Their kiss started hesitantly as each of them tried to second guess the right mix of pressure and eagerness and when it might be appropriate to let their lips interlink. It felt self-conscious and clumsy and not at all how Tommy had imagined it. He had thought everything would be instantly perfect as if their love was meant to be. "Sorry," he breathed defeated as he still held her close.

Barbara sensed Tommy's nerves. She remembered watching him kiss Helen for the first time. It too had been unnatural and awkward but she had seen then what he had not - Helen did not return the intensity of his love. Barbara did though, surely he could feel that. "What are you scared of Tommy? That I love you too much or that I won't love you enough?"

He moved back and frowned at her. She was his anchor in a world that often spun around him too fast. She understood him; all his insecurities and fears. She knew what this meant to him and she was looking at him with the same certainty she did when she knew she had found the answer to one of their cases. "That I'll let you down," he replied mournfully.

"Only if you give up. I'm nervous too. I'm petrified about what this might mean but I love you Tommy, more than you seem to understand, and that...well it makes it worth the risk."

This time he kissed her as he had wanted to kiss her; fiercely, deeply but lovingly. Barbara had responded instantly and passionately. The kiss intensified so quickly that they both started to go dizzy. Years of emotional intimacy became physical. No one had ever kissed Tommy with so much raw sensuality but it was a kiss clearly built on affection and respect. He could feel her making love to him with every movement of her lips and every exploration of her tongue. If heaven was a kiss then he had found it.

Tommy sensed a point where continuing would lead them into her bedroom and set them on a path that was irrevocable. He wanted to be with her forever but he doubted she would believe that yet and he was determined not to sleep with her until she did. He wanted to prove he was worthy of her faith and trust. Besides he had not planned any of this and was not prepared. He could rectify that tomorrow but for tonight he was determined to stop here. He kissed her again lovingly then hopped up on the bath edge beside her putting his arm around her shoulder and leaning his head against hers.

Barbara intuitively understood why Tommy stopped. The next step would be one from which they could never retreat. It had felt natural holding his hand but kissing him this way was sublime. She had only ever kissed two men before and had no idea what to expect from him but she knew what she wanted. After their tentative start they had found a rhythm that was intimate, exciting and yet soothing. Her whole body was on fire and every caress of his fingers on her back spoke of a promise that pulled at her core. She wondered if the same would happen when they made love. She had thought she would be nervous but after their first real kiss she had no doubts, no 'what-ifs' but she would respect his choices and let him set the pace. As he pulled her into his shoulder she glanced down and smiled with satisfaction when she saw that the kiss had affected him exactly the way it had tempted her. She doubted she would have to wait long.

They sat silently soaking their legs until Barbara started to feel numb. "I'm getting cold," she told him.

"Time for me to say goodnight then." He helped her back to her feet then offered her a robe.

She shook her head. "I don't want it to get wet. This was my only tee-shirt. Now what am I going to wear to bed?"

"You can have mine. I don't need one."

When he returned from his room she was standing beside her bed looking out the window at the lights. "Here you go. Goodnight Barbara." He kissed her softly then turned to leave.

Barbara put her hand on his arm. "No Tommy...stay."

The next morning they woke with the sun streaming through the window. Barbara looked at the time and swore. "Cam'll be downstairs in half an hour."

Tommy rolled her over and kissed her affectionately. "We've got time."

"Not if you do that we won't," she said as she leapt out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Silhouetted against the sky the curves of her naked body Tommy's primal urge was to follow her into the shower. It was hard to resist and he groaned in frustration.

Suitably dressed they were in the lift at the time Cam was due. "See we had time," Tommy said smugly, "no regrets?"

"None. What about you?" His broad, cheeky grin answered her question.

Cam met them at his car. "Did you enjoy last night?"

"Very much. We went out to see Vivid then had a relaxing bath, talked for a while then went to bed," Tommy answered truthfully but omitted that they slept in one bed. Actually on one side of one bed, bodies entwined.

"I slept better than I have for years," she confessed.

"That's a pity," Cam said. He saw their faces flush and smiled to himself as he hopped into the driver's seat. He understood human nature. You could not leave two people who loved each other alone in an apartment with the type of views he imagined they had and not spark romance.

Whitey had brought coffees and a selection of toasted sandwiches. Barbara tucked in heartily to a bacon and egg roll while Tommy selected a ham and cheese croissant. They stood as close as they dared, neither wanting to be parted from the other. Barbara noticed Kosti staring at them so waved across the room and smiled as only victors can.

Davo re-capped what they knew. Roo was alive and avoiding the police but sending some type of message to Barbara. His father was still missing and Vice were managing the child pornography and gang elements. "Our best lead with all this is that boy. Anyone got any ideas how to find him?"

They went over the facts and timings again looking for a clue. Fits confirmed that the boy had used Toderovski's Opal card on a short bus trip in the city late in the evening. "So he's back in Sydney."

"Someone must be helping him; he's only nine for fu...goodness sake!" Davo exclaimed. "Whitey, Kosti check out all the youth hostels and shelters and talk to any contacts you have on the streets. Gibbo and Baz go up and see what Vice is up to and how we can speed it up. The rest of us will stay here and go through everything again. Barbara you're the key to this, how does the kid think?"

Just before noon a uniformed constable knocked on the door. "Excuse me Sir; a boy just dropped this downstairs for Sergeant Havers."

All eyes locked on the young man. "Tell me he's still there," Davo boomed.

"Yes Sir. It was odd so I told him to wait and asked someone to keep an eye on him."

"Good work son! Have him taken to Interview Room 2."

Tommy took the white, slightly crumpled envelope from the constable and handed it to Barbara. An unsophisticated hand had written 'Sgt Havers London Metropolitan Police' on it. "The outside will have too many prints but let's get someone up to dust the contents," he suggested to Davo who nodded. Cam left the room to organise it.

Barbara snapped the rubber gloves she had been given onto her wrists to remove excess air then slowly opened the envelope and pulled out a picture of a kangaroo torn from a magazine and two tickets. "Sydney Swans versus Geelong Cats? What on earth? These are tickets for Friday night."

Tommy examined them. "Australian Rules tickets. Whitey was telling me about the Swans at lunchtime yesterday. And look, Geelong Cats have been underlined on both tickets. Do you think they're from Roo?"

"I'd say so from the envelope."

"Why does he want us to go to a game of football? Maybe he'll meet us there?" he speculated.

"Why pay for tickets when he could just come here? How did he even know where we are?"

"He's the most resourceful kid I've ever heard of," Cam said in awe.

"C'mon let's go talk to boy genius then while these get dusted," Davo said.

Tommy pulled Barbara aside as they followed down the corridor. "You know it won't be Roo in there don't you?" he whispered.

"Of course. He wouldn't get caught. If he wanted to be found he'd walk right in and ask."

Tommy leant closer. "I do love you; last night was...the most incredible..."

"Is the word you're struggling for sex?" she asked mischievously.

"No! Well that WAS incredible. I was referring more to the spiritual side. It was as if we let our inner most selves free."

"Our souls danced together in the light so fast they became one."

Tommy looked at her and frowned. "Byron?"

Barbara laughed. "No Havers, I just made it up!"

"You might have missed your calling my love."

She was right though, they had truly merged and despite the case Tommy felt exuberant. When Barbara had first asked him to stay he had refused explaining his lofty ideals and his vision for how he wanted to make love to her and ensure she was honoured and protected. She had laughed at his pompousness and argued that staying together did not mean they had to have sex. Tommy had turned his back, as a gentleman would, while she changed into his tee-shirt and slid under the covers. His shorts were also wet so he slipped them off and climbed self-consciously in beside her. Lying carefully beneath the covers so that only their arms and faces touched they started to tell each other about their loneliness, fears and needs. When she had said their friendship was a life-raft in the turbulent ocean of their lives Tommy had known beyond doubt she would be his wife before the year was out. They held and comforted each other and kissed frequently as they talked about their past, their partnership, Helen and eventually their dreams for the future. It had been the profound, spiritual connection he had always longed to share. Even though their bodies had wandered closer together, none of it had seemed sexual until the moment that Barbara asked him to put her out of her misery and make love to her. His faltering protests vanished when she mentioned that the hotel toiletries, laid out discreetly on the bathroom shelf, anticipated such situations.

Davo was first into the interview room and came back out of the door and slammed his fist against the wall. "Theory confirmed," Barbara said quietly.

She and Tommy interviewed the boy along with Cam while Davo watched from behind the one-way mirror. The boy of about twelve was dressed in the grey trousers and shirt and navy blazer of an elite city school. His straw boater and tie were both slightly skewed and his black leather shoes had only seen a hasty coat of polish. He confessed to having been given fifty dollars by a boy matching Roo's description to drop off the envelope. The boy, named George, clearly knew nothing more and claimed never to have met Roo before he had been approached. Even when Cam threatened to call his principal and parents the lad could tell them nothing more.

The officers conferred outside the room and Tommy convinced them to let the boy go. He and Barbara would walk him back to his school and hope that if he knew more he might be grateful and tell them. Davo agreed but gave the boy a reprimand that Tommy had no doubt would stay with him for years.

As they walked along the street the boy was silent. "Why did you help Rufus?" Barbara asked.

"I'm on full scholarship but Mum's a widow and finds it hard to cope. I do odd jobs when I can to help. I had a free period and was just sitting reading under the tree. I thought I'd be back before anyone noticed and that it was easy money. I can't afford a record Sir; I want to be a barrister."

Tommy felt sorry for the lad. He could understand his motives. He pulled his wallet from his pocket. "You're not in trouble George unless your school finds you were missing. We just need to find the boy who spoke to you. Here's my card with my number and here's another fifty if you promise me you'll stay out of trouble and ring me if you spot Rufus again."

George seemed humbled but took the money gratefully. "Thank you Sir. He was kind and smart. I trusted him," he said as he fled into the school grounds and through an arched doorway in the old sandstone building.

"Softy," Barbara said smiling.

"I'm in a good mood after last night." They passed a small laneway and Tommy grabbed her elbow and guided her in. He pushed her gently against the wall and kissed her passionately. "I've wanted to do that all morning."

"We're on duty remember."

"Hmm, well I couldn't wait till we finish tonight. Roo's not going to be found today."

"We have dinner with Cam tonight remember?"

"Any chance we can get out of it?" he murmured as he tried to kiss her neck.

She pushed him away. "No," she said without malice, "we can't. Now back to work!"

The afternoon dragged slowly. Most of the team were working with Vice trying to identify the other boys in the photos from missing person records. Two of the photos had a park in the background and Cam was trolling through online streetscapes trying to isolate the location. Tommy and Barbara tried to develop a profile of Roo's family. He was following his mother's side while Barbara traced the father. They were slowly acquiring a list of names and locations that they could start to investigate but there was no blinding flash of inspiration.

At six o'clock the team started to drift away. "Do you want to come with me or will I drop you at your hotel first?"

"Hotel," Tommy replied.

"With you," Barbara had said a split second before.

Cam laughed, "well argue it out between you. I'm going to the gents."

"I need to buy a bottle of wine and... other things. We can catch a cab."

"We have to go, so no distractions please. It'd be rude." Barbara taunted him with a wicked smile.

An hour later they pulled up in front of a neat cream terrace house in Surry Hills. The front window was a single panel with 'Sammy! Hairstylist extraordinaire!' emblazoned in gold lettering. Behind was a small, tidy hair salon that in the low light looked to be decorated in buttercup and steel grey. As they climbed from the cab the door swung open and Cam greeted them warmly. A gangly Irish setter pushed past him and jumped up on Tommy, two red paws on his chest and a pink tongue searching for Tommy's face. "Get down Brutus! Sorry about that," Cam said as he grabbed the dog's collar. "G'day you two. Welcome to our mad house."

Barbara followed Cam into the house. Past the salon door a narrow set of steep steps rose to the left and straight ahead opened up into a large living area. "Love the house," Barbara enthused as she saw the large open plan area. The traditional L-shape had been retained but had been opened up to the small, brightly lit courtyard by floor to ceiling glass sliding doors which were open to let in the evening air.

A big, open, industrial style kitchen was immediately behind the salon wall, its centrepiece being a huge, antique farm-style table in a bleached wood. It was surrounded by eight metal chairs in different bright colours that had been distressed to allow rust and other colours to shine through. Beyond that stretching towards the courtyard two brown leather couches faced each other. They looked so low and soft that they would be impossible to ever stand up from without help.

"Sammy, our guests are here," Cam yelled up the stairs.

Barbara watched Tommy to see if he would react when he met Sammy but she was mildly disappointed that there was not even a flick of surprise in his eyes. On the phone Sammy had been fun and flamboyant. She had expected another version of Davie but instead Sammy was much like Cam, tall, immaculately groomed but casual and friendly. After introductions they moved to the couches. After Cam poured a glass of wine for everyone he and Sammy sat close together, physically interacting but not actually cuddling. Barbara was suddenly uncomfortable. She and Tommy had never been any form of couple before outside of work. They had never been alone with friends. They were workmates, anything else was foreign.

Tommy sat in the corner of the other couch and watched Barbara to see where she would sit. He hoped that she would sit beside him and was disappointed when she sat self-consciously in the other corner. Brutus leapt up between them and settled his head into Tommy's lap.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Cam and Sammy could see the dynamics playing out between their guests. Sammy tilted his head then frowned. "Come with me young lady, I can't have you as a guest in my home and not sort out that thing on your head!"

Barbara reached up to feel what was wrong with her head. Nothing felt abnormal. "What thing?"

"That straggly haircut that someone has given you. You look like they chewed through it with their dentures!"

Cam and Tommy laughed and earned a reproachful glare from Barbara who was very much regretting not following Tommy's suggestion to abandon the evening and spent it in bed. At least there he had not mocked her. In fact he had been more than appreciative of her attention.

"Come on; leave Cam and Inspector Gorgeous to talk cops. We'll be back in three shakes of a lamb's tail." He grabbed Barbara's hand and led her away.

"Sorry about that," Cam said, "he lacks social filters sometimes."

"So does Barbara."

"He has a PhD in psychology but he prefers to cut hair. Sometimes I think it's a waste but he enjoys it."

They chatted until Barbara and Sammy returned five minutes later, joking and laughing together. Tommy was impressed. Her style was much the same but Sammy had made it sharper and less shaggy. It looked as if it had been cut to look dishevelled and unruly rather than it being the by-product of a bad hair day. He stood, much to Brutus' disappointment, smiled broadly at her and extended his hand. Barbara blushed but accepted it and allowed him to pull her down next to him at the end of the couch she had been sitting. He kissed her quickly then put his arm around her and held her close. Brutus snorted derisively and wandered out into the courtyard much to the amusement of the humans.

Dinner was delicious. Sammy had prepared lamb skewers with an Asian salad for entree and for main Cam cooked sizzling chicken satay with jasmine rice. "This is really good," Barbara said helping herself to a second serving.

"Save some room for dessert, Cam has created a chocolate pavlova that will take three marathons to work off!"

After dinner they opened another bottle of wine and returned to the couches. This time Barbara snuggled into Tommy without thought. It was not something Helen had ever done. They used to sit formally when visiting friends but only now did he realise it had been unnatural. Barbara had her hand on his chest tracing circles unconsciously as she talked. It was maddeningly distracting and he wondered how long was polite to wait before calling a cab.

"So Cam said you were no closer to finding the boy," Sammy said.

"No, we have no idea where he would go but he must be getting help. Nine year old boys can't do what he's doing without support. I don't care how clever they are," Cam replied.

"Of course he has support!" Sammy said as if Cam were rather dull. "He'd have needed support all along. He's gifted; he has needs that no school could have satisfied. Who were his friends in England? Who was he corresponding with online? They are probably still there for him and he trusts them. Have they been any help?"

"That's it," Tommy said leaping up. "I knew there was something missing in Sheffield but couldn't see what...there was no computer, no laptop, no smartphone but he clearly knows how to use them. I thought his mother might have forbidden it so the father couldn't find them but what if he hid it from her?"

Tommy punched the screen on his phone. "Winston? Hi...Yes we're both fine thanks...listen I want you to go to Sheffield, take a computer boffin with you. Search the house for a laptop or tablet. I think it'll be in the heater ducting facing the stairs...check for a ledge or something...I think the password will be a derivation of kangaroo."

"Skippy, get them to try Skippy and his year of birth," Sammy suggested.

Tommy repeated that to Winston. "Then look for chats, emails, social media, anything that might give us a clue who he trusts...yes, thanks Winston."

"Thanks Sammy, you're brilliant!" Tommy said when he hung up.

"I know," he said with a straight face that made the others smile. "Now I'll call you two lovebirds a cab."