Matthew walked quickly into the station shouting for Charlie as he walked. Charlie came running towards Matthew asking, "we lost him boss. No idea where he went to." Matthew leaned against Charlie's desk, just to catch his breath.
"Where else could he have gone to? Let's think about this one and think fast."
Matthew, Charlie, Ned and Bill were all taking through the potential places their latest criminal could have escaped to when the phone rang. Ned shouted across the bullpen, "boss? Wait. There's a potential siting of him at the farm. The boys want to know if they should arrest him? They're not sure if it's him but if it is and we don't…"
Matthew shouted back, "tell them to arrest him. NOW! I'll deal with the consequences if it's not him. I need to nip home to get my uniform and I'll be back. Ned? Can you give me lift please?"
Constable Ned Simmons drove Matthew back to Mycroft Avenue and waited in the car while Matthew had a quick wash and pulled on his uniform: he really needed some sleep but he decided sleep was over rated and that he could get enough when they caught this murderer. Matthew got back in the car and Ned drove back to the station, "I'm sure it's him, Boss. If it's not, we'll find him. How's Dr Harvey?" Matthew looked out the window but told Ned that Alice had woken that morning, but she had a few broken bones and she's been badly beaten. The rest of the ride back to the station was spent in silence with Matthew looking out the window, hoping Usher was at the station and thinking about what he would do to the man who had put Alice Harvey in a hospital bed.
The boys who were staking out Woolfe farm had yet to get back to the station when Matthew and Ned arrived. Matthew went to his desk but within a few minutes of sitting down at his desk, he was back up pacing up and down the bullpen talking to himself. No one said a word to him. It wasn't until two constables pushed a bald, middle aged but well-toned man, through the station doors and through to the cells. Matthew went in the direction of the cells, but Charlie got up and walked in front of him. Charlie turned around and said, "boss, you can't do this. I don't know what the situation is with you and the Doc, but I know you care for her greatly. You need to let me do this. If this is the Usher, and we want him sent down, we can't have anything that might stand in the way of a conviction." Matthew went to reply but said nothing and went and sat back at his desk. Charlie hated saying this to Matthew, but he knew he had to.
While he waited, Matthew called the hospital and was put through to the ward where Alice was resting. He asked the nurse to pass on the message that he would be there soon but that he was stuck at the station dealing with the investigation. Matthew got up and started pacing again. He eventually went to the interview room; he could hear voices at the other side of the door, but he couldn't hear what was being said. As Matthew was about to go and make a cup of tea, Charlie walked out of the interview room and walked into him. Charlie moved Matthew away from the door and said, "Boss, it's him." Matthew tried to push Charlie out of the way to get into the interview room.
"Let me deal with him Charlie? Let me?" Matthew reacted. Charlie held Matthew back and said "Boss, let me deal with this? I'm going to call in Melbourne and ask them to take him there. He'll need to be tried there anyway. Go and see the doc: tell her we're all asking for her and hope she gets out of hospital soon. You need to not be here. Now, just go." Charlie looked at Matthew and said, "please boss, just go." Matthew knew Charlie was right; he really needed to get out of the station, but he really wanted to stay and show Usher what for. Matthew looked back at Charlie and nodded and said, "I'll be at the hospital if you need me." Matthew left the station and headed for the hospital.
All the way there, Matthew thought about what had happened, what would happen to Alice, when he saw Lucien and Jean getting out of Lucien's car. Matthew called over to the two of them and walked a little faster to meet them.
"Matthew, did you get some sleep?" asked Jean.
"No, I stopped off at the station first and they got a call that Usher might be at the farm; I waited till the constables brought him in. It was him. Charlie told me to leave. I wanted to stay and take a swing at that bastard, but I knew he was right." Matthew explained.
Lucien looked over at Jean then turned to Matthew, "Matthew, Jean and I were talking, and Alice is never going to be able to survive in her flat by herself; she's on the third floor in that building and the lift doesn't always work. We were wondering how you felt about us asking her to move in with us? I know she just rents but I don't know what the situation is. We can ask her but only if you agree to it. We all need to be agreed because it's not going to be easy for her."
Matthew looked at both of them and said, "I'm in if you are. She'll be a tough patient though! I think we'll need to get more whisky for us and sherry for Jean? Alice will definitely not be easy." Matthew reached out his hand for Jean's and said, "thank you. I was really worrying about how Alice would be on her own. I was even thinking of offering to move into her spare room but the talk…it wouldn't be good."
Lucien grasped Matthew's shoulder and said, "Jean and I can handle if you can. Now let's go in and see our patient."