Det Annie Macpherson 01 - Primed By The Past

by Speake, Barbara Fagan

  Gus looked at his watch. ‘But she would have been back here by now.’ As he held the phone, he walked into the living room to have a look out the window. ‘I can see our whole road from the window and there’s no sign of her.’

  ‘Hmm, she would have got back to yours by now, wouldn’t she?’ Sandra replied.

  ‘I would have thought so. But the traffic would be worse coming in our direction.’

  ‘That’s true. Look Gus, I don’t want to alarm you but I hear from people passing the bookshop that there has been an accident on the road into town. I passed the fire crews and the police cars myself, but didn’t really know what was going on. Some others are now saying that two cars went off the road and down the ravine. I didn’t think any more about it until I got to the bookshop and it wasn’t opened up.’

  ‘Oh my God, you don’t think … ?’

  ‘Gus, I don’t know. I haven’t any details. Should I call the police from here?’

  ‘No, tell you what, why don’t you go over to the coffee shop. Make sure she hasn’t just gone out to get you both a drink, and call me back as soon as you’ve checked it out. I’m going to get in the car and start to drive her route to work. I’ll take my cellphone. Call me on that if I need to turn back.’

  ‘OK Gus. I’ll be 10 minutes at the most.’

  The next couple of minutes were a blur to Gus. Finding his car keys became a major task as he couldn’t think straight with worry. He tried to convince himself that there was an innocent explanation. The coffee shop was his best guess. Carol was always doing stuff for people.

  23

  Annie pointed to the right as they got out of the lift. There were two nurses at the nurses’ station as they approached. Only one looked up and she recognised Annie.

  ‘Good evening, Detective.’ Annie was grateful for the greeting. Perhaps that would demonstrate to Hegarty that she had been checking on his sister. Anything would help.

  ‘Good evening. This is Captain Charles Hegarty, Mrs Goodman’s brother.’

  ‘Good evening, Captain. Good to have you Stateside again. Your sister’s room is just down the hall. I’m afraid there is no change in her condition and the doctor won’t be back again tonight. I am sure you have lots of questions. We can arrange an appointment for you to see her surgeon in the morning.’

  ‘Thank you, I’ll need all the information I can get.’

  ‘Captain, can we take details of where you can be reached?’

  It was another few minutes while Hegarty filled in the contact form and then Annie walked him down the corridor. As they approached Angela Goodman’s room, Officer Tully stood up. Annie was again relieved that she knew the officer stationed outside the room: two pieces of luck.

  ‘Officer Tully, this is Captain Hegarty, Angela Goodman’s brother. He’s on leave from Afghanistan.’

  The officer put out his hand and Hegarty shook it. ‘Welcome, sir. I’m sorry the situation isn’t better for you. I expect you have seen enough of injury to last you a lifetime.’

  ‘What’s your role here, Officer? The detective didn’t tell me there was a guard outside my sister’s door.’

  Before Tully could answer, Annie replied. ‘I’m sorry, Captain Hegarty. We don’t want to take any chances, as we suspect that the perpetrator didn’t expect your sister to survive. We need to ensure she is protected until we make an arrest.’ Annie tried to sound reassuring but was convinced from the expression on Hegarty’s face that she was pretty wide of the mark.

  ‘I see,’ he said. ‘I would like to go in now and see Angie, alone, if that’s OK with you.’

  Annie knew that he wasn’t exactly asking her permission, so she just nodded.

  When the door to the room shut, Annie turned to Tully, who ventured his opinion. ‘Hard for him, eh, coming back to this?’

  Annie nodded. ‘It’s an awful a shock.’ Then turning her head towards the door, she added, ‘I wonder how he will take seeing her as she is.’

  ‘Not what he was expecting, at any rate,’ Tully replied as he put Hegarty’s name in the logbook alongside the time.

  ‘Has she had any other visitors?’

  Tully looked at the top of the page where the day’s entries had been recorded, his pen still poised in his hand.

  ‘Let’s see. Today, Jackie Winters came early afternoon, 1:30, stayed about 20 minutes. Then an hour ago Father Loftus, one of the Catholic priests, visited for about 10 minutes. I was on duty for that one.’

  Probably touting for last rites business, thought Annie, but who was she to judge? Her Presbyterian upbringing had lasted until she turned eighteen and then her choice was to leave religion behind. The last time she’d been in a church was for her father’s funeral.

  ‘And Jackie Winters was alone?’

  ‘I wasn’t on for that one but she’s the only visitor listed. Of course, there have been nurses in regularly doing observations. We’ve noted those down as well, although I don’t think they like that.’

  Interesting that Jim Moorcroft hadn’t come. Annie wondered if he’d told Jackie about their talk earlier in the day, or even if Jackie knew about the domestic violence in his past. She made a note in her book to question Jackie further, to see if anything was forthcoming. Maybe he was still at it and she too was a victim.

  ‘When do you finish?’

  ‘I should be relieved in another half hour.’

  ‘Do you want a coffee, I could get you one?’ Annie offered.

  ‘Thanks Detective, that’s the best offer I’ve had all day, but I’m going home from here, so I’m OK.’

  ‘Right, I’ll be in the waiting room. Please let Captain Hegarty know when he comes out, or pass the message on if you change shifts before then.’

  Tully nodded and closed the logbook.

  Annie took a seat in the small waiting room. She was the only one there. Everyone else was visiting respective rooms. The magazines were weeks old and besides she wasn’t particularly interested in the latest celebrity gossip. She hated the concept of ‘celebrity’ – so false, and not good role models either, in her view. Annie often thought that the real role models were people who worked with her brother and other people with disabilities – staff who were caring and compassionate. They deserved the money, not these ‘15 minutes of fame’ types who had more money than sense. Their weekly wage could keep Andrew in supported accommodation or what the Americans called ‘an assisted living facility’ for a year. So the magazines remained on the table and instead she got out her notebook. She wanted to review everything, as she knew Hegarty would have more questions for her as well.

  About a half hour later, Hegarty came into the waiting room, clearly distressed. Annie still had her notebook open. Rather than taking a seat, he chose to stand. They were alone in the room.

  ‘This is your fault.’

  Annie was momentarily taken aback by his tone. ‘Sorry, what do you mean?’

  ‘She went to you for help and you turned her away. So what did you put her down as, eh? Was she neurotic, paranoid, a fantasist, or an attention seeker in your view? If you had only listened, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.’

  Annie went quiet. Hegarty was expressing what she’d been musing about for the last few days. What had she really thought of Angela Goodman? But the woman herself seemed to be satisfied with the actions Annie proposed, so what made her brother come out with that remark?

  ‘Did Angela tell you about our interview?’

  ‘Yes, in her last email to me. See for yourself.’ Hegarty paced around the room while he scrolled through the messages on his smartphone. ‘This is it, sent last week.’

  Annie took the device from him and read the screen:

  Charlie

  Don’t know where you will be when you get this. You may still be in the air or per
haps you’ve already arrived in Billings on route to Livingston. There’ll be several trout with your name on them waiting for you. At least I hope you’re there. I still can’t bear thinking about you being in Afghanistan. I know you can’t give me specifics of your travel, but we families do worry about you guys.

  Speaking of worries, don’t want to burden you, but we need a talk when you get here. I’m being spooked in my own house, things being moved, strange smells. I think it’s George, but I can’t be sure. I even decided to report it to the Westford Police a couple of weeks ago. Saw a Scottish lady detective, Annie Macpherson. I could tell she thought I was a nut case, a time waster. She’s not even a proper member of the force, just on some sort of exchange. You know how I get, never been the assertive type. God knows if I were, George wouldn’t have walked all over me, but enough of that. Anyway, I went out of the station with my tail between my legs. But I know things aren’t right. Anyway, we’ll talk when you get here.

  You know there are things you don’t know about me, reasons why I get nervy, and stuff I’ve never told you. Maybe when you’re here we can have a good heart to heart. It just seemed such an age gap when you were younger, but now you’re a serving officer, fighting for our country. There are things you need to know about my past so you understand me better, little brother. But all that can wait until you have your dream vacation. I don’t mind taking a back seat to the Yellowstone. Just watch out for those black bears, or is it grizzlies?

  Let me know when you expect to arrive. Tight lines,

  Love Angela xxx

  Annie felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t thought she’d come across like that to Angela Goodman, but clearly she had. If the case was going to get anywhere she had to know more about the woman and Hegarty was key to that. She didn’t want to come away tonight empty-handed. What would Bronski say in the morning? After their earlier phone call, he was expecting some background details. If she couldn’t establish a rapport with Hegarty, then Bronski would have to and she didn’t want to have to hand over that responsibility. She certainly didn’t want Franconi to consider that it might be better with her off the case. That decision might even jeopardise the future of the exchange programme.

  24

  Gus Wojinski’s mind was working overtime as he got into his car, first checking that his cellphone was getting a signal. No return call from Sandra as yet. As he started on the route he knew his wife took into work, he was so intent on searching for any signs of her car that he noticed things he’d never observed before, like small side roads and a scenic overlook. His mind returned to why she’d disappeared. Maybe she’d had a flat and turned off the road somewhere, but surely she’d have phoned him.

  He couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Carol. They’d been trying to start a family and she was a few days into a missed period. In fact, tonight she was going to use one of those home pregnancy tests and he had planned a romantic meal for that evening, whatever the result was. They would either celebrate or commiserate and keep trying. Although at her age, time wasn’t exactly on their side.

  In desperation, Gus tried Carol’s cellphone again, but it wasn’t connecting. She should have been at work for a good hour by now. Perhaps he should try the bookshop again. Why wasn’t Sandra calling him back? Surely she’d been to the coffee shop by now.

  Twenty minutes later, he saw that a diversion was in place and the car in front took the diverted road. Gus pulled over, much to the annoyance of the State Trooper.

  ‘Sir you can’t stop here. You’ll be holding up traffic.’

  ‘But I’m worried about my wife. This is her route into work and her colleague has called me to say that she hasn’t arrived. I’m worried she may have been in an accident. Her cellphone has lost its connection.’

  ‘Pull over to the side here, please sir.’

  While Gus tried to tuck in as far as he could, he noticed that the Trooper was motioning other traffic forward and through the diversion. He stepped out of his car and approached the young officer. By then there were no more cars in view.

  ‘Name, sir?’

  ‘Gus Wojinski.’

  The officer took down the details and ran through more questions. Within a few minutes he had all the details of Carol’s car, relevant telephone numbers and her place of work. Then he radioed in to his colleagues further up the road at the scene.

  Gus paced back and forth trying to ascertain as much as he could of the conversation on the radio, but it was difficult and it was clear that the Trooper was trying to keep as much of the detail to himself as possible. Not repeating the information he was being told, as it was said to him. Finally he said, ‘I’ll advise him to do that.’

  Gus waited expectantly as the Trooper firstly motioned another car forward and then walked back to him.

  ‘Sir, the best thing you can do is to continue into town and go to your wife’s shop. Then have a look around town and if you don’t find her, report into the local police station and give them all the details you’ve given me.’

  ‘That’s it? That’s all you can tell me? Surely you know what cars have been involved in the accident?’

  ‘The fire crew are sifting through the wreckage. They haven’t got a make and model for either car as yet, so there really isn’t anything else I can tell you right now. Report your wife missing if you don’t find her in town.’

  With that last piece of advice, the Trooper went back to directing the traffic and reluctantly Gus reversed his car and followed the diversion into town. Just as he got on the main road his cellphone rang.

  25

  ‘Listen, I am really sorry that I gave your sister that impression. I thought she was satisfied when we finished the interview, and we were pursuing her husband for questioning when we found out about the assault. I also suggested she get the locks changed.’ It didn’t seem a lot now that Annie was justifying it, but Angela Goodman had no hard evidence of any crime being committed.

  ‘I can’t believe this is happening. She’s all the family I’ve got.’ Hegarty was still pacing.

  Annie felt she needed to offer some comfort or some relief, but she also needed to explore more about the past Angela alluded to, finding out whatever Hegarty could tell her. She wasn’t sure how much to push it tonight. After all, in the last two hours, the man had seen his sister’s house in a shocking state and had just spent time with her, not being able to communicate, seeing her lying there helpless.

  ‘Should we try and see if we can talk to one of the doctors? Someone must be on duty tonight, rather than you having to wait for morning. I could have another word with the nurses.’

  ‘No, the nurse has my cellphone number now and has promised to call me if there is any change. I’ve just spoken to her again. There isn’t a whole lot else I can do right now. The doctor is back in the morning and I’m seeing him at 9:00.’

  ‘Are you sure? If you want to stay longer with her, I can find my own way home.’ Annie got up as she was talking, putting her notebook in her jacket pocket at the same time.

  ‘No, I’d be better just coming back in the morning.’

  ‘OK. Do you want to go somewhere, maybe get something to eat?’ Annie wanted the opportunity to question him.

  ‘I haven’t eaten all day. I guess I should have something.’

  ‘I noticed a steak house next to your motel. How about going there?’ Annie didn’t exactly invite herself, but unless he objected, she intended to join him. He didn’t, and they left the hospital after Hegarty stopped once more at the nurses’ station, just to double check the appointment time in the morning.

  Annie was relieved that they were seated at a table away from one of the overhead fans. She found their motion distracting, but at least they provided less of a chill than the air conditioning, which she found overpowering in most restaurants. Rather than bringing
relief, she ended up chilled to the bone. The restaurant was quiet and although it looked like one of those that would be popular with families with its ‘all you can eat’ salad bar, it was late in the evening for small children to be in the restaurant. They were in a section with only one other set of diners and the people at that table looked as if they would be finishing soon.

  Just before he sat down, Hegarty excused himself for a moment, saying he wanted to wash his hands. As he walked away from the table, Annie noticed again how tall he was, with that walk of the military about him. He was also very good looking, deep brown eyes with contrasting blond hair, obviously bleached by the sun in Afghanistan. The powder blue short sleeved shirt he was wearing set off his tanned skin, just the opposite of her fair Scottish, maybe even pasty looking, complexion. She never tanned, just burned which was even more unattractive than being pale. She remembered blistering once as a child when they had an unusually hot summer and her dad had taken her to the beach as a treat. Mum and Andrew had stayed home, as Andrew was in a bad mood for some reason and mum and dad weren’t sure how he’d behave. Andrew was the reason they did so little as a whole family when she was growing up, although it wasn’t until she was much older that she realised that. In some ways, she didn’t care. She loved being on her own with her dad. He would always tell her stories in the car, and he always talked about granddad. She never tired of listening to him and having their special time together.

  ‘Have you decided what you’re having yet?’ Hegarty asked as he slid into the booth. He opened his menu but only glanced at it, obviously familiar with what the chain of restaurants had to offer.