Page 68 of Indie

“Hi,” she answered with a note of familiarity.

“No. I wasn’t on shift yesterday…. No, I haven’t lent it to anyone…. Oh God…yes, yes…I see…. I don’t know how that could have happened…. wait…. no…I was broken into yesterday. Some stuff was taken…. Yes, a big mess…No I didn’t ring the police…. Yes…. Yes…. Ok. I guess I just wait to hear from you then.”

Emmie ended the call, but didn’t put the phone down. Instead she stared at the black mobile in her hand, her face now pale.

“Emmie?” I turned her towards me. “What is it?”

“I…I’ve just been suspended!”

Chapter Thirty One

“Emmie. I’m sorry, we have to suspend you while we investigate this. I hope you understand?”

Those words. My lip wobbled; my stomach dropped.

“I guess I just wait to hear from you, then?” My voice was shrivelling up to a squeak, anxiety gripping at my throat.

I didn’t understand. Not really. Indie was watching me intently, his eyebrows pulling together and wrinkles forming across his brow.

“Emmie?” He pulled me towards him. “What is it?”

“I…I’ve just been suspended!”

“What? How?”

“There’s been some drugs stolen from the hospital. And a load of nitrous oxide.”

“So?”

“When they’ve run security checks, my security pass code was the only one accessing the areas where those things have been taken from.”

“Well, it obviously wasn’t you.”

Indie was angry. I could hear it in his voice, see it on his face. I’d never seen him angry before. Frustrated, tense, but never angry.

“My house. Not much was taken. Just ripped apart. A big mess. They… he will have been looking for my pass.”

Indie scowled again, running a hand through his hair, a couple of thick wayward tufts bouncing back up to stare sideways at the wall.

“I always thought it was Gaz and his mates,” I continued. “I knew he wouldn’t stay away. Even with your guys watching my every move, he found a gap.”

I’d always feared that the few short weeks he’d left me alone had would end. It was the disappointment that hit me first, a sudden surge of darkness, despair, knowing I’d never be able to shake him off.

“I should never have called the lads off.”

“What do you mean?”

“I called them off watching you. About a week ago. The lads needed to get back to some normal lives and with me being close by, I thought you’d be safe.”

I could see the anguish in his eyes, on his face.

“But they didn’t stop. Indie. Right until yesterday morning, there’s always been a car outside on the street.”

Indie stared at me, his eyes flitting across my face.

“Can you describe the car?”

“Uh, yes. It was small. A Corsa or Fiesta. Can’t remember the colour.”