Nikki stayed for another fifteen minutes, then, as she walked back to her car, she realized that the sea-bank had worked its wonders. She felt calmer and far more in control of her thoughts. Before she started the engine, she took out her phone and rang the Super. She told him there was a report on his desk that he should look at before anything else. She didn’t go into detail; there would be time for that when he’d read it.

With one last look across the marsh to the silver-grey horizon, Nikki started the car and went back to face the music of another day at Greenborough nick.

Joseph rang her at 7.30. She needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. His expression, ‘There are things I’d rather not talk about on the phone’, had her gulping back her coffee and heading for the door with a half eaten Danish still gripped between her teeth.

He met her in the corridor outside the surgical ward. His hair was ruffled and dishevelled, but his eyes were bright, and she wondered again how he managed to keep going.

‘There are two officers in his room with him, and they won’t budge until I get back, ma’am. Would you mind if we talk in my car?’

‘No problem.’ She turned back and headed for the lifts. ‘How is the lad this morning?’

‘I think the gravity of what almost happened to him has hit home, ma’am, and he’s in a lot of pain, poor kid.’ The lift doors closed, and Joseph said, ‘Between short bouts of sleep, he’s talked off and on all night long. He knows more about Mask War than you would believe!’

The lift sighed to a halt and the doors opened. They hurried from the building and across to where Joseph’s car was parked.

When the doors were shut, Joseph sank back in his seat and exhaled loudly.

‘You need some rest, Sergeant.’ She looked at him severely. ‘But I get the idea that if I stuck an SAS squad in there with him, you’d still not be happy.’

‘I’m glad I stayed.’ He smiled at her. ‘And so will you be, ma’am. But first, let me tell you what his doctor said. Doctor Langley is a smart guy. He won’t compromise his patient’s health, but he understands fully the danger he’s in, so …’ he stretched, then went on, ‘… Langley is on the board of a small private hospital here in Greenborough. It’s about a half mile from the nick, so it couldn’t be more convenient. He’s prepared to “leak” the news that their unknown young victim is being transferred to a city hospital, where they have better facilities. They do have patients legitimately being transferred to both Nottingham and Leicester later today, so ambulances will actually be leaving on transfer runs.’