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Chapter 18

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DI Wyndham MacGim left the police station chuckling out loud. "Finally Glasgow gets his comeuppance," he announce to the world. "Thank you, God, for letting me live to see it. Now, I can die a happy man." MacGim sings to the rainy night.

"This calls for a drink. I need my drinking buddy," looking around the car park, MacGim could not see his friend's car. "Where's Lewis when I need him?" he sat in his car thinking about Lewis and Hathaway. He knew where Lewis would be, now if he could only find Hathaway. "Robbie, ole boy, your buying me a drink."

MacGim drove to Hathaway's house knowing Lewis would be there searching for answers for his missing partner. Upon arriving he saw Dr. Laura Hobson's car parked on the street behind Lewis' car. He pulled his car in behind Hobson's parking directly over a large puddle.

MacGim cursed as he stepped into the pool of water. Shaking the excess water off his worn shoes, he reached into the back seat for the sacks of take-away food and more. MacGim knew his friend would have skipped several meals, Lewis always dropped a pound or two when he was wrapped up in a troubling case. And this case was the most troubling case, always are when a friend is involved.

As he approached Hathaway's front door, MacGim noticed a roll of police crime scene tape laying on a broken plant next to the door. The door was opened, cautiously he walked in listening to two familiar voices, voices of his friends. He listened but could not hear the conversation entirely.

MacGim quietly walked into the kitchen, he could see Lewis and Hobson looking at something. The prevailing light of the long day caused shadows preventing him from seeing anything clearly in kitchen nor in the living room. With a sneaky smile growing across his mustache face, MacGim turned the lights on brightly in both rooms.

"Can I shed some light on the subject?" He joked. Laura and Robbie jumped. The overhead room lights blinded them. MacGim's laugh was loud, loud enough to cause Percy to bark next door.

"MacGim!" startled Lewis snapped. "What the h...?"

"Who's the baby in uniform?" he asked pointing to young PC Bell.

Laura looked at the sleeping form on Hathaway's couch. She could not believe how young Bell looked. "He looks like a child," she thought out loud.

"Is he old enough to be on the force?" MacGim took a closer look at Bell. "My grandson looks older and he's still in middle school. Are you sure he's a cop?"

"Leave the lad sleeping, MacGim," Lewis warned. "He's been here all day standing around waiting for someone to acknowledge his existence. And yes he's old enough, I checked," Lewis added. He too did not believe a baby face boy was eighteen years old.

"I must be getting old because the new recruits are looking too young to be off the teat." MacGim walked into the entrance way and pick up the bags from Tesco and the Off-Licence shop.

"I been here for over a minute and you're a typical English man, Lewis, you never offer a thirsty Scotsman a drink. I'd figure you'd be out so I brought my own." He proudly holds up a bag and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. "Here you go, las," he hands Laura the bottle and pulled from a Tesco bag a package of disposable cups. "Thought I bring my own glasses, too. Figuring how this is a crime scene and such."

He poured a round of drinks. "How about a bite to eat with our lovely drinks? I didn't know what to get so I bought a bit of everything." MacGim handed a foil pan of take away to Laura and another one to Lewis.

"Did I hear someone mention food?" Young PC Ball sat up stretching on the couch. "I'm starved. Can I have some?" He sounded like a hungry little boy in a Dickens novel.

"If nothing else, lad, your hearing is great and you have excellent since of timing," MacGim cheerfully welcomed the new comer to the table.

"What did he say," not understanding MacGim's thick Scottish accent.

"You must forgive DI MacGim, he sometimes needs sub-titles," Lewis teased as he motioned to a chair at the kitchen table. "Eat, Lad you must by hungry."

The four sat at the table munching on the food MacGim bought at Tesco and washing the food down with beer and whiskey. "MacGim, you're welcomed to come visit me anytime if you always bring this much food and drinks," Laura flirted.

"Ah, pretty las, I might take you upon that offer. I never travel without a bit of food and drink," he said between mouthfuls. "Oh, you'd never guess what happened. You missed it, Robbie," Laura and Lewis looked at the short Scotsman busting at the seams with excitement. "Slippery Glosgow is having a nice chat with IA, courtesy of Chief Superintendent Innocent."

"What?" asked Lewis disbelieving the news. "What happened? How?"

"Drink up my friends. This is a cause for celebration," MacGim toasted. The four took long drinks from their cups. "All I know is IA was escorting Glasgow out the station house and to a waiting car. And they were not too gentle with old Slippery," he up turned his cup and empty the contents in his mouth. "Ahhhhh, good stuff."

"Morse never trusted Liam Glasgow," Lewis reminisced about his former governor. He look at the opened bookshelf and all the items found on the hidden shelf. "Do you think he had anything..." He pondered.

MacGim and Laura followed Lewis to the pile of newspaper clippings, files and other items found hidden behind the large bookshelf. Full, PC Bell once again fell asleep on Hathaway's comfortable couch.

The night quickly passed as Lewis, Hobson and MacGim read through the clippings and files. A clock on Hathaway's mantel chimed midnight. Not phased by the lateness of the hour, the three friends continued to search for clues to their friends whereabouts. Each one jotted down relevant information. They did not talk much, just concentrated.

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Jean Innocent finally arrived at the station house, her car was to be towed back later. She pick up a loaner vehicle from the station garage and once again drove around aimlessly. This time she frequently checked the fuel gauge. Jean needed to talk to someone. She knew who and where that someone would be.

When Innocent arrived at Hathaway's house, she saw MacGim's, Dr. Hobson's, Lewis' and Hathaway's automobiles parked in the driveway and lining the street. She parked her car in front of Mrs. O'Malley's house blocking the driveway.

"The old bat does not own a car, she does not need to use the driveway." Innocent justified. She climbed out of the loaner car and stepped into a puddle. "Great!" She moaned. Jean reached to the passenger's seat for the pizza and soda she picked up.

The front door was ajar, she pushed the door opened more and quietly walked in. She could not hear any voices. All she heard was the mantel clock chimes ringing in the new day.

Entering the kitchen Jean saw MacGim, Hobson and Lewis sitting at the table reading and taking notes. She quietly cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Sorry to intrude, but..." Jean held the pizza as an offering. Her tired and exhausted eyes added years.

"Chief Innocent," Lewis leaped out of his chair and approached her. "We, uhmm... we found something." He gestured toward the table.

"I guess the pizza is not needed," Innocent said as she placed the pizza and soda on the counter next to the empty trays of take away.

"Pizza?" PC Bell bolted from the couch. "I'm starved. Can I have some?" His excitement faded quickly when he saw Chief Innocent. "Uh, sorry Ma'am. I'll get back to watch," he said with a sad pitiful face as he walked toward the front door.

"Rowan, you're off duty. Eat," Chief Innocent pushed the pizza toward the young PC. He beamed and eagerly took two large slices of pizza, a bottle of soda and headed toward the couch to eat.

"Is he old enough..." Jean whispered. Lewis smiled and mouthed yes. He then directed her attention toward the table.

"We found these newspaper clippings, files, letters and photos hidden behind the bookcase," Lewis explained.

"What is all this," Jean asked looking at the scattered pile on the table.

"Most of the newspaper clippings are about PC Kindly murder," Lewis described the contents on the table. "Pictures of the crime scene. James' thoughts on the case. And," he held up Hathaway's journal. "He's blamed himself all these years."

"But why?" Jean questioned. She knew some on the answer. "Glasgow!"

"James guessed Glasgow was protecting Jimmy Fitzroy. He never believed Fitzroy killed himself," Laura paraphrased. She read every page in James' journal. She felt his pain, his sorrow and anger.

"He didn't. Glasgow confessed to me today after the meeting. The dirty Bastard," Jean growled.

Laura, MacGim, Lewis and Bell were shocked to hear their Chief call the Chief Constable a Bastard. Something Lewis and MacGim knew for years. Something Morse knew long time ago.

"Fitzroy escaped from Broadmoor," Jean carefully chose her words. "Glasgow released that murder to his family."

"What's IA going to do with Glasgow," MacGim questioned. "And where is Fitzroy?"

"Glasgow is slick. He'll get one his buddies to save him," fumed Jean.

"He'll probably come out of this with a promotion," Lewis grumbled.

"There's an all points out for Jimmy, but I fear he's been free too long," she continued. "I sent a team to Lord Fitzroy's estate to search for his grandson."

"Where did they find Kindly?" asked Bell.

"James found her at an abandoned WWll airfield near Faringdon," Laura answered. "Why?"

"Well, if I was searching for answers to a murder..." Bell began.

"By God, lad," MacGim exclaimed. He leaped from his chair and grabbed his coat. Lewis, Hobson, Innocent followed. Bell sat at the table alone and baffled.

"Well, don't sit there. Come on," Innocent called from the front door inviting the young PC to join them.

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