17

For the ninth time that day, P.J. went to dial Maggie's mobile
number. Each time he'd tried to call her, he'd been interrupted, and
he was beginning to get annoyed. Staring over at the door, he almost
dared someone to knock as he dialled.

He got to the penultimate number before Tom Croydon knocked and
stuck his head around the door.

"WHAT?" yelled P.J. in frustration. "Boss, sorry, I've been trying
to make this call all day, and I keep getting interrupted."

"Well, go ahead, I can wait. I just wanted to see how you're going
with the court case" Tom said, sensing that P.J. was busy with
something.

P.J. froze. Sure, I'll make the call. P.J. let his imagination run
wild for a second. Hey Mags, it's me, want to meet up later and
practice that kissing thing again?' Sure. That would go down just
perfectly.

"Ah, no, go on Boss. I'll try her again later. The case is fine, I'm
almost ready, just need a bit more work and then we've got it sewn
up tighter than a – "

"P.J!"

""Very tight thing, Boss" grinned P.J.

"So, who are you trying to ring?" Tom asked, letting his curiosity
get the better of him.

"Huh? Oh, ah, just one of the witnesses in the case. I just wanted
to double check something with him." P.J. said, digging around for
an excuse, not realising that he'd already let it slip that he had
been trying to ring a woman, and had now claimed to be ringing a
man. Tom groaned inwardly, instinctively knowing who it was that
P.J. had been wanting to talk to.

He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to ward
off the impending headache. P.J. had wanted to talk to Maggie. Of
course there could be a legitimate reason to talk to her, but if
that were the case, why would P.J. feel the need to conceal anything
from him?

"Boss? You ok?" asked P.J., "I've got some headache tablets around
here somewhere if you want," he said, rummaging around in the drawer.

"No, I'm fine P.J. Just peachy. Ok, I should get going, paperwork
never ends, does it, Detective," Tom said, standing and eyeing the
pile on P.J.'s desk. Honestly, thought Tom, he's only just cleared
one lot and already has an entire tree full of paperwork ready and
waiting. "You know, you're very lucky you've got Doyle" he said,
thinking about how efficient Maggie was.

P.J.'s eyebrows almost shot through the roof when he heard that, and
he just about had his expression back in place when Tom spoke again.

"She's a born organiser that one, she should give you a few lessons
in how to clear your desk!"

And he must have caught sight of the glint in P.J.'s eye, because he
glared at him for a second, and then," You look after that one.
She's a good copper is our Margaret." And with that, he turned and
left the C.I. office, leaving a stunned P.J. floundering in his wake.

18

But then, pulling himself together, Ben put himself back into the
game. "I mean, you'd no sooner get involved with P.J. than you would
with me, would you?" he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Ben, don't be daft!" spluttered Maggie, before realising how that
sounded. "Er, not that you're not a great bloke, and any woman would
be glad to have you, but, but you're a mate! And it wouldn't be
right, and – and we work together. Yeah, we work together and it's
against the regs. " she finished, glad to have dug herself out of
that one. Except she hadn't, her conscience told her, because what
was she doing with P.J. if she was so by the book? If she could
quote the regs about Ben, why not about P.J.?

Ben glanced over at her, a smile on his face. "Exactly. Pity though,
just imagine it, you and me against the world! We could make
mincemeat of P.J.! He'd never know what hit him" he laughed. "Just
imagine his expression"

Maggie stared back at him, praying that he was joking. Sure it was
fun to wind P.J. up sometimes, but –

"Yeah, well, it's not going to happen, so there's no need to think
about it. Some other poor mug will come along – sorry, beautiful
female will come along and sweep you off your feet, my dear
Benjamin. And you'll ride off into the sunset on your white horse,
just like Emma wants" she grinned.

"And P.J.?" asked Ben.

"What about him?"

"Where's his gorgeous princess?"

Right here, she thought. "She's on her way too" Maggie
smiled. "Anyway, what's the address we need again? We're almost in
the City. "

"775 MacQuarie Street. Next left at this crossroads." Ben said
smugly, slowing down at the red light and watching the traffic
streaming across in front of him. "Never wait for a woman to give
directions"

"OY! I'll have you know – "

And that was when it happened, Ben told the traffic boys later on.

19

It fell to Dash to answer the phone. P.J. and Adam were out talking
to the witnesses in the case P.J. was going to court with tomorrow.

Tom Croydon was working in his office with the door closed, and Nick
was on the phone to Zoe, who still hadn't had the baby, and was
bored silly.

"Mount Thomas Police, Constable McKinley speaking. Ben! Hi, how are
you, how's the wide world outside Mou – what? Oh my god, Ben, are
you ok? Oh, thank goodness, and Maggie? "

And she dropped the phone, her face white, eyes wide with shock.
Nick had looked up as he heard the change in her voice.

"Zoe, love, I've got to go, something's up. Love you."

"Love you too, bye," said Zoe.

Nick bent down and picked the phone up, wrapping an arm around Dash,
who uncharacteristically let him hug her to him.

"Ben, mate, what is it?"

Ben's voice sounded tinny as Nick struggled to hear him.

" ….hit us from behind. It was so fast Nick, she hit our car, and we
shot forward and into the intersection. And – and then the other
car, Nick, the other car hit us, hit Maggie's side, and, it's not
good Nick. I'm at the hospital now, and they've taken Maggie away. "

Tom Croydon, feeling peckish, had come out of his office in search
of a snack. Seeing Nick on the phone, with an arm around Dash, he
stared over at them with a questioning look on his face. Unwrapping
herself, Dash moved over to him, wiping her eyes.

"Boss, it's Maggie. She and Ben were in a car crash. Ben's just
telling Nick, but Maggie's hurt Boss, she's – " and her chin
quivered again as she bit her lip.

"Sit down McKinley, " Tom said gently. "Calm down now. We can't do
anything until we know what's going on. Nick?" he asked, turning as
Nick slowly put the phone down.

"Ben's not too bad, cuts and bruises and quite shaken up, but Maggie
took the full brunt of it." He said, leaning back against the hatch
that separated the station from the public area. "They've taken her
away for tests, and he said he'll ring when he knows more," he said
quietly, his tall frame seeming to shrink inwardly. Maggie Doyle was
a very special part of the Mount Thomas Police family, and this had
knocked Nick sideways.

"And so all you have to do is to ask the right question, at the
right time, in the right way, young Adam," grinned P.J. as he strode
through the door, with Adam Cooper behind him, making a yeah, yeah'
face behind him. "Simple as that. Just watch me and learn from the
best," P.J. concluded. "What? Why all the long faces?"

"P.J., ah, "began Nick

"Maggie's been in a car crash, and she's in hospital for tests,"
said Dash tearfully. "P.J., some woman crashed into her side of the
car, and she's – " she tailed away, biting her lip in a concerted
effort not to sob.

P.J. heard his heart stop.

He literally heard his heart stop.

Screech to a halt and stop.

"Mate, she's alive, she's still alive." He vaguely heard Nick's
voice somewhere in the background. "P.J.? P.J.!"

Shaking his head, he came to his senses. Pushing past his
colleagues, he went into his office and dumped the files on his
desk, before coming out again.

"P.J., where are you going?" Tom had to ask.

"Where do you think?"

"Mate, I know how you feel, but you can't, you've got court in the
morning" Tom said, hating that he had to do this to P.J., but if he
let him go – officially – he knew P.J. wouldn't be back in time for
the court appearance. "Look, come into my office and we'll talk!"
and he almost flinched at the anger and fear he was in P.J.'s blue
eyes.

Striding past Tom, P.J. stormed into the office, finally coming to
stand by the window, hands clenching and unclenching by his sides.
Closing the door behind him, Tom carefully moved over to stand
behind P.J.

"P.J, listen, I can't – "

"I'm going to Melbourne Boss. I just - I have to go. I can't not. I - I love her Tom, I - "

"I know P.J. I know. And I know how much you love her. Listen; what
I said out there, I had to. Officially, you can't go. But if there
were a family emergency in Melbourne, then you'd have to go. And so,
I'm sorry to hear about your family emergency. Take Nick, and keep
me informed."

P.J. turned to face Tom, his face tight with worry. "Boss, I – "

"Just go, P.J. We can sort this all out when you two come back
together. Now, go, and give her our love" he said, shaking P.J.'s
hand and clapping him on the back. "Look after her."

P.J. stood frozen for a moment, the full fear of it all setting
in. "Tom, I, we- " he said, his fear evident.

"She'll be all right, P.J. She loves you too, and she'll want to
come back to you" he said softly. "You can see how much she cares,
and I know how much you love her. So like I said, go, and bring her home."

Tom moved over and opened the door and strode out, P.J. following
behind.

"It appears that P.J.'s had a family emergency and needs to go to
Melbourne. Nick, do you think you could drive him down there?" he
said.

Nick was standing at the hatch, keys in his hand. He'd known P.J.
would be going to her, and that he wouldn't let anyone stop him.
He'd seen it in P.J.'s face, how much he loved her. That flash of
pure fear when he'd heard that Maggie was hurt, it was the reaction
he'd have if Zoe were hurt. That twist in the guts, lancing white-
hot fear that gripped you by the throat and squeezed.

Oh hell, Zoe.

Pulling his mobile out of his pocket, he dialled Zoë's number while
they walked out to the car, before putting it back in his pocket.
How could he ring Zoe and tell her that Maggie had been hurt? What
the hell would it do to an already overdue Zoe to hear that one of
her best friends was injured?

Starting the car, he glanced over at P.J. "Mate, I need to go and
see Zoe, just to tell her where we're going. I can't leave without
telling her, she'll panic if – "

P.J.'s voice was strained. "It's ok, Nick. I can drive, you stay
with Zoe. She needs you"

"And so do you. All I want to do is to tell her. She'll be fine, but
I just want to tell her in person and not over the phone. It won't
take a sec, and then we can go and see Maggie" Nick said, turning
onto the main road.

As he had expected, Zoe was very worried about Maggie, but also
understood when Nick told her he was taking P.J. to Melbourne. "I'll
be fine. I'll stay with Callie tonight if you're not back. P.J., I –
give her my love, and tell her we're all thinking of her. " she
said, hugging P.J. briefly as best she could. "Now, go!"