A quick note for all those of you, who haven't read "A Time For Everything" or don't remember it that well. My little Phryniverse stirred away from Canon after 2.7 and the Sanderson Threesome therefore suffered a very different fate.

Chapter 16: Deep Waters

"What would you like to wear today, Miss?"

Dorothy Williams was seriously worried when the answer to this was a vague gesture with the one of Miss Fishers hands that wasn't holding her tea cup.

"Just pick something, Dot. Make it not too cheery, I will pay a visit to a widow this afternoon."

"You are heading out to see Mrs. Denier then, Miss?"

Phryne looked up from the paper she had been reading. With another wave of alarm, her maid noticed the dark rings under her eyes.

"Yes, I think I better break the news of Miss White's betrayal myself. I fear Pauline is rather attached to her."

"I better call Hugh and cancel our walk then. He was going to come around after his shift."

Miss Fisher picked up the pages again.

"Nonsense Dot, I am quite able to bring bad news to my friends by myself."

Dorothy tried to pay no mind to her churning stomach as she picked out a pair of black pants and a sensible blouse for her Mistress and began running a bath. She resolved to talk to Hugh. Someone had to try and get some sense into the Inspector and it might as well be him.

X

Jack Robinson had not taken the detour over his office in the last night. It seemed too easy a way out. Instead he had chosen it as his punishment to return to his cold house and crawl into his equally cold bed. To his own surprise he had managed barely half of an hour of spinning thoughts and self-loathing before exhaustion had gotten the better of him and had let him slip into a restless sleep. Now he was sitting behind his desk with blurry eyes, trying to make sense of the chaos of paperwork on it. So he was little amused when his door opened and in came, without a knock as it was his habit, Commissioner Sanderson.

"Good morning, Jack. I hear you made an arrest in the robberies. And in barely any time at all. It seems you are intent to take the jobs away from all other policemen in this city."

The DI had troubles hiding his irritation over the outstanding happiness his former father-in-law emitted. He nodded in acknowledgement of the joke and gestured for him to sit.

"Can I do anything for you, George?"

"I was wondering, how you are getting on with the Denier murder. I am told, Miss White is denying any involvement in his demise. Is there any prove she's lying?"

"I doubt it." Jack sighed. Quickly and efficiently he laid out the case as it was standing. He watched George take his glasses off his nose and clean them. In anyone else that would have annoyed him, but he knew Sanderson well enough to realise that he was sorting his thoughts.

"You know, Jack.." He finally said, "...I had a call this morning from Albrecht Freudner; you might remember him, he is an old friend of mine, solicitor. Shocking at telling a joke. Anyway, he wanted to let me know that Pauline Denier had seen him the other week. Was considering a divorce. So you might want to talk to the lady again. But please try to be discrete."

He got up, moving his chair back in position.

"I got to dash, I am meeting Rosie and Sidney for luncheon. And you have a murderer to catch, Jack. Or should I say a murderess?"

He gave his former son-in-law something bordering dangerously on a wink before walking out. Jack sat gobsmacked for a few seconds. So Pauline Denier had been lying about her fondness of Marcel. It was not that he could blame her for the fact of wanting a divorce or some other form of ridding herself of this husband of hers. Nevertheless she would have encountered the same problem as Marie White. She needed an accomplice.

"Collins?" Jack Robinson yelled, already fishing for his coat. "We are going out."

X

At the same time Miss Fisher was knocking already at the door, the Inspector was only just aiming for. Simon Ellis opened her with a friendly smile and took in his opposites tired frame.

"Miss Fisher. I'm afraid, the lady of the house is out riding at the moment. But please do come through."

Phryne let herself be led into the familiar private sitting room of Pauline Denier and sank down onto the powder blue love seat.

"When are you expecting her back, Mr. Ellis?"

"Quite soon, I believe she would only take the short route through the forrest at this time of day. Can I offer you some tea while you are waiting?" He looked at her questioningly. "Milady also does keep a very special drop of Whiskey around for friends and if I may take the liberty of saying this, Ma'am, you seem to be in need of something stronger."

Miss Fisher didn't know if to feel offended by this. But then again she did like to see some spirit in a servant and it wasn't a secret to her that she looked like a ghost.

"Thank you, that would be lovely." She smiled, trying hard to suppress a yawn. While the Butler darted away busily to grab her drink she got up, inspecting the loving clutter that seemed to have found it's way into every corner of the estate. Miss Fisher picked up a clock in form of a gilded owl and shook it slightly, when her eye was caught by an old photograph. Gently she picked it up with gloved hands. It showed Marcel and Pauline on their wedding day, together with their party. In the back, one of the bridesmaids blinking strangely into the French sun seemed awfully familiar.

"Your Whiskey, Miss Fisher."

The lady detective took the glass, but didn't manage to tear her gaze away from her younger self. It was strange. Even though she remembered it, it felt like another life. Nobody could have told that

only weeks before, the Honourable Phryne Fisher had been lying in the happy grooms arms. And definitely not the beaming bride. Jack was right, if Pauline had found out she did have a motive. But then Phryne eye got caught by another face on the picture.

"Is that you, Mr. Ellis? Beside the groom?"

Simon, who had just rearranged some pillows, made a curious step closer.

"I fear I was the best man at the wedding, Miss."

"That is odd for a butler, isn't it?"

The expression on his face froze at her words and Miss Fisher instantly regret to have uttered them. A faint memory flicked through her mind.

"I wasn't born a butler." He said stiffly. "This was before I entered the service of the Deniers.

Phryne nodded slowly and put the picture back down. She walked over to the love seat and took another deep gulp from the crystal, buying time.

"You are in love with her, aren't you." She finally said, causing the Butler to spin around just when he had reached the door frame. He didn't have to answer, the look on his face told the whole story of a decade of suppressed emotion.

"I am not sure what you mean, Miss."

She nodded again, letting the hot liquid burn down her throat. The Whisky was by far not as nice as her own, but it gave her a warm feeling in her stomach, that was strangely comforting right now in the middle of her spinning thoughts.

"And maybe you helped her get rid of him because he was hurting her too much. Did you, Simon?"

She watched his Jaw set in disgust.

"Pauline had nothing to do with Marcel's death." The Butler said stiffly, forgetting all etiquette. Phryne's fingers automatically searched for her handbag and closed over the reassuring metal of her gun. "So it was you then? You found him half dead in his sitting room and decided to finish the job..." Phryne trailed off, suppressing another yawn. What a terrible time for the sleepless night to catch up with her. She suddenly noticed she was struggling to keep her eyes open and understood. Felt Ellis step closer and take the glass from her unresisting fingers, then pull the handbag away, wrestling the pistol from her.

"You were always a very smart woman, Miss Fisher. But you weren't clever enough to leave your fingers off Pauline's husband." He stated calmly. "And also not smart enough to not drink something a killer is offering you."

Phryne swore under her breath about her own stupidity before the room started to blur into a blotch of colours and then faded to white.