Page 24

24

Tuesday morning, still too early

As the adrenaline ebbed out of Charlie’s body, his leg began to hurt even more. He peered down to see what the paramedic was doing and flinched at the sight of his reddened, blistered flesh. The paramedic looked up in alarm.

“What’s hurting?”

Charlie took a deep breath and winced again. “As well as my leg? My chest,” he said. “I must have landed badly or something when the explosion threw us across the yard.”

“Let me get this sorted, then you can get an X-ray at the hospital,” the paramedic said.

Yeah, no . Not going to happen. With Freya Ravensbourne being blue-lighted to A & E, he, Charlie, was the person in charge until HQ sent someone else.

“How’s my boss?” Charlie asked. “Do you know any more?”

“Just that she was alive when they loaded her up,” the paramedic said. “You can ask when you get to the hospital.”

Charlie didn’t have time to say he wasn’t going anywhere before Eddy strode over, with what almost seemed to be panic on his face. He kept glancing back over his shoulder, and Charlie realised he was watching Patsy.

“What’s Patsy doing here?” Charlie asked.

“Tell you later,” Eddy said. “I’ve just had a call from my mate Kev down at the trading estate. They’ve found what they are pretty sure is a body in a burned-out van at the back of the car parts place.”

Charlie took a couple of deep and very painful breaths. His immediate instinct was to rush back to the trading estate to see the scene, but was that the right thing to do? What was now doubly certain was that he wouldn’t be going to the hospital. He also had to deal with whatever was causing the look of panic on Eddy’s face. He put all the confidence he could muster into his voice.

“Ravensbourne must have had a driver,” he said to Eddy. “Find him and call Mags. One here and one at the trading estate to monitor who has access to the scenes. I’ll call the big boss and get the scenes of crime guys and the pathologist. And then, you are going to drive me back to the trading estate, and tell me about Patsy, and why you haven’t been to bed.”

Eddy’s face began to relax, until Charlie beckoned Patsy over. She came, looking exhausted: eyes red, face white, clothes crumpled. Charlie saw that her trainers were damp and grubby, despite the heat of the last few days. She had a small band aid covering the cut on her cheek.

Charlie called up his inner Ravensbourne: the one who issued orders rather than the one who asked for opinions. He probably looked like Ravensbourne, too. The paramedic had cut up the side seam of his trousers to be able to bandage his burned leg, and the rest of his clothes showed the signs of being rolled in debris.

“Eddy is going to walk you back to his mam’s when he’s made a couple of calls,” Charlie told her. “And I want you to promise me that you won’t leave for the rest of the day. If you don’t, I’m going to arrest you. Your choice. I’m just too busy to deal with you now.”

The paramedic muttered something that could have been you’re going to regret this, but Charlie ignored it. He also ignored the way Eddy’s mouth fell open at the word arrest. “Make the calls,” Charlie said in Eddy’s direction, and Eddy got his phone out and moved away.

The paramedic was wrapping Charlie’s leg in what seemed to be greasy clingfilm. “You need to get this properly dressed.”

Charlie shook his head. “Sorry, mate, too much to do … I’d appreciate some painkillers though. The good stuff.” Because exactly no part of his body didn’t hurt. Maybe his ears. Nope, they were still buzzing from the explosion. He tried to straighten himself up and all the muscles in his chest protested. The paramedic rocked back on his heels, and looked at Charlie through half closed eyes, seemingly assessing his state of mind. Whatever he saw, he reached into one of the green bags and produced a strip of tablets. Then he turned round to the ambulance and brought a bottle of water. He handed them both to Charlie.

“Take one of these now, and then one every four hours if you need to. Which you will. No more than that if you want to keep your head clear and get yourself to the hospital asap with that burn. Burns get infected. Infections kill.”

“Then wrap it up really, really well,” Charlie said, and then added, “Please.”

“I’m bloody glad you’re not my boss,” the paramedic said.

“I said please .”

They grinned at each other and Charlie took his painkiller.

The sun was now well over the horizon, and the sky was empty of clouds. It was going to be another hot day. Eddy came back to report that there was now a uniformed officer at each of the crime scenes. He took Patsy’s arm, and she went with him unprotestingly. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about. For now, at least. The paramedic clapped him on the arm, reminding him painfully of Ravensbourne. He hoped she would be OK.

“You’re done, sunshine. Remember, hospital, as soon as.” But Charlie was already standing up, his mind full of the things he had to do and the calls he had to make. He gasped as the weight landed on the burned leg, and the gasp made his chest twinge.

“Shit,” he muttered. He turned back to the paramedic. “Got any crutches I can borrow?”

But the paramedic was already holding them out.

“I know,” Charlie said. “Hospital, asap.”

The paramedic laughed.

Charlie hobbled back to the site of the explosion with Eddy who walked ahead, looking over his shoulder as Charlie got used to the crutches. The takeaway was in ruins. Joists with the remains of the first floor and the roof, hung out over a pile of broken bricks, pieces of wood and twisted metal, all overlaid with a thick coating of dust. With a jolt of horror, Charlie saw the metal gate to the back yard of the shop. It too was twisted, and the thought that it was all that had stood between them and the pile of rubble made his blood run cold. He cleared his throat.

“We need scenes of crime to check there isn’t anyone under this lot,” he said.

Eddy nodded.

A man in a gas company uniform hurried up to them.

“This area isn’t safe,” he said. “Didn’t you see the signs?” Then he took in Charlie’s appearance. “You the copper who got caught up in that?”

Seeing that Charlie couldn’t manage his crutches and his ID, Eddy produced his and introduced them both.

“What happened?” Charlie asked.

“Too early to know. We’ve managed to turn the gas off, but it’s going to be a while before we know how the leak happened and what set it off.”

Then Charlie saw Mags, in uniform, with a clipboard. She came over.

“The gas company have blocked the High Street,” she said. “Lots of spectators, and a couple of reporters from the local papers. But the main thing is the owner. He wants to talk to whoever is in charge, which I guess is you. He’s a bit upset, just so you know.”

Upset turned out to be an understatement. Hassan had been crying. He waved his arms at Charlie. “All our work. Gone. For nothing. So white people can drive us out of our own country. What are you going to do about it, hey? Tell me, does one of my family have to die before you act?”