Reg took the stairs two at a time. He'd been grumbling away at Laura for the past hour, and was feeling slightly bad about it. It wasn't because he didn't like her - on the contrary, he found that they had a lot in common. Or at least she didn't tell him to 'shut it' every time he made an observation. No, he'd been grumbling because he was anxious to get back here and catch up on what had been discovered.

He found Terry and Jo comparing notes by the CID coffee machine.

"—don't think so. She'd spend the 'ole time whining." Terry was saying.

"What about Zain?"

"Not likely. Too pretty. You?"

Reg removed his hat and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Terry. Jo."

"Reg."

"I was just wondering - was there anything useful in my notes? On the case - the John Smith case?"

Jo frowned at him. "What notes, Reg? You mean your pocket book?"

"Er, no. These were notes I gave to Smithy to pass on to you."

"Seen 'em?" Terry asked Jo.

"Nope," she replied.

"Sorry," said Terry.

"Oh," said Reg, disappointed. "Well have you been looking into it? This 'master' an all that."

Terry scratched his stubble. "What do you mean, looking into it?"

"Well the identity of the man in question. The master's alias, if you like."

Terry stopped scratching. "Smiff's a fruitcake, Reg. Did you miss that episode?"

"Oh," said Reg, nodding along with him. "Only I thought, for the sake of the public safety, that it might be worth looking into all avenues. In case he's telling the truth. You know, if there is a plot to place Sun Hill under a temporal recursion loop."

"Reg," said Terry, "there's no plot."

"Well how can you be sure?"

"I'm sure. Trust me."

"On what basis?"

Terry's eyes flicked to Jo. "Help me out here."

"You're on your own, chum."

He rolled his eyes. "Reg. I'm only going to say this one more time. There. Is. No. Plot."

"Oh," Reg replied equivocally. "Well if you say so."

He nodded vague insincere thanks in Terry's direction and walked out of the office.

Nothing new, he thought to himself, don't take it personal.

It was hard though, because it was always personal.