Page 90 of Slack Tide Kill

"Why didn't you just stop? Wait for the ARV?"

That was the question. Sally knew what she'd felt in the moment. A fear they'd be sitting ducks, that was part of it. But also, a need to catch the Rooks now. To not let this drag out any longer. To not risk any more deaths.

But then, what had Roarke Rook said?

Nancy Cagen wasn't even dead.

Those words echoed through her. The way he'd said them, without any prep, already in shock himself, felt real.

True.

"I don't think the Rooks killed Cagen," she murmured.

"What?" Mayhew demanded. "I didn't ask about that. I asked why you didn't just stop your vehicle."

Sally struggled to focus. It seemed very important that she get the message across. "Cagen, DCI. Roarke Rook said he didn't even know she was dead, and I believe him." Seconds ticked past her. "That means the killer's still out here."

"I doubt that very much, but we'll get to it. Now answer the question. Why didn't you stop?"

Sally saw Liam, looking back at her. DI Gemmell had a checklist up and was running down it. Liam's lips were moving but she couldn't hear the words. Were they asking him the same questions? Was he giving the same answers?

Her thoughts whirled. "Uh. Rook had the shotgun up. He would have continued firing. I couldn't, uh. I had to…" she trailed off.

Mayhew looked at the Mustang then back. "The windscreen was already shattered from the first shot, correct? How could you possibly know he was going to fire again?"

How could she know? The question whirled and resonated in her head, devoid of all meaning. How could she know? How could she not have known?

"I saw it," Bledd chimed in, being led past by another officer, his arms still full of rubbish. "I was in the front, and I could see he was about to shoot again. Officer Rogers here saved our lives."

Mayhew sucked her teeth. She gestured to the officer to lead Bledd away. Sally just floated in position.

"Is that true?" Mayhew asked, when he was gone. "You could see?"

"Yes," was all Sally could manage.

Mayhew looked back at the Mustang and shook her head. "From where I'm standing, Officer Rogers, this looks like outright vehicular assault. At very best, a serious misuse of force. At worst, attempted manslaughter." She turned to fix Sally in her glare. "Were you aiming for the boat? Or were you aiming for the men on the boat?"

Sally murmured something. She barely even knew what. Then someone else was there. A warm hand on her arm.

John Logan.

"DCI Mayhew," he said firmly, "this officer is clearly on the verge of collapse. We need to get her into an ambulance immediately. You can continue your questioning later. I'd caution that anything she says right now could easily be a product of peritraumatic dissociation."

Mayhew's lips curled. "John." She said it like she knew him.

"Gloria," he answered. "You know I'm right. You need to stop."

"Do I? She your latest pet project?"

"Right now she's my patient," Logan countered, starting to lead Sally away. "That's all there is to it."

"I want eyes on her at all times," Mayhew called after them. "The Rook brother, how injured is he?"

"Broken wrist. He'll live."

Mayhew sucked her teeth. "You got lucky, Officer Rogers. This could have easily been much worse."

"I doubt she feels lucky," Logan said over his shoulder. "She was just shot at by a wanted criminal and survived a serious crash. Gloria, please."