“You’re a lot more attractive than I expected.”

Charlotte couldn’t look at him. No way. God only knew what it might give away. “Is that a problem?”

“I thought I had it taped but it seems like the jury just absconded again before the final verdict was in. I don’t like distractions.”

“It’s up to you not to be distracted then, isn’t it?”

“Precisely. And that’s something I can cope with unless—”

Hawk must like being precise, Charlotte thought vaguely. She was trying to decide what had stirred up the butterflies again. There was something different about Hawk’s voice right now. Always deep, it seemed almost liquid right now. It was rippling over Charlotte and oozing into places that set nerve endings alight. This was crazy. She was not attracted to Owen Hawkins. Not like that, anyway. Charlotte almost gulped.

“Unless what?”

“Unless the distraction is mutual.”

Dear Reader,

As a member of an emergency response team, I love being able to include some of the drama this can involve in my stories.

My work as a paramedic gives me contact with other branches of the emergency services, so writing a miniseries involving police, fire and ambulance was exciting. I find the science involved in the branch of the police force that investigates serious vehicle crashes fascinating.

I have to confess that I also found my hero, Hawk, rather fascinating. Hope you do, too!

Happy reading!

With love

Alison

Look out for more stories in the EMERGENCY RESPONSE miniseries from Mills & Boon Medical Romance™.

The Recovery Assignment
Alison Roberts

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

Cover

Excerpt

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

THE picture was a long way from being pretty.

Travelling too fast to negotiate the bend in the road, the late-model, four-wheel-drive’s left front wheel had left the tarmac and touched the loose shingle on the verge. A hard jerk to the right on the steering-wheel had over-corrected the error and the vehicle had begun to yaw, slipping sideways whilst still hurtling forward. The height and weight of the model had contributed to the disaster and the vehicle had tipped and then rolled. It had flipped once…twice…three times before slamming to a halt against a tree. The image was a violent one of a scarred landscape, twisted metal and potentially fatal injuries to those unfortunate enough to be inside the vehicle.

‘A local resident heard the impact and went to investigate.’ Senior Constable Owen Hawkins turned his gaze away from the image being projected onto the large screen. ‘He then dialled triple-one and alerted the emergency services.’

Representatives of two arms of those emergency services, fire and ambulance, were listening intently to Officer Hawkins.

‘The information given to the regional control centre was enough to activate the police department’s Serious Crash Squad, i.e. myself and my partner, Cam.’

Ex-partner. Hawk still couldn’t believe that such a tight team could have been ripped apart so easily. It hadn’t been entirely her fault, of course, but it was easy to assign blame when one’s life was getting mucked around with to this extent. Having someone other than his best mate to direct his frustration at had helped him cope over the last week or two, but right now it wasn’t going to aid his current brief of improving the liaison between the SCS and other emergency services.

‘What makes this a serious crash?’ Owen Hawkins threw the question into the group of a dozen or so fire officers and paramedics without targeting anyone in particular.

‘Vehicular rollover,’ a male paramedic offered.

‘Trapped occupants,’ a fire officer added.

‘High-speed impact.’ The suggestion came from the only female present in the room, and Hawk was forced to acknowledge her in the brief silence that followed.

‘How can you determine the speed?’ He hadn’t meant his tone to be quite so challenging. He didn’t have anything against female paramedics. He didn’t have anything against women in general. Hell, he liked women. It was just their capacity to turn lives upside down that he didn’t trust. He’d got his life just the way he wanted it, thanks very much, and now—thanks to one, no, two women, the wheels were falling off in a big way.

‘It’s a rural road,’ the woman responded. ‘With an open-road speed limit. The vehicle was also travelling downhill into the bend.’

‘Doesn’t mean he hadn’t slowed down.’ Hawk stared back at the rather mousy-looking, bespectacled paramedic. She had a sweet smile so he didn’t need to worry if he was coming across as being intimidating here: one of the men present would leap in to rescue her any second now.

To his surprise, however, the paramedic was not so easily silenced.

‘The vehicle has a deformity greater than half a metre. There is compartment intrusion of more than thirty centimetres thanks to that tree crushing the driver’s door. The front windscreen has a star pattern that was probably made by the driver’s head. I’d be very surprised if he survived. And if he hasn’t, that makes the potential for serious injury to his passenger that much higher. Any accident involving death or major injury is serious.’

‘Go, Laura!’ More than one fire officer was grinning broadly.

‘You’d better watch out,’ someone quipped. ‘She’ll be doing your job for you next, mate.’

Hawk’s smile failed to reach his eyes as he tilted his head to acknowledge both the impressive response to his challenge and the friendly warning. The fire officer couldn’t possibly realise that he had just reinforced Hawk’s simmering discontent by reminding him of what was due to happen tomorrow. He turned away, wishing he was back in his own office. Or out on the road, investigating a crash scene. Or following up a complicated line of enquiry. Anywhere he could distract himself from the unwelcome turns he was being forced to accept in his professional life. He pushed the button he held and another image appeared on the screen.

‘The driver was killed instantly,’ Hawk confirmed. ‘And the front-seat passenger sustained severe chest and spinal injuries. There doesn’t have to be a fatality before we’re called in to investigate, however. As Laura said, any crash involving major injuries is serious. If the death of anyone involved occurs within twenty-eight days of the incident, then it becomes a fatal crash investigation.’

He waved at the scene now projected on the wall. The road was cordoned off by bright orange plastic cones. Police cars flanked the area that contained the wrecked vehicle, three fire appliances and two ambulances. Numerous uniformed officers could be seen at work.

‘Who arrived on the scene first?’ Hawk queried.

‘Probably us,’ a fire officer responded. ‘We’re quick off the mark around here.’

‘Only if you’re awake.’ The male paramedic grinned. He glanced at Hawk. ‘It depends on current deployment of resources. Sometimes a tow truck can get to a scene before any emergency vehicles.’

‘Bloody sharks,’ someone muttered. ‘Eavesdropping on our radio frequencies to tout for business.’

Hawk ignored the comment, though he could sympathise with the sentiment. ‘In this case, the police were first to arrive with a response time of four minutes and they were able to secure the scene. The first fire truck arrived at six minutes, closely followed by an ambulance. I arrived on scene eight minutes after the call was received.’

New images appeared more rapidly. Pictures of the vehicle and the debris scattered over a long stretch of tarmac. Heavy cutting equipment being used by fire officers to extricate the victims and paramedics working to stabilise the injured passenger.

‘It’s imperative that both the fire and ambulance services have unrestricted access to a crash scene. The preservation of life and safety for everyone involved takes immediate priority but this does make my job more complicated because it’s inevitable that a lot of evidence gets disturbed or destroyed.’

Hawk let his gaze travel right around the room. ‘That’s why I’m here. We’re all part of an overall team and the more we understand each other’s jobs, the more we can work to help rather than hinder each other.’

A senior fire officer nodded. ‘We have the advantage in being a peripheral city fire station. Having fire and ambulance working from the same base has made a real difference in how we work together.’

The male paramedic mirrored the nod. ‘We can tell these guys exactly what we need to get access to our patient or how we want the extrication done, and they’re in there securing the vehicle or cutting the right bit from the chassis. Saving time can save lives.’

‘Exactly. And if you know what we’re looking for and how we work, we can save time, do our jobs better and hopefully make a contribution to general road safety. So, what is it that we do?’

The projected image was now in written form. ‘There are three main threads to our investigations. The vehicle, the driver and the environment. It’s helpful if we can get to a scene quickly. That way we can document road factors like traffic and weather conditions. A lot of the debris is still in place and we can talk to any witnesses or uninjured people that may have been involved. The first things said at a scene are the most likely to be factual. Victims who do not wish to appear at fault may well construct a different story later.’

‘Should we be taking notes about anything said to us?’

‘That’s not part of your job,’ Hawk told the male paramedic. ‘And I wouldn’t expect you to do anything that could interfere with your own protocols, but if you remember something that comes up in an interview we might have later, that’s great. Same goes for impressions like the smell of alcohol or the mental state of those involved. You guys have a lot more experience than us in dealing with the kind of reactions people have to traumatic situations. If something seems odd to you, we’d like to know about it. On or off the record.’

‘We get advice about what to do at a potential murder scene,’ the paramedic, Laura, said. ‘Like disturbing evidence as little as possible. What can we do to minimise destroying any evidence the SCS needs?’

‘If you need to move something to assist a victim, do it,’ Hawk responded. ‘We’d just like to know about it. If you have to break windows, unlock doors or turn ignition keys off, do it but let us know.’

‘What about safety belts?’ a fire officer queried. ‘Is it OK to cut them?’

Hawk nodded. ‘In fact, it’s better to cut them and leave the clip in place than to unclip it and not have that recorded. That way, we can be sure that they were wearing a seat belt.’

‘Sometimes we’re moving vehicle parts that we’ve cut. Or cargo that’s come off a truck. Is that a problem?’

‘The more that gets changed, the less of a full picture we’re going to be able to put together,’ Hawk responded. ‘If we get told about the changes, we can factor them in.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Sometimes small things can make a huge difference. Like a pedestrian versus car scenario, for example. When a vehicle hits a person, they’ll often lose a pair of glasses or a hat or handbag or something. The point at which that object falls is often the best indication of the point of impact. Some well-meaning person might pick the item up to give it back to the victim or tidy up a scene and that can make it impossible to be sure exactly where the victim was standing. And that could make the difference between the accident being the fault of the victim or the driver.’

Hawk’s face was serious as he let his gaze rest on Laura. She stared back and Hawk had the uncomfortable feeling that he was being evaluated for more than the content of his talk. He could feel some of the warmth leach out of his tone. ‘Fatal accidents can become court cases for manslaughter. A car is just as much of a lethal weapon as a gun in the wrong hands. Even small pieces of evidence can become of vital importance.’

His audience was clearly impressed, with the exception of Laura who was looking as though he had just scored another black mark on some personal score sheet. Hawk shrugged mentally and moved on, his tone now impersonal as he changed the image on the screen again.

‘What specifically are we looking for from the environment?’ He ran through a series of close-up photographs of tyre marks on road surfaces. ‘These can all tell their own story,’ he commented. ‘A yaw mark is a skid in a large arc and you’ll see these distinctive cross-marked tread patterns or striations. An acceleration scuff will have scrape marks in the opposite direction to travel whereas braking will give you scuffing in the same direction as travel.

‘Gouge marks, like this…’ Hawk pointed to the crescent shape carved into tarmac ‘…indicate the point of contact during a vehicle rollover. The mark occurs as the wheel rim hits the road. In this one—’ the crescent mark had a perfect circle close by ‘—the circle has been made by the central hub of the wheel during the final rollover.’

The next picture looked as though someone had emptied a rubbish container along a stretch of road. Papers, beer cans, broken glass, items of clothing and children’s toys were strewn over a surprisingly large area.

‘Debris scatter indicates the direction of travel of a vehicle and, potentially, its speed,’ Hawk told them.

He reached into a cardboard carton at his feet a few minutes later. The presentation was going smoothly and he was looking forward to finishing. He really wasn’t in the mood for liaison duties and that in itself was annoying. This kind of job had been a favourite when he and Cam had made it a joint effort. They could kick back and enjoy a semi-social occasion with their colleagues from complementary emergency services. There’d be jokes and laughter and maybe a beer or two at a local pub afterwards. If Laura had been scowling suspiciously at Cam he would have charmed her into appreciation pretty fast and it would have given the partners a moment of shared amusement later.

But those days were gone. As far as Hawk was concerned he was going solo now. He might be about to have a new partner foisted on him but that didn’t change anything. Cam was irreplaceable. They had worked—and played—as two halves of a whole. No one was going to step into that position easily. The notion that a female officer could replace what he’d had with Cam was about as likely as hell freezing over.

The item Hawk was now handing out to the group was an example of the kind of evidence they collected from the vehicles involved in a serious crash.

‘Look at the speedometer,’ he instructed. ‘Sometimes, with a high-energy impact, the speedo will become locked at the speed at which the vehicle was travelling. This one didn’t but if you look closely you might notice something.’

The dial was being carefully scrutinised by none other than Laura. ‘There’s a little mark,’ she observed. ‘At 190 kph.’

Hawk nodded. ‘A needle tap,’ he confirmed. ‘And another accurate indication of the vehicle’s speed.’

A collective whistle came from the group.

‘Didn’t come from your car, did it, Cliff?’ a fire officer called. ‘That time we were at the pub and you realised you’d forgotten your wedding anniversary and had three minutes to get home?’

‘Nah.’ Cliff shook his head ruefully. ‘I was late, man. Took me a month to get out of the dog box.’

‘And another week to get back in.’ A tall, blond fireman, who looked like an ex-surfer, was grinning broadly. ‘That’s marriage for you.’

Hawk joined in the laughter despite, or perhaps because of, Laura’s faintly disapproving expression. He agreed with the sentiment wholeheartedly, anyway. Not that he had anything against female companionship. He never left too long a gap between his relationships, but he had it all worked out now and he knew precisely when it was time to call it quits. The first hint that the relationship was interfering with his own life or work was an alarm bell he never ignored.

Why the hell hadn’t Cam recognised those signals? They’d talked about it often enough. They’d watched their friends and colleagues move in and out of serious relationships. The fact that they’d both been burnt in the past had made them an ideal team to help pick up the emotional pieces when it all went to custard—as it invariably did. They had congratulated themselves on keeping their own lives in order in that department. They’d had it all. Great careers, a partnership that had only increased in strength over the years they had been together, an ability to attract female companionship whenever they’d felt the need and, more importantly, the wisdom to hear those alarm bells and act on them.

Hawk had tried to warn him that time he’d called off a night at the rifle range to take Cassie out.

‘She’s interfering, mate,’ he’d said sadly. ‘If you don’t watch out you’ll be up to your eyeballs in nappies and mortgages.’

And Cam had laughed. ‘Just wait.’ He’d grinned. ‘One of these days you’ll fall in love again and then you’ll change your tune.’

‘You’ve been “in love” before, too. You know as well as I do that it never lasts.’

‘This is different,’ Cam had insisted. ‘This is the real thing, Hawk.’

As if. Hawk had learnt the hard way that falling in love was an illusion. Just out-of-control hormones, and Hawk never let himself lose control of anything to that extent any more. Hadn’t done for years now. No. The hormones wore off and there you were, saddled with responsibilities that changed your life. They ruined spontaneity, kept you poor and made you settle for security instead of excitement.

He’d seen people cut their careers off at the knees in order to stay put and cruise. Their energy got sucked into dealing with those responsibilities and often it wasn’t until they escaped that ambition resurfaced. They got distracted, slowed down and occasionally even broken. It wasn’t going to happen to Owen Hawkins.

Not in a million years.

‘Take a look at these bulbs.’ Hawk pulled another item from the box and stepped towards the fire officers as the laughter faded. ‘When a light’s on and the filament is hot at point of impact, you’ll get that kind of distortion. Great physical evidence.’

The tall, blond fireman was still smiling as he reached out to take the bulb. A corner of Hawk’s mouth curved slightly. He could bet the fireman wasn’t married. He looked far too happy. And Hawk hadn’t missed the way Laura’s gaze had veered at the sound of his laughter. She did have a lovely smile and she looked…homely was the best word Hawk could come up with. Comfortable, maybe. Honest, anyway. She wasn’t the type to adopt a flashy image and pretend she wanted nothing more than a good time, only to start sinking emotional claws into her male companion. Manipulating unsuspecting guys into losing control and then taking over their lives and futures.

‘The position of the switches must be important.’

‘Sorry?’ Hawk was jerked back from the now familiar, but definitely unfair, line of thought. He couldn’t blame Cassie. It had been Cam’s choice and he had jumped more than willingly.

‘For the lights and so forth,’ the fire officer expanded. ‘We should keep that in mind when we’re crawling around inside cars. We probably turn things off by leaning on them without even noticing.’

‘You don’t even have to lean to turn things off, Stick,’ someone quipped. ‘Isn’t that right, Laura?’

Laura laughed but flushed slightly.

‘Stick?’ Hawk raised an eyebrow at the solid figure now handling the row of light bulbs mounted on the narrow wooden board.

‘He got hit with an ugly one,’ his companion explained.

‘Oh.’ Had Laura rejected an advance, maybe? Not that he was remotely interested but at least a relationship between people working from the same base was reasonable. Hell, even living in the same country seemed reasonable now. If Cam had to allow his brains to get addled by a woman to that extent, why did he have to choose one that lived on the other side of the world? And why didn’t she move permanently to New Zealand instead of expecting Cam to follow her home to the States like some lovesick puppy?

Hawk knew why. It was all part of the manipulation that came so naturally to the female of the species. It wasn’t evil. They probably didn’t even know they were doing it half the time, but the effect was the same. It was a take-over bid. The undermining of a man’s independence and self-esteem. They got you right where they wanted you…and then what? ‘Sorry, buddy, but I’ve changed my mind.’ Or, ‘I’ve found someone better than you.’

Cassie had better not treat Cam that badly. Sure, she had looked as besotted as Cam but she’d been married before, and that hadn’t lasted long, had it? Cam had been married before as well. They should both have known better. Still, the fact that Cam was being uprooted to such an extent might even be the saving of his mate. He’d realise what he was giving up, get over the infatuation and come back. The desertion of his career and the principles on relationships they had espoused so enthusiastically in recent years was probably only temporary.

And that gave him the perfect excuse not to allow any fill-in partner to interfere or gain too much of a foothold in his department. She was going to be totally unsuitable and Cam would be welcomed back in a month or two. Hawk just had to grit his teeth and put up with it. He could do that. In fact, now that he was confident it was only temporary, it didn’t seem that bad any more.

Hawk finished his session by fielding questions.

‘How much time do you guys have to spend in court?’

‘Quite a bit,’ Hawk responded. ‘Some cases can drag on if someone’s lost their licence or their livelihood by being blamed for an accident. Or if an insurance company won’t pay up or a family is determined to clear someone’s name.’

‘Who does the detective work?’

‘We can end up doing quite a lot of it,’ Hawk said. ‘We visit the scene and mark evidence and take photographs and measurements. We oversee the vehicle inspection and call in any experts we might need for an opinion on, say, tyres or mechanical faults. And we conduct interviews.’

‘Who with?’

‘The driver or passengers. We might liaise with the hospital initially until we can talk to them. We talk to families and friends, witnesses and often a lot of other people. A GP might be interviewed if the driver had a medical condition. A mechanic could be asked for input if the vehicle had had any recent repairs. We’ll often talk to members of the fire and ambulance services, especially if we’re having any problems reconstructing a scene. That’s where noting things that were moved or damaged during the incident becomes important. As do your unbiased views of what you saw. We respect your roles and value your input.’

Hawk smiled. His mood was lifting steadily now and a glance at his watch told him it was time to head home. A new watch would be clocking in at Inglewood station at 6 p.m. and he could see the first arrivals manoeuvring in the car park outside. A session in the pub with some of these guys could be just what he needed. It didn’t have to be a male-only session either. He didn’t mind at all if Laura came along. She was clearly a popular member of this group. One of the boys, probably, and no threat to anyone, either professionally or personally. Hawk could only hope that his new temporary partner would be from the same career-oriented mould with little interest in accentuating her femininity.

With a bit of luck she might even be built like the back of a brick outhouse and have a slight problem with facial hair. Hawk picked up the board of light bulbs and fitted them inside the box with a sigh. No, that thought was even more unappealing than having to contend with a willowy Barbie clone who couldn’t possibly inspire any professional respect. He just didn’t want to work with a female, dammit!

He didn’t want to work with another guy either. His previous partner had been a guy. Perfectly competent as far as the job went but the lack of anything in common on a personal level had kept them purely colleagues. And even that had fallen apart when he’d discovered what a jerk the guy had been in his private life. Nobody could abuse and abandon a wife and kids in favour of an affair with a bimbo half his age and remain acceptable on any level.

No. He didn’t want a new partner—of either gender. He wanted Cam back. His mate. Someone he could bounce ideas around with and know that the input from both sides carried equal weight in terms of experience and intelligence. Someone who understood the attraction of blondes, both willowy and curvaceous, and would empathise with the kind of hassles that took periodical sorting out when the current choice needed replacing. Someone who could smash a squash ball, fire a gun or down a few pints in front of a rugby game when time out was needed.

Hawk’s response to the thanks from various members of his audience was a trifle perfunctory. The Cam he knew was gone. His mates—possibly even his career—had been dumped in favour of a short, bouncy redhead who never drank beer, hated guns and couldn’t understand the rules of rugby.

‘The talk was great. I learned a lot.’

‘You’re welcome.’ Hawk looked up from shutting down the projector and nodded at Laura. ‘The more we know about how each other works, the more we can help each other.’

‘Maybe you should come out on the road with us sometime, then.’

His glance was more deliberate this time but he relaxed when he decided this wasn’t some kind of a come-on. Laura looked like a nice person but she was definitely not his type. She was several inches too short, way too…solid and her hair was dead mouse. He could work with someone like her, though. She looked intelligent. Or was that just the impression the spectacles bestowed? Hawk was annoyed at himself at even making such a judgement. He had been doing it for days now, with every stranger he met—especially women. What would she be like to work with? What would his new partner be like? It wasn’t that he was nervous about it. It was the sheer inconvenience of having to go through that learning curve. Trying to adapt to someone else’s methods and having the job done far less efficiently because mindsets were too disparate. That was what bothered him most about trying to work with a female officer. How could they possibly be on the same wavelength, the way he and Cam had been? Hawk’s foul mood settled over him again like a wet blanket.

‘Good idea,’ he said dismissively. ‘But impractical. With a two-person unit we’re basically on call on a permanent basis, and I’m currently working on my own anyway.’

‘You’re based at the Grisham Road station, aren’t you? Covering the north and east sectors?’

‘That’s correct.’ Hawk was almost packed up now. The flow of men around them was increasing as the shift changed. He was ready to leave and no one had suggested a quick drink. Unless that was what Laura was leading up to. Hawk’s gaze flicked over the paramedic almost involuntarily. No chance—especially in his current mood. Glancing back to her face, Hawk was surprised to see the hint of a smile. If the message had been received, the interpretation certainly hadn’t caused her any distress.

‘Maybe the pressure will come off a bit when you get a new partner.’

The upward movement of Hawk’s dark eyebrows was also involuntary. ‘How do you know I’m getting a new partner?’

‘You said you were working on your own…currently.’

‘Hmm.’ Hawk picked up his box and moved towards the door, acknowledging farewells as he went. Annoyingly, Laura was following him to the car park.

‘I also happen to know your new partner.’

That stopped him. Hawk dumped the box on the front passenger seat of the squad car and turned. Laura was smiling more broadly now.

‘Charlotte and I did our paramedic training together. She’s my best friend. In fact, she should be unpacking the rest of her gear at my house right now. She’s moving in with me until she gets settled back in Wellington…and her new job.’

‘She’d better not get too settled.’ The remark popped out before he could help it.

‘Oh?’

Hawk had the chance to retract, or at least explain, the unfriendly comment but he didn’t want to. He wasn’t about to lay out any welcome mat.

‘My partner has only taken a three-month leave of absence. I’m expecting him back.’

‘Three months is quite a while. You may find you like working with Charlie.’

‘Oh?’ The sound reflected Laura’s previously dubious tone. Charlie? Anyone called ‘Charlie’ probably was built like a brick outhouse.

‘She’s very good at her job. She’s just been awarded a medal of commendation.’

‘So I heard.’ Hawk slammed the passenger door of his car.

‘She was awarded “Paramedic of the Year” two years in a row.’

Hawk was pulling open the driver’s door but his head turned swiftly. He didn’t want to hear how great Charlotte Laing was. She was choosing this. He wasn’t. He was going to be spending more hours than he cared to count in her company. Sharing his small office. Hell, it was his life that was being turned upside down and he had no choice but to accept it. He had no control and that’s what he hated most. He didn’t even have Cam around to try and thrash him on the squash court and get rid of his frustration that way. The only outlet available was standing in front of him.

‘So why did she change careers, then?’ Hawk snapped. ‘Does she have trouble making up her mind?’ His snort was derogatory. ‘I suppose it is a woman’s prerogative.’

Hawk could feel the assessment in the stare he was subjected to. The judgement being made was hardly likely to be complimentary but he didn’t give a damn.

‘Charlotte’s fiancé was killed in a car accident two years ago. The Serious Crash Squad screwed up the investigation and he got blamed for the crash that also killed two other people.’

Hawk said nothing as he eased long legs under the steering-wheel. He dismissed the automatic flash of sympathy for someone who had gone through a particularly rough patch. So somebody had made a mistake. It happened.

‘Charlie became involved with the investigation. She also became convinced that if the SCS did its job well enough, they had the potential to prevent other accidents happening.’

‘Accidents are acts of God,’ Hawk muttered. ‘We investigate crashes.’ ‘Charlie’ had better not be about to step onto his patch expecting him not to be doing his job well enough.

Laura ignored the mutter. ‘She started out as a cop before she joined the ambulance service. It didn’t require much retraining to get up to speed and she hasn’t let her paramedic qualifications slip either. She carries a full kit and if she gets to a scene first, she can use whichever role she needs to.’

‘You can’t do two jobs at the same time.’ The only input Hawk had managed to get into this appointment had been challenging the suitability of Cam’s replacement. He’d hunted for something to argue about, dammit, and that paramedic qualification had been the best he could find. Not that it had carried the slightest weight. His complaints about both the gender and the qualifications of his temporary partner had earned him nothing more than a reprimanding glance from his boss.

‘Try telling that to the last driver whose life she saved. He would have died if they’d had to stand back and wait for an ambulance.’

Hawk turned the ignition key. Laura sounded quite ready to continue defending her friend but he wasn’t interested in second-hand information. He could make up his own mind.

And if the way he was feeling right now was anything to go by, he probably already had.

‘Rather you than me, that’s all I’ve got to say.’

‘Oh, no, you don’t.’ Charlotte Laing pointed her fork at Laura. ‘You can’t tell me you’ve met the man I’m going to be working with for the next three months and then not tell me what he’s like.’

‘He’s a cop. He seems to know what he’s talking about. He’s probably very good at his job.’ The two women were sitting at a small kitchen table and Laura turned her attention firmly back to the plate in front of her. ‘This lasagne is great, Charlie. Your cooking’s improved an awful lot since we last flatted together.’

‘Don’t try and change the subject,’ Charlotte ordered. ‘I heard a rather large “but” in there somewhere. You didn’t like him, did you?’

‘I don’t have to work with him,’ Laura said calmly. Her lips quirked mischievously. ‘Thank goodness.’

‘Aha!’ Charlotte sounded satisfied. ‘So what’s wrong with him?’

‘He’s…’ Laura seemed lost for an appropriate adjective. ‘He’s not…very friendly.’

‘Meaning?’

Laura took in her friend’s intense gaze and rolled her eyes. ‘OK, you asked for it. I think he’s conceited and arrogant and intolerant.’

Charlotte grinned. ‘Don’t hold back on me, now.’

Laura chuckled. ‘I just got the strong impression that he’s not keen on working with a new partner and he’s particularly not keen on working with you.’

Charlotte’s jaw dropped. ‘He hasn’t even met me!’

‘He thinks you can’t make up your mind about what job you want to do. Whether you want to be a paramedic or a crash investigator. He made some derogatory remark about it being a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.’

‘Whoa!’ Charlotte was grinning now. ‘This could mean war.’

‘He also expects his partner to come back. He doesn’t want you getting your foot too far in the door.’

‘That’s not what I heard when I went in to collect my uniform today.’ Charlotte scooped up the last forkful of her dinner. ‘I heard that his partner, Cam, fell head over heels in love with an American woman and he’s followed her home with the intention of gaining permanent residence in the States or getting married. Whichever comes first.’ She reached for her glass of wine. ‘I also heard that Officer Hawkins has been like a bear with a sore head ever since Cam defected.’

‘That might explain the anti-woman attitude I picked up,’ Laura conceded. ‘It’s not going to help you enjoy the job, though.’

‘I can handle it,’ Charlotte declared. ‘Owen Hawkins can’t stop me doing the work to the best of my ability, and three months should be quite long enough to prove I’m up to scratch. Then I’ll be able to request a transfer to another squad.’

Laura nodded as she put her fork down and then sighed as she looked at her empty plate. ‘That was delicious but that cheese sauce is going to land straight on my hips. I can feel it oozing in there as I speak.’ She looked up and shook her head. ‘I wish I knew how you could eat like that and stay so skinny.’

‘I’m only skinny because I’m so tall. It’s all stretched out.’

Laura watched Charlotte as she stood up and moved to rinse her plate at the kitchen sink. Tall and lean, Charlotte moved with a confident and fluid grace that provoked a thoughtful frown from her friend.

‘You look a bit like him.’

‘What? Is he effeminate or something?’ Charlotte’s eyes widened. ‘Don’t tell me he’s not keen on working with a woman because he’s gay.’

‘No way!’ Laura said dismissively. ‘I just meant your build. He’s tall and lean as well and you’ve both got black hair. His eyes are blue, though, not brown.’

‘Hazel,’ Charlotte corrected. ‘Jamie used to tell me my eyes reminded him of the decanter of sherry his grandmother always had sitting on the sideboard.’

There was a moment’s silence and then Laura spoke softly.

‘You still miss Jamie, don’t you?’

Charlotte sat down at the table again. ‘I always will,’ she said simply. ‘I doubt that I’ll ever fall in love again. I’m never going to meet anyone who could hold a candle to Jamie.’

‘You’re only thirty-two, Charlie. You can’t give up yet.’

‘You haven’t even hit thirty,’ Charlotte countered. ‘And what was it you said about men in general when you finally walked out on John?’

‘Yeah, well. I was feeling miserable. Even though it was a bad relationship, it was still hard getting out of it. Of course I wasn’t feeling like rushing into another one.’

‘And now?’

‘It’s been six months. I’m over it. If I find someone who wants me as a woman instead of a mother figure cum housekeeper then I’m quite prepared to try again.’

‘That’s the difference,’ Charlotte said slowly. ‘What you had wasn’t good enough. You’re bound to find something better. What Jamie and I had was perfect. I couldn’t replace that no matter how hard I looked.’

‘So you won’t even try?’

The head shake was decisive. ‘I’m not remotely interested. I’m a career-woman now. Did Officer Hawkins make any comments about multi-tasking along with mind-changing prerogatives?’

‘He wasn’t thrilled with the notion of trying to do two jobs at once.’ Laura smiled at her friend. ‘But I’m sure if he repeats any of it in front of you, he’ll live to regret it.’

Sherry-coloured eyes gleamed. ‘I’m looking forward to starting this job even more now.’ Charlotte flicked the end of a long, glossy black braid over her shoulder. ‘A challenge is precisely what I’m hoping for.’

CHAPTER TWO

IT WAS going to be a challenge all right.

The bid to assert control was right there in the moment of introduction. Senior Sergeant Lance Currie spotted Owen Hawkins in the corridor ahead of them as he escorted Charlotte to her office.

‘Hawk—slow down for a minute. I want you to meet your new partner.’

Hawk’s reluctance to be distracted from an important mission was clearly evident as the tall figure stopped abruptly, hesitated for just a fraction of a second and then turned. A disinterested expression faltered as he caught sight of Charlotte but he collected himself quickly.

Charlotte gave no hint that she had observed and interpreted his astonishment. She was used to the effect she often had on men. The only effect it ever had on her these days was to harden her resolve to prove herself professionally. In this case, however, it could be to her advantage. Owen Hawkins might find her sexually attractive. She could easily score a few points in any bid for equality by letting him know she wouldn’t be returning the interest.

‘Hawk, I’d like to introduce you to Charlotte Laing.’ Lance’s raised eyebrows suggested that he might have seen that flash of involuntary reaction as well. ‘Charlie, this is Owen Hawkins.’

‘Charlotte.’ The tone of the surprisingly deep voice was cool. There was no suggestion of a smile and the grip of his hand was a shade too firm. Charlotte squeezed right back.

‘Owen.’ She smiled politely. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ The use of his real name was deliberate. Nicknames denoted a relationship of some kind. They needed an invitation for use unless one wanted to appear patronising, and Charlotte already had the distinct impression that trying to patronise this man would get her absolutely nowhere. She held the eye contact unwaveringly, however. He looked fierce rather than mean, she decided. Focussed. Intelligent and…wary. ‘Call me Charlie,’ she added, injecting a little warmth into her smile as she withdrew her hand. ‘Everybody does.’

She expected a reciprocal invitation to call him ‘Hawk’ but annoyingly it was not forthcoming. As a means of putting her in her place it was a subtle move and Hawk managed to make it seem an oversight by changing the subject.

‘Sorry to be in a rush but I’m on my way to a job. I’ll give you the grand tour when I get back.’

‘Take Charlie with you.’ Lance’s suggestion was more like a command. ‘She’s starting work today so we may as well throw her in the deep end.’

Apparent analysis of the pros and cons took only a microsecond. ‘Sure. Why not?’

And Hawk was moving again. His long legs covered the length of the corridor with a speed that would have made anyone else appear to scurry. With this man the movement gave the impression of calm assurance. Charlotte was grateful her own legs were long enough to keep up without effort. Hawk was only a couple of inches taller than her 5’ 11”. She stayed just half a pace behind Hawk, however. That way she could watch him unobtrusively. She was adding tiny snippets of information with every glance. Later she would be able to collate them and decide just what she thought of her new partner.

It was no wonder Laura had been intimidated. Charlotte hadn’t seen him smile yet and that didn’t give any impression of warmth. He exuded assurance but it was too soon to make any judgement on whether that tipped over into arrogance. Charlotte was not going to make any error in underestimating his intelligence either. The way his face was put together—the clear, strong lines of his features and the impression that nothing escaped those dark eyes—was enough to warn her that she might well have met her match on an intellectual level.

‘This way.’ Hawk pushed open a smoke stop door and led Charlotte on a brisk journey down several flights of concrete stairs.

The intimidation must have been enough to blind Laura to the man’s physical attributes, Charlotte decided. He looked as though he had stepped, temporarily, out of the leading role of some adventure movie. A rugged hero who could save the day and any damsels in distress along the way. The crisp, white shirt and dark trousers of his uniform hung and clung to a lean but powerful frame, and Charlotte was getting a good view as she trotted down the stairs behind him. The awareness of such masculinity was irritating. It wasn’t attraction, just…awareness, but that in itself was disconcerting. Easily dismissed, though. Charlotte hadn’t been remotely attracted to any man since Jamie. And she wasn’t about to be now.

Hawk held the heavy door at the end of the next short corridor open and waited for Charlotte to pass him. She did so without thanking him for the courtesy. Would he have done that if he was leading the way for a male colleague?

‘My squad car’s here.’ Hawk wrenched the door open. ‘Our car,’ he corrected himself grudgingly. He glanced briefly at Charlotte—the first eye contact since their introduction. ‘You do drive?’ he queried.

‘Of course.’ Charlotte slid into the passenger seat of the station wagon and reached for her safety belt.

‘Advanced driving, I meant. Have you had emergency response training?’

‘Of course,’ Charlotte repeated. ‘I’d hardly be in a position to do this job if I hadn’t, would I?’

Hawk didn’t bother responding. He activated the car’s beacons and had the siren going as soon as they cleared the ramp from the basement garage. More than one car on the busy road skidded slightly as the drivers braked hard. Hawk slipped the squad car into the gap and then cruised into the middle of the road, putting his foot down on the accelerator as he shot forward between the opposing lines of early morning, inner-city traffic. He knew precisely how well he could do this and he knew he was better than most. Even well-seasoned officers were known to go a little pale when they were his passengers in an emergency response and Hawk had no inclination to tone things down for Charlie.

He stole a sideways glance after negotiating a particularly narrow gap between a crowded bus and a concrete-mixing truck. The faces flashing past in the bus had shown horror at the gap of only inches between the vehicles. Charlotte, however, looked unperturbed.

‘What are we going to?’ she asked.

‘Car versus lamppost that appears to have been fatal. There was bystander CPR on the driver getting started when the call came in.’

‘Driver collapse, maybe?’

‘I don’t make assumptions before I arrive at a scene.’

‘Do you need a map reference?’ Charlotte’s tone was now as clipped as his had been.

‘No.’

Hawk concentrated on negotiating a rapid route through increasingly snarled-up traffic. An accident at this time of day had a surprisingly wide-reaching flow-on effect. Or maybe it wasn’t so surprising. Throw a stationary fire truck or two and an ambulance into even a three-laned highway and there wasn’t much space to channel traffic through. There would be police cars as well with officers trying to keep the scene clear and directing irritated motorists to a new route if possible.

Hawk was feeling a little irritated himself. The early callout had presented a welcome opportunity to delay the inevitable meeting with his new partner. He hadn’t expected the mid-corridor ambush but he knew better than to refuse a direction from Lance Currie unless he had a very good reason. His boss had held the senior position at Grisham Street station for many years. He was known behind his back as Elsie, and the nickname was appropriate for more than his initials. Currie was a bit of an old woman when it came to following regulations, observing protocols and dotting every ‘i’ on paperwork. If he’d decided Hawk was to take his new partner out on the job then it wouldn’t have been worth the repercussions if he’d refused.

Charlotte Laing had been even more unexpected than the ambush. Any hope that the potential distraction of working with a woman would be mitigated by her unattractiveness had been felled in a somewhat gut-wrenching swoop. This woman would turn heads anywhere. The only saving grace was that she was totally unlike the type of women Hawk preferred. He liked his female companions to be fun and they were invariably blonde, curvy and at least a little bit bouncy. Fluff, in other words. Charlotte Laing was as tall and slim as a pencil. Long, straight black hair twisted into a rope that only narrowed as it reached her waist. Her features were defined enough to appear almost sharp and her olive skin hinted at some exotic bloodline in her family tree. She looked, Hawk had to admit, like some native American princess and the overall effect was unusual enough to have been startling.

Hawk turned off the siren as their progress slowed to a crawl. He eased the car onto a footpath to skirt a line of cars that had no hope of manoeuvring to let them through. Pedestrians flattened themselves against a fence as a blip on the siren warned them what was happening. Hawk could see the flashing lights of other emergency vehicles in the distance but even now it was hard to concentrate solely on the task ahead of them.

It was more than irritating. Hawk had only been in her company for about ten minutes and it was already proving difficult to fight the distraction. He’d never seen anyone like her. On the positive side, being thrown into a job with her meant that he couldn’t escape. The startling effect would wear off more quickly and at least he knew there was no possibility of being distracted by a genuine attraction to the woman. No hint of bounce there. Or even a sense of femininity. Charlotte’s clear, golden-brown eyes advertised steely determination and a brain that was active enough to mean he needed to stay on his toes. That game-playing scenario with their names hadn’t gone over her head and Hawk had the uncomfortable feeling that he hadn’t actually scored any points at all.

A police officer let Hawk’s vehicle through the cordon and pointed towards a potential parking area behind a fire truck. An ambulance was parked at right angles to the fire appliance, its back doors open towards the car crumpled against the concrete post. Hawk glanced at the body lying between the ambulance officers. The man’s clothing had been cut to expose his chest. A male paramedic was taping an IV line to one arm. He lifted his hands and leaned back on his heels as the other paramedic pressed paddles onto the victim’s chest. Hawk grimaced at the convulsive jerk their patient made.

‘Doesn’t look very good,’ he muttered.

‘They’re defibrillating him so at least there’s some sign of cardiac electrical activity.’

‘What?’ Hawk’s head swivelled. He’d forgotten he wasn’t with someone who knew as little as he did about medical matters. ‘I thought they only zapped people if the heart had stopped. Flat-line stuff.’

‘Shocking someone can only interrupt and potentially reset the electrical activity. If there’s a flat line on the screen it means there’s no signal present so shocking someone isn’t going to do anything other than burn a bit of heart muscle.’

‘Oh.’ Hawk didn’t enjoy feeling ignorant. In future, he was going to keep his mouth shut and save himself a lecture.

‘The heart has stopped in that it’s not functioning as a pump, though,’ Charlotte added. ‘It’s usually fibrillating, which is a kind of fast wiggle that can’t produce an output—which is what creates a pulse.’

‘So that’s why it’s called a defibrillator.’ The annoyance of having his lack of knowledge exposed was replaced by a flash of satisfaction in learning something new. Hawk shook his head. ‘I’d never even thought about it.’

‘Why should you have? We gain expertise in what we’re trained in.’

‘Exactly.’ Hawk’s glance at Charlotte was speculative. ‘So are we going to get on with our job or do you want to go and help out with the victim?’

‘That’s my flatmate, Laura,’ Charlotte responded. ‘She and her partner, Tim, are both paramedics. They know what they’re doing.’

‘What are they doing?’ Hawk stared through the wind-screen as he opened his door. He hadn’t recognised the paramedics who had been listening to his talk yesterday. Funny, Laura looked far less mousy performing her duties. She looked competent…and busy.

‘Laura’s intubating him. It secures the airway and makes breathing for the patient far more effective.’ Charlotte pushed her door shut. ‘Let’s see if they have anything to tell us before we start on the scene, shall we?’

Hawk usually stayed well away from any paramedics when they were obviously occupied with trying to save someone’s life. His protocol dictated reporting in to any senior police or fire officer on scene to start gathering information, but Charlotte had already stepped towards the paramedics and Laura had spotted her.

‘Hi, Charlie! You’re on the job early.’

‘No time like the present. This is my partner, Owen.’

Laura tied the tape securing the endotracheal tube in place. She attached the ambubag and then glanced up briefly as she pulled her stethoscope from around her neck.

‘We met yesterday.’ She nodded. ‘Hi, Owen.’

Hawk simply nodded. He hated being called Owen.

‘Do you need a hand?’ Charlotte asked.

‘You could bag him while I draw up some drugs…if Owen can spare you, that is. Back-up should only be a minute or two away.’

Charlotte glanced at Hawk, clearly requesting permission to give assistance, and to his surprise, Hawk found himself nodding. It was only for a minute or two after all and he could easily use the time to gain an overall impression of the scene.

Laura was silent for a few seconds as she squeezed the ambubag and checked for air entry by listening over both sides of the man’s chest with her stethoscope. ‘We’ll go into Emergency under CPR if necessary but I’m still hopeful. It could be that he was unconscious for a while before actually arresting. Bystander CPR was initiated quickly and he was still in coarse VF by the time we arrived.’

‘VF?’ Hawk couldn’t help exposing his ignorance again.

‘Ventricular fibrillation.’ Charlotte gave him a quick glance. ‘The worst kind of wiggle. The finer it is, the closer to a flat line it is. If it’s coarse there’s more chance of converting it to a useful rhythm.’ She turned back to Laura. ‘Was the arrest witnessed?’

‘Kind of.’ Laura’s partner, Tim, had restarted chest compressions. ‘The car was seen to pick up speed as it came downhill and it veered across the other two lanes and left the road. It cut one car off and the witness said that the driver appeared to be slumped over the wheel.’

‘Who was the witness?’

‘That guy over there in the pinstripes. He was the one who made the triple-one call. He started the CPR as well as soon as they got him out of the car. He’s a bit shaken up,’ Laura added. Her smile at Charlotte was sympathetic. ‘You might like to tell him what a great job he did.’

‘I’ll go and talk to him,’ Hawk said. Another ambulance was pulling up and he felt out of place. So much for his statements from only yesterday about being on the same team and the desirability of knowing as much as possible about how each branch of the emergency services did their jobs. If Hawk had been that interested in what paramedics did, he would have become one himself, instead of joining the police force. Knowing each other’s jobs too well meant that it was possible to step in and assist instead of getting on with what they were supposed to be doing.

As Charlotte was demonstrating so ably. A second shock had elicited a normal but very slow heartbeat. Charlotte was handling supplies from the paramedic kit with the ease of complete familiarity. Her long fingers were snapping ampoules and drawing up drugs into syringes. Hawk found himself mesmerised for a split second. Her fingers were as long and elegant as the rest of this woman. The flash of curiosity regarding what they might feel like touching his body came from absolutely nowhere and it was as startling as it was disturbing.

It was easy to summon anger to blanket such an undesirable emotion. This was precisely what Hawk had feared might happen. His partner was doing someone else’s job and he was being left to work alone on the tasks she had actually been employed to do.

Except that she was only a step behind him by the time Hawk had conferred briefly with the scene commander and opened the back hatch of the squad car to get the equipment he needed. He picked up a digital camera and a can of spray paint.

‘Have you spoken to the witness?’

‘Not yet. There’s pressure on to shift the wreck and get traffic flowing. I’m going to mark its position and get some photos before the tow truck moves in.’ Hawk glanced up as the ambulance rolled past. The vehicle’s beacons were flashing blue and red and its siren was activated as soon as it cleared the cordoned-off area. The noise was deafening for a moment and Hawk frowned.

‘What’s with the siren? That’s not usual procedure for a return trip, is it?’

‘It’s a status-one patient. Post-arrest.’ Charlotte told him. ‘They need to get him to hospital as quickly as possible.’

‘Is he going to survive?’

‘I hope so,’ Charlotte said quietly. ‘His rhythm looked good and he was breathing spontaneously by the time he was loaded. We found his driver’s licence,’ she added. ‘His name is Duncan Thomson. He’s only forty-four.’

Only eight years older than Hawk. Suddenly the incident became more than a job. More than a scene of a traffic snarl-up and a major inconvenience for a large number of people trying to get to work. The strength of his own hope that the man would survive took Hawk by surprise. He didn’t get emotionally involved with the victims of serious crashes. Never had. You couldn’t afford to if you wanted to stay in this line of business for any length of time. Had the fact that he’d been more aware of what the paramedics were doing made the difference? If so, it could be another black mark to chalk up against having to work with Charlotte Laing.

Charlotte watched Hawk as he turned abruptly and strode towards the wreck. Her eyebrows rose as he walked straight past the man in the pinstripe suit, who was standing with a junior police officer. The witness still looked pale and shaken but he was clearly pulling himself together. Charlotte saw him look at his watch and then point to a sedan parked on the road’s shoulder some distance uphill. Clearly, he wanted to leave the scene. Pulling a small notebook and pen from the pocket of her shirt, Charlotte also picked up a can of spray paint from the crate in the back of the squad car and moved purposefully.

‘I’m Charlotte Laing,’ she introduced herself to the witness, ‘from the Serious Crash Squad. Thanks so much for waiting so long. Can you spare another minute or two to answer some questions for me?’

‘Sure…I guess.’ The man looked at his watch again. ‘But I’m running awfully late for work.’

‘It won’t take long,’ Charlotte promised. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Andrew Duggan.’

‘You did a great job, here, Andrew. It was you who made the triple-one call, wasn’t it?’

The man nodded.

‘And you started CPR?’

He nodded again. ‘I did a first-aid course at work only last month.’ His voice shook. ‘I never thought I’d have to do it for real, though.’

‘Pretty scary, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah.’ Andrew rubbed a hand over his mouth as though reliving the mouth-to-mouth breathing. ‘I’m going to carry one of those mask things from now on. Is he going to be all right, do you think?’

‘He’s very sick,’ Charlotte responded seriously. ‘But your actions gave him the best possible chance. He would definitely have died before anyone else got here if you hadn’t started the CPR.’

‘It took so long. By the time I realised there was something really wrong with him and called for an ambulance and found someone to help me get him out of the car…it seemed to take forever. And his face was all blue and…and…’

‘I know.’ Charlotte touched the man’s arm in a sympathetic gesture. ‘It’s not nice. It sounds as though he might have collapsed even before the accident happened so there was nothing anyone could have done to help any earlier. You said you saw him slumped over the wheel?’

‘Yes. I was in the inside lane.’ Andrew pointed uphill. ‘There was a car behind me in the middle lane and it was him leaning on his horn that made me notice the other car cutting in.’

‘What speed were you doing, do you know?’

‘Seventy-five, maybe 80 kph. The guy behind me slowed and I hit my brakes but I didn’t need to. By the time he got into my lane he was going pretty fast. I thought he was just changing lanes. It wasn’t until he kept going off the side of the road that I realised something was wrong. He hit the lamppost without even slowing down at all.’

‘Can you show me where you were when you started braking?’ Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to see Hawk’s long frame bent over as he sprayed marks around the wrecked car’s tyres. A tow truck was backing towards him. She continued making notes as she walked uphill with their witness.

One lane of traffic was now moving but Charlotte could identify tyre marks on the inside lane consistent with Andrew’s braking manoeuvre. She also found marks in the middle lane that fitted the trajectory of an out-of-control vehicle that had ended its journey at the lamppost. She marked the areas with her can of bright orange spray paint.

Ten minutes later Charlotte had collected all the information she felt was needed from the witness.

‘Thanks again,’ she told Andrew as he waited to drive from the cordoned-off area into the line of still slowly moving traffic. ‘You’ve been a great help. Are you sure you feel OK to go to work?’

Andrew nodded. ‘I feel a lot better now.’ He smiled at Charlotte. ‘If I did do what you say a paramedic would have done under the same circumstances then maybe I should think about changing jobs.’

‘I’d stick to supermarket managing if I were you.’ Charlotte grinned. ‘Less stressful.’

‘You’ll call me, then? If you need to know anything else?’ He smiled again as Charlotte nodded. ‘You could call me anyway,’ he suggested, ‘if you fancy a drink or something after work.’

‘They’re holding up the traffic for you.’ Charlotte waved Andrew away. ‘Take care, now.’ She turned, startled to find Hawk standing right behind her.

‘I was about to interview that guy.’

‘I’ve done that.’ Charlotte held up her notebook. ‘I think I’ve got everything we need.’

‘Including his phone number?’

‘Of course.’ Charlotte didn’t like the undertone. It was normal procedure in any witness interview. If Hawk thought she’d be following up any hint that the witness was interested in social communication, then she was quite prepared to give him a piece of her mind regardless of their situation.

Somewhat annoyingly, Hawk said nothing. He wasn’t even looking at Charlotte as his eyes focussed well past her shoulder. ‘What have you been marking?’

‘Tyre marks. There’s what looks like an acceleration scuff at the start of the yaw. I assume the car’s got automatic transmission?’

Hawk raised a single eyebrow. ‘Why do you assume that?’

‘It fits,’ Charlotte said calmly. ‘If the driver collapsed he could have had his foot depressing both the brake and the accelerator. It would explain the mark and why his car’s speed kept increasing. Being slumped onto the steering-wheel might also explain why the car travelled in a line that took him across two lanes of traffic and straight into a lamppost.’

Hawk’s gaze suggested he was less than impressed with Charlotte’s line of reasoning. She raised an eyebrow right back at him. ‘Do you have a problem with that scenario?’

‘I have a problem with someone making a decision on the cause of a fatal crash before an investigation is complete.’

Charlotte raised her chin. ‘Then let’s get on with completing it, shall we?’ She reached into the back of the squad car to remove one of the larger pieces of equipment but Hawk’s movement was swifter.

‘Here, I’ll get that for you.’

Charlotte’s glance was measured very deliberately. ‘Thank you,’ she said coolly, ‘but I’m actually quite capable of lifting a theodolite all by myself.’

The hand retreated as though the tripod of the surveying gear was hot enough to have burnt him. ‘Fine. I’ll leave you to it, then.’

‘Fine.’ And Charlotte found herself watching Hawk’s back as he strolled towards the other officers still on scene. Any sense of victory in asserting herself diminished rapidly as she found herself left alone to take measurements while Hawk engaged in what was clearly an enjoyable conversation with his colleagues. Judging by the frequent glances in her direction, Charlotte could be sure that she was providing the main topic of interest and she didn’t like it. She was being assessed, and not only for her physical appearance or any impression of her personality Hawk might be passing on. She could bet that the occasional and very casual glances that came from the dark eyes of her new partner were taking account of exactly how well she was dealing with the task at hand.

Fortunately, it was a simple job. There was only one vehicle involved, the road was straight and there was no intersection. Permanent landmarks of trees and lampposts were ideally positioned to use as corners for her triangle and Charlotte’s field sketch came together rapidly. She marked the direction of north, drew the road layout and documented the final position of the car involved in the crash. She showed the marks on the road and located the reference points for her triangle. The measurements were noted in metres and Charlotte also wrote quick notes on the weather, road and light conditions.

Traffic was flowing in two lanes by the time she finished thirty minutes later and the congestion was finally easing. The wrecked car had been removed and only one police car other than the SCS vehicle remained, its beacons flashing to warn oncoming motorists of the obstruction in the inside lane. Hawk was leaning on the side of his car, still talking to the other officers protecting the scene.

‘So, he’s got a job, then?’ one was saying. ‘That was quick.’

‘It won’t last,’ Hawk responded darkly.

‘What, the new job or the engagement?’

Charlotte guessed they were discussing Hawk’s previous partner Cam. The man he didn’t want her replacing. Had they been comparing her performance to what his would have been perhaps? Or teasing Hawk about having to work with a female colleague?

‘Both, probably.’

Hawk’s apparently pertinent comment to her unspoken thought was startling, but as Charlotte leaned into the car to stow the theodolite she realised that the comment was referring to the permanence of Cam’s new interests. She straightened.

‘Is Cam likely to change his mind, then?’ She smiled sweetly at the three male officers. ‘And there I was thinking that was a woman’s prerogative.’

Hawk showed no reaction to the meaningful glances his colleagues bestowed upon him but his eyes narrowed as he slid behind the wheel of his car. So, that plump paramedic had repeated what he’d said to her friend, had she? That figured. You couldn’t trust a woman to keep her mouth shut. He’d have to be very careful what he said in future.

He’d spent less than two hours in this woman’s company and Hawk already had the uncomfortable feeling that working with her, even temporarily, was going to be more of a challenge than he’d anticipated. So far, the opportunities to try and establish control appeared to have backfired in some mysterious manner. Hawk was silent throughout the journey back to Headquarters. Another opportunity was bound to present itself and he needed to be ready for it. If ground rules were being set, then he intended to be the one to put them in place.

Charlotte used her lunch-break to collect the last item of her personal work supplies from her hatchback in the building’s basement car park. She also took the time to try calling Laura on her mobile phone.

‘You busy?’

‘No, we’re just heading back to station for lunch. We just took a kid with febrile convulsions into Emergency.’

‘How did it go with our car-accident victim this morning?’

‘Fantastic result! He was in normal sinus rhythm by the time we reached Emergency. He’s woken up since and has a bit of short-term memory loss but that’s all.’

‘Any evidence of an MI?’

‘No. They’re thinking the collapse might have been rhythm related. Long QT syndrome maybe. He’s lined up for electro-physiology testing in the next day or two.’

‘He’s been lucky.’

‘I’ll say. It was also lucky he didn’t have his family in the car or involve any other vehicles.’

‘Made my job easier,’ Charlotte said wryly. ‘Which was just as well seeing as I was under a performance review.’ She sighed. ‘We probably won’t need any of it, anyway, seeing as it’s not a fatal. All that stress for nothing.’

‘How’s it going with the hawk?’

‘Interesting.’ Charlotte found herself smiling. ‘Bit of a power play so far. Would you believe he holds doors open for me? And offers to lift heavy stuff?’

‘That’s very gentlemanly.’

‘I think it’s intended to be more of a put-down,’ Charlotte countered. ‘But don’t worry. I got to one door first when he was showing me around so I held it open for him.’

Laura chuckled. ‘You sound like you’re enjoying it. What’s your office like?’

‘OK. It’s got everything we need. Bit on the small side.’

‘I’d reckon something the size of a football field would be on the small side with that man sharing it.’

Charlotte grinned. ‘We’ll sort it out. I think we’re due for a showdown of some sort before the day’s out and I might have just the thing to set it off.’

‘What’s that?’

‘My paramedic kit. I’m about to lug it upstairs and let him know we need to find room for it in an already over-stuffed squad car. It should open that can of worms fairly effectively.’

It did.

Hawk eyed the large modified backpack that Charlotte carried into the office as though it were an unexploded bomb.

‘What the hell is that?’

‘My paramedic kit,’ Charlotte replied calmly. ‘Lance Currie told me he’d let you know that I was authorised to carry it in our squad car.’

‘You could go camping for a week with a pack that size.’

‘I carry full intubation gear, cervical collars, IV supplies and fluid. Also a range of drugs, a Hare traction splint and a small oxygen cylinder. Basis equipment for resuscitation and stabilisation of a severely injured accident victim.’

‘Even I know that splinting something isn’t a priority in a life-threatening situation.’ Hawk’s resolve not to show his ignorance in medical matters had deserted him. ‘Whatever that rabbity thing is, it’s probably taking up unnecessary space.’

Charlotte tried to control the twitch of her lips but wasn’t entirely successful. ‘A Hare traction splint is used for a broken femur. It helps control bleeding. Blood loss from a long bone fracture can be as much as a litre. If that’s added to blood loss from other injuries, it can stack up to fatal hypovolaemic shock in a short space of time. Any blood loss needs to be addressed as quickly as possible.’

Hawk hated being in no position to argue. ‘We share a squad car, not an ambulance. If carrying all your luggage interferes with me being able to do my job then it’s gone.’

‘What’s your problem here, Owen? Finding room for my “luggage” or me being a paramedic as well as a crash investigator?’

‘Trying to do two jobs at the same time,’ Hawk snapped. ‘What’s probably going to happen is that I’ll end up doing the job you’ve been employed for while you’re fluffing around on scene, sticking needles into people.’

‘Like I did this morning?’ Charlotte made an incredulous huffing sound that filled Hawk’s silence. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by his aggressively prolonged eye contact either. She stared right back at him. ‘And did you really say fluffing?’

Hawk broke the eye contact and glared at the offending kit instead. ‘We have enough to do on scene without distractions. OK, you didn’t get so involved this morning because there was already an ambulance on scene. What happens if we get somewhere first? How can you possibly give this job the concentration it has to have if you’re dealing with patients?’ He was being unfair, he knew that, but this was the opportunity. Or he’d thought it was. Now he wasn’t so sure but he couldn’t afford to back down.

‘I “deal” with patients only if there’s no other medical assistance available or when my qualifications allow me to assist a crew that might not include someone with my level of qualifications. My input is limited to the point where victims are transported to hospital.’ Charlotte was clearly making an effort to maintain a tone of reason. ‘The preservation of life and the safety of everybody on scene is the first priority for any emergency service personnel arriving at any incident. Or would you disagree?’

Hawk was losing here, he could sense it. The sensible thing to do would be to retreat with as much dignity as possible.

‘I can hardly disagree with a blanket statement that all emergency services embrace. What I’m talking about is interference with a specific set of protocols that apply to the SCS. To me.’

‘Look, I understand your concern.’ Maybe Charlotte had the grace to allow a dignified retreat now that she had won yet another unspoken challenge on their private agendas. ‘Being involved for any length of time with patient care is not a situation that is going to arise very frequently, and when it does it can actually aid an investigation.’

‘Oh?’

‘Patients say things. Injuries can tell their own stories. You can notice a lot of small details coming at a scene from a slightly different perspective. The time that might be lost on scene is made up for later when we don’t have to interview the ambulance crew or try and extract patient details from hospital staff. The contacts I have with the hospital can also be useful.’

Dammit. What she said made perfect sense but Hawk wasn’t about to make her feel appreciated for the extra dimension she could bring to the SCS.

‘Let’s just see how it goes,’ Charlotte continued. ‘I’m happy to discuss any issues at any time. If you have any problems with the way I do this job, I would like to hear about them. From you,’ she added. ‘Not through some staff grapevine.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Hawk responded curtly. ‘You will.’ He turned abruptly back to his computer screen, where producing the scene map for a fatal crash from the previous week awaited him.

Charlotte busied herself sorting out her desk, thankful for the respite turning her back on her new colleague provided. She was still very aware of him sitting less than six feet away from her, however. Laura was right. He could be sitting at the end of a football field and his presence would still be noticeable. His aura crowded the small area and the empty surface of her own desk was a tiny space to claim as her own. How long would it take before she stopped feeling like an unwelcome intruder?

At least other people were willing to make her feel welcome. Officers from other departments who had known Charlotte from her early career in the police force dropped in to say hello during the course of the afternoon.

‘It’s so good to see you again, Charlie. I hope you’re here to stay this time.’

‘Sure am.’ Charlotte ignored the vibes concerning the temporary nature of her appointment that were coming from the other side of the room. ‘I love this job.’

The fact that Charlotte had placed a small picture in a heart-shaped frame on her desk made it inevitable that one of her visitors would mention Jamie.

‘I’m sorry I never made it to the funeral.’

‘It’s OK. It was a long way for you and it’s a long time ago now.’

‘I was really sorry to hear about it. Did you get my letter?’

‘Yes, I did. Thanks.’

‘You guys were so perfect for each other.’

‘Yeah.’ The vibes coming from Hawk were different now. And he had turned his head just far enough to demonstrate the fact that he was eavesdropping.

Charlotte said nothing more. There was no way they were going to cover any personal ground until they had sorted out some professional boundaries. Especially any related to her gender. The assessing glances her body was receiving from male officers, including Owen Hawkins, were far more unwelcome than Hawk found her paramedic qualifications to be. And he’d had his chance to air his resentment. Charlotte was waiting for her turn.

It came, in the final minutes of her first day on the job, when she was about to pack up and go home. Other staff members were also heading home and one poked his head into the office.

‘Hey, Hawk. Fancy a beer after work?’

‘I’m on call tonight, Murphy. Another night would be great.’

‘You’re always on call, mate.’

‘I’ll get some time off for good behaviour soon. My new colleague and I will be sharing the on-call duties as soon as she’s settled in a bit.’

Murphy’s eyes widened as Charlotte turned. He grinned at Hawk and lowered his voice. ‘This is your new colleague? You lucky, lucky guy.’

‘That remains to be seen,’ Hawk responded just as quietly. Then he spoke more loudly. ‘Charlotte, this is Greg Murphy, one of our detectives.’

‘Hi, Greg.’ Charlotte gave him only the briefest smile. So Hawk was waiting to see if he’d get ‘lucky’ was he? He should learn to lower his voice more effectively.

‘Would you like to come out for a beer?’ Murphy was still grinning. Or was it leering? ‘I would consider it rude not to welcome a new colleague with a celebratory drink.’

‘No, thanks.’ Charlotte didn’t bother expanding on her decision. She fitted the folder of local scene protocols into her shoulder-bag. She had every intention of reading them thoroughly before arriving at work in the morning.

‘I need to finish this,’ Hawk was telling Murphy. ‘Catch you later?’

‘Sure.’ Murphy wasn’t offended by the brush-off. He leaned a little further through the doorway. ‘I’m surprised you’re getting any work done, mate,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Just as well Charlotte’s not blonde, eh?’

Instead of following Murphy out of the office, Charlotte closed the door and turned back to face Hawk.

‘What was that about?’

He looked up at the new interruption with a weary expression. ‘What?’

‘Why is it just as well I’m not blonde?’

Hawk shrugged. ‘I have no idea. Maybe Murphy has a thing about blondes.’

Charlotte gave him a long-suffering look. She wasn’t about to let him think he could get away with treating her like an idiot. And she certainly wasn’t about to let him think that sexual harassment was tolerable. Either the blatant kind that Greg Murphy displayed or the subtle inferences Hawk had been providing.

‘Murphy must be an extremely shallow person, then. I hope that any blonde unfortunate enough to have him hitting on her finds out sooner rather than later.’

‘I wouldn’t worry about it. You’re safe.’

‘By virtue of not being blonde?’ Charlotte’s words dripped acid. ‘Listen, Owen, I want to get something straight here, and I may as well do it on my first day. I’m not about to tolerate getting hit on by anyone I work with. Feel free to pass it on.’

‘I’m sure word will get around fast enough.’

‘I’m hardly breaking new ground.’ Charlotte shook her head. ‘I’m far from the first woman to join the police force. Why am I getting the impression that I’ve stepped into some boys’ only club?’

‘You’re the first woman to join the SCS. Here, anyway.’

‘I’m here to do a job. The fact that I’m female has nothing to do with it.’

‘You’re new. Everyone has to prove themselves. Respect is something that’s earned.’

‘That cuts both ways.’ Charlotte’s tone was intended to be a warning. ‘And I’m not going to have any respect for a colleague who assumes I’m more interested in having sex than doing my job.’

‘At least we have something in common, then.’ The hint of a smile made Charlotte realise it was the first she had received. In fact, had she even seen him smile at anyone else during the course of today?

‘And that is?’

‘Not letting personal relationships interfere with a career.’

‘So you’ll stop looking at me as if I’m parading around in my underwear, then?’

Hawk’s jaw dropped. ‘I haven’t been!’

‘Yes, you have,’ Charlotte contradicted. ‘And so has every other male I’ve met so far today. I’m getting assessed and that assessment is being based purely on what I look like.’

‘You’re not exactly what any of us expected, you know.’

‘You mean I’m not short, fat and ugly? Hell bent on a tough career in the police force because I’m too much of a dog to catch myself a husband?’

Hawk’s laughter was as astonishing as the way his amusement changed his face. Charlotte had been wondering if she’d even seen him smile and now she had elicited a bark of rich sound and a smile that made him look like a stranger all over again. The fierce lines of his face hadn’t changed but any hint of arrogance or aggression had evaporated, at least for the moment. In fact, the gleam in those dark blue eyes confirmed that Charlotte had hit the nail squarely on the head and that her perception was both unexpected and quite admirable.

‘Don’t worry.’ The faintly embarrassed undertone to Hawk’s voice as he turned back to his computer gave away the fact that he had shared the general expectation of what she would be like. ‘I can’t guarantee you won’t be hit on,’ he continued. ‘But I can assure you it won’t be by me. I’ve never slept with a partner and I don’t intend to start now.’

‘Your partners have always been men.’

‘So?’ Hawk turned to face Charlotte again and she held his gaze. A gaze that might just hold the tiniest amount of respect for the way she had confronted this issue.

He also seemed to be telling her that he wasn’t going to let the fact that she was female make any difference to their professional relationship. She smiled slowly.

‘I think we understand each other…Hawk.’ The use of his nickname was only a shade tentative.

‘I’m sure we do…Charlie.’ Hawk’s smile acknowledged the new space they were entering.

As colleagues.

CHAPTER THREE

‘YOU bastard!’

Charlotte’s head turned sharply at the raw anger in the statement from the rapidly approaching stranger.

‘There’s a dead woman in that car and it’s your fault!’

‘I didn’t even see her!’

‘You shouldn’t be allowed on the road. You’re a useless, incompetent—’

‘Excuse me.’ Charlotte turned her body and stepped sideways into the path of the stranger. ‘Who are you?’

‘I work in those offices.’ The man jerked an arm in the direction of a building over the road. ‘I saw the whole thing.’

‘Then we’ll certainly take your statement,’ Charlotte told him calmly. ‘If you go and wait beside that police car over there, I’ll—’

‘He just turned this bloody great truck in front of her. She didn’t stand a chance. Look at her, you moron!’

Unfortunately, it was still possible to see the mangled body in the driver’s seat of the small hatchback. The fire officers were trying to position a tarpaulin as a shield prior to cutting the woman’s body free from the wreck, but it was proving difficult. Wellington wasn’t known as the ‘windy city’ for nothing.

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