“When is he going to wake?”
Josh hesitated, he hesitated so long, Romeo growled out his name.
“They don’t know,” he said softly
“His doctor must’ve given some kind of indication.”
“It all depends on how Chad responds to treatment over the next few days, but there is a chance ...the doctor told us with cases like this, there’s always a chance he might not wake up.”
“He will,” Romeo said firmly with no room for argument.“He will wake up.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Hope isn’t necessary.He will.Tell me what happened.”
“Hap ...happened?”
Romeo closed his eyes.“He told me he was going to see you.”
“He didn’t turn up—”
“Did you rearrange a place ...did he cancel?”
“No.He didn’t show.I called him, I sent him messages, but he didn’t reply, then Ally phoned me.”
“Ally...”
“Oh, she’s his sergeant,washis sergeant, but they’re good friends.”
Romeo reopened his eyes and calmed himself of any irritation.“I know who she is.Why did she call you?”
“She’s Chad’s next of kin.The hospital called her, said he was in a bad way.She picked me up on the way to the hospital and we tried to work out what had happened.A bystander saw Chad ...he saw him fall into the water.He managed to get Chad out and began CPR while someone else called an ambulance.There was an off-duty paramedic close by who managed to get him breathing again.”
“I don’t understand why was he there?Why did he park his car up on that street and walk there?”
Josh was quiet for a long time.“Onthatstreet,” he echoed.“How do you know where he parked?We haven’t found his car yet...”
Romeo straightened at the change in Josh’s tone.
“Do you know where his car is?”Josh asked.“Do you know where he parked?”
When Romeo didn’t immediately answer, Josh kept up his questioning.
“Where are you?Where are you flying from?”
Romeo said nothing.
“You’d only just got back from your getaway, and you’ve managed to fly out of the country, only for your returning flight to be cancelled, all in the space of eight hours.”
“What are you implying?”Romeo replied coldly.
“If I find out you had anything to do with what happened to Chad, if you...I’ll...”Josh exhaled a breath that sounded like it passed through gritted teeth.
Romeo narrowed his eyes.“You’ll what,Detective Constable?”
“He’s been through enough.”
“I know what he’s been through.I’d never do anything to hurt Chad.”
