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He raised a cross bow and fired. The arrow smashed through the glass, straight at her.
     
     
     
     
     

2
     
    Nothing changed, Dane sighed. He’d arrived home late the previous evening, to find his mother pulling her hair out over the behavior of the girls. Vicky had once again refused to eat and Jodie had come in, dumped her stuff on the floor and gone out. “Dressed to the nines” was the way Mum phrased it. No one had replied to the ad he’d placed. He was beginning to wonder if Nate was right and a nanny agency was the way to go.
    And today already looked as if it would turn out the same way. He arrived at the nick, late again. He sank into the chair behind his desk as nonchalantly as he could. Nate slid coffee over to him and he picked it up and smiled at his partner. “Morning, Nate.”
    “More like afternoon. Which one was it this time?”
    Dane checked his watch. “Not quite afternoon—it’s barely nine forty-five. And it was Jodie. She’s getting worse. What did I miss?”
    Nate leaned back in his chair. “Not much—just a murder in Clarkdale Street.” He tossed Dane his notebook. “Uniform got the call about half four this morning. I got there a little after seven. Hence my afternoon comment. You can catch up on the way to the morgue.”
    “Thanks.”
    Nate grinned, getting to his feet. “By the way, the Guv’s on the war path.”
    “Joy.”
    Detective Inspector Vanessa Welsh flung open the office door. Silence fell across the ten desks arranged around the room. “Dane. My office. Now.”
    Dane looked up. “Nate and I were just going—”
    “Nate’s a big boy. I’m sure he can find the morgue without you holding his hand. Just like he found Clarkdale Street without you earlier.” She jerked her head to the door. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
    Nate dropped a hand on Dane’s shoulder. “It’s been nice knowing you, mate.”
    Dane sighed, pushing upright. “We who are about to die, salute you.” He followed his commanding officer down the corridor to her office.
    “Shut the door.” Her curt tone only confirmed how much trouble he was in.
    He complied and stood in front of her desk. “I know I was late and I’m sorry, Guv. If you let me explain…”
    “I would really love to hear your explanation. You have been late consistently over the past few months. Late coming in. Leaving early. Long lunches. It’s gotten worse recently. Sit down.”
    Dane perched on the edge of the seat. He laced his fingers together, the contents of his stomach curdling within him. The pounding in his chest increased.
    “Well?”
    “Kid problems.”
    “Really?”
    He took a deep breath. “Neither of them will get up. Vicky won’t eat. I spend a good hour each morning fighting with them.”
    DI Welsh looked unimpressed. “So do thousands of parents up and down the country. Why are they at work on time and you’re not?”
    “I’m doing it alone.”
    “You’re not the only single parent in this station. Or in the country.”
    Dane took a deep breath. His reasoning sounded pitiful now. But it wasn’t. His struggle was very real and he didn’t know what to do.
    “We all cut you some slack when Jasmine died. It wasn’t easy losing her like that, especially when you were working the case.”
    He nodded slowly. The Herbalist killings were his toughest case to date and had made the national headlines when the Prime Minister and the investigating officer’s wife were two of his victims. The only good thing to have come out of it was Adeline and her subsequent marriage to Nate.
    DI Welsh continued. “But that was two years ago. You can’t keep blaming your current problems on your wife not being here.”
    Dane narrowed his eyes, his hackles rising. He straightened, bristling. “So it’s my failure as a parent, is that what you’re saying?”
    “I’m not saying anything of the kind. Just suggesting you prioritize things.”
    “So it’s my kids or my job?” Anger flared through him,