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place, use the lot here for stunt riding sometimes. The parents can’t keep watch on them every hour of the day. The lady pulled in too quick, wasn’t watching I guess. Had one of those big fancy Jeeps, high off the ground. She couldn’t have seen him. I heard the brakes and the crash. She rolled right over him and his bike.’
    â€˜The kid?’
    â€˜About nine or ten I guess. Well, he was hurt real bad. I did everything I could to help. The store gives us all a course on first aid. I done mine about six years ago when I came here first, but he was in bad shape. Myself and a few folk tried to help, but he was real bad, trouble breathing. Looked like he was dying, then this lady who was helping just kind of laid her hands on him. I don’t know exactly what she done but she brung him back. Even the paramedics thought he was dead, but the lady she kept saying he was going to live. It was the strangest thing I ever seen in all my born years. She saved his life, gave it back to him.’
    â€˜Where’s the boy now?’ Lara asked.
    â€˜Ambulance took him to Children’s Hospital. My boss Mr Williams phoned to check on him. Doesn’t do a store no good for someone to die in the lot, you know. Hospital said he was critical but stable.’
    â€˜The boy’s name, did you get it?’
    â€˜She knew him . . . Lewis, no – Lucas, that’s it! Timmy Lucas, that was the boy’s name.’
    â€˜What about the woman? Do you know her name?’
    The security guard shrugged.
    â€˜I’ve seen her in here a few times but I don’t rightly know her name or where she lives, but it must be somewhere local.’
    Lara thanked him warmly for his help. Something about him reminded her of her late grandfather and she wondered what he had worked at before he had taken on the security job to bolster up his retirement pension.
    At least she had some information to go on. She went back outside to place a call to the directory service for the hospital number.
    The hospital staff would give her no information about the boy: it was hospital policy unless you were next of kin. Thanking them, she rang off and decided to drive back into town. The hospital was
en route
to the office and she’d have a try at getting a bit more out of them.
    The staff on the door assumed she was a late visitor as, gazing straight ahead, she marched right past them. She had spotted the sign for the fourth floor. Trying to look like a parent, she slipped into the lift and pressed the silver-ringed button. The doors opening right in front of the nurses’ station slightly spooked her, but forcing herself to be calm she walked slowly over to the plump nurse sitting near the phone.
    â€˜Excuse me, I’m looking for Timmy Lucas. How’s he doing?’ she asked.
    The nurse covered the mouthpiece with her chubby fingers and looked up.
    â€˜You a member of the family or something?’
    She smiled and nodded. Not agreeing or denying, just inclining her head in a way that could be seen as a positive.
    The nurse hesitated for a second. Lara looked her straight in the eye as the woman pointed down the hallway.
    â€˜He’s in room 14, but I think he’s still very drowsy. Sue’s gone to the day room for a nap but if you run you might just catch her.’
    â€˜Thanks a bunch,’ Lara said gratefully.
    Passing the door she could see the sleeping shape of the boy hooked up to a monitor and drip and God knows what else.
    The day room was right down the far end of the corridor and she pushed the door gently. An elderly man, concentrating on the sports section of the newspaper, had his back to her. Over in the corner she spotted a dark-haired woman rubbing her face with her fingers. She looked as if she had hardly slept the previous night. There were circles of grey under her eyes and her mascara had smudged under her lower lid.
    Lara pretended to be busy and sidled over to the small counter