"Serra Oscar from DC Holms, urgent ambulance required…" Kerry's voice, strangely high pitched with fear, caught the attention of the others. The relieved congratulatory mood from just seconds before evaporated in the cold night air and four pairs of eyes turned to see Claire's slumped form.
"Claire love," Duncan hurried forward, forcing Finchly into John and Mickey's arms with uncharacteristic force. "Claire, it's going to be alright. You've just got to stay with us till the ambulance gets here."
Claire looked up to give the DC a grateful glance, but the effort appeared too much and her legs crumpled under her. If it hadn't been for Duncan's quick step forward, she would have fallen onto the road there and then, but as it was, the Scot caught her in his arms. He was shocked to feel how cold her body was and to feel the uncontrolled shakes that spasmed through her slim frame.
If anything scared Duncan, it was the look Claire gave him at that moment. She seemed incapable of speech, but her eyes told him how serious it was. She was completely convinced that she might not make it.
Finchly let out a whimper and Duncan turned to see a white faced John Boulton, his eyes fixed on Claire had an iron grip cutting into the circulation of Finchly's arm.
"John, don't kill him. We don't want this little scrote getting off on any technicality." John seemed to come to his senses and with a glance at his own hand he forcibly uncurled it from where it had been holding the prisoner.
"Please," Claire whispered, it was clearly costing her a lot to get the words out, "Kerry, tell the DCI, tell him he was right."
Completely confused Kerry tried to placicate her friend, "It's alright Claire, we'll call him soon.
But Claire shook her head, her vision blurring as she did so, "No, tell him now… He was right, he has to know…" And with these words she seemed to relapse further until Duncan was holding her entirely in his arms.
Kerry decided that there was obviously something important going on that she didn't understand, so she pulled out her phone, just as the sounds of distant sirens came into range.
"Gov, it's Kerry," Jack Meadows was still at work, despite the fact it was one o'clock in the morning. "Listen, we've got Finchly, but Claire's been injured, the ambulance has just arrived, but she was very adamant I tell you – you were right. I don't know what she meant and she's lost consciousness, but that's what she said."
At his desk, Meadows pondered for a moment, right about what? Still trying to get over the news that his DS was on her way to hospital he strained his memory back. And then he saw her, sitting in the passenger seat of his car just earlier that night.
"You've seemed a little quiet lately, is there anything I should know before you go out there?" He had been worried about her. She'd been acting strangely for about a week, maybe more. What had she said in response,
"It's a bit late for that Gov," She hadn't denied it, and now she was telling him he was right. A sudden nasty thought hit Jack and he jumped from the desk, causing the phone to fall the floor.
"Kerry," He half shouted at the surprised DC, "I'm on my way down to the hospital." And with that he ran from the room, he just hoped his suspicions were wrong.