damage. We’d like to keep him in an induced coma for the next twenty-four hours, just to give him a chance to rest and begin recovery.’
‘But if he remembers who attacked him, it could help find Lachlan,’ Sophie said.
The doctor pursed his lips. ‘If he remains stable overnight, I’ll consider starting to reduce his sedation.’ He left the room.
Gloria smoothed the blankets over Chris’s legs. ‘I always wanted Chris to be a doctor.’
‘I know.’
‘He’s smart,’ she said, ‘he just didn’t want it enough. But maybe this is a sign. After all, doctors don’t get shot in their own homes.’
‘People get shot all the time, everywhere. No matter who they are,’ Sophie said.
Gloria carried on as if she hadn’t spoken. ‘A doctor earns enough money for his wife to stay home with his children.’
‘Chris loves his job and I love mine,’ Sophie said.
Gloria turned away, inspecting the face of the ventilator. ‘I don’t know if these figures are right.’
‘The staff know what they’re doing.’ Sophie raised Chris’s warm hand to her cheek. She’d hoped maybe now, at a time like this, she and Gloria might actually support each other, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. A little voice in Sophie’s head suggested maybe Gloria was so anxious over Lachlan she had no choice about how she behaved. A louder voice was having none of it. She had to get out. ‘I think I’ll go.’
Gloria dragged her plastic chair closer to Chris’s bedside. ‘Yes, you go. I’ll keep an eye on things here.’
Sophie bent to her husband’s face. His lips were open around the tube and she caught the stale smell of his dry mouth. His face was pale where it wasn’t bruised. His eyes were slits in the swollen flesh. ‘Wake up and talk to me soon, honey. We have to find our boy.’ She kissed him. ‘Love you.’
In the corridor she took a moment to wash her hands. The water splashed onto the sleeves of Sergeant Green’s leather jacket. The police had let her take the car from the garage when she insisted she drive herself over, but hadn’t allowed her into the house to get any clothes. She liked the jacket – its creaking bulk and leather smell reminded her of Chris. She still couldn’t get warm though.
At the lift she got out her mobile and the business card the female detective had given her.
The detective answered on the first ring. ‘Ella Marconi.’
‘It’s Sophie. Is there any news?’
‘Nothing yet, I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘How’s Chris?’
Sophie told her what the doctor had said. ‘Hopefully he’ll wake up in the morning.’
Ella said, ‘Have you thought of anyone else who might have a grudge against you or Chris? And can you tell me more about that bashing?’
‘It was a couple of months ago, when he was working with Dean Rigby. There’ve been no threats or anything made since, though. Well, not that he’s told me.’
‘Okay, thanks.’
Despairing, Sophie hit the lift button with her fist. ‘What did Sawyer have to say?’
‘We’re having some trouble locating him, actually,’ Ella said. ‘But I’ll let you know the second we find anything out.’
The lift was empty. Sophie stood in the centre and sobbed.
12.10 am
The team of thirty-four detectives crowded into Gladesville Station’s Incident Room. Most had been called in from home, some no doubt from bed, but Ella saw no bleary eyes and no barely hidden yawns. A missing kid, his cop dad shot: this was a case to be wide awake for.
The possibility that Chris might die, plus the high-profile nature of the case, meant Homicide was running the show. Dennis was in charge, and he looked up from the desk at the front of the room where he was shuffling papers and gave Ella a wink. She squeezed her hands into fists behind her back, hoping her excitement didn’t show too clearly on her face. It was not right to be so thrilled when tragedy was unfolding, but there you had it. It was a lining up of the
‘But if he remembers who attacked him, it could help find Lachlan,’ Sophie said.
The doctor pursed his lips. ‘If he remains stable overnight, I’ll consider starting to reduce his sedation.’ He left the room.
Gloria smoothed the blankets over Chris’s legs. ‘I always wanted Chris to be a doctor.’
‘I know.’
‘He’s smart,’ she said, ‘he just didn’t want it enough. But maybe this is a sign. After all, doctors don’t get shot in their own homes.’
‘People get shot all the time, everywhere. No matter who they are,’ Sophie said.
Gloria carried on as if she hadn’t spoken. ‘A doctor earns enough money for his wife to stay home with his children.’
‘Chris loves his job and I love mine,’ Sophie said.
Gloria turned away, inspecting the face of the ventilator. ‘I don’t know if these figures are right.’
‘The staff know what they’re doing.’ Sophie raised Chris’s warm hand to her cheek. She’d hoped maybe now, at a time like this, she and Gloria might actually support each other, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. A little voice in Sophie’s head suggested maybe Gloria was so anxious over Lachlan she had no choice about how she behaved. A louder voice was having none of it. She had to get out. ‘I think I’ll go.’
Gloria dragged her plastic chair closer to Chris’s bedside. ‘Yes, you go. I’ll keep an eye on things here.’
Sophie bent to her husband’s face. His lips were open around the tube and she caught the stale smell of his dry mouth. His face was pale where it wasn’t bruised. His eyes were slits in the swollen flesh. ‘Wake up and talk to me soon, honey. We have to find our boy.’ She kissed him. ‘Love you.’
In the corridor she took a moment to wash her hands. The water splashed onto the sleeves of Sergeant Green’s leather jacket. The police had let her take the car from the garage when she insisted she drive herself over, but hadn’t allowed her into the house to get any clothes. She liked the jacket – its creaking bulk and leather smell reminded her of Chris. She still couldn’t get warm though.
At the lift she got out her mobile and the business card the female detective had given her.
The detective answered on the first ring. ‘Ella Marconi.’
‘It’s Sophie. Is there any news?’
‘Nothing yet, I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘How’s Chris?’
Sophie told her what the doctor had said. ‘Hopefully he’ll wake up in the morning.’
Ella said, ‘Have you thought of anyone else who might have a grudge against you or Chris? And can you tell me more about that bashing?’
‘It was a couple of months ago, when he was working with Dean Rigby. There’ve been no threats or anything made since, though. Well, not that he’s told me.’
‘Okay, thanks.’
Despairing, Sophie hit the lift button with her fist. ‘What did Sawyer have to say?’
‘We’re having some trouble locating him, actually,’ Ella said. ‘But I’ll let you know the second we find anything out.’
The lift was empty. Sophie stood in the centre and sobbed.
12.10 am
The team of thirty-four detectives crowded into Gladesville Station’s Incident Room. Most had been called in from home, some no doubt from bed, but Ella saw no bleary eyes and no barely hidden yawns. A missing kid, his cop dad shot: this was a case to be wide awake for.
The possibility that Chris might die, plus the high-profile nature of the case, meant Homicide was running the show. Dennis was in charge, and he looked up from the desk at the front of the room where he was shuffling papers and gave Ella a wink. She squeezed her hands into fists behind her back, hoping her excitement didn’t show too clearly on her face. It was not right to be so thrilled when tragedy was unfolding, but there you had it. It was a lining up of the
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