Part 3 of 3
It's about two thirds as bad as he thought it would be. Fidel actually yelps. Dwayne scowls so hard his face turns red. This was to be expected but it is Camille's reaction that surprises. As the men stomp about and throw their hands and voices into the quiet afternoon air, Camille merely sinks into her chair and looks thoughtful. Richard is right in the middle of handling a full-blown masculine mutiny when a quiet voice cuts through all the grousing.
"This is the woman who ignored Fidel's hunch about the red bandanna and didn't trust Dwayne's instincts about the grieving wife?"
Richard turns to face Camille, "Yes, it is. She's also the DS who wove such a tight and logical chain of events that any court would have convicted Phil Owen in a heartbeat."
Camille nods, "But she also overlooked the strange bruise on Benjamin Lightfoot's chest and the stone lodged in his throat."
Dwayne hangs his head, "Yeah, well, I noticed the bruise but never even thought t' measure it up an' check everythin' everywhere t' find a match. The Chief knew right away 'cause a Harry's tank at home."
Fidel hangs his head, "Yes, and I said the words 'conflict diamonds' and never made the connection to the stone. The stone would have led to the fish tank which would have given us motive, means, and opportunity." He looks up to his boss, "But you recognized it, didn't you?"
Richard shrugs, "Yes, although I don't remember doing it. There's a lot I don't remember… except that my team pulled together to help me prevent a terrible miscarriage of justice. And for that, I am eternally grateful."
Camille says in a small voice, "Not ALL your team. I wasn't here, was I? I was in Paris taking advantage of a training opportunity for no reason other than being in Paris. When I heard about… about…" her eyes slide past the suit "… anyway, if I'd been here where I belonged, I would have listened to Fidel and Dwayne and kept you in the loop with twice daily reports so…"
"So, the case would have been solved a day earlier then it was," Richard finishes. "Either way, I think DS Young could learn from us. I merely ask you keep your tempers and extend her the courtesy of a fellow law enforcement officer. From all I've heard, I think she deserves a chance. If nothing else, she might pick up some pointers on deductive reasoning."
Fidel and Dwayne shuffle their feet, frown, shake their heads, then give in. How can they deny a direct request from their gentleman DI? Camille merely nods, keeping her own council.
Next day, 9am
DS Young begins on a positive note, not quite apologizing but very close. She even makes a point of called Fidel 'Fidel' at least 3 times before sitting in the break area enjoying a fresh pot of coffee with the team. Richard sits at his desk and listens as the voices lose their tenseness and are soon easy and laughing. When Fidel and Dwayne go on morning patrol, the remaining voices start to lower in volume until Richard can't quite hear what they're saying.
Finally, he demands, "What are you two talking about now?" This elicits an immediate cessation of conversation and two pair of careful eyes looking at him from across the room. He looks down at himself; is his tie crooked?
Camille then stands, fetches her purse, and says, "We're discussing how to handle difficult personalities, which I think we'll take to La Kaz for Maman's input." She beckons to Angela and they start for the door.
Richard calls after them, "That's an excellent idea; your mother deals with difficult personalities on a daily basis. I'll join you for lunch in an hour. Would you mind ordering my tea?"
Camille smiles, "No, I don't mind, and you can help the discussion by being your usual English self." Angela gives Richard a covert glance then chuckles as she joins Camille at the doorway.
Richard watches them stroll out arm-in-arm. He suddenly feels faintly uneasy, which makes no sense at all, plus he has an odd urge to phone Andrew Young to warn him that a French influence is about to enter his life… and to ask if that secret room in town has a spare bed.
END