Emergency

Nick thought he'd keep watch on the women for a short while. He knew he ought to radio for an ambulance, but wasn't sure what he'd say; shit, he wasn't even sure of what he'd seen.

Just as he'd decided he had to call it in, an ambulance screeched round the corner and came to a sudden stop between him and the other side of the street.

He headed across to have a word with the paramedics as they were taking the unconscious guy into the ambulance. As he asked what had happened, he noticed with a shock that the man on the stretcher was Cotter.

"Hiya," replied one of the ambulance men, "your boys are meant to be on their way, but we beat 'em to it. Anonymous call, phone box by the sound of it, just giving this location."

"Okay," said Nick, thinking at least those two must have some conscience about leaving the guy in the street. "How's the victim - sorry, the guy - doing, any idea?"

"Hard to say for sure, but I've seen worse. Don't want to do your lads' job for them, but," and here he lowered his voice, "they won't get much out of these two old dears. They reckon they'd only just seen the lad as we pulled up."

With that, he shut the doors and the ambulance set off at speed, its blue lights flashing.

This left Nick and the two women the only people on the street. "Hello there," he said. Neither of them returned the greeting.

Nick looked at Margaret, saying "right. I know you're no more Adam Cotter's gran than I am - but would you care to tell me what's going on?"



Part Two begins here.