by L M Krier
Jezza had to stick frustratingly to the speed limits, with the boss in the passenger seat, although it was clear that she was itching to go faster on their way to the hospital.
The ambulance got there ahead of them and by the time Jezza had found a parking space, a long walk from A&E, Maurice was out of the ambulance and being seen to. Fiona proved a valuable ally as she was able to get information for them without too much of a problem.
'They're taking him straight to theatre,' she told the three of them. 'It looks as if the knife may have ruptured his spleen. He's lost a lot of blood, and is bleeding internally from the spleen and probably from one or more other sites. They won't know the full extent of the damage until they get him on the table.
'I know this is easy to say, but please try not to worry. He's in the best possible place. They will take good care of him. Perhaps one of you could give his details to reception, then I'll show you a quiet place where you can wait for news. I should warn you that it might be a long wait. They need to do their job.'
Steve and Jezza sat down close together, Jezza in her familiar slouching posture. Her legs were stuck out in front of her, her arms folded protectively across her chest. Next to her, Steve sat bolt upright, looking acutely uncomfortable but poised for action. Ted sat on the end of the row of chairs next to them, fervently wishing he could think of something useful to say to reassure them, other than meaningless platitudes.
They sat in silence for some time, anxiously waiting for news, any news. Then Jezza's mobile phone shattered the stillness. She answered the call, listened, then said, 'Put him on, please. Let me speak to him.'
Then, keeping her tone as calm and reasonable as she could, 'Tommy? Tom? Listen to me, please. I'm at the hospital with Maurice because he's been hurt. I can't come home just yet, I have to stay with him to make sure that he's going to be all right.
'No, Steve can't come either because he wants to be here too. Tommy, please listen and try to understand. I need you to understand. I can't come just yet, Tom. I can't. But you won't be on your own. It's Julie with you this evening, isn't it, and you like Julie. I'm going to ask her to stay with you a bit longer, just until I can get home. Please, Tom. I need your help with this. Can you do that for me? And for Maurice?'
She listened a bit more, then said patiently, 'No, Tom, you can't talk to Maurice now because he's very poorly. But listen, I'll be home as soon as I possibly can, and I promise to tell you everything then. Can you please put Julie back on the phone for me now? Good boy, Tommy, thank you.'
It was never easy for Jezza, dealing with an autistic younger brother who lived with her since the death of both of their parents in a car accident. The slightest change in his normal routine could send him into meltdown. Both Maurice and Steve had become vital helpers and stabilising factors in his life, often helping to look after him when Jezza had to work. Luckily the paid child-minder was going to be able to stay on a bit longer, to cover Jezza's unexpected late arrival home. Jezza just hoped that, whatever the news was going to be, they would get it soon.
All three were surprised when the Ice Queen came striding along the corridor towards them. They were all too tense to even think of standing up, though Steve did move to sit on the other side of Jezza, to allow her to sit next to Ted. She had clearly come straight from work and was still in uniform.
'Any news yet?' she asked anxiously as she sat down.
Ted shook his head, feeling too weary for any kind of formalities.
'He's still in theatre. They think he may have a damaged spleen. He's lost a lot of blood. Luckily the attacker's intended target was a nurse, who helped to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived.'
The Ice Queen picked up her bag, took out her wallet and got out a banknote, which she handed to Jezza.
'DC Vine, would you please go and get us all some sort of a hot drink? Perhaps you could both go, to share the carrying?'
It was clearly an instruction for Jezza and Steve to make themselves scarce while she talked to Ted. They both got to their feet, Jezza pocketing the note.
'What do you want, boss?'
'Get me a hot chocolate,' Ted told her. 'It's Maurice's cure for everything. It's what he would suggest.'
'Ma'am?'
'That sounds perfect, I'll have one, too.'
As the two of them walked away down the corridor, she turned to Ted.
'You and I will need to get together first thing in the morning. I'll need your full report on everything that happened. But I think, whatever the outcome, that can wait until tomorrow. What I do need to know from you now, though, is, did DC Brown ignore instructions and procedure and attempt to engage the attacker, without back-up in place?'
'Absolutely not,' Ted said emphatically. 'We were led to believe the suspect had left the premises. We were going in to look at CCTV tapes. The attacker was, in fact, running away when we arrived. He just ran straight into Maurice and stabbed him. And with respect, there was no back-up to be had. We were on our own there.'
The Ice Queen sighed. 'I know, and I'm sorry. And to make matters worse, the call which took all units out was largely a waste of time and valuable resources. No hostages, no terrorism, just a couple of young teens, trying to get a bit of money from a newsagent. One unit could have dealt effectively with the whole thing. Why do people do that, waste our time like that? Then they complain when we don't have enough available units to send to genuine cases.'
At that moment, Ted's mobile rang. He excused himself to take the call.
'Sergeant Wheeler, at the station, sir. Bad news about your car, I'm afraid. A couple of our lads were keeping an eye out and spotted it, on a patch of waste ground, but it had already been torched. Because they knew it was your car, they got the fire brigade out as soon as they could, but I'm afraid it was beyond saving. Sorry, sir.'
Ted thanked him and rang off with a groan. It was lucky he'd kept his coat on for the short drive from the station to the supermarket. The heater on the little Renault would not have made much of an impression over the distance. It did at least mean he had his tablets in the pocket, and the Fisherman's Friend lozenges he liked to suck in times of stress. His briefcase was safely back at the office, so he had only lost the car.
The worst of it was, he knew he was not going to be able to claim anything on his insurance. He'd been negligent in leaving the car open and the keys still in the ignition. Despite the emergency situation, he wouldn't be able to make a claim. Two thousand quid down the drain and he was once again without wheels.
'Bad news?' the Ice Queen asked him, looking astutely at his expression.
'That was the station. My car got nicked while I was following the suspect. They've found it, burnt out, and I'm not going to be able to claim. I left it open, with the keys in,' he sighed.
'I'm very sorry to hear that,' she said, and sounded as if she meant it.
Steve and Jezza reappeared with their drinks. Ted got his pills out of his pocket and took them. He needed all the help he could get to stay calm and deal with whatever the news was.
'Has anyone informed DC Brown's next of kin? He's not married, is he?' the Ice Queen asked.
'Not on good terms with the ex-wife, although he still sees his daughters regularly,' Jezza told her. 'Me and Steve are probably as close as he has to family, apart from the twins.'
They sipped their drinks in silence. Ted noticed that everyone had opted for hot chocolate, a token of acknowledgement to a valued colleague and friend, fighting for his life.
'How long's he been in theatre now?' the Ice Queen asked.
Ted checked his watch. 'Just over an hour. It seems like forever. They did warn us it might take some time.'
Ted finished his drink and found a quiet corner so he could phone Trev.
'Hi, it's me,' he began, as he always did, despite Trev assuring him countless times that he had a ringtone to recognise each incoming caller, as well as the name being displayed on screen. He quickly filled Trev in on what had happened to
Maurice. 'I've no idea how long I'll be. We're still waiting on any news. The Ice Queen is here, too, showing support.'
'Do you want me to come? Maybe bring you something to eat, and some green tea?' Trev offered.
'That's kind, thanks, but no. I couldn't eat anything. Oh, and my car was nicked and torched. I'll tell you more about that when I see you.'
'Let me know when you're ready to leave and I'll come and pick you up.'
'Don't worry, I'll catch a lift back, or I might even walk. Depending on what the news is like, I might want to walk a bit. I'd better get back. We must surely hear something soon.'
Ted went back to join the others and they sat in the same taut, brittle silence, looking up hopefully any time a member of the medical staff came near.
After what seemed like an eternity, a woman came walking towards them, pulling her scrub hat off and shaking free her springy, short, auburn curls.
'You're here for Maurice Brown? Are you next of kin? I'm Ms Taylor, his surgeon. I've been operating on him.'
Three warrant cards appeared in three hands as they all stood up as one. The Ice Queen, in full uniform, had no need to identify herself. She spoke on behalf of all of them.
'DC Brown is a colleague and is also now the subject of a police investigation. Can you please give us an update on his condition?'
Out of the corner of his eye, Ted could see that Jezza and Steve had their hands locked together, white knuckled with tension. He was astonished when the Ice Queen took hold of his hand and squeezed it gently, waiting for the news. He was not sure if she was trying to reassure him or seeking his comfort for herself. After a brief hesitation, he squeezed hers back in response.
'Well, he gave us quite a worrying few moments in there. We had to remove his spleen, which was damaged beyond repair, and see to other sites of bleeding. But I'm happy to be able to tell you that he is going to be fine. We've got him sedated for now so you won't be able to see him until tomorrow.
'Depending on his progress, he will be in hospital for a week or so, then will need to rest and recuperate. But you should hopefully be able to have him back within two months.'
Ted was not sure who actually initiated the group hug. He was just amazed to find the four of them locked in a brief embrace of total relief. Maurice was going to be all right, and that was all that mattered at the moment.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Ted declined lifts from both Jezza and the Ice Queen. He wanted to walk back, to help clear his head and hopefully leave behind him some of the images of the day. It wouldn't take him long to get home on foot. He sent a quick text to Trev as he set off, to let him know when he'd be there.
He felt the sort of extreme fatigue that follows a prolonged period of stress. His adrenaline levels had been through the roof for the past three hours or so. Now he felt totally exhausted. The relief at knowing Maurice was going to be all right had left him feeling weak and wobbly. A brisk walk in the chilly night air was just what he needed.
He had barely left the hospital premises before his mobile phone rang and the caller display showed him that it was the local reporter.
'Yes, Alastair, what can I do for you?' he asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.
'Is it true that a copper's been stabbed this evening? One of your lot?' Pocket Billiards asked, without preamble.
'You know I can't tell you anything about that.'
'But just off the record, Ted? Can you at least confirm that it happened?'
'On or off the record, there's nothing I can tell you at this stage,' Ted repeated patiently. 'There will be an official statement issued, if there's anything for you. The best I can possibly do is to promise to let you have it before anyone else gets it.'
The journalist was still grumbling when Ted ended the call. He understood he was only doing his job, but making a sensational piece out of the near death of an officer was not something he liked to think about.
His walk home took him past the end of the quiet road where Kenny Norman's sister lived. As he reached the junction, a police car was just pulling up to give way to traffic. Recognising the two officers in the car, Ted nodded to them and the constable in the passenger seat let his window down to greet him.
'Evening, sir. Are you on foot? Can we give you a lift somewhere?'
'It's fine, thanks, I need the walk to clear my head. I'm just on my way back from the hospital.'
'Yes, we heard about Maurice. How's he doing?'
'Hopefully going to be all right. He's had a long operation but he seems to be out of danger now. What brings you round here?'
'We were called out to a sudden death, sir. According to the ambulance crew, though, it looks like natural causes. An elderly lady, collapsed in her back garden. Her neighbour saw her lying there and dialled 999. She's been taken away now. We've just been getting a statement from the neighbour.
'She said she spotted her as she was closing the back bedroom curtains. She was lying in the garden. The neighbour thinks she'd been feeding the birds when she collapsed. It seems she had a bad heart. She was on medication for it. The paramedics said it was probably a heart attack.'
Ted looked down the road as he asked, 'What was the name?'
'A Miss Norman, sir. She lived on her own, according to the neighbour. Are you sure we can't drop you off somewhere?'
Ted thanked them but refused again. Now more than ever he felt in need of a walk in the cool night air. Hearing of the woman's death affected him more than he expected as he continued on his way home. He kept thinking of the sight of three lonely Christmas cards sitting on her mantelpiece. He just hoped her death had been quick and that she had not suffered.
As soon as he heard his key in the door, Trev appeared in the hallway and, without a word, wrapped his arms around his partner and simply held him. It was just what Ted needed, after the day he had had. It was moments like this which made him realise just how lucky he was with his relationship.
'So, Maurice is going to be all right?' Trev asked, steering Ted towards the kitchen, where they both sat down at the table, immediately invaded by six purring cats.
'Hopefully, although he clearly has a long road to recovery ahead of him. I thought he was a goner at one point, I must say. And I just found out by chance, on the walk home, that someone else I was talking to recently has died. Not one for the team, it looks like natural causes. But sad all the same. An elderly lady living on her own, who'd been through more in her life than she should have.'
'Do you want food? There's some shepherd's pie. I can heat it up for you? I've not eaten much, I thought I'd wait until you got back, keep you company.' He got up and busied himself, preparing their food. 'Tell me about the car.'
Ted sighed. 'I was parking when I saw Maurice go down. I just jumped out and ran. Didn't lock the car, didn't even close the doors. So I'm not going to be able to claim a penny from the insurance. I'll have to phone the garage tomorrow and see if they can find me something else cheap and cheerful.'
'We'll get through it. Like you said, we'll just have to tighten our belts a bit more. No more expensive wine and red roses. Now eat something, or economy won't be the only reason you'll need to tighten your belt.'
Both Ted and the Ice Queen were in early the following morning for their debriefing on the events of the evening before. Even though it was a Saturday, all the team members were in voluntarily, all anxious to make progress on what had now become an even more intensely personal case.
'Any news on DC Brown this morning?' she asked first, as she set her coffee machine in motion.
'I phoned first thing but they wouldn't tell me very much, as usual,' Ted replied, not bothering with formalities. Having held her hand and shared a hug the night before, he decided he could take the liberty, with just the two of them in her office. 'All they would tell me was that he's passed a comfortable night, which sounds unlikely, and that it's still an assault case, not a murder. I'll try and get in to see him later on, find out how he's doi
ng.'
'Do please pass on my best wishes to him. It was a terrible business. I'm going to need your report on the incident as soon as humanly possible, if not before,' she said, trying to make a light-hearted remark to ease the tension. Ted wondered fleetingly if she was still feeling the effects of the rare moment they had shared the night before.
'As you can imagine, I'm going to have to make a report to the next level. I need to make absolutely certain there were no breaches of procedure which need addressing, before I do so.'
'Perhaps you can ask why we were so short on available units that Maurice and I were on our own there, despite repeatedly calling for back-up.'
She sighed as she served the coffee. 'I do raise it, repeatedly, and the response is always the same. Budgetary constraints. We have to make do with what we have, and continue to work miracles.'
'I had the local press on, too, last night, wanting a statement. I promised to let Pocket Billiards know first, as soon as we had anything.'
'I'll have a word with the Press Office first thing and get something out as soon as possible.'
'We also need to consider what we're going to do next. This man is highly dangerous and so far, we're not having much luck catching him. We do have his mobile phone number, though. At least, just a pay as you go one, so we can't trace it to him. We know he drives for hire, so what if we set up a meeting with him, supposedly to put some work his way?'
'A sting operation? That would have to be cleared at the highest level and it's not something which can be mounted in a hurry. The paperwork alone is not quick.'
'But we have to do something, before he goes on to kill again,' Ted said earnestly. 'I saw him in action yesterday. He's cold and calculating, clearly highly trained, and prepared to stop at nothing. We've now got a murder, an attempted murder and four rapes down to him on our patch alone. Surely it's time to take drastic measures?'
'Give me a written proposal and I will certainly take it forward,' she told him. 'With my full backing, as long as it stacks up on paper. So now that I need two reports from you as soon as possible, I'd better allow you to go and get on with them.'