Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent was a study in contradiction. She herself had asked DI Lewis to step aside because he didn't have an open mind towards the investigation of the latest hammer-killer, and yet she found herself having a visceral reaction to Hugo Blayne's scandal-rag written that was strewn across her desk. She trusted Lewis more than any of her other detectives; surely the report of Lewis' drinking on the job was slander and nothing more. Now, she found that even though justice should always be her primary goal, she wanted Lewis to be right more than anything.

But Graham Lawrie's conviction had been overturned despite Lewis' keen instinct. The case into the original three murders was re-opened. She summoned DI James Hathaway to her office bright and early to discuss. "Where are we in the investigation, Hathaway?"

"Well, ma'am, in light of the failed attack on Sergeant Maddox, we're going back and trying to establish or disprove an alibi for Pamela Carson for the original three murders. It's possible that she did it all along, maybe at Lawrie's behest. She is still in hospital though, and we haven't been able to interview her yet. Inspector Lewis is there now, waiting for her to be lucid enough to answer questions. He's determined that he will be able to get her to open up about Lawrie."

"Thank you; stay on top of that, Hathaway."

"Yes, ma'am." He started to turn, but she stopped him- softly calling his first name.

"James. There's one more thing before you go."

"Ma'am?" he turned to see a pained expression on her face as she indicated the newspaper.

"I need to know who Blayne's source was on this. If we have a rogue police officer informing the press, I want that mole exterminated." He nodded in agreement. "And James, I believe that you should delegate this to Maddox. She's discrete and people like her. If there is indeed a mole to sniff out, she'll get to the bottom of it."

"Good idea, ma'am, seeing how as Blayne has been buzzing her mobile non-stop for details of the Pamela Carson attack anyway."

"Very good. Keep me informed." Innocent motioned towards the door and Hathaway left to charge Maddox with the task of unmasking the source.

Innocent looked at her watch and decided that she had enough time before her next meeting to venture down to the mortuary.

Dr Hobson was genuinely surprised to find Innocent knocking on her office door- usually sergeants fetch pathology reports, and a visit from a chief superintendent could only be a bad portent. "Has something happened?" Dr Hobson asked with concern as she turned away from her computer.

"No, but I was hoping that we could have a little chat, Doctor."

"Of course." Hobson hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll get some hot water for tea." Hobson excused herself to the corridor. Relations had thawed considerably between the two women over the years, but they were far from being friends.

"Thank you," said Innocent as Hobson returned and handed her a mug. "About this—"Innocent indicated the newspaper, and Hobson immediately recognised the article by Blayne.

"Ah," said Hobson, guarded as ever around Innocent.

"I'm about to make a statement affirming Lewis' impeccable record with the police," Innocent offered.

Hobson gave a wan smile. "He'll appreciate that."

"Can I ask you, though, Dr Hobson, what was he like back then?"

Hobson puffed out a breath of air and shook her head. "He'd had a rough go of it, losing Morse then Val. But beyond that? I didn't know him well at the time, just another DI to me."

Innocent immediately sensed Hobson's bluff. "I'm not asking you to betray him as his girlfriend; I'm asking you as institutional memory. And I know that you have always had well-formed opinions on each of the DI's."

Innocent's disclaimer notwithstanding, Hobson clammed up and pursed her lips.

Innocent continued. "Look, I do want to clear Robbie's reputation. I just want to confirm with you that I am not making a fool out of myself before I speak to the press. I can choose my words carefully if there is anything I should know about."

"Such as?" Hobson feigned ignorance as to where Innocent was headed.

Innocent sighed. "I'll be blunt. Did his drinking affect his work?"

Treating Innocent to an icy glare, Hobson responded. "Chief Superintendent Strange would not have entrusted such an important investigation to Robbie if it had."

Innocent countered, "But Jim Strange also took care of his own. He arranged for Lewis' departure for the BVI soon thereafter."

"A much-deserved assignment." Hobson put down her cup of tea. "Thank you for stopping by, Chief Superintendent. I hope that you will come again if you have any questions related to pathology."

Innocent could see that she was being tossed out of Hobson's office as delicately as possible. (Hobson had a reputation for being much less diplomatic when showing detectives the door.)

"Thank you for your time, Doctor. I'll leave you to your work, but please know that I sincerely want to help Robbie. Anything I asked you was only for his own good. It might be best if you not mention my visit to him."

"I appreciate your concern, and I agree." Hobson concurred. Once the door was closed between them, both women exhaled deeply. Neither one of them liked such forced pleasantries. Innocent, on the one hand, did not like it when someone was being coy with her. Hobson, on the other, felt that Innocent had crossed a personal boundary. Both women took a moment to congratulate herself on restraining her temper. Though neither realised it, the two had much in common.

Fortunately, another woman on the case was making some progress. Sergeant Maddox came back to the office to check in with Hathaway, who was still combing through the life and times of Pamela Carson. "Sir?" she pulled him back to Earth.

Hathaway looked up. "I just met with Hugo Blayne. He claims that he never sought out the information to slander Lewis. Rather, a man contacted him out of the blue as the Graham Lawrie appeal made news overseas."

"Overseas?"

"Yes. The call came in from Australia, but the man spoke with a British accent." Maddox stated.

Hathaway had an ominous sense about that. It was only a hunch, but one that was too strong to ignore. He started looking up contact information for the prodigal Lewis, gone to find himself long ago in Australia.

Completely Unnecessary Author Note: I wish that Rebecca Front and Clare Holman had had more scenes together! I think that they would have played well off of each other in a tense scene.