‘Mum, if you don’t care about my career, that’s fine,’ Lucy hissed. ‘But maybe you care about Dad’s. Because I’m telling you now, you won’t be doing him any favours if you get spotted here.’

Cora stared defiantly at the opposite wall. ‘I need to know how bad he is.’

‘I can’t ask questions like that. I’m not even supposed to be here.’

‘And yet you came.’

Lucy had no immediate answer for that. It was true that she’d mainly rushed over here to try and lead her mother away, but at the same time, she too had wanted to know.

‘No need to try and hide it, Lucy. I know things have started changing between you and Frank.’

‘Erm, excuse me. Nothing’s started changing—’

‘You’ve accepted that he’s your father. You just called him “Dad”, for God’s sake. On top of that you’re well aware that he’s done favours for both of us in recent times.’

‘They weren’t really favours, Mum. He was acting to help himself. Christ …’ Beardmore had reappeared, still in conversation with someone. She dropped her head again.

‘I’ve told you,’ Cora said, ‘I’m not leaving until I know Frank’s condition.’

‘They’re not going to let you see him. Even if you shout from the rooftops that he’s the father of your child, they still won’t let you in.’

‘We always do things your way, Lucy!’ Cora glared at her. ‘It’s always your viewpoint that carries, your decision that counts. Well, not this time. Not till I know how Frank is.’

Lucy stole another glance at the glass door. Beardmore was still chatting to the doctor in scrubs, but now DS Dave Baker, who was currently working Night Crime, had appeared alongside him. Neither had noticed Lucy as yet, but clearly they were about to come through. Lucy had no options left.

‘Okay … all right.’ She stood up. ‘I’ll ask. Can you at least wait outside?’

Cora shook her head. ‘I do that and the next thing you’ll be bundling me into your car.’

‘Stay here then. But keep your head down.’ Lucy moved towards the glass door. ‘You know … his girlfriend’s probably lying in the next room. His real girlfriend. The woman he shares his life with. The woman he has sex with every night.’

‘She’s a jumped-up little madam. Frank’ll realise that in due course.’

‘I don’t believe this,’ Lucy said – as Beardmore finally spotted her through the glass.

He hit a button, the door opened and he came through, though Dave Baker lingered behind, still in conversation with medical staff.

‘Lucy?’ Beardmore said.

‘Stan,’ she replied with a stiff smile.

He glanced behind her, registering Cora’s presence. He didn’t know her and hadn’t noticed that Lucy had been with her, but he lowered his voice anyway. ‘What’s going on?’