Kay watched helplessly as a porter approached the senior nurse managing the triage of patients flowing through the A&E department and nibbled at the corner of her thumbnail.
Her throat dry, she fought down the urge to cross to the desk and ask for another update despite the sickness that consumed her, despite the fear.
After approaching the information desk, she had been directed to a bank of chairs, row upon row of brightly coloured plastic seats that were bolted to the floor and resembled the same ones used in the Maidstone police station’s custody suite.
Blinking at the bright orange surface, she perched on the end of the second row, then craned her neck to see around a burly man in his thirties who swayed from side to side on the seat in front of her and mumbled incoherently under his breath.
Wrinkling her nose to evade the stench of alcohol emanating from him in waves, she willed her heart rate to slow.
The emergency room was packed, voices from relatives and friends tinged with fear as they waited for news of their loved ones, while hospital staff in different coloured overalls denoting their expertise hurried back and forth with harried expressions.
She exhaled, reminding herself that Adam was receiving the best care, that he was at least conscious when whisked away by the ambulance, and grateful that her colleagues were already processing the crime scene.
‘Kay.’
Turning at the sound of Gavin’s voice, she pushed herself to her feet as he paused beside her, his eyes searching the far end of the room where a gaggle of porters were gathered.
‘Any news?’
‘Nothing yet. They told me to wait over here.’ She hugged her arms around her chest, goosebumps freckling her exposed arms and legs before she turned to face the reception desk, her training shoes squeaking on the tiles.
‘Do you want me to get you a coffee or something, or a bottle of water, or…’
Gavin flapped his hands at his sides, and she noticed a damp patch on his jacket with traces of smeared blood at the edges.
‘No, that’s okay. Thanks.’
‘Let’s sit at the back – there’s no-one there, and it’ll be quieter.’
Kay followed meekly behind him, and checked over her shoulder towards the reception desk.
Would she hear them if they called out to her?
‘Here you go.’ Gavin was gesturing to two seats – blue this time – and waited until she sat. ‘I phoned Barnes. It sounds like it’s all under control that end.’
‘You’ve got some blood on your jacket.’
‘I tried to wash it out just now, but…’
‘What happened?’ She stared ahead, her gaze shifting from the cleaners and the porters that passed by in a blur.
Gavin exhaled. ‘From what we can gather, Adam was working late in his office at the back of the practice…’
‘It’s behind the consulting rooms. He likes to be on hand if anyone needs him.’
‘Right. His computer was on. He was writing––’
‘He’s got a deadline for a journal article that’s due at the end of the week…’ Her voice faded away as she realised she was babbling now, processing her shock.
‘They probably didn’t expect anyone to be there at that time of the evening,’ he said. ‘From what we could work out, they were after the anaesthetic drugs, painkillers, things like that.’
‘Ketamine hydrochloride and methadone hydrochloride,’ said Kay, dully. ‘They’re kept in a cabinet behind the door in Adam’s office for safekeeping. It’s locked.’
‘They took his keys, after they… after…’ Gavin broke off and bit his lip.
She uttered a shuddering sigh. ‘What did they do to him?’
‘He’d locked the front doors so they went around the back to the fire exit. They broke the window next to it––’
‘The one in the bathroom.’
‘Yes, and then made their way down the corridor to his office. We think he turned around as they walked in.’ Gavin shook his head. ‘He didn’t have time to react, Kay – sorry – guv. They hit him with something – wooden, we think. He was out cold when the ambulance got there, but he came around while I was with him, then again when they lifted him into the ambulance.’
‘Did he say anything?’
Gavin shook his head. ‘I didn’t catch it – sorry.’
Beside him, Kay choked back a whimper. ‘Who called it in?’
‘Stephanie, the receptionist. She’d left after the last appointment but forgot her mobile phone – she’d left it plugged into her computer, so she popped in on her way to meet a friend at the cinema. She phoned triple nine from the car park when she saw the broken window and Adam’s four-by-four outside.’
A shuddering breath escaped Kay. ‘If she hadn’t turned up––’
‘Yeah, but she did, guv – and the paramedics were there really quick. Me and Barnes were on the Sittingbourne Road when we got the shout so we got there within a few minutes, and they turned up just after us.’
Kay wrapped her arms around her chest while she listened.
‘Barnes is at the practice, guv. Stephanie stayed behind – she wanted to help, and Adam’s business partner––’
‘Scott.’
‘He turned up just as I was leaving to pick you up. Barnes wants me to stay with you while he’s processing the… the scene.’ He clamped his mouth shut, his cheeks flushing. ‘If that’s all right.’
‘Thanks,’ she whispered.