Part 2 of 4

Officers Best and Myers are a bit early so they settle down onto the station's veranda bench and continue talking.

"I mean it, Dwayne, it really hurt. There I was, trying to think like the Chief, trying so hard to step into his shoes. It was scary, exciting, illuminating! And for a moment, just a brief moment, I felt so alight with knowledge and potential! I couldn't help thinking, 'Is this what it's like when the Chief's on fire with a case?' The cool fresh feeling of writing all the little unconnected bits of info onto the white board, feeling a picture staring to form, it was incredible!"

Camille hears a deep sad sigh, "There I was sneaking reports in to the Chief right under DS Young's nose, doing secret investigations for him, I even noted the absence of the red bandana all on my own… and do you know what he says? 'I wish Camille were here!' Like all my hard work and risk didn't matter!" The young man sounds desolate.

Dwayne's voice filters in to wide-open ears, "Naw, naw, I don' think that wuz it a'tall. Catherine tol' me sum stuff an' I don' think he wuz thinkin' 'bout you, he wuz thinkin' 'bout Camille, missin' her, you know? Catherine tried t' get 'im t' admit t' havin' feelin's fer Camille but somehow they started fightin' 'bout soup an' things got confused after that."

"What do you mean?" Fidel sounds puzzled.

Camille leans back hard, almost tipping her chair onto the floor. She HAS to hear this!

Dwayne's answer is laconic, "Catherine figures the Chief's got feelin's fer Camille but he might not actual know it."

Now Fidel sounds scoffy, "How can that be? When you like someone, you know it."

"Not iffen yer the Chief, that man's got the imagination an' confidence of a guppy compared t' normal men. The only time he's sure of hisself is when he's on a case. Anythin' else an' he's flounderin'. Besides, you know he depends on Camille fer anything remotely emotional 'r personal… so how can he handle it if the personal emotions are fer her, eh?"

"Well, I never thought about it before. You think he's really in love with her?"

"Catherine thinks so. I don' know what she intends t' do 'bout it… but I'd hate t' be in the Chief's shoes if she comes gunnin' fer 'im. The poor guy won' stand a chance! It'll be a shot-gun weddin' fer sure… maybe fer the both a them iffen Camille gets stubborn 'bout it."

"Why would she get stubborn? We both know she's more than fond of the Chief."

Camille's cheeks burn to hear this. Am I so transparent? Who else knows? And, more to the point, why doesn't the object of my affection know? Her cheeks burn hotter when she then wonders, Maybe he DOES know? And doesn't care? Am I just a pathetic woman pining for an impossible man? Are people laughing at me? Dwayne's next words save her sanity.

"She might get stubborn 'cause she don' wear her heart onner sleeve like him. I kin see it plain as day, he's hopelessly in love with her but afraid t' say anythin' 'cause she's scary an' French t' boot. She won' say nuthin' until he says sumthin' an' so it's a closed circle, no way in an' no way out. They's trapped."

Her ears are ringing. Dwayne. Dwayne says Richard loves me… and Dwayne would know, he's the expert in the field of 'love 'em and leave 'em'. Except I don't want to be left, I wants to be desired and cherished. I want to desire and cherish in turn… if only Richard would speak up and/or I had the nerve. She listens harder. Maybe Dwayne has some sage advice?

Instead, she hears Fidel murmur, "That's so sad, Dwayne. I wish we could help them."

Now Dwayne drawls, "Help them? What 'bout someone helpin' me? Remember me sayin' we've seen the Chief an' Camille handle a case, how hard kin it be? Well, I found out exactly how hard! I saw things, little things, but I couldn't string 'em together like the Chief kin. He sees stuff no one else can… 'r we see it but dismiss it as unimportant. T' the Chief, a bloody knife plunged into somebody's back is jest as important as a missin' deck chair inna back yard."

Camille hears Dwayne heave a heavy sigh, "Yes, aye, in every case the really important question is 'what would the Chief do'? I'll never be able to answer that question, not inna million years, no matter how hard I try."

"But, Dwayne, you don't have to. Your skill set is completely different than his, than mine, than Camille's, and without you we'd be hampered, maybe even stumped. You don't have to be the Chief, you have to be Officer Myers, on the job with his nose to the ground, sniffing out clues like a bloodhound."

Camille hears Dwayne laugh then, hears a clap on a shoulder, "Yes, aye, yer right! We all got our part t' play, hey? We need the Chief an' the Chief needs us. We might all be separate people with flaws an' blanks spots but together we're a team, a great team!"

"Yes," Fidel says with pride, "a team to be reckoned with!" There's a beat of silence then very low, "But I did learn something very important that helped me get through all this."

"Oh? An' whut wuz that?"

"You don't look cool on ALL bikes, Dwayne. On a bicycle you look a bit of a dork."

With that pronouncement, the church tower rings out six bells and the men came inside, laughing. Camille hands over occupancy of the station and walks slowly home, pondering the secrets in her heart.

And DI Poole's too, hopefully.

END - part 2