments before she died.

Robbie told James about Osborn's friend Donald and the loan of the wagon.

"That dog has more of a social life than I do."

"You need to make it a priority." Robbie was finally learning to do that himself. He could see that something was bothering James. "What's up?"

"What's he like?"

"Who, Donald?"

"No, Terry, the man Laura has fixed up with Jean Innocent. What makes him fascinating?"

"He's a musician, plays the oboe."

"The oboe?"

"Yeah, you know, a clarinet without the mouthpiece."

"Is that it?"

"He's a professor of music at one of the colleges." Robbie narrowed his eyes at James. "Why are you so interested?"

James kept his face expressionless. "I'm just wondering if I'll be asked to escort her to concerts. She used to assign that task to her newest Inspector whenever Mr. Innocent was indisposed. It seems that now she's disposed of him permanently."

Monty sauntered into the room and took up residence in the middle of the dog's new bed.

Robbie laughed. "It's a good thing Osborn doesn't mind the cat using all of his things."

James was happy for a change of subject. "Medea had a dog."

"What?"

"Keep up, Robbie. Medea, the key figure to Laura recovering her memory, at least according to Morse. She had a hound given to her by Hecate."

"Who was Hecate?"

"A Greek Goddess famous for her knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants. She taught Medea how to concoct medicines and healing potions. In some versions of the Medea story she is called Habundia. It means beautiful fairy."

"What brought all this up?"

"I've been reading up on Medea. I don't want Morse coming to me in a dream and telling me my education is lacking."

"Go on, I know you are dying to tell my why Hecate gave Medea a dog."

"She needed protection from evil men." James and Robbie shared a knowing look.

"What was Medea's dog called?" Robbie wanted to lighten the mood.

"Arkadios."

"What kind of name is that for a dog? It makes Osborn sound normal."

"It's the Greek form of the Swedish name Ásbjorn."

Robbie suspected this was leading them somewhere. "And what's that in plain English?"

"Osborn."