‘You need antibiotics, straight away, strong ones.’

‘I don’t suppose you can …’

‘I’m a pathologist, Ava. We’ve had this discussion before. I might have stitched you up in the past, but there’s no reason for me to carry a prescription pad. And forget making an appointment with your doctor for next week sometime. You’ll have to go to accident and emergency.’

‘I’ve actually got quite a lot going on. Is there another option?’

‘There is!’ Ailsa replied brightly. ‘You can decide not to do as I say, and get an infection that at best will result in you needing time off work and at worst will require surgical intervention.’ She waited until Ava had done her jeans up again then called Callanach in. ‘Luc, she’s to go directly to the hospital. A & E. Prescription for antibiotics that you’ll have to collect immediately thereafter. Do not let her drive, or change her mind, or fail to take the antibiotics. Who put the Steri-Strips on?’

‘Callanach,’ Ava told him. ‘Don’t be too hard on him. I thought he did a great job.’

‘He did his best with a wound that should have been treated by a doctor immediately. You could have come to me when it happened as an alternative. You’ve done that before. Why not this time?’

Ava and Callanach stared silently at one another.

‘So that’s the way you two are going to play it. Ava Turner, your mother would have wanted me to take better care of you.’

Ava smiled and reached out an arm to hug the woman who’d been like a favourite aunt to her since she’d joined the police force.

‘My mother can rest peacefully, Ailsa. You’re taking perfectly good care of me and we’re headed directly to the hospital, okay? Cross my heart.’

‘Not that I don’t believe you, but I expect you to produce the medication for me tomorrow morning. Understood?’

Ava and Callanach left, with Callanach extending a hand to help Ava to hobble down the narrow staircase.

‘You’d think, now that I’m a detective chief inspector, Ailsa might have decided I’m a grown-up,’ she grumbled.

‘I’m not taking sides in that argument,’ Callanach said. ‘Ailsa’s scarier than you.’

‘Yeah, but I’m your boss, so you’re duty bound to agree with me.’ Ava winced as she climbed into the car and bent her leg. ‘To the hospital then, but we’d better make it quick. We’ve still got a lot to do tonight.’

‘Back to the station to start working on the Hawksmith case?’ Callanach asked.

‘Your place first. You can’t avoid it, Luc. This thing with the nursing home isn’t going to go away on its own. We’re doing all we can for Mrs Hawksmith for now, God help the poor woman.’