I listened to the argument happening on the driveway. I shook my head at the slammed door and engine over-revving, followed by the squeal of tyres. Maverick appeared in the doorway a moment later. He took a photo of the room. "Did you hear what he said?" He asked me quietly.

"I know he was shouting, I didn't hear what he was saying." He took more photos of the living room and kitchen. "I need to photograph upstairs... but I can't let you out of my sight."

Nodding I stood and walked towards the stairs. At the top was movement and a sound I turned on the bottom step to look up at the top of the stairs. I silenced Maverick who was about to speak. "Tobin?" A small squeak came from the shape in the dark. "Come here Tobin, your not in trouble." A small sound escaped him as he started coming down the stairs.

I could see his eyes were red and he was crying silently. I scoped him up into my arms taking him to the chair. I rocked him on my lap. "What's wrong?" I whispered in Tobin's ear. He shook his head and continued to cry. "I can't fix it if you don't tell me."

Maverick stood at the bottom of the stairs frowning at me. Tobin shook his head again and I whispered. "Tell me when you can. I won't force you."

He continued to cry as Maverick stood watching me. He seemed to be trying to work me out. "You mind sitting down, your hovering isn't helping."

He nodded moving to the table and sitting on the chair there. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself.

Tobin fell asleep in my arms. "Do you know why he was upset?"

"Probably the yelling." I stood and walked to the stairs.

I heard Maverick following me up. I walked to the small folding bed close to mine. I laid Tobin in the bed and covered him with the blanket.

"Tia... I must take photographs of this room... do you mind?"

I chuckled. "Carry on officer."

He frowned at me and then took the pictures he needed. I sat on the edge of the bed slowly rubbing Tobin's back to make sure he stayed asleep. When Maverick was finished he came closer. "Is he asleep now?"

"He was asleep before we came up here, but I'm not sure he will stay asleep."

Tobin stared. We both watched him settle again on his own. I stood and walked to the stairs. Maverick stopped me. "You going to leave him?"

"Not for long. We need to talk and can't do it here." I whispered.

He followed me downstairs and I sat in my armchair. "What do we need to talk about?"

"You're going to be here all night and I need to know what you need. Also, you will be here when he wakes up and that will distress him."

Maverick sighed. "I'm not meant to be sleeping tonight." I couldn't hide my smile. "Am I amusing you again?"

"In a few minutes, I'm going to bed. I will leave you with a blanket and a pillow. If you're going to be creepy and watch me sleep you might as well be comfortable. Now tomorrow you must do as I say. When the officers come to search the house we will leave with you. I don't want to distress Tobin with all those police uniforms."

"Did you have to make it sound like I'm holding you against your will. Where would we be going anyway?"

I laughed. "Town. Just to get away from what's happening. Now I'm going to bed." As usual, at those words, Burt came alive. He shot upstairs and I followed him.

When I got to my bed I took one of the pillows and a blanket laying them out on the floor. Maverick eyed them suspiciously. I sighed and climbed into bed with Burt. I turned the light off and Burt cuddled into me. Between the whiskey and Burt's warmth, I fell asleep fast.

***

Screaming woke me and I sat up flicking the light on. Tobin was screaming at Maverick, who was sitting up on the blanket I'd spread out. I picked Tobin up rocking him. "Hush now Tobin. It's alright, he's a guest. His car got towed and he needed to stay over."

"That's right." Maverick put in quickly.

"They find us!" Tobin screamed.

I sat on the bed with him. "Not here. They won't find you here."

"They will!"

To my surprise, Maverick stood up and came closer. "They won't find you here, but I'll tell you what. If they do I'll protect you. Me and Burt could keep them away."

Tobin looked up at Maverick. "Why?" Tobin's voice was small and broken.

"Because it's my job to protect you and Tia. A policeman's job is to stop people hurting other people, or taking them when they don't want to go."

"I don't... want.. t-to go.. back." Tobin's voice whispered between sobs.

Maverick smiled at him and stood. "Then I won't let them take you. All you need to do is tell one of us you don't want to go and we will stop them."

Tobin sniffed and wrapped his arms around my neck. "I stay with Tia?"

I smiled at him. "We will talk to that lady and we will see what she says." I said rubbing his back.

He nodded leaning against me. "Safe... here..." He said softly into my chest.

He fell asleep again in moments and I laid back down with him. "You're really good with him." Maverick whispered watching Tobin.

"So were you. Of course, he may decide to call you when the social worker tries to take him away."

Maverick smiled and shook his head. "We will cross that bridge if we come to it."

I yawned and Burt sighed. "I'm turning the light out now."

Maverick moved back to his blanket and sat down. I turned the light out and drifted off slowly.

***

I woke up at the usual time. Tobin stared in my arms and Burt watched him. "You want your walk don't you?" Burt stood on the bed wagging his tail slowly. "We can't wander off this morning. But you can chase that squirrel." He jumped off the bed looking excited.

I slipped out from under Tobin and stood. Picking him up I walked towards the stairs. I stopped next to Maverick. He was lying down fast asleep. Did he just fall asleep, or is he starting to trust me? "Maverick?" He jumped at looked up at me. He wasn't very asleep then. "Tea and Breakfast?"

He rubbed his face and nodded. "Do you have coffee?"

I smiled and nodded. "Come on then. You don't want to let me out of your sight."

He got to his feet and followed me down the stairs. I laid Tobin on the chair and opened the front door stepping onto the porch. I breathed in the smell of damp earth and leaves. The dew glistened on a cobweb in the low light. It was going to be a beautiful sunrise. Maverick had followed me out and stood watching me.

"Burt, not too far." Burt started running around after the squirrel that lived in his favourite tree.

"Should he be doing that?" Maverick asked watching him.

"He needs to let off steam. He's never caught it and if he did he wouldn't eat it. He prefers rabbit."

Maverick watched me for a minute. "You let him kill things?"

"He's a dog Maverick. He needs to be free to be a dog sometimes."

He sighed looking up at the sky that was barely light. He watched the clouds while Burt barked and ran. Eventually, Burt got fed up with his game and came back to my side. "Right breakfast and tea." Burt ran past me as soon as I finished talking.

I stopped next to Tobin and knelt. "Hay Tobin, do you want to sleep or eat?" He frowned and rolled over. I tucked the blanket around him more. "Alright, you sleep."

I stood and went out to the kitchen. "The others will be coming at about nine I think."

I nodded pulling the coffee machine from the cupboard. Maverick sat in the living room as I made toast and fresh coffee. I brought it out to the table on a tray and Maverick took a sip of his coffee. "Wow! This is good."

I nodded sitting on the other seat putting Burts bowl under the table. "I don't like cheap coffee. You wanted some coffee and this is what I have." He smiled.

We ate and drank coffee while Tobin slept. He woke up and was halfway through his meal when the other officers turned up. Maverick went outside to explain to them the plan. The chief watched me through the door looking unimpressed. Tobin looked over his shoulder and then looked at me. "Are they guests too?"

"As long as they follow the rules. We will be going out today."

He chewed his toast slowly. "Why?"

"You need fresh clothes and I need some groceries. Do you want anything else?"

He shook his head and crossed his fingers to make a triangle. He flinched dropping his hands like he'd realized he had done it. "Things are not needed."

I made the same symbol with my fingers making him jump. "Things are sometimes needed. Sometimes we can gain comfort from things, sometimes those things are needed. So is there anything you need?"

He frowned chewing on the last piece of his toast and staring at the plate.

"Tia... can we please come in?" Maverick asked at the door.

"Tobin, go upstairs and get ready with Maverick. I will talk with our other guests a moment." Tobin nodded and walked up to Maverick taking his hand. Maverick smiled at me then at Tobin.

When they had left I met the chief on the porch. "More rules?" I shook my head at him. "We need access to your house. Don't make me get a warrant."

"No need. All I ask is you put things back and don't destroy my books."

The chief looked at the van holding the forensic team. "I know you want to take the boy away. I understand you taking Maverick with you, but what I don't understand why you would give us unfettered access to everything you own."

"I suppose you should start with my car as I'm using it to go to town." I handed him my car key. He frowned and offered it to one of the forensic men.

They started to go over my car. I felt sick watching them paw over her. I felt myself wanting to save her from their tweezers and scissors.

"You didn't answer my question."

I watched them pull everything out and pull threads from the carpet and seats. "I didn't kill Edith. I have nothing to hide."

"And yet you hide it."

I watched them take my bag out of the boot and went down the steps of the porch, rushing towards the man holding the bag. "Excuse me." I said as I approached him. "Please take care of that. It is my... religious equipment."

The man looked to the chief who followed me. "Sir we aren't allowed to remove anything religious."

"You can take it just be careful. The knife with the black hilt mustn't cut any living thing even by accident."

The man looked to the chief his face pained. "Do what you need without removing it from the property. She has given you permission to go through it."

Breathing a sigh of relief I walked back to the porch and patted Burt on the head. "What are you hiding?"

"The same things you do."

I sat on the chair on the porch. "You don't get to hide things from us now."

"You will look through everything I own. I'm sure even my diaries will be photographed and catalogued. So whatever you need to find, you won't find it here."

He crossed his arms and smiled at me. "You better hope we don't."

I sighed as they finished with my car and handed the key back to me. "We got what we need from the car chief." The chief nodded and the men returned to the van.

"You don't like me do you?"

The chief sneered at me. "I know you're hiding things from me."

"Even while you investigate, I don't have to give you everything."

He opened his mouth to say something else when Maverick spoke from behind us. "We are ready to go."

"Burt get ready."

Burt darted into the house grabbing his lead from its hook at his level and trotting up to me. I attached his lead to his collar and offered the handle to Tobin. "So chief I give you permission to do what you need in my home."

"And you will go to the station for the rest?" I nodded offering my car key to Maverick.

He frowned taking it. "Why are you giving me your car key?"

I turned looking at him. Is he really that slow? "You're driving."

"Why when you look at me like that do I feel stupid?"

I shrugged. "Why would someone hand you their car key, if not to tell you are driving?"

He frowned. "I suppose you're right."