*This has bugged me since forever too! Sincerest thanks and a big sigh of relief to farfromhome who gave me the explanation… and providing the phrase 'a man in the middle of a muddle'*
S1 E6 – Shards of Doubt
Officer Best slowly closes a folder and sits back with a sigh. He hates being the 'young'un', the noob, the baby, but what else can he expect? He IS the 'young'un', the noob, the baby… but he's also a keen young man with a burning mission… and that mission is to strive and struggle and stay the course until he reaches the heights of detectivey Sherlockian perfection.
In short, he wants to be The Chief.
He sighs again and stares down at the folder, tapping it with his favourite pencil, and cudgels his brains once more. Nope. Nothing. He just doesn't get it. The autopsy report had been very clear and DS Young had said 'metal' out loud as she read it, he HEARD her say it, but then things had gotten, pardon the pun, rather 'feverish' with comings and goings, secret assignations and back-alley investigations, and then The Chief had risen from his sick-bed and entered the fray like an avenging angel and HE'D said…
Fidel shakes his head. I'm a man in a muddle. In fact, I'm in the MIDDLE of a muddle. No one else has questioned this so I must be the only one who doesn't get it… and if I ask about it, I'm going to show myself up as stupid. He hears cocky footsteps approaching the station door and decides to take the least embarrassing option, he'll ask Dwayne. Stepping outside, he halts the man's progress. "Dwayne," he husks low, gesturing to the far end of the veranda, "I've got a problem and you gotta help me otherwise I'll go crazy!"
Dwayne grins and pushes his hat back off his forehead, "Sure thing, grasshopper, whadizzit?"
Fidel hesitates then blurts out, "It's about what DS Young said about the particles embedded in Benjamin Lightfoot's chest. We all saw the autopsy report; it said 'metal'." Dwayne nods and Fidel huffs in puzzlement, "But then The Chief returned and chastised her in front of everyone, telling her the particles were 'metal, not plastic'." Dwayne nods again. Fidel sees this and groans, "Well? Why would he say that? Did the Chief… " the young man looks positively stricken "… did the Chief make a mistake? Did we make him come back too soon?"
Dwayne smiles and claps his partner on the shoulder, "Naw, naw, man, nuthin' like that. DS Young didn' believe the report an' ordered another test. I heard her onna phone bein' all bossy an' snarky, like. 'Member whut she tol' the Chief, 'I wuz waitin' onna report!'? She wuz sure of Phil Owen's guilt an' she wanted those shards t' be plastic so she could say the dive shed barrel wuz the scene a the crime."
Fidel's eyes widen in disbelief, "But… but… the barrel lip was round! And the bruising was…"
Dwayne resets his hat and says with determination, "Yes aye, we shoulda spoke up. Yer not the only one who still has a lot t' learn. It wuzn't 'til I wuz luggin' that fish tank up the station steps that I suddenly realized why! And there I wuz thinkin' the Chief wuz ravin'!" He puts hands to hips and shakes his head, "You think I'd now better by now, doncha?"
Now it's Fidel's turn to put a consoling hand onto his partner's shoulder, "You can include me in that rebuke. The Chief's never been wrong about anything, has he? I can't imagine him getting off track and fitting up someone for a crime they didn't commit."
The two men turn and head for the nearest station door. "Me neither," Dwayne drawls, "Let's jest hope we're both sharp enough t' spot it if it ever happens."
"Yes," Fidel agrees, "and brave enough to tell him!"
Dwayne laughs, "Tell you whut, Fidel, if that day comes, I'll back you up iffn you back ME up!"
They pause in the doorway. Their DI and DS are arguing over something on the whiteboard, an extendable pointer and a loaded index finger jabbing furiously at various items posted. Dwayne grins wryly, "But I don' think that'll be a problem… not with HER on his case day an' night."
Fidel nods, "Then we'd better make sure she stays as long as he does. No one else can control him when he's got a full head of steam on. I wish I knew her secret."
Dwayne shrugs, "I don' think her secret would work fer you, yer not his type."
Fidel blinks, "His type of what?"
Dwayne sighs, "I'll explain it t' yah over a beer t'night. Right now, let's you an' me get t' work. This station don' run on jest brain power an' Frenchness, y'know."
The two men straighten up and march into the daily tumult in The House Of Law On The Hill.
END
*In case you didn't catch it, Fidel foreshadows the arrival of Doug Anderson and the Chief's momentary bobble of trying to fit the clues to the outcome he knows is true. But, of course, the Chief was right all along, wasn't he?*
**This concludes collection #4, collection #5 coming right up.**
