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Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
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  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘Fingers crossed Arnold sees it like that.’

‘He’ll be alright.’

‘Sorry.’

‘You’ve got nothing to apologise for. I mean, maybe you could loosen the reins a little and listen a bit more to what other people have to say, but I think we can let you have at least an hour of glory first.’

‘Oh yeah, I feel properly glorious lying here.’

‘You don’t look it,’ said a voice from the doorway. It was Mark, with Josh and Archie standing beside him. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Never been better. Is anything actually wrong with me?’

‘Observations,’ Dexter said. ‘They’re probably looking for a heart.’

‘You’re on fine form this morning, Dex.’

‘Not enough coffee. On which note, I’ll leave you lot to it for a bit. Nice to see you again, Mark.’

‘You too, mate.’ Mark watched Dexter leave, then walked over to Caroline, leaned over and hugged her. ‘Come on, boys. Give your mum a hug.’

She found it impossible to put into words how much she’d missed them. They’d only been gone a couple of days, but it felt so much longer. A lot had happened, and the fact she’d almost lost her life a few hours earlier hadn’t escaped her notice.

‘What happened? We didn’t get any info, except to say you’d been injured arresting someone and taken to hospital. They said it wasn’t serious and not to worry, but we jumped straight in the car first thing anyway.’

‘Yeah, it’s fine. It was nothing,’ Caroline said. ‘Actually, we’ll talk about it later. Just a bit knackered now. But we’ll talk. I promise. And you two,’ she said, pulling her sons in close again, ‘will be pleased to know I’m going to take a bit of time off to spend with you.’

She looked over the top of their heads and at Mark. For the first time in a long time, she could see warmth in his eyes.

62

Although she’d been signed off by the doctor later that morning, it wasn’t until seven o’clock that she was finally discharged and allowed to leave the hospital. By the time they got home, the boys were already knackered from their early start and long day, so Caroline flaked out on the sofa while Mark put them to bed upstairs. She’d barely settled in when the doorbell rang.

She got up, opened the door and was surprised to see Chief Superintendent Derek Arnold standing on her doorstep.

‘Evening. Hope I’m not disturbing you. I heard you’d been sent home, so wanted to see how you were.’

‘Yeah, I’m alright. You know how it is. Come in,’ she said, looking forward to sitting back on the sofa again, rather than spending the next few minutes standing at the door.