Chapter 7: Back to Work

Julia woke up early, filled with excitement for her first day back at work after a long break. William, already dressed, was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. When Julia walked in, holding Susannah in her arms, he smiled warmly at them.

"Ready for today?" William asked, placing a cup of tea in front of Julia and a cup of milk for Susannah on the table.

"Yes, a bit of excitement, but mostly I'm just happy to get back to the job I love," Julia replied, sitting down and settling Susannah on her lap.

"There's no reason to be nervous, Julia. You're amazing at what you do," William said, admiring her courage.

"Thank you, William. That means a lot to me," Julia said, handing a piece of toast to Susannah.

Susannah, curiously watching her parents' conversation, smiled widely. "Mommy, Daddy," she called out cheerfully, lighting up the morning even more.

"Speaking of work… Do you know who's going to be the new coroner after Miss Hart?" Julia asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

"No, Brackenreid's keeping it under wraps for now, but he promised it'll be someone reliable. We'll have to wait and see," William answered.

"I hope it's someone you can work with easily," Julia noted with a slight smile.

"Whoever takes the position won't compare to you and your accomplishments. Honestly, it'd be best if you were back in that role," William said with admiration.

Julia laughed and said, "Who knows what the future holds, right? But for now, let's focus on the present."

After finishing breakfast, William started cleaning up when their nanny, Claudette, arrived, smiling brightly as she greeted Julia and William.

"Good morning!" she called, taking off her coat and hanging it on the rack by the door.

"Good morning, Claudette. Susannah's been waiting for you," Julia said, nodding toward the living room, where Susannah was playing with her blocks.

Little Susannah, hearing the nanny's name, immediately looked up and beamed. "Nanny!" she shouted happily, running toward her.

Claudette knelt down to hug her. "Hello, Susannah! It's so good to see you! We're going to have so much fun today, aren't we?"

"What's the plan for today?" Julia asked, watching her daughter.

"I think we'll spend some time outside if the weather holds up," Claudette said, smiling warmly at Susannah.

Susannah nodded eagerly, reaching her arms out to Claudette, ready for a day full of adventure.

"Perfect, Susannah loves being outdoors," Julia replied, glancing fondly at her daughter.

"William walked up to Julia and gently put his arm around her. 'It's time for us to go. Susannah's in good hands,' he said, looking at his wife with a warm smile."

Julia nodded and said her goodbyes to Susannah, waving. "Have fun, sweetheart. Mother will be back in the evening."

Susannah, smiling brightly, waved back. "Bye, bye!" she called cheerfully as Claudette led her toward the door."

As the door closed behind them, Julia and William left the house, reassured that their daughter was safe and happy. At the same time, they felt a bit of nervousness about returning to work and facing new challenges. Looking at William, Julia noticed a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Whoever the new coroner is, I'm sure you'll get along just fine," she said, trying to ease his mind.

"You're right. I just hope we'll work well together," William admitted, attempting to hide his concerns.

They leaned in for a gentle goodbye kiss. "Take care of yourself," Julia whispered, looking deeply into his eyes, showing her support and care.

"I will. See you at dinner," William replied with a smile, already looking forward to their peaceful family evening.

William hopped onto his bike, while Julia climbed into the carriage. Both were excited by the thought that they'd be together again in the evening, sharing the events of their day.

The horse slowly pulled the carriage through the morning streets of the city, which was just starting to wake up. Julia, thinking about the challenges ahead, felt energized by the idea of getting back to the work she loved.

Meanwhile, William cycled steadily toward the station house, considering his tasks for the day. He hoped that meeting the new coroner would be the start of a productive partnership. Despite a lingering sense of unease, he knew his professionalism and experience would help him handle whatever came his way.

Once at the station, William picked up his mail and headed straight to his office, greeting the constables along the way.

"Good morning, sir!" George called out with a smile.

"Good morning, detective," William replied, returning the greeting. "Anything urgent?"

"Nothing major, sir. Just a few minor incidents, nothing that needs immediate attention," George said, handing William a folder of documents.

William flipped through the reports, considering the new challenges that could arise. Back in his office, he sat at his desk, which was stacked with documents. He spent a few minutes organizing the ongoing case files. Some reports needed his signature, while others required more in-depth analysis. Once the papers were sorted, William decided it was time to gather his team.

Shortly after becoming inspector, William had introduced regular team briefings, which greatly improved the station's efficiency. Leaving his office, he headed to the main room, where he called the team together.

"Gentlemen," he said, drawing everyone's attention. As they gathered, William quickly ran through the key points: recent incidents, priorities for the day, and a reminder to stay vigilant in certain areas of the city. It was important to him that everyone was up to date and understood what was expected.

After wrapping up the briefing, William returned to his office. No sooner had he sat down to continue his work than Constable Higgins walked in with more paperwork. "Inspector, I've got a few more reports from the past few days," Higgins said, handing him a folder.

"Thank you, Higgins. Just leave them on the desk. I'll get to them soon," William replied, giving the new documents a quick glance.

Although he moved through his daily tasks with routine precision, his mind never stopped analysing the bigger picture. Every new call, every report could hold the key to an elusive suspect or an unexpected criminal puzzle, adding weight to his responsibilities. With that in mind, he returned to his paperwork, focusing not just on the present but on anticipating future challenges.

"Sir, there's been an incident. A body was found in one of the residences downtown. Detective Crabtree is already on the scene and waiting for you," Higgins said, standing in the doorway.

William reacted immediately, leaving the papers behind. "Thank you, Higgins. I'll head there now," he said, swiftly putting on his hat and hurrying out of the station.

He arrived at the crime scene quickly. The atmosphere in the elegant living room, where the body had been found, was tense. William scanned the room, noticing signs of a struggle.

"Detective, what do we know?" William asked, walking up to George.

"It doesn't look like an accident, sir," Crabtree replied, pointing to the scattered objects on the floor. "The victim is Mr. Gregory Holloway, the owner of the house."

William frowned, carefully examining the crime scene. His gaze swept around the room until it settled on a figure standing by the body, facing away from him. As he approached, he recognized her by her silhouette and the familiar way she moved.

"Julia, what are you doing here?" William called out, stopping in surprise as he spotted the familiar figure by the body.

She turned slowly, a soft smile on her face. "Dr. Julia Ogden, city coroner," she introduced herself in a formal tone.

"Really?!" William was clearly surprised but also pleased, quickly regaining his composure. "This is a wonderful surprise. How did you end up back in the morgue?"

"Chief Constable Brackenreid thought I was the best candidate for the job," Julia replied with a slight smile.

"And he was right," William said with admiration. "There's no one better for the role."

"Thank you, William."

"So, what do we know so far, Dr. Ogden?" William asked.

Julia looked at the body, speaking calmly, "The victim is a male, around forty years old. Time of death is likely early this morning. No visible signs of trauma, but I'll know more after the post-mortem."

"Understood. Have the body taken to the morgue. Crabtree and I will conduct a thorough search of the premises," William said, motioning to Crabtree to continue examining the room.

When Julia arrived at the morgue, she immediately got to work. Meanwhile, William and George searched the house thoroughly and began questioning the neighbours.

After finishing up both the search and interviews, William and George returned to the station. George quickly began to analyse the information he had gathered, trying to pick out key clues that might lead to a potential suspect. Meanwhile, William decided to visit Julia at the morgue to get an update on her findings.

"Julia, what have you found?" William asked as he stepped into the morgue.

Julia turned, smiling when she saw him. "William, I'm glad you're here. I've discovered something interesting. This wasn't a typical arsenic poisoning. The toxin levels in the victim's system suggest prolonged exposure, which points to deliberate action."

"I see," William replied, listening closely. "Any leads on who might be behind this?"

Julia nodded, meeting his gaze. "Yes, there are traces of rare chemicals on the victim's skin, ones commonly used in industrial cleaning agents. This could point us to the suspect's workplace or suggest they had access to these substances."

William nodded in approval. "That's an important lead, Julia. With this, we can narrow down the list of suspects. We'll focus on places where these chemicals are commonly used."

After exchanging smiles and mutual words of support, William left the morgue, feeling more confident that every new clue was bringing them closer to solving the case. Armed with fresh information, he could now concentrate on tracking down the suspect, hoping they'd soon find the killer.

After leaving the morgue, William returned to the station and immediately called George into his office to share the latest updates.

"George," William began, laying out Julia's report and the interview notes in front of him. "I've got new information from Dr. Ogden. The poisoning wasn't accidental. It was a slow, deliberate act over time. Julia found rare chemicals in the victim's system, ones used in industrial cleaning agents."

George scanned the documents and nodded. "Sir, one of the witnesses mentioned someone who used to work at a chemical plant that recently shut down, not far from Holloway's residence. This could be our prime suspect."

"Good work, George," William said approvingly. "Let's focus on that factory. Go through all the employee records and see if anyone matches the witness descriptions."

George nodded. "I'll gather the team and start digging into the data right away. We should have results soon."

"Excellent," William replied. "We need to move fast. Every minute counts."

George left the office to assemble the team, while William began reviewing more evidence and going over Julia's notes. He felt that every new lead was bringing them closer to solving the case.

A few hours later, George returned with a list of former employees, including detailed employment histories and addresses.

"Sir," George began, placing the list on William's desk. "We've gone through all the data and found one person who stands out. John Carter, the lead chemist at the factory, had access to all the substances that could've been used in the poisoning. He lost his job a few months ago, and his last known address is close to Holloway's home."

William glanced over the notes and a photo of John Carter. "This matches the description the witnesses gave us. We need to find him and bring him in for questioning."

William and George headed to Carter's last known address. When they arrived, they saw that the house appeared abandoned. However, the front door was slightly ajar, raising their suspicions.

"George, we need to be careful," William said, exchanging a knowing look with him. Both prepared themselves for whatever they might find inside.

As they entered, the house was eerily quiet, but soon they heard a faint noise coming from the basement. William pointed to the door leading down and signalled for caution. Slowly, they descended the stairs, where they found Carter at a table covered with chemicals and notes.

"John Carter, you're under arrest," William said firmly. "Drop what you're holding and raise your hands."

Caught off guard, Carter tried to flee, but George quickly subdued him. "Don't do anything stupid, Carter. You don't stand a chance," Detective Crabtree said, holding him securely.

"George, take him to the station. I'll search the basement," William ordered.

George nodded and escorted Carter out, who was still shouting, "You don't know what you're doing! You can't arrest me without evidence!"

William began searching the basement, finding plenty of evidence linking Carter to Holloway's poisoning. On the table were detailed notes outlining the crime's planning, as well as chemical samples identical to those found in the victim's body.

Once William finished searching the basement, he returned to the station with the evidence. Upon entering his office, he saw George waiting for him.

"Inspector, Carter's in the cell," George said. "He confessed to everything on the way here. He said Holloway ruined his life, and he had to get revenge."

"Good work, Detective," William praised, placing the evidence on his desk. "We have enough to charge him. These notes and chemicals confirm it."

Satisfied with the progress on the case, William gathered all the evidence and decided it was time to personally inform Julia about the breakthrough. He left the station, walking through the bustling bullpen, full of late-afternoon activity. When he reached the morgue, he found Julia deeply focused on her notes at her desk.

"Julia," William began, catching her attention. Her face lit up when she saw him. William smiled softly, pleased to finally have good news to share.

"We found Holloway's killer. John Carter confessed to everything, and the evidence we gathered backs it up."

Julia looked at him with relief and satisfaction. "That's great news, William," she said, setting her pen aside. "Did he explain his motive?"

William nodded, leaning against the edge of her desk. "Yes, he admitted that revenge was his main motive. He said Holloway ruined his life and career, which pushed him to take drastic action."

Julia sighed, reflecting on the situation. "Revenge… It's always sad when things escalate that far. But at least we can bring closure to the victim's family."

"Exactly," William agreed. They talked for a while about the details of the case before William returned to the station.

Meanwhile, while William was at the morgue, Chief Constable Brackenreid arrived at the station. His unexpected appearance stirred a wave of enthusiasm among the gathered constables.

"Good to see you, sir!" one of the constables called out, with others nodding in agreement, expressing their feelings.

"We've missed you," added another, bringing a smile to Brackenreid's face.

"Thank you, gentlemen, but I left you in good hands," Brackenreid said, gesturing toward William Murdoch, who had taken over his role. His words brought smiles to the constables' faces.

When William returned to the station, he found Chief Brackenreid chatting with the constables. Smiling, he walked over to greet him.

"Sir, it's good to see you," William said.

"I hear you've just solved a case," Brackenreid replied, looking at the inspector with a slight smile.

William nodded, pleased with the outcome of the investigation. "Yes, Carter confessed."

Brackenreid nodded approvingly. "Good work, Murdoch. I knew you could handle it. And what do you think of the new coroner?" he added with a wink, causing a slight smile to appear on William's face.

"I'm very pleased, sir. It's an excellent choice. Julia, as always, is the best."

Brackenreid patted William on the back. "I knew you'd be happy. The two of you have always made the perfect team."

William smiled and replied, "That's true, sir. Julia is irreplaceable, and working with her has always been special. I'm glad we're back together."

Brackenreid smiled again, nodded in approval, and left, leaving William on his own.

In the evening, after a long and challenging day, William and Julia returned home. As soon as they stepped inside, they heard the joyful laughter of Susannah coming from the living room, where she was playing under the care of their nanny, Claudette. When the little girl saw her parents, she quickly got up and ran toward them.

"Mommy! Daddy!" she called out happily, running into their arms. William immediately picked her up, while Julia gently stroked her head, smiling warmly.

"How was your day?" William asked, holding her in his arms.

"Play!" Susannah said, explaining in her childlike way about her games with the nanny. Julia thanked Claudette for her care, and the nanny smiled and said her goodbyes.

After dinner, which passed joyfully for the Murdoch family, William helped Julia put Susannah to bed. The couple watched as their daughter peacefully fell asleep in her crib.

As they left the room, Julia looked at William with a smile. "I'm glad I returned to the morgue. I missed the work and collaborating with you."

William gently wrapped his arm around her, gazing into her eyes. "I'm glad too, Julia. We've always worked well together. Together, we can achieve so much good."

Julia smiled broadly, sharing his sentiment. "When Chief Brackenreid offered me the position again, I didn't hesitate. I missed our work together, the way we take on challenges and find solutions as a team."

William nodded. "I completely understand, Julia. I'm happy you're back. Your skills are irreplaceable, not just for the team but for me as well. Working with you is always a pleasure."

"Thank you, William. I felt like I needed to return, that our work together wasn't finished yet. There are still so many cases we can solve together, and so much we can learn from each other."

"And now, let's spend the rest of the evening relaxing. We've earned some time to unwind after a long day," William added.

Julia nodded in agreement. In the living room, by the soft glow of the fireplace, they could finally relax and enjoy each other's company, setting aside their professional responsibilities for the evening.