LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER ONE

      ‘YOU know that you don’t have to accept this assignment, Constable Gray?’ Inspector Eddie Bandford did his best impersonation of a friendly yet professional smile and Bella did the same, reminding herself to keep her hands neatly folded in her lap and to stare her senior in the eye. A natural fidget, it took Bella a supreme effort to do what seemingly came naturally to most people over the age of five—sit still for five minutes! ‘You know,’ Inspector Bandford continued, his voice so assured, his platitudes so emphatic Bella almost believed him, ‘that if you decided this isn’t for you, in no way will it impact on your application to be a detective.’

      ‘Absolutely.’ Bella nodded, her response equally emphatic, her clear green eyes unblinking as she stared assuredly back. ‘But I want to do this, Inspector Bandford. In fact, I’m thrilled that I’m even being considered.’

      Another friendly yet professional smile.

      Another pause as he eyed the file in front of him, and had she had a bell in her pocket, Bella would have been sorely tempted to ring it, to call for some time out.

      Cut the bull, Eddie, she wanted to snarl. You know as well as I do that if I turn this down, my application to be a detective will be fed into the shredder by the time I hit the lifts. You know as well as I do that the only reason, the only reason, I’m being considered for this role is that I happen to have been stupid enough to keep my nursing registration up to date and that I’m practically the only cop in Melbourne who can work my way around the inside of an emergency room instead of hovering in the waiting room.

      ‘It doesn’t worry you?’ Inspector Bandford closed the case file and picked up another, flicking through it with agonizing slowness as Bella felt her stomach turn to liquid as her senior read through her personal record. ‘Going back to nursing, I mean. I understand you left because—’

      ‘Because I realised that I wanted to be a policewoman,’ Bella broke in, her voice amazingly even, nodding when he looked up to affirm her point. But even with a hefty dash of assertion added to her words still she registered the tiny flicker of doubt in Inspector Bandford’s expression and moved quickly to quell it. ‘That all happened years ago,’ Bella said firmly, waving an almost dismissive hand at the personal file he was holding. ‘I dealt with all that long ago.’

      ‘But even so…’

      She could hear the hesitancy in his voice, her inquisitive eyes taking in the deepening frown between his eyes, and Bella pulled on every last reserve she had to drag out a small laugh.

      ‘I thought you wanted me to take the job, Inspector.’

      ‘No,’ Eddie corrected her. ‘I’ve merely asked you to come in here to discuss the possibility, that’s all. Detective Miller and I both agree that this business with drugs going missing at Melbourne City has been going on for long enough. Unfortunately, all the usual channels of investigation have been exhausted. All the staff have been extensively interviewed, we’ve had surveillance in place from the waiting room, even hidden cameras in the drug room…’

      ‘Which have been repeatedly sabotaged…’ It was Bella breaking in now, her curious mind switching in an instant to the puzzle that needed to be fixed, focusing on the task that could be hers if only Eddie Bandford gave the final nod of approval.

      ‘Clearly, from our observations it’s someone senior that’s taking the drugs.’ After a long moment of hesitation he handed her a list of subjects and Bella snapped them out of his hand like an eager puppy taking a treat. ‘Someone with good access…’

      ‘Most doctors and nurses would have access to the drug cupboards,’ Bella pointed out, but Eddie shook his head.

      ‘Only a few very senior staff knew that we were installing cameras in the drug room. Not only that, most of the drugs have been taken soon after the pharmacist has stocked up the cupboards and there’s a decent haul to be had. Whoever’s taking the drugs knows what they’re doing, knows exactly how the system works and knows that we’re

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