The Mayor wore broken down slippers and a ratty bathrobe to take out the trash. A single security light in his backyard gave the investigators plenty of light to see by.
"Pass the popcorn, eh," Ray spoke without looking away from the two story brick house.
"You're welcome, Detective," Meg said dryly as she handed the large bag over Ben's shoulder.
Ray rolled his eyes before he spoke again. "I don't see why we're watchin' this guy, what does it prove?" He gestured with one hand full of popcorn while offering Ben some with the other.
"It proves nothing – yet." Fraser wagged his index finger at his friend.
"That's quite a few alcohol bottles and boxes for a single man." Meg observed, ignoring Ray and Fraser's chatter.
"So, maybe he had a party 'er something." Ray argued.
"Unlikely," Meg and Fraser said in unison. Fraser turned to her and flashed a grin.
"So, you think the guy's a lush?" Ray looked from one to the other. Both Mounties nodded.
All three humans watched the Mayor's house while Dief slept. A pizza delivery car drove up about ten. At one AM, the Mayor turned off a black and white movie before going to bed.
"Alright, time to go." Ray announced, pulling at his seatbelt.
"Wait, Ray, there may be evidence to collect." Ben swung his door open and struggled to get out of the economy car. His casted foot caught between the door and the frame, causing the usually graceful Mountie to fall hard on his side.
"Oh dear," Meg uttered as she scrambled out of the backseat. She watched his jaw work and his lips purse.
"Are you alright?" Ray hollered through the open passenger door.
"Yes, Ray, aside from my foot and the contusions I'll have tomorrow, I'm quite alright." Meg stifled a laugh at Ben's subtle sarcasm. Together, she and Ben righted him.
Thank you kindly, Margaret," Ben nodded, his lips quirking at the corners.
"Come on, come on, pay attention." Ray groused, disturbing the Mounties.
"Ah, yes, the case." Meg pulled away from Ben, refocusing.
Ray and the Mounties poked through the Mayor's garbage, Dief nosing around too. Meg couldn't help herself, she stole a look at Ben, just to check on him. She knew he hated to appear weak or in need.
"He's stronger than he'll ever know." Meg thought to herself. How he'd survived those four days lying on his back she'd never know.
"Ah ha!" Fraser's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"What 'Ah ha'?" Ray straightened up from looking over a cardboard box of half gallon jugs.
"Ah ha, a work order." Fraser held up a crumpled piece of paper.
"Finally, a break." Ray chuckled.
After snooping a bit more they decided to call it a night. Ray helped Fraser with the crutches as Thatcher opened their hotel room doors.
"Hey, Benny," Ray said quietly.
"Yes, Ray?" The Mountie looked at him expectantly, his blue eyes barely visible in the security lights' glow.
"You bunk with Thatcher, me an' Dief'll make a night of it." Ray offered sincerely. Ben felt honored. Maybe Ray and Meg could come to an accord – maybe. Ben knew they both cared about him, despite whatever their issues with each other.
"Margaret suggested we talk, we haven't spoken much today, especially about recent changes between Margaret and myself." Ben shifted his weight between his good leg and the opposite crutch.
"Hey, whatever makes you happy, tickles me pink." Ray shrugged a moment before giving Fraser a hearty pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you kindly, Ray, I'm glad." Ben smiled broadly, relieved.
"Go on, take the Dragon Lady," Ray teased.

"You were supposed to stay with Ray tonight." Meg frowned as she stood aside for Ben to enter her room.
"Should I leave?" Ben began to turn himself around.
"Get back here, Benton Fraser," She put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, Ma'am." He couldn't suppress a grin as she leaned in for a kiss.
"You are incorrigible," She smiled before deepening the kiss.
They slept well the rest of the night, Meg's head on Ben's shoulder. He'd ached to feel someone warm and real in his bed for years. Sure, there'd been offers but Ben chose to wait for love. Victoria had been a grand illusion of forever; self-serving all along. Ben knew Meg to be trustworthy. They'd worked together, had formed a working relationship – of sorts.
Ben pulled Meg a little closer, thankful for her love. He drifted off to sleep moments later.

The next morning, after breakfast, the investigators tracked down the body shop from the receipt in Mayor Beady's garbage.
"Here we are, Chowder's Collision Center," Ray drove the Riv to a spot along the front of the gray metal building. Cars and trucks in various states of disrepair sat in a large, cement lot beyond the garage.
"Think they'll believe this baby needs work?" Ray asked, caressing the dash of the Buick Riviera lovingly.
"Of course not, Ray, we're here about the Mayor's Cadillac." Fraser clarified dryly.
"You mean to speak to the owner about this car as a distraction for Fraser and I to look around." Ray wasn't sure if she made a statement, an order or a question.
"Uh, yea, sure," he shrugged.
Dief bounded out of the back seat, happy to sniff new places and hike his leg to mark new territory.
Ray sauntered up to a man wearing gray coveralls, a ball cap and a name tag: Omer.
"Hey, you the owner?" Ray shouted to be heard over another worker using a pneumatic drill.
"Yeah," the fifty-something man looked Ray over suspiciously.
"A friend of a friend had his car re-done here, recommended you," Ray saw Fraser standing in front of a grubby desk in the corner while Thatcher nosed around in a battered, metal filing cabinet beside it. Ray kept talking, asking questions, until he saw Thatcher nod in signal.
"Yeah, thanks, Omer, I'll keep you in mind." Ray shook the man's hand.
Fraser and Thatcher sat in the Riv when Ray returned. Dief sat beside the car, spending every minute possible outside while he could.
"Get it?" Ray asked after closing the car door.
"Yes, Ray, we found a copy of the work order. Mayor Beady paid for the repairs in case." Fraser pulled a pink carbon copy from his breast pocket and handed it to Ray.
"Great, now who do we turn this in to?" the detective asked rhetorically.
"Hmm, good question." Fraser frowned.

Later …
The Restaurant …
Ray picked at his crinkle cut french fries while Fraser and Thatcher ate their chicken dinners dutifully. They'd discussed to whom to turn the case over to only to come to a three-way tie. Ray voted for the Wisconsin State Police. Thatcher wanted to continue the investigation themselves while Fraser campaigned for the States Attorney.
"We don't have any evidence sayin' the sheriff or the police chief are in on it." Ray reasoned.
"That's why we should continue investigating." Meg countered, leaning forward at the booth table.
"Both ideas would still leave us with the same dilemma: whom to turn the case over to?" Fraser pointed out.
"Look, why don't we split up, one of us go to the public library while the others collect Mayor Beady's original bumper." Margaret suggested. She'd long since tired of arguing about it al with Vecchio.
"I got the body shop," Vecchio piped up.
"The library is fine for me." Ben said, tapping his cast.
Both me looked to Meg for her assignment.
"I could spend more time with Ben," she thought. "But Vecchio may need back-up."
With a resigned sigh, Meg volunteered to go with Vecchio.
"Yay me, not!" she thought.
*****