The time was approaching midday. Boonzie’s body told him he was hungry but he wasn’t interested. He was thinking about his next move, and that he’d need to rustle up some form of transport of his own, when someone called his name from behind. ‘Mr McCulloch? Hold on a minute. Can I talk to you?’

He turned to see a woman emerge from the hospital entrance and hurry over to him. He guessed she was in her early or mid-thirties. She was wearing jeans and a rain jacket, and the cold wind blew her long dark hair in streams across her face as she approached. She brushed it away. Boonzie could see she was upset. He had no idea who she was, or how she knew his name.

‘I’m Boonzie McCulloch,’ he said. ‘How can I help ye, lassie?’ When you got to Boonzie’s age, everyone younger than forty-five was a lassie or a laddie.

She introduced herself as Grace Kirk and said she was a friend of Ewan’s. ‘I came to see him, but they wouldn’t let me. They told me his uncle was here visiting. Family members only.’

‘There’s nae much tae see, lassie,’ Boonzie said gravely. ‘He’s in a bad way.’

‘Is he … will he …?’

‘He’s alive. Whether he stays that way, or whether he’ll have any kind of a life after this, is anybody’s guess. Dr Fraser seems tae know what she’s doing. I trust her.’ That was a big thing to say, coming from Boonzie McCulloch.

Grace buried her face in her hands. ‘Oh, God.’ She fought with her emotions for a moment or two. When she looked up, her eyes were moist and pink. ‘I can’t believe something like this could happen to him.’

‘I need tae go and talk tae the police,’ Boonzie said. ‘Do ye know where the station is?’

‘I do. I work there.’

‘Ye’re a policewoman?’ Boonzie thought she didn’t look the type, but then again, what did he know?

She nodded. ‘I’m off duty at the moment, but my shift starts in an hour. Now they won’t let me see Ewan, I was about to head back there. You could follow me in your car.’

‘If I had one, I would.’

‘Then why don’t I give you a lift?’

Grace drove an ancient green Land Rover that was speckled with mud on the outside and as crudely minimalistic as a motor vehicle could be on the inside. ‘I’m afraid it’s not exactly luxury,’ she said as they climbed aboard.

Boonzie liked it. ‘The hours I’ve spent in these things. Takes me back, I can tell ye.’

She understood. ‘Military?’

‘Aye, long time ago. I live in Italy noo.’

‘Nice place to retire to.’

‘Retire? Me? Not on yer life.’

‘I’m sorry, I thought—’

‘Ye thought I was old.’ Maybe I am, he reflected.