Turned (19 page)

“We have to make this fast.”

Dane nodded. “How do I know you're not wired and the cops aren't listening in?”

“How do I know you're not a cop,” the other man replied.

Dane scowled. “I have no time for cops.” He spread his arms. “But if you want to check.”

He stood still while they patted him down. Then he watched as they did the same checks on Nate.

“OK, we're clean, now it's your turn.” He patted down the other two men and then nodded. “Now, can we talk business?”

“How did you hear about me?” The tall man with a ponytail spoke.

“My supplier got nicked. I looked around. Your name came up. Apparently you're one of the best. Your stuff is as good as it comes.”

“How much are we talking here?”

“That depends how much and how fast. I have customers waiting and that is bad for business.”

“I can let you have two kilos, pure with added kick. It comes in pill form and can be made to your own specifications. Street value, double or treble what you pay me. It can be ready day after tomorrow.”

“So what's in it for you?” Dane asked.

“You won't need another supplier. And I establish myself down south. It's a win-win situation.”

“I'll need a sample.”

The man nodded. “Five hundred. For ten pills.”

Dane baulked. “That's too much. Forget it.” He turned to Nate. “Let's go.”

“Wait.” The man stood in front of him. “Four hundred, no less.”

Dane handed over the cash and pocketed the plastic bag of pills. “I'll be in touch.” He turned his attention back to his coffee, signifying the meeting was over. He raised his cup and sipped slowly, watching the waves pound onto the beach.

The two men left.

Dane didn't say anything until he could no longer see them. “So that's Saunders.”

“Well, the brother. Rumor has it, the older one has the entire town in his pocket, along with being the mayor. Cops, judges, the works.”

“This isn't Chicago and he's not Al Capone. That just doesn't happen here.” Dane finished his coffee and crumpled the cup in his hand.

“Like you said, there's no smoke without fire.”

“Yeah, well. Should head back home, get this to the lab.” He stood.

“And if it matches?” Nate finished his coffee, putting the cup in the bin.

“Let the others take the glory and celebrate taking one more bad guy off the streets.”

Nate nodded his agreement. “I'd drink to that, only the coffee's gone. Do you mind if we call in on the Malone's on the way? I'd like to give Ray my congrats on the baby.”

“Sure. I also need to present shop.” He began walking to where the car was parked.

“You should have done it yesterday.”

“Oh, I got the girls' ones,” Dane said. He winked. “There's one more to get.”

Nate laughed. “Come on, we can get it on the way.”

 



 

Amy picked up Vicky from school and then walked to the secondary school to collect Jodie.

Jodie cringed when she saw her. “Oh, please. I walk myself home.”

“Not tonight,” Amy said firmly.

Jodie shoved her hands into her blazer pockets. “This is so embarrassing. No one else's mother picks them up. I'm in year eight now.”

“Yeah, well, I'm not your mother.”

“Or their nanny.”

Amy refused to give in. “Come on. Sooner you stop arguing, the sooner we're home.”

Vicky tugged at her and signed. “Can we go to the park?”

“Not tonight, we're going straight home.”

She signed again.

Amy shook her head. “I didn't catch any of that.”

“Is Daddy coming home tonight?” Jodie translated.

“I don't think so. It's more likely to be tomorrow rather than tonight now. Or if it is tonight it'll be long after you're in bed and asleep.”

Jodie groaned. She pulled out her phone and dialed. “Dad? Yeah, Amy's being mean. She's picking me up from school like a baby, and she won't take us to the park tonight.”

Amy raised an eyebrow and shook her head as she walked.

Jodie's tone became indignant. “No, I'm not acting like a baby. When are you coming home?” She paused. “Oh.” She thrust the phone at Amy. “He wants to talk to you.”

Amy took a deep breath. “Hello.”

“Hey Amy.” Dane's voice thrilled her, making her hair stand on end. Almost as if he were caressing her. “How are you?”

“I'm fine. Aside from being an ogre tonight, apparently. I might have to change my name to the green cross woman.”

“So I gather. And the name change sounds good. She'll live.”

“I hope so. They miss you.”

“I miss them. Should be back tomorrow, just got a couple more things to do up here. Might even drive back tonight, we'll have to see how it goes. I got to go. Give Vicky my love—” There was a squeal of brakes and the line went dead.

Vicky held out her hand, her face falling as Amy gave the phone back to Jodie.

“He got cut off. He did send his love though. Said he'll be back either late tonight or tomorrow during the day. We should go home, it's getting dark.”

“Not for an hour yet.” Jodie pouted.

Amy dropped it and changed the subject. This was by far the best way to deal with Jodie at times. What she'd do when Jodie figured that one out, she wasn't sure. But for now the plan worked every time. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Pizza.”

“Want to help make it?”

Both girls nodded.

“OK. Come on then.”

 



 

Dane slowly pushed himself up from the dash. His chest hurt where he'd been thrown into the seatbelt as Nate had performed an emergency stop to avoid hitting the car that suddenly stopped in front of them.

“Are you OK?” Nate asked.

Dane nodded, mentally doing a once over. “I'm fine. What about you?”

“Fine.”

“Uh oh, trouble.” Dane nodded as a man leapt from the car and rushed towards a woman pushing a pram.

The man pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed at the woman, yelling at her to move away from the pram. The woman shook her head, holding the pram tightly.

The man grabbed her arm, pulling at her.

Nate looked out of the window. “So, do we dial 9-9-9 and call it in or go be heroes? Bear in mind he's armed and we're not.”

“We go be heroes, of course. Silly question.” Dane grinned. “Call it in after.”

He opened the car door and stepped out. “Everything all right?” he asked, walking carefully over to the gunman.

“Don't move.” The gunman pointed the gun at him. “Just leave. This doesn't concern you.”

Dane nodded to the woman. She looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen her before. “And it does her? Just let her go.”

The gunman pointed the gun at the woman's head. “I said leave. She and I have unfinished business.” He broke the woman's hold on the pram and dragged her with him towards the car.

The woman screamed, reaching for the pram, heedless for her own safety. “Not my baby! Sara!”

Dane didn't back down, aware of Nate circling around behind the gunman. He grabbed the pram, pulling it safely behind him. “Then why don't you just sit down and talk about it. Hurting her isn't going to accomplish anything other than you getting into trouble. You let the baby go, now let her go and we can sort this out.”

The man pushed the woman into the car. “I said back off. It's none of your business.”

Nate moved in fast to disarm him, but the man fired first.

Pain shot through Dane's shoulder, and he fell against the car, clutching it. Stars danced before his eyes, and he glanced down. Blood seeped through his fingers.

Salt stung his eyes.

His knees buckled.

A car drove away at full speed.

A voice echoed his name. “Dane… Dane…You stay with me, mate…Help's on the way, just stay with me…”

Faces swam in front of him, slowly at first, then faster, almost on a carousel.

Jas…Jodie…Vicky…Nate…Amy…

Everything went black.

 

 

 

 

14

 

Dane sat on the bed in the ED and looked at Nate. “How much longer do we have to sit here?”

“I have no idea. Until the doc says you're good to go, we have to stay put. I really am sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. If I got a quid for every time you've done that in the last hour or so, I'd be able to retire.”

“Sorry.”

“Stop it. You did what you had to do.”

“And got you shot.” Nate looked down at his hands. “He got away and took the woman with him. At least the baby's safe. Baby's fine, by the way. She's up on the children's ward until the local boys trace her father.”

“And you saw the number of the car and descriptions of all of them. He won't get far. And being hurt in the line of duty happens.”

“I got you shot. I'm sorry, I feel horrible.”

“You feel horrible?” Dane rolled his eyes. “You'll feel even worse when I start charging you for apologizing. Did you pull the trigger? No. Therefore it's not your fault.”

“But—”

“Nate,” he said, totally exasperated now. “Enough. No buts. I'm going to be fine. ‘Sides, you owed me.”

“Huh?”

“I punched you the other week and laid you out in the car park. Remember, you told me to count my blessings, so I said one and decked you. Then you made that stupid comment about at least I didn't do it in front of the Guv.”

“Oh, that.”

“Yeah, that. So call it quits and forget about it. I'm sorry we didn't get to see your friend.”

“I'll ring him later.”

The curtain opened. “Can't you two stay out of trouble for five minutes?”

Dane looked up. That wasn't who he was expecting to see. “Guv?”

DI Welsh smiled slightly. “In the flesh. How are you doing?”

“Sore, but I'll live. It missed anything vital and went straight through. How did you find out?”

“Nate rang, a few minutes before the local boys did.”

“This isn't Nate's fault, no matter what he thinks.”

“I know. Do you still have the…” Welsh gestured.

Dane nodded. “Yes.”

“Good. I'm taking you both back to Headley Cross now. My car is outside.”

Nate looked at her. “What about the pool car?”

“The AA will tow it back. It won't work without the spark plugs.” She patted her pocket. “You'll come back to the station, and I'll debrief you on this trip and this morning's incident. I don't want you talking to the local boys.”

“Guv?” Dane exchanged a puzzled look with Nate.

“I'm pulling strings. You two report to me and no one else.”

“With all due respect,” Nate began. “Dane's been shot. He needs rest…”

“And he'll get it. But not here and not before I've spoken to you both and got it on the record.”

“What about our things?”

“The guest house you were staying in caught fire a couple of hours ago. It looks as if the fire started in your room. Of course, you were both here or on the way here at the time. But I don't like it. I want you out of here ASAP.”

“But the doc…” Dane began.

“That's an order, Sergeant. Janice will be waiting at the station to check you over and do anything that needs doing.”

Nate shook his head. “And the woman? Do they know who she is yet?”

“They're looking for her. And no, not yet.”

An orderly came in with a wheelchair.

“I can walk,” Dane protested.

He broke off at the black look that crossed his commanding officer's face. He sat in the chair. What was going on? What had they innocently walked in to?

 



 

Morning came all too soon. Amy pulled the lounge curtains and jumped as next door's cat peered in at her. She shook her head as the feline hopped down and walked away, its tail high in the air. A dead mouse lay on the window sill. Amy let out a deep breath. What was wrong with her? She wasn't normally this nervy. Maybe things were just getting too much.

A scream came from the kitchen, and she ran through the hallway. “What's wrong?”

Jodie pointed, still screaming. A dead bird lay on the windowsill.

“Calm down. It's probably just that menace of a cat.”

“Don't have a cat.”

“Next door do. It was on the lounge windowsill just now and left a mouse there as well. I'll get rid of the bird and the mouse, just give me a minute.”

“Don't touch it.”

“I'm not going to.” Amy pulled a plastic carrier bag from the drawer and went outside. She carefully slid her hand into the wrong side of the bag and picked up the bird without touching it. “See, not a problem.” She moved across the garden and picked up the mouse as well.

Jodie screamed again making Amy jump.

“Now what?”

Jodie pointed to a dead squirrel.

Amy sighed. “Just let me get rid.” She scooped it up in the same bag and then sealed it. She put it into the dustbin and went inside to wash her hands thoroughly. She looked out over the back garden as she did. Gold, red and yellow leaves lay scattered across the otherwise empty lawn. This time of year was so pretty, but so untidy.

The doorbell rang. Jodie looked over. “I'll get it.”

“Thank you.” Amy finished washing her hands and then reached for the towel.

Jodie came back in with a huge bunch of flowers. “They're for you.”

She took them. “I wonder who sent them.”

“Probably Dad.”