Jack stretched his limbs out in sheer pleasure as he leaned his head back and gazed up at the sky. It was never all that easy to see the stars in central London, but the warm August night was still and clear enough to make out the main constellations. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair. He turned his head slightly to smile at Nikki before taking a sip of cool white wine.
"Think I've changed my mind about being on furlough. It's not so bad after all."
She laughed as she refilled her own glass and sat next to him on her reclining garden sofa. "Better not get used to it now… Unless you've changed your mind about coming back?"
"No way."
"Last of the late nights, then."
He nodded, glancing over with a smile as her head dropped back against the cushions. It had been a long week.
There was a step on the terrace as Harry emerged through the French doors.
"Finished for the week, thank God," he said, stretching his spine out before collapsing into a chair.
"Want one of these?" Nikki waved her glass at him.
Harry hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "I'll get myself a coffee in a minute."
Jack had noticed that Harry was less inclined to drink alcohol these days, possibly due to his hefty schedule. He had agreed to continue as a guest lecturer at the University for the next academic year, since they had still not succeeded in replacing Thomas. With the USA still closed to international visitors, it didn't look as if he'd be able to get back anyway. Lectures wouldn't be resuming until October, but he'd been working on the curriculum for the next year, while still helping Nikki out occasionally – even taking on some crime scene work. In addition to that, he was still employed by his university in New York and had recently resumed his online lectures there. Due to the time difference, they tended to run late.
Jack had seen a lot of Nikki and Harry during the long hot summer of 2020. It had become a habit to pop in for lunch or dinner in Nikki's rambling, pretty garden. Harry would join them after his lectures and the trio would sit late into the night, Jack silently enjoying the peace and warmth while Harry and Nikki swapped anecdotes and laughed over memories of old cases. Ironically, it was an affinity that they might not have enjoyed if it hadn't been for the lockdown. They'd have been out at various activities – Nikki at her yoga class, Jack in the gym, maybe meeting at a pub for a quick drink – but with venues still closed, Nikki's garden was all they had.
He wasn't as bothered by Harry and Nikki's strong affinity these days – in fact, Jack had come to the conclusion that he wouldn't mind if Harry did decide to come back to the Lyell full time. He'd grown to like the pathologist, to appreciate his humour and ready intelligence, and he felt he'd enjoy working alongside him. There was no likelihood of that, however. It would have been a step down in Harry's illustrious career, and the Lyell couldn't afford him anyway. Also, Nikki had told Jack that much as she appreciated Harry's company, she wouldn't want to work with him anymore – they were set in their ways, and it would probably end in far too much professional conflict. They were far better now as just friends.
Jack found he was actually glad that Nikki had Harry back in her life…once it had become clear that they really were just good friends. Nikki had cut a lonely figure in recent years. She had some friends, of course, but the nature of her job plus her frequent trips to Washington had meant that she'd had little time for them, and as many were now married with kids, she didn't have much in common anymore. Her closest friends had probably been her colleagues – people who could understand and appreciate why the work took up so much of her time.
Jack had sensed that she was drifting a little. The pandemic had had that effect on all of them, one way or another. Even for those who had continued to work in vital jobs, it had presented an opportunity to take stock, to wonder what life was really about. Much as she loved her work and was as committed as ever to the principles of finding the truth and getting justice, he got the impression that Nikki was fundamentally unsatisfied with her life in general and that she was trying to find something meaningful to do in her spare time.
For Jack, the sleepy days of August felt like a wonderful pause in his life. The house sale had finally gone through, he had a moving date arranged and the next few weeks would be busy with moving, getting his father moved in and – best of all – returning to the Lyell.
He was more than ready to return. He'd already been back at the Lyell a few times to help Helen with some of the more tedious desk-based tasks, mainly in the evenings and at the weekends when there were fewer staff around. However, Helen had recently announced that she'd been asked to return to her former post. Although Nikki was dubious, Jack had managed to get his medical team on his side – he was in excellent health, they saw no reason why he shouldn't return to work, and in fact he was probably less likely to catch Covid there than at a supermarket or pub.
Nikki yawned and leaned into Jack, dropping her head on his shoulder. It was a Friday night; they'd had Helen over for dinner as a final thank-you for all her work. She'd left a while ago, but it hadn't even occurred to Jack to depart at the same time. Sitting here in the warm night, he almost felt as if it was he who lived with Nikki and not Harry, who was currently bustling around the kitchen, brewing a fresh pot of coffee. He could allow himself to dream, anyway.
When Harry returned with the pot of coffee and three mugs, Nikki roused herself. "Did you get a chance to look at that CV?"
"Mmm." Harry poured the coffee out before sitting down. He raised his eyebrows as he looked over at them. "Almost too good to be true, isn't he?"
"Almost," Jack muttered as he drained his glass.
"You can see why I offered him the job though?" Nikki sat up straighter and reached over for her coffee. "I mean, I did plan to wait for you to come back for the interviews, but…"
Jack nodded. "Oh yes, I get it. You didn't want to miss the opportunity. Because I assume he could've easily got something else…"
Adam Yuen's CV was, indeed, extraordinary. Frankly, the young man could have walked into any job he wanted, which begged the question: why was he prepared to take a relatively low-paid post? It was the question that hung in the air between them. The university's guest lecturer fees that Harry had generously reallocated had finally come through, but one term's fees did not make a particularly attractive annual salary.
Nikki grinned. "He said it was an honour to work for Dr. Alexander and that he couldn't think of anyone he'd rather learn from."
Jack snorted. "He did not. You're making it up."
"No, he really did." She dug her elbow into Jack's ribs. "I could almost hear you sniggering from halfway across the city. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. Bless him – I can't even remember being that young and sweet."
Harry's eyes glinted with amusement as he tried to look stern. "I mean, you've always been a bit of a tart, but when did you turn into such a magnet for innocent young men?"
"Ha! You can bloody talk! I've seen those students giving you the eye."
The taunt was dangerously close to the problems in Harry's personal life, but he didn't seem to mind. "Ollie's always talking about you. You definitely made an impression."
She sighed, but there was a little smile on her lips. "He makes me feel about a hundred years old."
"I'm not sure that's all he makes you feel." Harry arched his eyebrow. "Come on, Niks. You obviously think he's cute."
She kicked him. "Oh, shut up, you! There's nothing wrong with feeling appreciated – for once."
There was a bitter note to her tone, and Harry's eyebrow shot even further north. "Oh, yes? Trouble in paradise? How is Matt these days?"
Nikki shifted uncomfortably, and Jack sensed she didn't really want to discuss Matt.
"Well, on that note -," he grabbed his mug and knocked back the black coffee. "- I'm outta here. Thanks for dinner."
"Sure." She got up. "Hang on a minute, I've got some left-overs you can take with you – too much for us to finish..."
The men stood together, watching as she disappeared into the house.
"What is going on with Matt?" Jack asked quietly.
Harry merely shrugged, before stooping to gather up the coffee things. "Not sure, but I'll tell you something. That guy has really turned into an arsehole recently. Shame really – he seemed nice enough when I met him last Christmas."
Jack wondered what Harry meant, but Nikki was already returning, so it was too late to ask.
Adam Yuen was…interesting. Fundamentally, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him - and maybe that was the issue. There was something that roused Jack's suspicion for no good reason – what Thomas would have described as his 'spidey sense'. He wondered whether Thomas would have appointed him. Probably he would…but he might not have been so certain as Nikki. It was unfortunate that Nikki hadn't had a chance to develop her management skills under Thomas' direction before his death; it wouldn't have hurt for her to develop some of his cynicism.
The young pathologist certainly seemed to hold Nikki in great regard. Jack smiled to himself, remembering his own over-enthusiastic response when he'd first met Leo Dalton. But he had to admit that Adam was far smoother than he had ever been. Although the young pathologist occasionally put his foot in it with some of the detectives, he had a boyish charm and innocence that carried him through. It came as a surprise to learn that he was married with one young child and another on the way – for some reason, Jack had assumed Adam was too busy being a wonder boy to have a social life, but apparently the young man was a success here too.
It was difficult not to feel like a failure next to Adam Yuen. Jack had recently turned forty-two, and what did he have to show for it? A job he enjoyed, sure, and he was about to become a house owner at last, but no kids and no likelihood of having any. It was the same for Nikki, of course, also in her forties and hardly likely to get pregnant now, particularly with her long-term boyfriend in the States. If she minded, she kept her feelings hidden.
It had never, for a single moment, occurred to Jack that there might be any consequences to his past, rather scrappy, love life. He'd been the younger, less interesting brother of Ryan Hodgson, the local wild boy with the smooth Irish accent that all the girls went for in their small Yorkshire village. It had been a surprise when he'd finally appeared to settle down in his mid-twenties with Aoife, a fellow Northern Irish-born Yorkshire emigree, but their relationship was anything but smooth. It was during one of their frequent break-ups that Jack had stepped in, initially to give Aoife a lift to work, but eventually to become her confidante and regular drinking buddy. She was a kind, gentle woman, not entirely at home in northern England and missing her family back in Belfast. She was far too good for someone like Ryan. It was possible that Ryan felt that himself, which may have been why he kept going back to her between his affairs. Jack was less sure why Aoife kept forgiving him.
He did feel some guilt about sleeping with his brother's on-off girlfriend. It was true enough that Ryan had treated her like dirt, and at the time she had evidently assumed their relationship was finally over, but Jack realised in retrospect that Aoife had been a very confused woman at the time. They'd both had too much to drink, they'd been feeling lonely, and…it happened. Just the once – well, twice, to be entirely honest, but that was it. Fond though he was of her, Jack couldn't say he was in love, and it was rather a relief when she confessed that she felt the same way. Not long after, she'd made the split with Ryan official and had taken herself back to her family in Belfast. She'd sent him a couple of friendly postcards to assure him that she'd settled in back home, but they'd lost contact after that. There had certainly been nothing about a baby…
So, Cara was an enormous shock. She was very like her mother in both looks and mannerisms – she had the same open, earnest expression, the same innocence. The main problem that Jack had, right at the start, was that he couldn't see Ryan in her at all. If his brother hadn't asked him to get a paternity test, Jack might have been tempted to do so anyway – and not because he suspected Cara of being an imposter.
It was even more of a shock to learn that his father had known all along about Jack and Aoife, although it did seem as if he suspected them of having had sex more frequently than had actually been the case.
It seemed distinctly unlikely to Jack that Cara could really be his – not based on one drunken night, surely…and yet, she did seem to resemble him more than his brother. When Nikki made her light comment about a family resemblance, he squirmed inwardly – she knew better than most that the brothers were not physically alike at all.
He wasn't sure if it'd be much better if he was Cara's father. True, there were times when he wouldn't want to wish Ryan on anyone, and he knew instinctively that he could be a decent father – better than his brother anyway. But with that thought came yet more guilt – Cara had grown into a lovely young woman without a dad to support her. If Aoife had told him, he would have been there for them, no matter what. The fact that she hadn't – had in fact even considered an abortion – suggested that she hadn't believed she could count on Jack. Either that, or she had good reason to believe Ryan was the father after all.
His thoughts kept returning to Adam - chasing his young son around the laboratory, his pride on the day that he announced the birth of his baby daughter, that (frankly annoying) father of the year mug. If only Aoife had been honest… Jack would have moved back to Belfast with her, would have focused on being a good husband and father, might have even grown to love Aoife after all. And he wouldn't have been there on that fateful night, when Ryan was kicked to the ground during that drunken brawl… His brother wouldn't have ended up in prison, and Jack wouldn't have been living with the guilt ever since.
On the other hand, he would never have met Nikki. And that was unthinkable.
When he saw her interacting with Cara with her usual instinctive kindness, and equally saw how much the teenager liked her, he entertained the briefest of fantasies. Cara would prove to be his, they'd move in together and be a ready-made family, only waiting for Nikki to come to her senses and realise where she was meant to be… it was a ridiculous notion, of course, and he dismissed it almost as quickly, focusing instead on trying to make things right between Cara and Ryan.
Harry came into the changing room in his scrubs, rolling his eyes at the sight of Nikki roaring with laughter as she stood on the bench and rubbed Jack's hair vigorously with a towel. Having just emerged from a shower, with only a towel around his waist that was threatening to slip, Jack wasn't in a position to swat her away – or not effectively, anyway.
"Gerroff! What are you doing to my hair?"
She giggled. "Just making a fuss of the hero of the hour." She ruffled his crown, affectionately. "You've got curls – how cute. Did I ever know that? Also…you're receding."
He grunted, pushing her hands away. He hated his unruly hair and tended to keep it as short and as well-groomed as possible, but it had grown out a bit during the pandemic.
"What on earth have you been up to?" Harry had grabbed a couple of clean towels from the pile and was heading towards the showers, but paused, giving them a curious look.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Preventing a murderer and child abductor from drowning herself."
Nikki giggled again. "And finally discovering the one thing that Adam can't do."
"Nice to know there's even one," Harry commented, acerbically. It amused Jack that Harry didn't seem to care much for the young pathologist – possibly because he slightly resembled a young Harry with his multiple qualifications and obvious intelligence.
"Don't be so mean! I like him."
Harry winked at Jack. "Of course you do. He's young and innocent and worships you. Better watch out, Jack, she's turning into a cougar. Now Ollie…"
Nikki chucked the towel at him; he dodged neatly and disappeared into the shower cubicle, whistling under his breath.
Jack raised an eyebrow at Nikki. "Are you going to bugger off, so I can get dressed…or stay and take in the view?" He adjusted the towel around his waist meaningfully.
He didn't miss the way she flushed slightly as she stepped down from the bench. "In your dreams, Hodgson."
"Hey, I'm not the one who thought I'd make a good specimen." He couldn't stop a grin creeping onto his face as he remembered her expression in the meeting room. There had definitely been a smile of admiration, and more than a hint of flirtation in the way her eyes had flickered up and down his body. And if he wasn't mistaken, she was giving him the once-over right now as he strolled across the room to his locker. She'd seen him stripped down to his shorts a few times before and had clearly admired the view, but not quite so blatantly. Glancing in the mirror, he saw her eyes staring at his shoulders before she turned her head away.
There was a moment of silence as Harry stopped whistling. The cubicle door opened fractionally, and the pathologist stuck his head out. "A what?"
"Oh, Nikki just thinks I'd be an excellent sperm donor," Jack replied, nonchalantly.
"Yeah…for desperate middle-aged women who haven't had sex for a long time," she shot back at him as she headed for the door.
Harry sighed theatrically as he closed the door again. "You know, if it's getting that bad, Nikki, you've only got to ask…"
"Oh, piss off, Cunningham!" She rolled her eyes as she pushed the door open. "Honestly, you're as bad as each other…"
Gradually, Adam began to grow on Jack. The guy was still too perfect to be true, but he was nice enough, and Jack was grateful for his help with Cara. He even taught Jack bits of sign language whenever they had a spare moment.
To be fair, it wasn't Adam's fault that he wasn't Clarissa or Thomas. After Leo's death, it'd been the four of them for years, and although Thomas had been dead for almost eighteen months already and he'd finally got used to not having Clarissa around, Jack still thought of Adam as the newcomer – the outsider. He'd grown even closer to Nikki when it had just been the two of them, and he had to admit to some jealousy when he saw the two pathologists together. It wasn't that he suspected anything between them – far from it, Adam was clearly very happily married – but there was inevitably a closeness through their work that he couldn't share. For some reason, he minded that more than he did Nikki's closeness with Harry.
Harry kept making noises about finding somewhere temporary to live, but he was too busy to do much about it at present, and as the two of them rubbed along together well enough, it didn't seem to be much of a priority. For a brief period, during the autumn, he went back to face-to-face lectures with his students. Occasionally, he'd bring them along to the Lyell for practical sessions, doing joint demonstrations with Nikki.
Jack, observing from the gallery one day, noticed that Ollie, the student who'd had a crush on Nikki, still seemed quite taken with her. He also noticed that Harry, despite privately teasing Nikki about being a maneater, showed some delicacy in distracting Ollie whenever he saw the young man drifting in Nikki's direction. Jack was grateful for that, and also rather amused at the obvious hero-worship that the young students displayed for their eminent lecturer. He had to admit that Harry had probably made the right decision to leave the Lyell – his skill as a teacher was obvious.
He didn't like to ask Harry when he planned to return to his real life. The USA was still closed to British visitors, although he had no doubt that if Harry really wanted to go back, he could probably find a way. Through Nikki, he knew that Harry was in regular contact with his estranged wife and received updates on the progress of her son, William. They seemed friendly enough, and neither had sued for divorce as far as he knew. Jack had the impression that Jennifer was waiting for Harry to return, so they could talk face-to-face before taking any further action.
For Nikki's sake, Jack did his best to quell his suspicions and get on with Adam. His well-meant suggestions were an occasional irritant. Jack was open-minded in his professional work and perfectly prepared to take advice from fellow forensic scientists, but it wasn't so easy when the suggestions came from an upstart pathologist. Clever though he was, Adam's knowledge of forensic science techniques was not as thorough as he evidently believed, so although some of his ideas were worth investigating, many were not. Jack was aware of Nikki's amusement at his struggle to be diplomatic whenever the younger man came up with a glib idea that appeared to save time but actually didn't. Adam often failed to recognise that it was precisely Jack's meticulous methods that got the results. He had a young man's impatience with tried-and-tested ways of working.
But he learned from his mistakes. Jack grew to admire Adam's persistence. He was happy to put in the long hours required to become an excellent pathologist, despite his young family. He grew more diplomatic with older colleagues, although he still made the occasional gaffe. He developed a greater appreciation for Jack's techniques and was less inclined to interfere in the forensic science side of the cases they worked on.
Jack was much happier now he was back at work. He'd grown used to wearing a mask and going through the rigorous infection control routines. By the end of the year, they'd almost become second nature, and it hardly seemed possible that he might, one day, go back to a 'normal' way of living.
Connor had finally moved in, and father and son had a peaceful Christmas Day. Cara had decided to stay in London for a while, lodging with friends of Aoife, so she helped Jack to prepare a halfway decent attempt at a Christmas dinner. The trio had visited Ryan and, for once, it had been a happy occasion. Ryan had obtained books on sign language and appeared to be making an effort to get to know his daughter. Jack had put away the paternity forms, firmly resolved not to run the tests, even though he'd already collected the necessary samples.
Nikki and Harry celebrated Christmas and the New Year together, of course. Again, Jack found that he didn't mind as much as he thought he would. He'd have felt worse if she'd been alone, with Matt unable to travel and Jack not feeling that he should invite her over for his father's sake, with Covid cases rising again.
January and February were grim months; they had a minor outbreak among the laboratory staff, but Nikki stamped it out immediately by isolating the staff and closing the Lyell for a deep clean. Adam was off for a couple of weeks, but was asymptomatic and soon back at work when the Lyell reopened for business. Jack received his first vaccine in February – he was still rather bemused to see himself described as 'vulnerable' in the clinic's appointment letters.
As spring advanced, Nikki was visibly happier. He couldn't put a finger on it, but she seemed calmer, more settled than she had in the autumn. She was less inclined to hang around at the Lyell when her work was finished for the day. He didn't think she was spending more time with Harry, who was in any case generally busy in the evenings with his US lectures, but she was certainly doing something with her spare time. He assumed she'd taken up a new hobby or fitness class. He was grateful to be able to get back to the gym, although he incorporated mindfulness techniques and took regular nature walks.
All in all, they'd settled into a good routine. Adam had proved a good choice after all. There was uncertainty over his funding for a second year. Almost certainly, the salary would have to go up, or Adam would move – he'd be a fool not to. Much as Adam admired Nikki, there was a streak of ambition in him. It wouldn't be long before Dr. Alexander became a direct rival rather than a mentor to that bright young man.
If there was one major fault that Jack was prepared to admit to (because it had dogged so much of his professional life), it would be his inability to forgive anyone who had been less than straight with him. He knew it was foolish to take it so personally, but he couldn't help his bitterness and anger when Adam confessed that his CV really had been too good to be true. That was less of a shock than the fact that he hadn't disclosed his relationship with one of the suspects.
It wasn't just that he'd made Nikki look like a fool for appointing him. She'd be obliged to report him to the General Medical Council, word would get around, and she'd be the butt of amused speculation among her fellow pathologists through no fault of her own. No, it wasn't just that – although he fumed at the thought of Nikki's professionalism being questioned again. It was the fact that Jack had put aside his own suspicions, had strived to accept Adam and make him feel at home, had even gone to his daughter's christening…and Adam had taken that tentative friendship and thrown it back in his face.
So, it was a severe temptation to walk out of the office on the day that Nikki had brought Adam back in. She told him to trust her, but Nikki had always worn her heart on her sleeve, and why the hell should Jack accept Adam at face value after that?
He supposed he felt a little sorry for Adam. All that skill, all that ambition…all gone to waste. It would be impossible for Nikki to ignore what he'd told her – not without falling foul of the GMC's regulations herself. No – Adam would be hauled in for a Fitness to Practice tribunal, and it was highly likely that he would be struck off. It seemed very harsh, considering the fact that his CV would have hardly been less impressive without that documented placement…but it was still a lie.
He understood a little better when Adam told him the full story. It had been a shame that Adam had been so poorly advised – it would surely have been better if he'd told the truth about his trauma and time out from his education, instead of trying to hide it. It wouldn't have made him a worse doctor. Clearly, to Adam's family, any admission of trauma was a sign of weakness, and Jack could only be relieved that his own family had been more supportive in the early years of his career. But then, if he thought about it, his own parents had colluded with Ryan to protect Jack's career. Was that really any better than what Adam's father had done to protect his son's reputation?
When Adam explained where Nikki had been spending her evenings, Jack was briefly surprised…but then he realised that it made sense. Nikki had found some new meaning in her life. Being apart from her boyfriend for so long (and who knew what the hell was going on with that?), she'd clearly decided to turn her attention to giving something back to the community. When he walked into the food bank, she smiled, seeming unsurprised to see him there.
"Adam told you then?"
He nodded, giving her a meaningful look. "He told me everything."
She grimaced. "I couldn't turn him away. Not after – well. You heard what happened to him."
"Oh, I get it. But…you know you can't save him – right?"
She sighed, turning back to her task of replenishing the leaflets. "No… I know. It's just that…would I have done the same in his position?"
To be fair, considered the notion for a moment, before shaking his head. "No – you'd have been scrupulously honest on your CV, even if it hadn't made you look good. You're not as ambitious as him… Anyway, you'd never be able to keep up the deception for so many years. You're not that good an actor."
She smiled at that, recognising the truth of it. "It's lucky I never had that dilemma then."
He eyed her. "You know, you could have dobbed me in. After I told you about Ryan and the fight."
A startled look came into her eyes. "You know, I never even considered it. It'd hardly have been in the public interest, anyway, so many years later."
"It might have been in Ryan's, though." He ran a hand through his hair. "Don't think I haven't thought of that over the years."
She put a hand on his arm. "Don't beat yourself up about it. Come on – if you've got some time, give me a hand here…and then I'll buy you a drink. I'll even be the designated driver so you can have a beer"
"Well, I can't possibly resist that invitation." He mucked in willingly, helping the volunteers to move some of the heavier bags and boxes before the food bank closed for the day. He looked around him with interest as they left.
"So, how long have you been volunteering here?"
"Since January. I like it. You meet some interesting people."
He smiled, as they got into the car. "It seems to suit you. You seem…more relaxed somehow."
She drove in silence for a while, pondering. "There's so much need. Even more, since the pandemic started. People losing their jobs – people who would probably never have imagined that they'd become reliant on a food bank. It only takes a few missed paycheques…" She shuddered. "Just imagine, losing your job, not being able to pay the mortgage, not being able to feed your kids…"
They fell silent, both thinking the same thing. Nikki would no doubt appeal to the GMC on Adam's behalf, but they were under no illusions. The most likely scenario was that he'd be struck off. What would someone like Adam do, cast adrift from his profession? All that intelligence, all that fierce ambition…thwarted. It was true, as Nikki had said, that Adam seemed almost happier now that he was no longer hiding the past, but how long would it be before his positivity faded? Before he had to face the harsh fact that he could no longer support his family by doing the job he loved?
"Adam…Adam! Oh, Jesus…"
Jack bent over Adam's body, dialling an ambulance as he did so.
"Adam, can you hear me? Adam…"
The man's eyes opened, his lips curling up into that half smile that had aggravated Jack on so many occasions. "You took your time, mate… Come to take all the credit?"
His voice was slurred. Jack's eyes ran quickly over his face, recognising the signs of a major head injury. This was bad.
"Oh, man… The ambulance is on its way, what happened?"
"I messed up… You trusted me… That means a lot…"
Adam's head twitched and those brilliant, intelligent eyes began to glaze over…
"Adam, Adam, stay with me… Adam, c'mon man, stay with me. Stay with me…"
He knew it was hopeless, but he performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. He stood and watched their efforts, saw the shake of heads…
Nikki ran towards him, towards Adam. He stopped her almost automatically…pulling her into his chest as she sobbed with sudden realization…
They sat in the car silently, as the ambulance took Adam's body away. They'd given their statements to DI Cracknell. She approached their car now, a little warily, bending down on the driver's side to speak to Jack.
"We need to process the scene. And Professor Cowley's car too. It's obvious he knocked Adam down, but we'd better get the evidence before they tow it."
Jack had to work at getting the words out of his frozen mouth. "Get Helen. Get someone else. Anyone. I can't do it."
Cracknell's eyes flickered towards Nikki. She nodded briefly. "Understood."
He glanced over at Nikki; she was trembling slightly, her bloodshot eyes staring at the spot where Adam had lay. He turned the key in the ignition, noticing that his hands were trembling slightly.
They didn't speak as he drove her home. Not until he'd pulled up outside her house.
"You know it's not your fault… Adam…he didn't need to do that by himself. He could have called Cracknell, told her what he suspected. She would have listened. He could have rung you. We would have helped him…if only he'd asked."
"I know." Her voice was faint, made harsh by crying, as she undid her seatbelt. "It won't stop me wishing I'd never badgered him with all those phone calls. If I hadn't made him come back…"
"If you hadn't, he'd have always wondered. He solved the case…" Jack shook his head, closing his eyes. "I just wish he'd told us first… Maybe, if I hadn't been so hard on him…"
"Please Jack. Don't. Just…don't."
Her door opened suddenly. "Are you ever going to come in?" Harry peered in, his amused expression evaporating as he took them in. "Jesus. What's happened?"
"Oh, Harry…" Nikki let out a noise halfway between a gasp and a sob and lurched forward, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Niks. What wrong?" Harry's arms automatically encircled Nikki. He looked over at Jack for an explanation.
Suddenly unable to speak, Jack merely shook his head, rubbing a trembling hand over his face.