"Tez?" Su said sheepishly. "Don't kill me for telling you sooner, but… Lin's awake."

At these words, Tenzin's eyes practically shot out of his head. "What do you mean she's awake? How could you forget to tell me such an essential piece of information?!"

"Well, considering Lin's next in line just died in on the floor of a bathroom, I was slightly preoccupied."

At this, Tenzin took a deep breath and calmed down. It was true. In the commotion of the day's events, his mind had managed to stop dwelling on Lin 24/7. If anything, focusing on this case was more important that focusing on the image of Lin lying still in bed. His mother could help her best as she recovered; he could help her best as he tried to find the source of this information.

"I need to talk to her," Tenzin said. He walked over to Ki's private phone. "While I call her, can you go get Dad? We need to tell him that there could be a rat in the police force before we involve them any further."

Su nodded and left, leaving Tenzin to call Air Temple Island.

Kya picked up on the second ring. Her feeble hello clearly revealed that amount of sleep she had missed the past few days. Despite this, her voice did not sound quite as despondent as the last time they spoke.

"It's me."

"Hey Tez, Su told you, didn't see?"

"Yes she did. Now may I speak with her?" Tenzin could not hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Well," Kya sighed. "Let me go get mom. Lin's asleep and I'm not waking her without permission."

As much as this displeased Tenzin, he could not help but agree. When it came to her patients, his mother was aggressive. Anyone that got in the way of their recovery had to answer straight to her. The thought was unpleasant.

After a few minutes of hearing only shuffling and muffled voices on the other side of the line, Katara picked up the receiver. "Please tell me you've managed to figure this out."

"Not really," Tenzin said. "But we are almost positive that whoever did this had an inside source in the force."

"Wow," Katara said. "How are you doing?"

"Please stop stalling mom. May I talk to Lin or not?"

There was a pause as Katara contemplated her answer. "Not right now."

"Why?" Tenzin groaned.

"I'm sorry Tenzin, I am," Katara said sympathetically. "But right now she's sleeping. Her fever has reduced and we've managed to get her to eat an entire bowl of soup. I don't want to push her. I know you understand. You love Lin and want her to recover fully. Talk to her when you get home tonight or call me in a few hours and I will update you."

This was fair. After all, Tenzin wanted nothing more than for Lin to fully regain her strength. The sight of her helplessly lying in bed, face red with fever, was enough to send Tenzin into a state of misery. He could bare a few more minutes away from Lin if that is what it took for her to recover fully.

Besides, a small part of Tenzin did not merely want to hear Lin on the phone. Sure, he was desperately missing her voice, but even more than that he was missing… her. If he talked to her, there was a chance that the deep emptiness her sickness had caused would manifest and he would become even more distracted. All he would want would be to go home and personally take care of Lin himself.

No, it was much better that he wait until his business at the police station was tended too, he reasoned after much debate.

"Fine," Tenzin said. "But will you let her know that we are trying to figure this out? I don't want her to know any details, though. Knowing Lin, she would be way too tempted to try and help us and that's the last thing she needs. She needs to focus and take care of herself. She only has one body and she works it too hard."

"You have no idea," Katara muttered.

Luckily, Tenzin did not hear her and continued to update his mother on the events of the day. After he had caught her up, she swallowed. "Well, there is nothing more for us to talk about and I'm beginning to waste your time. Go help your father. Take care of each other. We don't need an entire nation getting in trouble over Lin."

"When you put it that way, it's utterly romantic, don't you think?" Tenzin said, a small smile on his face.

"Yes, at least until you clarify that there are only two members of such nation. Now good luck, be safe, be smart and send your father my love."

With that, Katara hung up, leaving Tenzin alone in Ki's office.

Tenzin liked to believe that he was a good person. He followed the guidelines of the Airbenders without question. As a youth, he was a serious student. He helped run the council with loyalty, honesty and perseverance. He was a made of few vices.

Curiosity was one of those few.

As he sat there waiting for Su and Aang to return, he looked around Ki's office. It was slightly smaller than Lin's and far less clean. Unlike Lin whose office was clean, minimalist and overly organized, Ki's was cluttered. Along with his main desk, he had an additional table along one wall. The surfaces of both of these were covered in files and files. Loose papers were everywhere. The four large filing cabinets that lined the walls were unorganized and scattered. There were so many places and things to sift through and after five more minutes, Tenzin began to look through the papers.

The vast majority of papers all along Ki's desk and side table were various police reports and files. In one drawer, Tenzin found a stack of newspapers that dated back to early the year before. Clearly Lin had valued Ki more for his leadership than his cleanliness. Other drawers were filled with receipts from local food places. It was messy, so absolutely messy. In fact, Tenzin could not fathom how Lin would possibly let one of her closest subordinates operate from an office of this state.

Unless…

Unless the current state of disarray had appeared within the past few days. Lin would not have been here to scold him for his organization, which would have allowed him to do as he pleased.

Tenzin's mind immediately thought of another alternative to this mess.

It was the perfect place to hide something.