‘Of course,’ McNair said, though the unease on her face suggested something different. ‘You’ll fit right back in here, no problems.’

‘I’m sure I will too.’

‘I know you’ve been cleared by the…’

‘Shrink?’

‘Well, that wasn’t the word I would have used. I know you’ve been cleared by the shrink, but I want to hear it from you too.’

‘I’m fine. Really. The amount of meds they’ve got me on I’m virtually indestructible.’

Dani laughed nervously. McNair didn’t even flinch. Dani wondered whether her words had been the wisest. Would the higher powers look upon her ongoing medication with raised eyebrows?

‘I’m guessing you think I’m ready too, otherwise you wouldn’t have been calling me so early this morning,’ Dani said.

Thinking again about how Fletcher was involved in the Jane Doe case, though, she wondered whether perhaps McNair didn’t really think she was quite ready after all. Should she ask about that?

McNair held Dani’s gaze until Dani looked away, out of the window.

‘Is there anything I need to know?’ McNair asked.

‘About what?’

‘About… you know. Traumatic brain injury. Any precautions we need to take, any—’

Dani had never seen McNair look so uncomfortable. Like a mother trying to explain sex to a teenage son.

‘All you need to know is that I’m here.’

‘I understand TBI is something that people rarely fully recover from, I—’

‘I don’t need, or want any special treatment,’ Dani said, realising she sounded as irritated as she felt. ‘Please. I just want to get my life back.’

McNair held Dani’s eye for a few seconds before giving a slight nod. Then she reached down to a drawer and took out some papers. She pushed the small bundle across the desk.

‘You could say it’s good timing. You probably noticed Fletcher is pregnant.’

‘I did.’

‘She’s only got two weeks until she goes on leave.’

Which would likely place her at way more than five or six months, Dani decided, despite the still manageable looking bump.

‘To ease you back in I’ve teamed you with Fletcher. You’ll be joint SIO on some of her recent open cases.’

‘And today’s Jane Doe? Given it’s a new case, I thought—’

‘Yes, that too. We need to ease you back in. Fletcher is good enough and smart enough to give you the space you need.’

Dani found herself nodding. As imperfect as the tag team sounded, it was clear McNair had already decided on it, so it would be useless to try and persuade her otherwise.

‘Fletcher will give you the lowdown on the cases. I’ll also be assigning some of her workload to DI Barnes.’

‘DI?’

McNair nodded in confirmation.