An armed response officer offered her a towel and she took it gratefully.
But Kevin Streeting was still at large, with a loaded weapon.
And she had no idea if he was a patient too.
A loud pop-crack made them all duck, then all Kelly heard was radio crackle and the rushing of feet through bushes. Then a shouting match and a single round firing off into the trees.
Then silence.
She raised her head, and the firearms officer called the all-clear. The second in as many minutes. She stood warily.
She looked to where the commotion had taken place.
It turned out Kevin Streeting wasn’t all that great a shot after all. Paramedics were called over to assist and she saw him put up a fight, even though he’d been shot.
Her phone buzzed and she answered it but couldn’t speak.
It was Kate.
‘Kelly, everything go to plan?’
‘No,’ was all she could say.
Then she began to sob.
Chapter 63
The contents of the USB found inside the trig point, retrieved by Kelly and Johnny inside Rydal Cave, were examined back at the office.
The mood was sombre and quiet.
When Kelly walked in, everybody stared at her.
‘You shouldn’t be here,’ Kate said, holding her arm.
Kelly released her arm and held Kate by the shoulders. ‘I’m fine.’
‘But Del said you are on leave; you need to go home. We all understand. It’s not your fault.’
‘I should have handled it differently,’ Kelly said. She glanced at her team, who looked away one by one.
She’d let them down. She’d let them all down. But most of all, she’d allowed herself to cross the line between professionalism and love.
Johnny wasn’t here because of her.
She sniffed and wiped her face and walked to the front of the incident room.
They stared at her clothes.
Johnny’s blood had cleaned off in places. But her shirt was still heavily stained and the cardigan she’d pulled over barely covered it. Her hands and face were clean but she was aware she looked like what Wendy, her mum, would call the wreck of theHesperus.
‘Everything is ready?’
Kate nodded and beckoned the others to sit down.
Kate flicked a few keys, and a recorded video flashed up on the screen. Kelly stared at it in dismay. Kate put up the sound.
Angelina Robbins’ face filled the screen.
