So much had happened yesterday, Harper had almost forgotten she’d even seen Amy at the riverside. Of course she hadn’t been friendly—she’d been dealing with the aftermath of the abduction, sorting Patrick out, thinking about what the doctor might find in terms of evidence, trying not to imagine what had happened to the babies. Since then she’d been up to Hope Park and back, then interviewed Natasha. All in all, a really long day, after which she’d collapsed at home for a few hours, unable to sleep properly because she hadn’t done her usual two hours’ training. So yeah, it was possible she hadn’t been all that friendly.

“I wasn’t?” said Harper. “I suppose not. I was working. Sorry, I didn’t mean anything—”

“Did you see the television news yet? You looked great. If you like that kind of thing.”

Harper had caught a glimpse of herself on the monitor in the big office. The footage, captured on a bystander’s phone, showed Harper emerging from the woods with the stroller as the rain battered down. A moment later, the parents rushed towards the babies, arms outstretched, a happy ending from a Hollywood movie, as the family was reunited. Footage of the aftermath was more difficult to watch, and Harper was irritated that they’d decided to put it out. Lauren’s breakdown, the messy restraint that could easily have looked like an assault to the untrained eye. People didn’t need to see that. Though this was a point on which she and Amy would have disagreed entirely.

“I do an excellent drowned rat, right?”

“You found those babies. You did well.”

“Huh. I did OK. I was lucky really, right place right time. But, thanks to that, I’ve still got a pile of stuff to finish.”

“How long do you think it will take you?”

“It might be a late one.”

“But you’ll have time for a drink, right?”

“A drink?” Harper’s face flushed red. This woman had terrible timing. “Well, I …”

“Look, I found a witness you might be interested in talking to. A cyclist. He says he rode by just before the rainstorm, saw a woman pushing a stroller and nearly knocked her into the river.”

“This is great, Amy, really excellent. Do you have a name, a number?”

“Of course, sweet pea. But it might cost you.”

“Cost me what?”

“That drink, for starters.”

“It’s a deal.”

“OK, where and when?”

“I’ll deal with the suspect first. Then I’ll call you, OK? I’ll just get a pen. What’s the name?”