‘So, who was texting you last night?’ Bryant asked as they pulled off the station car park.

‘None of your business, Dad,’ she said.

‘Which would be true if you had any kind of personal life, but as you don’t, I’m guessing it was work related and I’d just like to be kept in the loop.’

He had a point.

‘Travis checking up on Penn.’

‘Nice of him. Did you explain to him that you’ve covered your eyes and put your fingers in your ears until the kid goes away?’

‘I can manage until this case is over,’ she stated.

‘And then he’ll be gone?’

‘Yep.’

‘You’re sure?’ Bryant pushed.

‘Oh yeah,’ she insisted.

‘And what about the next?’ he asked, negotiating a traffic island.

‘Next what?’

‘Replacement,’ he answered. ‘Woody is not gonna let us stay as a team of three for long.’

She shrugged. ‘Cross that bridge when we come to it,’ she said.

‘Yeah but maybe we should just give it a go,’ he said.

‘You think we should keep Penn?’ she asked, horrified. The name Judas hovered around her lips.

‘I’m saying the fact he is so different to Dawson may be a good thing.’

‘Bryant, you stopping talking would be a great idea right now.’

‘Look, guv, I’m just—’

‘I mean it,’ she snapped.

Bryant blew air out of his nose but, sensibly, closed his mouth and remained that way until he parked on the hospital car park.

‘Okay, I won’t mention it again,’ he said. ‘Your team is your call.’

‘Too fucking right it is,’ she said, slamming the car door.

---

As she headed towards the entrance she tried to analyse her growing rage towards her colleague. Bryant had always pushed her harder and farther than anyone else but he always showed correct judgement in stopping short of her tolerance limit. But right now either his judgement or her tolerance was broken and she wasn’t quite sure which.

‘Reckon she’s in yet?’ Bryant asked, as they strolled past the café and the smell of toast and bacon.

‘Of course,’ she replied, shortly, still swallowing down her irritation.

She was surprised that Terry wasn’t perched at his usual spot but then she supposed it wasn’t even eight yet.

Despite the early hour Kim felt sure Vanessa Wilson would be at her desk. They had established the woman didn’t work normal hours and had left early the previous day due to a sick child, and Kim was guessing that fact would have ensured she was at her desk all the earlier the next day. Vanessa Wilson had not managed to secure the role of Operational Medical Director at the age of thirty-five by working eight-hour days.

As expected the door to the admin block opened when she pushed.

Three doors down she knocked and received an immediate instruction to enter.

Kim pushed open the door and paused.

Yes, she had expected to see Vanessa Wilson sitting at her desk bright and early. What she hadn’t expected was to see a small person sitting on a mat surrounded by toys on the floor.

‘My daughter, Mia,’ Vanessa explained, looking over the top of the desk. ‘Can’t go to school, childminder won’t take her because she’s ill, my mum’s busy and my husband is away until Saturday.’

Kim smiled down at the little girl who was looking up at them questioningly.

‘Hi, Mia,’ she said, giving her a little wave.

‘My Little Pony,’ she said, holding forward a plastic pony with a long purple mane.

‘Oh, that’s lovely,’ Kim said, exhausting the limits of her ability to communicate with children.

Bryant stepped forward and bent down to the child’s level.

‘You don’t have children, then, Inspector?’ Vanessa asked, with a smile in her voice.

‘That obvious?’ Kim asked, taking a seat opposite the woman.

‘It’s a learned behaviour,’ Vanessa said. ‘Well, it certainly was for me. When I first had Mia I couldn’t understand why my sound reasoning at 2 a.m. about the fact she was crying for no reason had no effect on her at all. I could sit in a room with medical personnel, lawyers and government officials and get my point across and yet one tiny human destroyed my entire self-image.’

‘And did it work the other way?’ Kim asked as Bryant’s pony noises elicited squeals of delight from the little girl.

How the hell did he do that? she wondered, finally forgiving him their earlier altercation.

‘You mean did I try and spoon-feed my colleagues while making “choo choo” noises once I returned from maternity leave?’

‘Something like that,’ Kim said.

‘Not quite that bad but I did clap excitedly after one of my colleagues burped during a lunch meeting if that’s what you mean.’

Kim couldn’t help the smile that teased at her lips.

‘So, my security brief tells me you were trying to bang down my door after I’d left last night. What was so urgent?’

‘I needed to speak to you about a surgical nurse here at the hospital,’ Kim answered.

Vanessa reached into her drawer and took out a business card. ‘All my numbers are on there in case it happens again.’

Kim took it. ‘Her name is Mansell. Her mother was murdered at Cedars Retirement Home yesterday afternoon.’

‘Oh my god, how absolutely terrible. Does Nat know?’

Kim shrugged. ‘The address they have at the retirement home is an old one, and her phone keeps ringing out.’

‘Oh no, let me get you everything you need,’ she said, reaching for the phone.

‘Before you do, Mrs Wilson…’

‘Vanessa, please,’ she said. ‘Over this last week I’ve seen more of you than I have my husband.’

‘Vanessa, is there any link between Natalie Mansell and Doctor Gordon Cordell?’

As the colour began to leave her face Vanessa nodded.

‘Yes, Inspector. She was a witness for Doctor Cordell in his complaint against Angelo Mancini.’