I laugh. "Your family must hate you."
She bursts out laughing. "Yeah. You would be right." Then she sobers. "Anyway. Let's get down to why I'm here. Are you up to this?"
"Yep."
"Okay." She gets out a sketch pad and starts asking questions.
I close my eyes and bring to mind the guy who had robbed the elderly lady. I begin answering her questions.
She begins drawing.
It takes a while. My head's pounding by the time we're finished. But I don't want to take any more pain medication until the sketch is completed.
Finally, she shows it to me. I study it. Then nod. "Yes. That's him."
She sighs in relief. "Good. I'll give this to John and get out of your hair then. Get better okay. And keep in touch. John's got my number. And be careful. Don't go anywhere without those guys outside."
"I will. Thank you."
She leaves and finally, in relief, I push the button to get some more pain relief. The pain eases as I drift off finally.
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Chapter 20
When I wake up next, John is sitting beside the bed. "Hi," he whispers.
"Hi," I whisper back.
"That drawing you did was a good likeness. We got him."
Surprise must've showed on my face, because John laughs.
"Seriously? You've got the guy already? The one who hit the old lady?"
"Yep. Seriously."
"Who is he?"
"Billy Evans was his name."
I frown as I hear the words. "Was?"
He nods. "Billy's dead."
I sigh in regret. I lift my arm to wipe my eyes and I realise my drip is no longer attached.
"It's okay," John says. "After this length of time, the family will just be glad to hear we finally found the guy."
"Even if he's dead?"
"Even if. It gives the family closure. As well as the satisfaction of knowing what happened and why."
"I suppose. So what did you find out?"
"Billy has a sister living in Qld. He stayed with her while he was working at the pub."
"How did you find that out?"
"Once I got his name everything else fell into place. I found his sister, contacted her, found out he'd stayed with her. Found out where he lived in NSW. Found out where he worked down there. How he died."
"So we didn't need the tax records or the hotel records after all?"
"Nope. But it will all go to evidence, so it's not a waste of time."
"I suppose. It's just a shame he's dead," I sighed again in regret. "What happened to him?"
"Shortly after he arrived in NSW, he got into a brawl with some guys. He was knifed. He was dead before the ambulance arrived."
"Oh, God!" The horror of what had happened to Billy hit me hard.
"Don't feel sorry for him. He killed and robbed a grandmother remember?"
"I know. But nobody deserves to die like that. I don't care what they've done."
He looked at me as if he was going to argue, then shook his head. "That's a discussion for another time. As soon as you're better I've arranged to visit the sister's house. You might pick up other things there. She has some of his things still there in the house with her."
"Wow! Even after he died she kept them?"
He shrugs. "Seems she loved him."
"Oh God!" Tears flowed down my face at his words. It was just all so sad. First the grandmother dying, then Billy.
John leans across and wipes my tears away. He gently kisses my lips. "It's okay. Really. It is."
I take a breath in. I release my breath and all the negative emotions with it. It was something I'd taught myself years ago. And it still worked. "Okay. When can I get out of here?"
"I've asked the doctor. He said whenever you feel like it."
"Good. Let's go then."
"Now?"
"Now. Do I have any clothes?" I was wearing a hospital gown. I was hoping not to go home wearing that. It didn't even cover my backside.
He reaches down and picks up a plastic bag off the floor and places it on the bed. "Your mother dropped these off when she was here before. Want a hand?" he asks with a smirk.
I shove him off the bed. "Get out of here!" I order.
He laughs and walks slowly towards the door.
I throw back the covers and slide to the floor. I'm a little dizzy from lying down for so long and I weave a little bit as I stand.
John's there holding me steady against him. "Maybe you should stay a little longer?" he asked worriedly.
I shake my head determinedly. "No. I'm leaving now." I regain my balance and chase him out of the room again. Once dressed, I check the mirror in the bathroom and cringe as I see myself for the first time.
My forehead is a pretty colour of purple and green. One cheek is a similar colour. One of my eyes is swollen. Both eyes are blackened underneath as if I haven't slept for a week. I look like I've gone twenty rounds in a boxing ring.
I take a breath for courage, leave the bathroom and reach out to push open the main door of my room. It opens before I get there. I stagger back as a large man stands in the doorway. He's about six foot tall, and built like a tank.
Before I can panic, he explains, "Hey. I'm your bodyguard. Ted," he introduces himself. Another slimmer guy swings his head in behind him, "Hi. I'm Dave."
I smile in greeting, relieved they are my bodyguards and not anyone who's going to beat me up more.
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A minute later, John pushes through the guys to get to me.
Grabbing my arm, he hustles me through the doorway. "We have to go. The media have got wind that you're leaving. We're going out the back way," he tells me as he propels me fast down the corridor. "There are too many media out the front."
I hurry along with him as he pulls me down the hospital corridor. "Um. Won't they be out back too?"
"Not as many, and not if we're quick."
"Okay."
John tugs on my arm and we move fast down the stairs. Finally we screech to a stop at an exit door. John turns to the two guards. "You two better go first."
"Where's the car?" Ted asks.
"To the left. A blue falcon."
Ted nods and he and Dave slide in front of us.
"Ready?" John asks me.
I shake my head, negatively. This has all become really scary. Really quick. My legs are shaking, as are my hands. When did I get in the middle of a soap opera? I feel like my life has gotten way out of control. I wonder if it's gone too far out of control, to ever get it back again.
John grasps my elbow. "It'll be fine. Nothing will happen to you. Okay?"
I take a breath, then nod agreement.
The door's push open. We're a go. I'm crushed in the middle of John and the guards. I'm pushed and pulled towards the left. I can't see anything, but their legs and shoes. I hear loud shouts, people yelling and running.
"They've seen us," John yells.
"Go, go, go," Ted yells.
Ted breaks off, and John and Dave push me into the back seat of a car. Dave lands on top of me. The door slams shut. John starts the car and we're off.
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Chapter 21
The car tyres screech as we tear out of the hospital. I hear people shouting. Someone bangs on the roof of the car. We screech to a sudden stop. The passenger's door is flung open and Ted jumps in and yells, "Go."
John takes off again with another loud, long screech of tyres. He laughs. "That'll stop them."
"Yeah."
After a few minutes, John calls out. "It's okay now. You can get up Dave. Caitlyn are you okay?"
Dave lifts his weight off me and helps me to sit up on the seat. "You okay?" Dave asks.
I nod. "Yeah. That was intense." I find I'm shaking.
"Yeah. Someone inside the hospital tipped off the media. Three guesses who?"
"You think the doctor did?" I ask John.
"Yeah. He
was a prick."
We drive in silence for a few minutes before I ask. "Where are we going?"
"My place," John says. "The media left my house to come to the hospital. They'll go back, but hopefully we'll be inside the house when they do."
"So what then? What's the plan? Are we going to just stay inside the house?"
"For a while at any rate."
"Okay. Well. Can we order some food when we get there? I'm starving."
John laughs. "Okay. Pizza coming up."
I sigh and sit back against the seat. I try to get comfortable in the car, but my head's pounding and my arm's throbbing. I desperately need to take some pain relief. I hope John has some. I don't want to ask him because he might think the pain's too bad and take me back to hospital. And I hate hospitals.
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Chapter 22
The house is clear. No hordes of media anywhere.
John drives the car straight into the garage in the hope he can sneak in and not have anyone notice we're there. As the garage door begins to close, we all pile out of the car and go inside the house.
The two bodyguards walk around the entire house, checking windows and doors.
While they're doing that, I decide to go and have a shower.
The water is hot and I moan as the water massages my aching back. I must've been tense, because the water eases the tension and helps me to relax. I sigh and finally turn off the water before stepping out. Pulling the clothes back on that I wore home from the hospital, I rush outside following the tantalising smells. The pizzas have arrived. "Wow!" I stare in awe at the four enormous pizzas on the table. My stomach rumbles loudly.
"I decided to get extra so we could heat some up later if we were hungry," John tells her.
"Yeah. Good idea," I mumble as I reach over quickly and snag a piece of vegetarian pizza. I moan as the taste hits my tongue.
John laughs. "I gather it tastes good?"
"Umph," I reply with a full mouth.
He laughs again and snags a piece for himself.
Ted and Dave grab a slice each and for a few minutes there's silence as we all chew.
I reach for another slice but still as I hear a car door slamming outside. I look up and notice the others have also frozen. We all wait, then blam. Another car door. Voices yell.
I sigh.
Ted walks over and pulls back one of the curtains. "They're here," he says.
Someone pounds on the door.
Ted checks outside, then turns towards us and shakes his head. "It's the media."
I pull out a chair and sit. Pain hits me hard in the forehead. Turning towards John, I ask, "Do you have any pain relief?"
He nods and walks into the kitchen, coming back a few moments later with a glass of water and some pills. "The doctor gave them to me. Said you might need them."
I groan in thanks and take them.
The guys sit and talk about tactics. I continue eating the pizza and forcing myself to think about the cases. The media could sit outside all day and all night if that's what they want to do. I'm not going outside, and they're not getting in here.
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Chapter 23
John grabs another slice of pizza.
"So," I begin. "We've solved one cold case. So what's happening with Trudi Whelan's case?"
While still munching on the pizza, he replies, "I got some jewellery from Trudi's parents. It's ready for you when your head is a bit better. I found out Bill ... ,"
"Who?"
"The detective that raped and murdered Trudi," he says bitterly.
"Oh." And the guy who had put me in the hospital, I thought now. "Sorry. I forgot his name for a minute."
"No worries. I wish I could forget him too," John added bitterly. "Anyway, I found out the day that Trudi went missing, he was on day shift. Eight till four."
I groan.
"What?"
"That doesn't help at all. He could've grabbed her in the morning or after school."
John smiles.
"What?"
"Actually, it does help."
"How?"
"Because Trudi did go to school that day. She went missing after school."
"Oh. That's right. I remember the Captain saying that she went missing after school. Oh! Wow! That means we have a time."
"Yep."
"So ... he picks her up after school, and then rapes and kills her. Was it a random thing? Did they already know each other?"
"It wasn't random. Sorry. I forgot to tell you a few things. While you were in the hospital, I made some calls. One of them was to Trudi's parents. When I told them the name of the detective, they were ... " he hesitates, then throws the half-eaten slice of pizza down. "Devastated. They ... " John hesitates and starts again. "A couple of months before Trudi disappeared, they had a robbery, at their house. They called the cops. For some reason Bill became involved. I'm still tracking down why. The robbery should've been handled by the officers on the beat. Not a detective." He waved his hand to wipe that thought away. "Anyway ...Trudi met him then. Trudi's parents said they saw them talking out in the yard, at one point. They didn't think there was any harm in it because ... because ... "
"Because he was a cop?" I ask softly.
John nods. "Yeah. Because he was a fucking cop!"
There's nothing I can say to that so I say nothing. It's not unusual for a cop to go bad, but this. I shake my head. For a cop to rape and murder a child ... that's the worst thing a cop can do. It leaves the other cops feeling angry. It brings down their reputation. I sigh. "So. Trudi and ... Bill met months ago and must've seen each other since then as well?"
John nods. "Yeah. Bill was one of the cops that gave talks to the schools about safety."
"So it would've been easy for him to get her into the car. Do you know yet what car he was driving?"
"Yes. Every car taken has to be signed for. We found the car, and it's gone in to forensics. We're waiting to see if there is any evidence found and whether it can be traced back to Trudi."
"Well, that's good. Right?"
He looks bleakly at me. "Do you know the chances of finding evidence after this long? That car has seen hundreds of people since then."
I sigh. "It's something at least. What else do we have?"
"I'm still in the process of obtaining warrants for his house and his clothes. His lawyers are kicking up a shitstorm over it."
"We have to get something of his, so I can read him again. Maybe I can find some more information. Or where she's buried?"
John's head swivels towards me. "You keep saying she's buried? How do you know that?"
I shrug. "I don't know. It's a feeling ... from when I touched Bill."
"Did you get anything else?"
I shake my head. "No. I need something else of his."
John sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "Damn!"
"If I can touch Trudi's jewellery, I might get more."
He shakes his head. "Not yet. You're not well enough."
"But, the sooner I can ... ,"
"No." John replies firmly. "Not going to happen. Rest today. Maybe tomorrow."
I sigh. "Okay. Well then I might go and lie down for a while."
"You okay?" he asks concern evident in his eyes.
"I'm fine. Just weary."
"Okay. Go lie down. I'll hold down the fort here."
I nod, then leave to go lie down. I have to read Trudi's jewellery. John is depending on me to get more evidence. Maybe after I'm rested, I will be able to touch the jewellery. With a cop involved in a rape and murder of a child, the media would be hounding the Captain for information. In turn, he would be hounding John. John's too nice a guy to begin hounding me yet. I sigh. Rest first. Then jewellery, I tell myself as my eyes drift closed.
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Chapter 24
When I wake up, it's dark. I stumble to the shower and take a relaxing shower. Drying myself, I go in sear
ch of some food. I find John seated at the kitchen table. The table's full of paperwork. He glances up at me. Eyes red. He looks drawn, haggard. "Have you been to bed at all?"
He shakes his head. "No. I'd thought I'd go back through this. To see if we missed something."
"Did we?'
He sighs and leans back in his chair. "No. Not that I can find."
"Okay. Well. Is there any pizza left over? I'm starving."
He rises and stretches. "Sure. I'll heat it up."
I look around the room. "Where's Ted and Dave?"
"They've gone out to get a change of clothes and some food. They'll be back soon."
While he heats up the pizza, I sit on one of the chairs. "I've been thinking."
"That's a dangerous sign," John jokes.
I laugh. "Yeah. Sometimes." The smile eases from my face. "I've been wondering what Bill got out of attacking me."
"What?" John blurts and spins around to face me. "You mean other than almost killing you?" he says angrily.
"But that's just it. He didn't." I wave my hand around my face and say, "He hit me. Twice. Cut me with a knife. And for what?"
John looks at me, eyes wide open. "What do you mean for what? To scare you ... I suppose. Or revenge. Who knows why he'd do anything?"
"But John. What did he get out of it? Why do it?"
John frowns as he thinks. "Well. He could've been trying to get in here ... to kill you."
"He could've done that easy. But he didn't."
"The sketch artist was here. It could've changed his plans ... ," John begins as he paces around the room as he thinks.
I shake my head. "He could've punched me harder and killed me. No. There was some reason he'd done this. Was he just angry and letting off steam?"
John shakes his head. "No. The other cops said he was calm when they got here." He frowns harder. "That doesn't make sense. He was calm. Then why ... delaying tactic maybe?" John mumbles.
"Delaying for what?"
John shakes his head and throws his hands up in the air. "No idea. He's been questioned and suspended. There isn't enough evidence to charge him yet."
"Okay. So ... ,"
The microwave dings and John takes out the steaming pizza. He places it on a plate and puts the plate on the table. "Dig in," he orders.
The Psychic, the Cop and the Killer Page 8
