The Street Corner Killer

Chapter 7

Brooke sat in her apartment, curled up on the white couch sipping a lemonade. The floor to ceiling windows were slid open, letting in the evening's warmth, and Felix and Jake were out on the balcony admiring the view. A football match played on the tv, and her brothers were chatting loudly, but she wasn't paying attention to any of it, half asleep. She had been held back the entire afternoon waiting for Gianna's medical report (which hadn't come), while the others searched the apartment. She didn't even know if they had found any evidence yet.

She looked up as the doorbell rang, and got up to answer. She wasn't expecting anyone. Who could it be?

"Hi, Detective," To her surprise it was Caroline who greeted her as she swung the door open. She was still wearing her doctors coat, over her turqoise gown, with her brown hair tied back in a messy bun.

"Oh, Doctor Harper, please come in,"

"Call me Caroline, please. I like to leave my job at the hospital,"

The woman settled on the couch, a brown folder hugged to her chest, her purse slung over her shoulder and lab coat still on.

"Lemonade?"

"Thanks,"

Riley handed her a glass as she sat down on the armchair opposite her. Her brothers had now returned inside, to find the stranger sitting across from them.

"You having a party and not telling us, Brookie?" Felix questioned.

She looked up to see them both towering over her, and suddenly she was taken back to being 8 years old and them both confronting her about stealing from the sweet cupboard. "This is Doctor Caroline Harper. She's helping is with the case. Caroline, these are my brothers, Felix and Jake. Don't bother trying to tell them apart,"

They both shook hands with her, and Brooke cringed as they both practically swooned. They were about to sit down mext to her, before Brooke gave them a look that said Go on, get out. Reluctantly they returned to the balcony.

"Any reason for your visit?" She returned to their conversation.

"I thought I'd deliver Gianna's file personally, as it was only completed at the end of the day,"

"I thought you liked to leave your job at the hospital," Brooke smiled as she took the folder.

Skimming through it, she realised it was pretty much the same as what she had been read in the conference room, just with more medical details.

"Do you know when will Gianna wake up?" She looked up from the paper.

"Could be tomorrow, could be weeks,"

"She still critical?"

"No, thank God," Caroline took another sip of her lemonade.

Riley nodded as she gazed out the open window. The buzz of the street below was loud, but comforting and she wondered who out there, driving on of those cars, was the person who had left Gianna like this. And when he would return.

Suddenly Carolines phone buzzed, and she pulled it out from her lab coat.

"Doctor Harper." There was a pause. "She's with me now. I'll tell her. Don't let anyone near the patient that isn't a doctor until I get there,"

She hung up and looked at Riley, who was staring at her quizzically.

"Whaddya know? Gianna just woke up."

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Riley and Bishop had been sitting outside Gianna's ward for hours now, watching doctors and family come in and out. She flinched at each one, wondering if any of them was the man who might try pull her blood bag out or turn off her IV.