Kate was in bed but not asleep; she was reading. She knew Nick would be home soon and thought she'd settle down to sleep then. However she looked up as she heard a car coming up to the house and then jumped as someone banged on the front door of the Police House.

She pulled on her dressing gown and ran downstairs. "Sergeant Blaketon!" She exclaimed as she opened the door.

"Hallo Dr Rowan. Can I come in?"

Kate stepped back to let him into the Police House's small sitting room then turned to face him. "Its Nick, isn't it?" she demanded

"He's missing Dr Rowan. He was last heard from at nine and all was well and he was due to finish his beat at eleven but he didn't come in."

"So is he hurt? Has there been an accident?"

"Well, at the moment, we just don't know. We've checked the hospitals of course but he's not been brought in anywhere. They would have told us, anyway. But I've got lads searching every inch of Ashfordly for him. We'll find him. I should try not to worry."

"Try not to worry! He could be lying injured somewhere! I'm going to get out there and look for him myself."

"No. Dr Rowan – Kate – we're out there looking for him ourselves. You're more help to us – and to him – if you stay by the phone. The minute I hear anything you'll be the first to know."

Kate turned to him and he felt sorry for her as he saw the raw fear on her face. "Can I ask someone to sit with you, Dr Rowan? " he asked her gently.

"I'm fine Sergeant. Just – just let me know will you? "

"As I said, the minute I know anything." Oscar paused. "Well, I'll get along then. See how the search is going."

Kate saw him out of the house, shut the door and leaned against it heavily. Then, giving herself a mental shake she went to bank up the fire. It was going to be a long night for everyone.

Ten constables had come into the station to help form a search party. Divided into pairs, they were all given a section of Nick Rowan's beat to search. Phil and his partner had searched the section they had been allocated, now they had returned to the station anxious and worried. Alf silently put a cup of tea in from of young Bellamy and put a hand on the lad's shoulder as he sat down wearily at his desk and put his head in his hands.

"What can have happened, Alf?" Phil said miserably. "There's no sign of him anywhere." He looked up at the older constable. "Come on Alf. Its bad, isn't it?"

Alf looked across at the station clock. Two am. "Don't give up just yet lad," he said quietly but knowing deep down that the longer this went on the more serious it got.

Oscar was in his office running a finger over a map of Ashfordly. The lads forming the search team were all coming back in with no reports. There was a diving team coming over in the morning to search the waterways. They had a dog team out but nothing had been found yet. He looked up as his office door opened.

"Inspector Mallory is here, Sarge," Alf said and stood back to let the inspector into Oscar's room.

Oscar got to his feet. "Thank you for coming over, sir," he said. "Alf- tea please."

The inspector indicated for Oscar to sit back down and then he himself sat opposite his sergeant. "Update me, Sergeant," he said.

"Nick Rowan made point at nine o'clock," Oscar Blaketon said referring to the method used by police officers in the sixties before personal radios were available of staying in touch; essentially using police boxes in the area to phone in and pick up messages. "He were due off shift at eleven. Only no one has heard from him."

"Mm. So he's been missing since nine effectively?"

"Aye."

"Any of the search party found anything?"

"No sign at all. Streets quiet, no reports. Diving team are coming over at first light." Oscar looked up as Alf came in with the tea. He carried on, it was safe with Alf who after all knew the score. " I'm worried, sir."

Sitting in his room the boy was crying. He wiped his sleeve roughly across his face. He made a decision. He would tell his dad. But not yet. Wait a bit longer perhaps when it was daylight. His dad would be even more cross if he were woken in the middle of the night…

Nick felt so cold…..he had wondered whether to try crawling to the door of the warehouse to give himself a better chance of being found. But he was in so much pain and breathing was so hard he knew he couldn't do it.

He knew now that he had been abandoned and his bitter anger at the boy who had run off into the night and left the young constable lying badly injured helped keep Nick going as he lay on that floor through that long night.

Kate sat by the fire hugging her knees watching the flames. It was warm by the fire but she felt so cold inside. She'd got dressed and put on warm trousers and jumper but still felt shaky and shivery. Reaction she thought her medical training automatically kicking in. She wanted to get up, go into the night and search for Nick despite what Sergeant Blaketon had said but she knew that Oscar had been right to insist she stay and wait. However hard this proved to be.

It was six o'clock in the morning when Oscar came back to the Police House. It was still dark. Kate flung open the door as he walked up the path, the light from the house illuminating her.

"We've not found him yet, Dr Rowan," Oscar said gently.

"Its not good is it?" Kate asked bluntly.

"We'll search the area again at first light. There's, well, just to be safe mind, there's divers coming over to check the waterways – canals and such like. Its just a precaution nothing more."

Kate ran a hand over her eyes fighting to keep her tears back.

"I'll get someone to come and stay with you Dr Rowan," Oscar said quietly.

"No. No, I'm fine Sergeant, really. I just wish I could come and help you look. At least I'd be doing something, not just sat here, waiting for you to knock on the door and tell me he's badly hurt or worse!"

"Dr Rowan – Kate." Oscar paused. "I know you and I don't always see eye to eye. But I do care about my lads you know. And Nick, well, he's a bloody good copper. I don't want you telling him, that, mind, when we find him. I – well, I just wanted to you let you know."

"Sergeant." Kate paused. "Thank you."

She watched him drive away and walked slowly back into the house, where the lonely waiting went on.

Alf brought Oscar and the inspector another cup of tea at seven.

"How are the lads bearing up Alf?" Oscar asked.

"Well, they're worried, sarge." Alf paused. "Young Phil isn't too good, in particular. They know, sarge, this isn't looking very good."

Mallory got to his feet. "Get them all together Ventress. We'll come and have a chat with them before we go back out there."

Dawn light was streaking into the sky as the boy, got off his bed and went to the door of the bedroom where his parents lay sleeping. They weren't up yet, as his dad was going back on nights at the local factory and his shift time was eight o'clock that evening.

The boy knocked on the door, quietly, then louder. "Da, Da, I need to talk ter yer."

Nick was floating somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. He was coughing and the coughing was increasing the pain in his chest. He was shivering violently too which increased his misery as he lay helplessly on the cold floor oblivious to the new day dawning.