The mist hung low over the Cherwell, and the air had a distinct chill to it as Laura walked into Oxford the next morning. A scull slipped past, the oars tapping out a gentle, sustained rhythm against the water. He had offered to pick her up this morning, both of them knowing she lived nowhere near his route into work, but she had insisted on walking in by herself. Life had moved so quickly this past week, and it felt good to walk, to slip back into a more natural cadence.
Until yesterday, she'd never once feared for his safety, not really. She was well aware of the risks his job entailed, but she'd never allowed herself to think through the implications of those risks. Robbie had a permanence about him, a stability, that made it hard to imagine anything ever happening to him. Yes, of course he got into scrapes here and there…she'd patched him up a fair few times herself…but nothing serious. Yesterday had shocked her profoundly.
She wondered idly how Val had coped. It must have been hard waiting up for him, not knowing if he'd be late, if he'd be safe. She hadn't known her particularly well, but she remembered a cheerful, fun-loving woman. There must have been some quiet moments of concern too. Of course, the terrible irony of it all had been that it hadn't been Robbie who one day hadn't made it home.
She walked on, threading her way through the narrow streets. Students were hurrying to lectures, their gowns flowing out behind them, looking faintly ridiculous over their jeans and leggings. Not for the first time, she wondered if she would always live in Oxford. It certainly felt like home now…but she longed for the country. A weekend on the beach would do her good, and although she would miss him, Laura was pleased that she was going to see Ellen. She hadn't entirely decided whether she was going to tell her all about the most recent developments…it would probably depend principally on how much wine they got through.
By mid-morning, Lewis had sent DC Gray off on some fact-finding errands and managed to steal a few minutes before Innocent had finished her meeting. As he walked the familiar corridors down to the mortuary, he realised that he actually had a proverbial spring in his step. Aw, get a grip of yourself, man.
Her office door was ajar, and he knocked lightly. She was sitting at her desk, with her back to him, the gloomy room only lit by her desk lamp,
"Just a moment…"
She held up a hand behind her, gesturing for him to wait, clearly with no idea who it might be coming to disturb her. He smiled to himself, and watched as she scrutinised the papers in front of her, drawing something carefully, before sitting back and turning slightly to look at him,
"Ok…oh Robbie?"
She looked genuinely shocked and smiled shyly,
"I thought you were Amy…sorry…What are you doing here?"
He stepped into the room, intrigued by the project spread across her desk,
"Nothing…just saying good morning to my favorite pathologist."
He loved Laura's office. It was strange mixture of order and chaos, with a horizontal filing system that would give Innocent a heart attack. Piles of paper were arranged neatly across most of the floor, creating a sea of white. It was such a stark contrast to her cottage, which was tidy and cosy, and the precariously balanced piles of papers, files and books always amused him. Today, however, the desk was almost cleared of 'filing' and was taken up instead with large graphs, a selection of tables, and several pages of Laura's neat calculations,
"More to the point, what are you doing? And you accuse me of being the Luddite…"
He tapped a finger at the hand-drawn graphs and raised an eyebrow. She only smiled, and picked up the set square again, adjusting one of the thin pencil lines on the graph,
"It helps me think more clearly….it's this body of Peterson's, something really doesn't add up. The histology report has thrown up at least three contradictory markers, and the only way I can separate them is to plot the individual trends like this."
"And doing them on the computer wouldn't be easier?"
She shrugged her shoulders slightly,
"No…it would certainly be quicker, but this helps me think more clearly about what's going on… there's some kind of interaction between the insulin he was taking and the drugs administered by the paramedic"
She tapped the end of her pencil on the desk impatiently, and then pushed the chair back up to stand. As she walked across the room to retrieve the desired volume, Lewis took a closer look at the symbols and equations,
"But you're doing all those calculations in your head?"
She furrowed her brow, still distracted by the task of trying to find the appropriate page,
"Hmm…the percentages make it a bit trickier, but yes, why?"
She didn't see the look of awe on his face, but she did catch the broad grin that spread from ear to ear,
"Bloody hell woman…"
She tried to look modest,
"What? Did you think it was all chainsaws and entry wounds?"
He chuckled, shaking his head,
"I think I might have watched too much CSI…"
She raised an eyebrow, and, having found the reference she needed, added the book to the pile building on the chair,
"So….want to help me with the next series of equations, or do you have plans to chase some villains with a swag-bag down the High Street?"
She crossed the room, and as she sat back at her desk, he placed his hand at the nape of her neck, gently teasing out the tension at the top of her spine.
"Nah, maths was never my strong point. Actually, I need to find some way of contacting the Croatian police…I was thinking I might give Hathaway a call…"
She twisted round to look at him, the teasing sparkle very much present in her eyes,
"You are joking?"
"No, why not? He'll be bored out of his brain by now…or at serious risk of taking holy orders. It's what any friend would do…"
"Yes, but Robbie, Pristina is in Kosovo…you know…Serbia. Not Croatia."
"Aye, but same difference, right?"
Not for the first time, she wondered why he often insisted on playing dumb. He was one of the most intelligent people she knew…but sometimes there really did seem to be a monumental gap in his logic…not to mention his knowledge of current affairs.
"Hmm…I think European history of the last, um, two centuries, would probably suggest that it's not, Robbie. And more importantly, it's got to be at least 500 miles…"
He grinned broadly, amused that once again she'd totally missed the joke,
"He'll be fine. He likes driving."
Admitting defeat, Laura turned back, and picked up her pencil. Tapping it gently against her lip, she pretended to think about the next line of results, before causally asking,
"Are you going to mention anything to him?"
He felt her tense imperceptibly,
"About?"
"About me and you…"
He smiled to himself, and rubbed away the tightness, his thumb running up to her hairline, his fingers casually caressing her jaw,
"Wasn't planning on it….none of his bloody business"
She raised an eyebrow, and meeting her eyes he smirked,
"It'll be a nice surprise for when he gets back."
Moving alongside her, he perched gingerly on the desk, and taking the pencil from her hand, pressed a kiss to her fingers,
"Speaking of which, I've booked this evening off"
She looked surprised, and instantly he knew the ear-bending from Innocent at 8am had been entirely worth it.
"Can you do that?"
"I can, and I have"
She tried to look casual,
"Got plans?"
He played along,
"Not sure yet…I was wondering if I might finally take you out for a posh dinner somewhere"
"That would be nice. I should be finishing at 4 today, so I will actually have time to go home and change into something a little more appropriate. How posh were you thinking?"
"Randolph-posh?"
Again, she looked genuinely surprised.
"Sounds delicious…you sure?"
"Of course…and I'll even pick you up and drive you home if you promise to behave yourself"
She held his gaze for just a moment too long, before smiling slightly, and looking back down at her work,
"Well, there's always a taxi…"
He squeezed her fingers, not wanting to make the inference he hoped she was suggesting.
"Good, pick you up at 7?"
She nodded, still not looking up, and he stood to head back to the CID.
"Um, Robbie…?"
She tapped her cheek with her index finger and raised an eyebrow. He grinned broadly, and stepped back, pressing a quick kiss to the spot indicated, before heading back out into the corridor.
A/N - just wanted to say many thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review, it's much appreciated! It's great to know what you all think! :)