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inspected him from under the brim of his fisherman’s hat she’d insisted on wearing. “So tell me again how you broke your nose, Uncle Nate.”
    Nate studied her in the driving mirror. “You know very well, pumpkin.”
    Vianne giggled. “In a self-defense class, but you didn’t tell me who did it. Was it one of your little old ladies who couldn’t say ‘boo’ to a goose?”
    Nate’s cheeks burned, and he looked back at the road, not wanting to see his bright red reflection in the mirror or the huge white bandage across his nose. “Something like that,” he muttered. “Now you have to promise me that you’ll let me do all the talking when we get to the doll hospital.”
    “All right.”
    “And no more climbing on chairs and dropping Amelia Jane. I can’t afford to keep getting her repaired. Next time it might be you in the hospital for days having your arm and eye mended.”
    “True. But you have to promise not to hide her anymore and put her on top of the wardrobe. I’ll put her away properly.”
    Nate looked at her. “Deal.” He pulled into the parking space at the back of the doll hospital. I should have done this without her. I really am not looking forward to this conversation with Miss Monroe. But I can’t leave Vianne here on her own.
    He got out of the car and let Vianne run in to the red brick building ahead of him. He locked the car and followed slowly.
    Susie winked at him from the desk. “She was right. It is a shiner.”
    Nate’s cheeks burned. Had Miss Monroe been boasting over what she’d done? “I’m sorry? Who said what?”
    “Vianne. She ran in here, like, saying you’d got a broken nose and a lovely black eye. Was it, like, a run in with a bad guy?”
    “Not exactly,” Nate said, not having thought he could be any more embarrassed than he already was. “And hello to you too, Miss Vickers.”
    Susie grinned at him. “Hey, Sgt. Holmes. Dr. A’s in the office. I’ll, like, give her a shout.”
    “Thank you.” Intrigued as to how that would work, Nate scrutinized Susie as she tapped on the key pad in front of her. Immediately a light flashed on and off several times in the other room.
    Susie looked at him though half closed eyes. “Can I, like, sign your plaster?” she teased with teenage enthusiasm.
    “Not you, too,” Nate groaned. “That’s all I had when I went into work this morning.”
    Susie laughed as Adeline came into reception.
    “Sgt. Holmes, do you want to come…” her voice faltered, before she recovered, “…through to the office. Susie, can you take Vianne over to Jasmine to do the discharge paperwork?”
    “Sure, Dr. A. Come on, Vianne.”
    Nate followed Adeline into the office, this time taking more notice of it. It suited her to a tee . A carefree set up that meant she didn’t mind what anyone thought. Uncluttered, yet full of knick knacks, it shone with her vibrancy and joy. He shook his head at her offer of coffee and sat down by her desk.
    “I’m really sorry about your nose,” Adeline said biting her lip. “How is it?”
    “Broken.”
    “Is it very sore?”
    Nate held her gaze. “It sticks out like a sore nose.” His lips twitched and as a smile spread over her face, he chuckled. “And yes they took the mick out of me something chronic at work when I went in first thing this morning.”
    “Took the wick?” she asked her face creasing.
    “Mick…Mickey… teased me.”
    “Ah, right.” She smiled at him. “Yes, I understand taking the mickey. I just didn’t catch what you said. Sometimes if words look similar it’s easy to confuse them.”
    “Ah, right. Anyway as tempting as it was to lie and say a big ten-foot-tall burglar did it…”
    Adeline snorted with laughter. “More like a short woman, who shouldn’t have been in a tracksuit in the first place.”
    Nate pushed a hand through his hair. “Why’s that?”
    “Because someone like me doesn’t belong in a self-defense class. Your nose is a prime example. I’m