Chapter 2

A/N: Just a short chapter. I am also starting to think this fic is going to be way too overdramatic and perhaps a bit unbelievable!


It didn't take long for Camille to get over the shock and realise that some sort of action needed to be taken. She leapt lightly up the steps on to his porch and looked down at the dead woman. Then around the porch itself and as she did a wave of familiarity hit her.

"I know," Richard said - he must have read her expression. "I called an ambulance but I am not sure there is much point…"

He was making no effort at life saving techniques, and Camille could understand why. The ambulance was really just to confirm the death, and transport the body. Camille walked over to the porch where there was a glass, crouched down and sniffed – the smell was exactly what she expected, almonds. She couldn't resist commenting on it any longer, "Richard, this is just like…"

"I know!" He cut her off, more sharply than Camille felt was necessary. But then again she supposed having a dead body on your porch was rather stressful. And she still didn't know what the nature of relationship to this woman was either.

"Richard, I'm sorry…" She started, rather usefully. Camille took half a step towards him but his whole body was screaming out that, as much as she might feel it was the right action, he did not want to be touched right now.

She glanced back at the table, and then realised there was one key way in which it was different from that other scene. On the table was a sealed envelope, characters Camille assumed to be Chinese on the front. Instinctively she reached for it, stopping dead when Richard snapped out, "Don't!"

He was right to snap at her this time, she had been about to contaminate the scene after all. She pulled her hand back sharply and apologised, "Sorry, of course, I'll go get the kit from the car."

Richard gave a sigh, as if he regretted snapping at her, "At the moment, I don't think you should even do that."

Camille wasn't sure what he meant, "Richard we need to collect the evidence."

"We won't be collecting evidence. At least I mean, I can't – it would be entirely inappropriate since this is my house. And I'm not sure you should either." He paused, then seemed to come to some sort of resolution. "Look will you…um, wait here? I need to call the Commissioner."

It wouldn't be the first time Camille had been alone with a dead body, the idea didn't bother her, and so she nodded and watched as he walked a little way away from the shack, pulling out his phone. This gave her a moment to gather her own thoughts. There were obviously a lot of unanswered questions, like who the hell Lian was, what her relationship to Richard was and why was she dead on his porch in a scene very familiar to one he had worked shortly after his arrival on the island? But no part of Camille thought Richard might actually be responsible for the woman's death. She hoped he realised everyone would feel that way as well. Camille watched as Richard got off the phone, but he didn't return to the porch. Instead he seemed to be staring out across the ocean, and Camille found herself reluctant to disturb him – he was and always would be a very private person.

The ambulance arrived. The paramedics took one look at the pair of them and knew what they were here for really. Gloved up and treading carefully, they began their examination. Camille got out of their way without a word being spoken, moving closer to Richard along the beach.

"The Commissioner is on his way," he explained. That didn't surprise Camille in the slightest, a dead body at his senior officer's house was bound to attract the man's attention. "He's calling Dwayne and Fidel as well. You'll all be briefed by him when he arrives."

"What about you?" She asked immediately. She realised how stupid she sounded almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"I am not involved in this investigation," he said firmly. "And as I've mentioned, I am not sure to what extent any of you will be as well."

"But when Dwayne…" Camille began, but he waved her off.

"Those circumstances were different," he pointed out, though Camille wasn't sure how different. As annoyed as she had been with Richard for acting as if there has been a chance Dwayne was the killer, there was good reason to suspect him. "Besides, Dwayne is Saint Marie Police and as his superior I was able to make the decision to eliminate him from the enquiry. But technically I am still a member of The Met, and thus subject to their rules and procedures." Richard looked almost defeated by the fact. "I'm sure the Commissioner is on the phone to London as we speak, sorting it out."

Camille was going to attempt to express her sympathies again, to offer some show of support, but before she could the paramedics joined them. "There is nothing we can do here," said the oldest of the pair. "Which I think you knew. Would you like us to wait for transport?"

"I'm not entirely sure when that will be," Richard admitted. "I would go back to work if I were you. I am sure somebody will call you when you are needed again." They nodded their acknowledgement and headed back to the ambulance. Generally, paramedics were quite discrete. But discrete on Saint Marie meant telling only two other people instead of ten – she strongly suspected that the majority of the island would know by nightfall.

The bike arrived, the boys having beat the Commissioner – probably because Dwayne had not stuck to the speed limits. Camille could see the tension in their bodies even from a distance, Richard might not fully realise it but both officers were very fond of him, in their own way. They didn't quite run over, but it was pretty close.

"Sir!" Fidel said. "I..is…?"

The poor boy didn't seem to know what to say. Dwayne stepped in to rescue him, "Chief, the Commissioner wasn't exactly liberal with details on the phone."

"Well, I am sure he will brief you more fully when he gets here." Camille watched as Dwayne and Fidel shared a look, they had clearly been expecting to receive more information, and their orders, from the Inspector.

"Sir…" Fidel began again.

"There are procedures to follow," Richard said firmly. Camille got the feeling that 'procedure' and 'rules' were going to be words she would quite quickly come to hate. "Obviously the location of the scene at my house makes any involvement in the investigation by me an impossibility. Well, involvement as a police officer, that is." He added on the end, pedantic as ever. Camille was not particularly looking forward to questioning him – assuming she was going to be the one to question him.

"Is there anything we should do for the moment?" Fidel asked, probably feeling a bit useless just standing there and waiting.

"The Commissioner is here now," Richard said, nodding at the approaching car and sounding a little relieved. Their boss exited the car practically the instant it stopped, and strode towards the group with his usual purpose.

"Inspector," Patterson said. "I believe I can take over from here, thank you. Perhaps you could return to the station and wait for me there. My driver will take you back. I'll come to see you as soon as I can."

Richard didn't put up any fight, and Camille was forced to bite her tongue to stop herself saying what she really wanted to. "Yes Sir," he said obediently. He headed off towards Patterson's car without looking at her, something Camille found oddly hurtful. She told herself to stop being so stupid.

Before he reached the car, Patterson called out, "Oh, Inspector, perhaps you could use the time to arrange alternative accommodation for at least tonight."

Once again, Camille spoke without really thinking, "Well, you can stay with me, of course."

Richard went a bit pale at the suggestion. Behind the Commissioner, Dwayne raised a single eyebrow at her – just in case she hadn't realised how stupid making the offer in these circumstances was. Instead of being embarrassed, Camille went defiant. She turned to meet Patterson's gaze, expecting something stern and disapproving, but instead the older man was bestowing on her an almost sympathetic look. It threw Camille somewhat.

Richard cleared his throat a little awkwardly and said, "No, um, thanks. I am sure I can find a hotel."

"I think that would be wise," Patterson said, though his eyes did not leave Camille's face. By the time Camille was able to look away, Richard was in the car and gone.


A/N: I promise next chapter will be longer, and some questions will start getting answered!