Gina tapped the light switch and the strip lights flickered in her office until they settled. The dank air still smelled of the takeaway burger she’d eaten earlier that afternoon. She shivered as she pushed the window open to allow the odour to escape. Her in tray was precariously balanced on the edge of her desk, and she slid it back into place, perfectly angled in the corner. She stared at it, then shook her head and shoved it askew again.

‘Whoa. It’s rank in here,’ DS Driscoll said as he wafted his hand in front of his nose.

‘About which I make no apologies,’ Gina replied. ‘Tell me what we have.’

‘We have a few things, guv. DCs O’Connor and Wyre will be assisting with anything we need on the case. They’re just pulling up some seats in the main office. We can update everyone at the same time. DCI Briggs called and he’s at home, awaiting the press report.’

‘I’ll be there in a moment,’ Gina replied as she slid her damp coat off and hung it on the back of the chair. Jacob smiled and left.

She turned to face the window and stared into the darkness of the station car park. The guttering above spilled over and flooded into a pool below. Budgets and cuts were the cause, she knew it. The guttering was nothing more than a growbag for moss, a gatherer of dried twigs from the tree that grew alongside the wall.

She grabbed a grey suit jacket from the back of the door and pulled it on before entering the bustle of the station.

Detective Constable Harry O’Connor passed around a packet of chocolate biscuits. ‘Just maintaining my energy for my big bike ride,’ he said as he patted his belly.

Gina grabbed one and bit into it. ‘Bike ride?’

‘It’s a charity thing. I’ll message you the details. Maybe you can sponsor me?’

Four machine-made coffees sat on a tray in the middle of a paperwork-covered desk. ‘O’Connor, the biscuits are lovely but I have to insist that you keep the case files in order,’ Gina said. She couldn’t understand how he managed to work in such chaos. Some of the reports had even fallen to the floor and cruddy plates and cups covered the surface. She knew her office could get messy but O’Connor’s desk was in a state. Even his mini Christmas tree was threatening to throw itself to its death from the edge of the desk.

O’Connor fumbled for the reports with his chubby fingers and placed them in a folder, his shiny head reflecting the strip light above. ‘All sorted, ma’am,’ he said, as he grabbed a coffee before sitting on the edge of his desk, knocking the mini tree flying.

Gina cleared her throat and began. ‘Right. I’ll give you what I know so far. A baby girl was found by a Mr Albert Thomas after he left the Angel pub at approximately seven thirty this evening. He stopped by Cleevesford Library and spotted the bundle. Thinking it was litter, he went to pick it up to place it in the bin, whereupon he discovered it was a baby. In an attempt to get some help, he banged on a couple of doors before Mrs Craneford opened her door and let him in. We were called and the baby was taken to the Cleevesford General Hospital by paramedics. DS Driscoll smelled diesel on the towel the baby was wrapped in. The towel has gone to the lab for testing so hopefully we’ll get that confirmed.’ Gina bit into another biscuit and grabbed a coffee.

‘Alan Cummings, council security, confirmed that the CCTV on the library hasn’t been active for way over a year,’ said Jacob. ‘PC Smith had a walk around and couldn’t see any further CCTV cameras amongst the residential roads. There appears, at first enquiry, to be no witnesses either, but we are hoping for callbacks and we will continue to canvass the area.’

Gina wiped a crumb from the side of her mouth before taking a swig of coffee. ‘So we don’t really have a lot to go on as yet. Did you follow up at the hospital?’ she asked, looking at Wyre.

‘I did. I spoke to the consultant in charge, ma’am, a Dr Nowak,’ replied DC Paula Wyre in her usual soft tone. The petite woman cleared her throat and took a step forward, brushing her straight black hair off her shoulders. O’Connor held the packet of biscuits under her nose. ‘No, thank you,’ she replied before clearing her throat once again. ‘The five-pound female baby has mild hypothermia. Their initial assessment tells them she’s premature. She’d been fed within a couple of hours as she brought up a lot of milk on the way to the hospital. She is currently being hydrated and nourished through a nasal tube. They estimate her to be no more than a day old. The cord had been clumsily cut, definitely not by anyone who knew what they were doing.’ Wyre took a step back and nodded.

‘Thank you,’ said Gina. ‘What does that tell us, O’Connor?’

‘It tells us someone—’ O’Connor began to cough as he tried to dislodge a rogue crumb from his windpipe. Gina shook her head as he took a gulp of coffee.

‘It tells us,’ she said, ‘that we have a distressed parent out there. The fact that the mother and/or father kept her for a few hours says that there was some hesitancy. Did she consider keeping the baby? She must’ve fed the baby quite well before they parted.’ Gina stared as O’Connor continued to cough and splutter. ‘I can’t think with this racket going on.’ Rain bounced off the roof and she heard a distant rumble of thunder.

‘Sorry, ma’am. It’s all gone now,’ he said, and he clapped his hands and jumped off the desk, landing with a thud on the tiled floor. Gina flinched as a roll of thunder vibrated through the building. Her hammering heart almost made her gasp.

‘Are you alright, ma’am?’ Jacob asked.

She forced a smile and looked up. ‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she said, as she undid the top button of her shirt and stepped backwards towards her office. ‘Driscoll, chase up forensics on the items that were bagged – we need those analysed, see if they can tell us something. Wyre, I’ll pass the press release over to DCI Briggs when I’m done. Can you monitor the responses? I’m sure we’ll get a fair few. We need to continue with the door-to-doors, see what PC Smith comes back with. O’Connor, when you’ve tidied those biscuits away, investigate whether there’s any CCTV at any of the establishments along the high street? Try the chip shop. I doubt the person who left the baby would’ve gone that way as it’s so public, but you just never know,’ Gina said as she continued along the corridor and closed her office door.

She walked towards the window and shivered as the wind howled through the room. A line of water had gathered under the open window. The blinds rattled as the breeze whipped up. She pulled the window closed, fell into her chair and took a deep breath. Thunder clashed and the lights dipped then flickered. The combination of thunder and seeing the helpless baby had dug up her memories. Memories she’d rather forget.

Twenty years ago, it had been a thundery night, just like this. Her own child, Hannah, then only two years old, had been screaming. In darkness and half asleep she’d staggered from her bedroom to comfort her. As the toddler’s wailing continued, she’d hurried along the landing before colliding with her drunk husband, Terry, at the top of the stairs. Just like back then, her heart quickened and the walls seemed to be closing in, showing no mercy. She wanted to fall to the floor and curl up in a ball, closing her eyes until it was all over and she could breathe again.

---

There was a knock at the door, bringing her back into the moment. Jacob entered. She turned and took a few deep breaths as she wiped her watery eyes and massaged her throbbing head

‘The items have arrived at the lab. They’ll let us know when they have something for us,’ said Jacob. ‘Are you sure you’re alright, guv? You look a bit pale.’

‘I’m fine. Just a headache.’ She shook her head. ‘I think I’m coming down with a cold or something. Anyway, enough of me. We have a baby’s mother to find. The poor woman is probably feeling a lot worse than I am.’

‘Let’s hope the public don’t scare her away. There will be slagging off galore in the Facebook comments and Twitter feeds in the morning. Are you sure you’re alright? Is there anything I can get you?’

‘Bloody Facebook. Full of sanctimonious trolls. I’d love another coffee if you’re getting one, and then we can go over the case together. I’ll email DCI Briggs while you’re gone.’

‘On it like the proverbial car bonnet. Whoever came up with that pile of nonsense?’ Driscoll replied, tucking a section of overhanging shirt into his trousers as he left to get the drinks.

A combination of finding the baby, a thick head and the stormy weather had turned her into a wreck. She inhaled and exhaled slowly before straightening her jacket. She turned on her computer. Time to start writing the press release to send to Briggs. It needed to be done quickly if it were to make the morning news programmes. As she’d reminded Driscoll, they had a baby’s mother to find. Thunder clashed once again. She inhaled slowly and exhaled. She was in control. Nothing a good night’s sleep wouldn’t fix.