Summer of Love by Marie Ferrarella (easy to read books for adults list .TXT) 📕

Mike grimaced. ‘And I’m sorry to turn up like this too but I noticed the lights were still on as I was passing.’ He held up his hand, which was covered in a blood-soaked bandage. ‘We’ve been out on a training exercise tonight and I managed to get my thumb caught in one of the ratchets we use to haul people up the hillside. It needs a stitch or two and I was hoping you might do it to save me having to trail off to the hospital.’

‘I … um … yes, of course. Come in.’ Emma led the way inside. ‘Come straight through to my room while I take a look at it.’

Mike followed her along the corridor, glancing round when Ruth came rushing out of the staffroom. He must have seen her face fall because he grinned. ‘Obviously, I’m not the person you hoped to see either.’

‘No, you’re not,’ Ruth said bluntly.

Mike’s smile faded as he looked from her to Emma. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘Daniel failed to turn up for surgery this evening,’ Emma explained as she ushered him into her room. ‘He hasn’t phoned and he isn’t answering his mobile either.’

‘That’s odd.’ Mike frowned as he sat down and unwound the bandage. ‘I wouldn’t have thought there was a problem getting a signal in that part of the Dales.’

Emma stopped and stared at him. ‘What do you mean, that part of the Dales? Have you seen him?’

‘Yes, well not him but I’ve seen his car. It’s parked outside old man Dawson’s place—Niths Farm. You know.’

‘What time was this?’ Emma demanded.

‘Oh, around six-thirty, give or take a few minutes.’ Mike shrugged. ‘I did my hand in soon after that so it can’t have been much later.’

‘But Ruth phoned Harold Dawson way before then and he told her that Daniel had already left!’ Emma exclaimed.

‘Well, it was definitely Dr Kennedy’s car. You don’t get many fancy motors like that round here and certainly not at Dawson’s place. There was another car there too, now that I think about it, a site vehicle from that wind farm they’re building on the edge of Dawson’s land.’ Mike looked worried now. ‘Why on earth did Dawson say the doc wasn’t there when he was?’

‘I don’t know but it needs checking.’ Emma picked up a dish and filled it with saline then gently bathed Mike’s thumb. She frowned when she saw the deep gash at its base. ‘That looks nasty. It’s going to need three or four stitches by the look of it.’

She numbed Mike’s thumb with an injection of local anaesthetic then set to work. It only took her only a few minutes to complete the job and Mike shook his head in admiration. ‘That was quick work. You’ve done that a time or two, by the look of it.’

‘Just a couple of times.’ Emma summoned a smile but it was hard to concentrate. She had a nasty feeling about what Mike had told her and wouldn’t rest until she had paid Harold Dawson a visit to see what was going on.

‘Dr Haynes told me that you’d gone into surgery.’ Mike smiled at her as he stood up. ‘He’s every right to be proud of you.’

Emma merely nodded, her mind too busy churning over possibilities to focus on the compliment. She looked up when Mike sighed. ‘If it’s hurting I can give you some painkillers,’ she offered, feeling guilty for neglecting her patient.

‘It’s fine. No, it’s obvious that you’re worried sick about Dr Kennedy, aren’t you? ‘

Emma flushed. ‘It just seems strange that he hasn’t called us,’ she demurred.

Mike gave her an old-fashioned look. ‘Hmm. It does. Why don’t we drive over there and see what’s going on? It’s the least I can do after you’ve saved me a long wait in Casualty.’

‘Oh, I couldn’t expect you to do that,’ she began, but Mike shook his head.

‘Of course you can. In fact, I’m going to get onto the rest of the team and tell them what’s happened. If the doc’s out there, we’ll find him. That’s a promise.’

He put a comforting arm around Emma’s shoulders and she sagged gratefully against him. ‘Thanks, Mike,’ she murmured huskily.

‘No sweat.’ He gave her a brotherly hug then went to the door. ‘I’ll put through that call and see you outside. OK?’

Emma nodded then hurried to find Ruth and tell her what had happened. They agreed that the police should be informed that Daniel’s car had been seen, although whether they would act on the information was open to question. Mike had the engine running when Emma hurried outside and as soon as she got into the Land Rover, they set off. It was a good thirty-minute drive to Niths Farm and Emma was on tenterhooks all the way. If Daniel had left the farm, she had no idea where to start looking for him.

They turned down the lane leading to the farm and Mike slowed as they reached the bottom. ‘Look,’ he said, pointing.

Emma’s heart leapt into her throat when she saw Daniel’s car parked in the yard alongside another vehicle, which bore the logo of the wind farm’s contractors. Obviously he was still there despite Harold Dawson’s assurances to the contrary. ‘What should we do?’ she asked anxiously.

‘I don’t know, but whatever we decide we need to be careful.’ Mike’s tone was sombre. ‘Old Dawson is a bit of a loose cannon lately. Folk have seen him walking round with a shotgun. Let’s not go rushing in until we know what’s happening, eh?’

‘But Daniel may be in danger!’ she protested.

‘Yes. And we don’t want to make matters worse by forcing Dawson’s hand.’ Mike picked up the radio receiver.

‘I’m going to call the police and get them over here right away.’

Emma opened her door and climbed out of the car while Mike made the call. There were only a few hundred yards between her and Daniel but the distance had never seemed greater. The fact that she had no idea what was