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In no time at all the baby was in an incubator, surrounded by skilled staff all assessing her condition and speculating on her identity.
Miranda and Jake retreated to the tiny staffroom and were in the process of warming themselves up with hot coffee when the police arrived to take statements.
Jake spoke to them and then the consultant paediatrician walked into the room. ‘She’s very cold and dehydrated. It’s a miracle you found her when you did. Any longer and she would have died of hypothermia without any doubt at all.’
The policeman frowned. ‘She wasn’t wrapped up at all?’
Miranda shook her head. ‘Just inside plastic bags.’
‘On a night like this?’ The man’s mouth tightened with disapproval. ‘What must the mother have been thinking?’
Miranda put her coffee down on the table. ‘I don’t suppose she was thinking at all,’ she said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. ‘I expect she was too busy panicking.’
‘Miranda’s right.’ Jake rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, his eyes tired. ‘Whoever the mother is, she was obviously terrified and completely alone. I’m guessing that we’re talking about a teenager and she needs help, possibly urgently. We must try and find her.’
The policeman blinked and then cleared his throat. ‘Of course, yes. You’re right. We’ll arrange for house-to-house enquiries and we’ll contact the news stations and broadcast an appeal.’
The paediatrician looked at Miranda. ‘The nurses wondered if you wanted to give her a name.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. You found her.’
‘Oh…’ Miranda thought for a moment and then gave a faint smile. ‘Bonnie. She’s such a pretty little thing.’
‘Bonnie, it is.’ The policeman scribbled on his pad. ‘I’ll be in touch. If there’s any change in the baby, give us a call.’
He left the room and Miranda turned to Jake, her expression urgent.
‘We have to try and find her. The mother, I mean.’
His eyes met hers. ‘Miranda, the police are going to do house-to-house enquiries and—’
‘And the police have absolutely no idea what it’s like to be a terrified teenager.’ She glanced towards the paediatrician. ‘Bonnie’s in good hands now. We can’t do any more here.’
Jake’s eyes slid to her abdomen. ‘It’s late, you’re tired—’
‘I couldn’t possibly sleep knowing that a poor teenager is out there somewhere, terrified and possibly bleeding.’ Her hands clenched into fists and Jake’s eyes rested on her face.
‘You don’t know it’s a teenager.’
She knew he was wondering why her reaction was so extreme but she didn’t care. And she certainly didn’t intend to offer an explanation. ‘Jake!’
‘All right.’ He muttered something else under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. ‘We’ll go back to the flats and have a look around. But just for an hour. After that we?
??re going home.’
Two police cars were parked outside the flats and Jake pulled up behind them while Miranda turned up her collar and wrapped her scarf round her neck.
‘Do you have a torch?’
‘Glove compartment.’
Miranda reached inside and tucked the torch in her pocket. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’ She climbed out of the car and walked away from the flats, the beam of light from the torch flickering in front of her.
‘Go where, exactly?’ Fastening the buttons of his coat, Jake strode after her. ‘Don’t you think we should start by looking around the flats?’
‘That’s what the police are doing and I just don’t think that’s where she’s going to be.’
