Page 92 of 36 Hours

‘A heart surgeon. Due to carry out a transplant on a little girl later today.’

His silence was deafening as he weighed up his next course of action.

On the one hand, he wanted to order her back to the station to tear strips off her following her performance at the press conference. His phone had probably been ringing off the hook.

On the other hand, they now had a second victim who would most surely be missed, and the people calling Woody’s phone would be far more interested if this one turned up dead. It pained her to admit that the loss of Hiccup would barely register on their radar, but a paediatric heart surgeon would bring out the politician in all of them.

When Woody did speak, it was in a voice she rarely heard.

‘Okay, get to it, Stone, but make no mistake: if this surgeon doesn’t come back alive, this will be the last case you ever work.’

The line went dead in her ear.

It was exactly what she’d expected, but hearing the words convinced her that he meant what he said.

It wasn’t the first time she’d done things under the threat of losing her job. Hell, it seemed to happen with almost every case she worked. Woody trusted her instincts. He had faith in her ability and her passion, and he afforded her a great deal of leverage in the interest of getting the job done.

But this time the higher-ups were involved. Woody wasn’t the only one watching her every move. The top brass would ensure that, should anything go wrong, someone would be shoved front and centre to take the fall.

So although the threat wasn’t new to her, this time it wouldn’t be Woody’s decision to make.

SEVENTY-TWO

9.50A.M.

Kim knocked on the door at the end of the row.

It was opened immediately. ‘Is she there?’ Nazeera’s mother demanded.

Kim shook her head as she stepped inside. The property appeared to be a similar layout to her daughter’s home.

‘There’s a perfectly good reason for this,’ Mrs Khan said. ‘She’ll be back any minute.’

She looked around Kim to Bryant. ‘Did you bring Salt and Pepper?’

Kim frowned. Why was she asking if they’d brought condiments?

‘Nazzy’s rescue cats. Bonded pair. She adores them,’ Mrs Khan said, taking a seat. ‘She didn’t bring them round. She does that if she’s going to be gone for a while, so she can’t be far.’

Kim thought of her own arrangement with her neighbour Charlie, who was taking care of Barney for her right now. She looked to Bryant, who turned around and headed back to Nazeera’s house.

‘Probably just gone for a drive. Clear her head. It’s a big day for her today.’

Kim knew that Mrs Khan would have clocked that her daughter’s car was still outside the house but she was choosing to ignore the fact.

‘Or a long walk,’ she said as though reading Kim’s thoughts.

‘You must be very proud of her,’ Kim said gently, allowing the woman a few minutes to come to terms with the fact that all was not well.

The woman beamed. ‘First one in our family to go to university. Her father died just before she finished medical school, and it’s been the two of us ever since. She’s a good girl. She takes care of me,’ Mrs Khan said, waving her hand, indicating the house.

Ahhh, that made sense. Kim had expected a larger, grander property, but Nazeera was responsible for her mother’s home as well as her own.

‘Do you speak to Nazeera every day?’ Kim asked.

Mrs Khan nodded. ‘At least once during the day, and we take turns to cook. She comes to me. I come to her.’

‘And has she mentioned anything about being followed recently?’

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