Dr. White's Baby Wish by Sue MacKay Page A

talked for years. ‘Hey, Trent, been meaning to catch up, but got busy, you know?’ Truth was he’d been reluctant to get in touch because he was uncertain of the welcome he’d get. At sixteen they’d been the closest of mates at school and into loads of mischief, but the day school had finished he’d headed out the gate without a backward glance, leaving everything and everyone behind.
    Including Trent. Eager to get on with life, rebelling against settling into more study, this time at university, he’d put his surprisingly not-too-bad exam results aside and found a job down south on a fishing trawler. Despite only being seventeen, he’d already had the body of a rugby prop, so getting a job had been easy in an industry that required plenty of muscle.
    â€˜Police Inspector Trent Ballinger to you.’ A deep laugh rumbled through the phone.
    â€˜Way to go, man. Well done, you.’ Cody headed for the lounge and the garden on the other side of the sliding glass doors. He didn’t want to wake Harper, and anyway he needed some fresh air after being holed up with her in the car and then here. Hell, even her home smelt of citrus, a scent he was rapidly accepting as Harper’s scent.
    â€˜Saw your name on the report that was filed a few hours ago about Strong and his mule. It wasn’t hard to track you down.’
    His friend did have the New Zealand police resources on his side. ‘That lowlife locked up good and tight?’
    â€˜You should’ve given him what for while you had the opportunity.’ Trent sighed. ‘I didn’t say that. But, hell, the man hasn’t stopped whinging since the boys brought him in. Anyone would think he’d been hard done by, losing those drugs.’
    â€˜It was tempting to give him a wee nudge.’ He was not admitting to the knee slam in the lowlife’s back, though. Trent might still be a friend but he was a cop first and foremost. ‘How did Strong get in on the act in the first place? I presume he was waiting to pick up Frew outside the international terminal but he managed to slip into our department too easily. I wouldn’t have thought the paramedics would’ve let him ride in with them.’
    â€˜He followed them, and strolled up to the ambulance bay as they were disembarking, waved a card that the paramedics believed was a police identity and walked on in.’
    â€˜Guess if you’ve got the balls you can get away with just about anything.’ Cody was shocked at how simple it had been, and a tad angry.
    â€˜More like if you’ve got a loaded gun you can get away with most things.’
    Cody swallowed. ‘It was loaded?’ After flipping out of Lowlife’s hand, it’d spun across the floor to be picked up by Harper, who’d then stuck it under her waistband before attending to Frew. He shivered. Maybe luck had been on their side after all. ‘I thought it might be but hoped I was wrong.’
    â€˜I think you’ll find the hospital will be tightening security quick-fast,’ Trent said.
    â€˜The old stable door trick.’ It wasn’t right that outsiders, detectives or not, could get in so easily. During the night no one got through, but it seemed daytime security was lax. ‘From what I’ve seen of George Sampson so far, he’ll already have someone looking into it.’
    â€˜How’s the doc? She holding up?’
    Cody chuckled. ‘You always ask this many questions?’
    â€˜Occupational hazard,’ Trent replied. ‘You avoiding the question?’
    No, he didn’t want to talk about Harper, not even to a long lost, now found friend. Somehow talking about her felt like he was going behind her back, which made no sense whatsoever. He went with the medical. ‘Her throat and neck are very sore but otherwise she’s physically okay. Apart from a migraine that’s knocked her to her knees,’ he added in case