Page 57 of Her Lips Are Sealed

‘How is she?’

‘Holding her own, thanks to you.’

‘Thank God for that.’

She turned to the receptionist. ‘Can I go in and see her?’ Morgan realised she didn’t look like a copper in her ripped black jeans, Yungblud tour T-shirt, leopard print cardigan and Doc Marten boots.

Mac nodded at the woman. ‘This is Detective Brookes, she saved her life.’

‘I’ll let you in, walk down to the double doors.’

Morgan smiled at Mac. ‘Thanks, you know it feels as if you’ve been here forever.’

‘That’s because I’ve been doing this job forever, Morgan, but I’m glad you think I fit in. Up to now, despite the chaos, I’m enjoying my time with you guys.’ He winked at her, and she laughed as she hurried down past all the people waiting to be seen with an assortment of injuries that ranged from major to minor.

As Morgan was slipping between the doors as they opened, the receptionist pointed to a cubicle outside of the nurse’s station. Morgan felt as if she was going to cry, the shock and emotion of the last hour making her feel more than a little overwhelmed.

Scotty was sitting on a hard, blue plastic chair near to the bed, sipping a hot drink. He smiled at her.

Lisa’s skin was pale, the deep red groove around her neck a sharp contrast. The bruising had already begun to bloom around it, yellow and blue, it kind of matched Lisa’s hair. Morgan leaned in closer and could see the impressions of the fingertips of whoever had done this. Lisa’s lips were still stained that bright, cherry red, although the lipstick had smudged making her pale face look garish under the bright lights.

‘How is she?’

‘They gave her a mild sedation, but it should be wearing off soon. She was distressed, understandably, but everything looks good. There’s some damage to her larynx, mainly bruising they think, and they’re sending her for a CT scan soon.’

Morgan crossed to the bed, and pulling up another chair she sat down and gently picked up Lisa’s warm hand, clasping her fingers around it. Another ten minutes and this could have had a completely different ending. One where Lisa’s fingers were a waxy yellow colour, cold and stiff as she waited inside of a body bag on Declan’s mortuary table to be cut open. The thought made Morgan sick to the bottom of her stomach. Lisa had come so close to death. How on earth had she managed to phone Morgan?

Lisa’s eyes opened and, for a moment, she looked confused at her surroundings until her gaze fell upon Morgan, and she whispered in a dry, croaking voice, ‘You came.’

Morgan nodded. ‘As soon as I heard your voice. Lisa, do you know who did this?’

‘No, good-looking though.’ Lisa smiled. ‘Thank you.’ Her eyelids fluttered and she closed her eyes again, drifting off, and the monitor beside her gave off a steady beep as her heart beat strongly.

Morgan sighed, grateful that for once evil had been stopped in its tracks and that good had won for a change. Even if they hadn’t caught this killer, they were closer than they’d ever been.

‘Bloody hell, Morgan, you’re going to make me cry and I’m not an emotional person,’ Scotty muttered from behind his vending cup of hot chocolate.

She smiled at him. ‘Sometimes we do make the difference, don’t we? It’s a crap job most of the time, but we are the good in this world. We’re the ones who people turn to when their world is falling apart and, somehow, we turn up shift after shift despite the exhaustion and the heartache to do it all again with little or no thanks.’

‘And lots of shit from the public who think we’re all corrupt and don’t care about anyone or anything except coffee and doughnuts.’

‘That too.’ She laughed softly. ‘Even your colleagues.’

‘Ah, we’re over that one now and you’re forgiven for trying to pin those murders on me. I’m guilty of extreme laziness but nothing worse than that, and even so I’ve picked up my pace a little because you made me realise I was not doing what I should be. I got a little disheartened with the job. I think it’s part and parcel after so many years working Response and dealing with some of the utter bullshit we do.’

The curtains were pulled open as a porter and a nurse stood there. ‘We’re taking Lisa for a scan now.’

Morgan stood up. ‘That’s great, thank you so much. Scotty, I’ll let you get on. Please keep me updated. As soon as Lisa is able to give a statement I’ll come straight back.’

He nodded, drained the last of his hot chocolate and dropped the plastic cup into the bin, then followed behind the porter and the nurse pushing Lisa down the corridor in the direction of the X-ray department.

THIRTY-SIX

‘Where are you?’

Ben’s voice was fraught with tension. Looking at the screen, Morgan realised she had six missed calls off him.

‘Just leaving the hospital. I thought you were in interview.’