‘Sarah Matthews. We think she might be able to help us with a case we’re investigating,’ Dave said.
‘Can I ask what the case is about?’
‘We have a series of deaths and we’re trying to work out whether or not they’re linked,’ Ed said.
‘Murders?’
‘Possibly.’
‘I see. Naturally I want to do everything I can to help but I can’t discuss any details about Sarah’s condition or treatment with you. I’m sure you understand the rules about patient confidentiality.’
‘We were actually hoping to speak to Sarah.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a very good idea.’
‘Why not?’ Ed said.
‘Let’s just say her condition is aggravated by any unexpected occurrences in her daily routine.’
‘How long has she been a patient?’
‘Nearly ten months.’
‘We understand your responsibility is to your patients, Doctor, but we’re desperate to talk to Sarah. This case has proved to be particularly frustrating and she’s the best chance we have of understanding any connections between our victims.’
The doctor steepled his fingers and looked over the top of his glasses at them. The silence stretched while he pondered their request.
‘I suppose I can allow it. Only for a short time, though. I’m not convinced she’ll be able to give you what you’re looking for, but we can try.’
‘You’ll be coming with us?’
‘She’s much more likely to talk to you if I’m there.’
The doctor stood. ‘You’ll need to remove your weapons and any other dangerous items before we enter the ward.’
They walked down a corridor to a small reception area where an orderly took their keys, pens, phones, wallets and weapons. It was like going through airport security, only without the hustle and bustle of angsty travellers.
Dr Phan led them through a series of locked doors.
‘She should be in the common area. It’s morning teatime.’
He took them into a large room filled with tables, chairs and sofas. Patients were milling around on their own or sitting in small groups.
‘That’s her by the window.’
He pointed at a frail-looking woman standing by herself with her back to them. She appeared to be staring out the window. She had a mass of long wavy grey hair that was pulled back into an untidy ponytail. She was about five-foot-two and Ed guessed her weight to be no more than forty-five kilos. If her hair hadn’t been grey he would have mistaken her for a child.
Dr Phan walked up to her and stopped a short distance away.
‘Sarah?’
The woman jumped at the sound of her name and whipped around. She turned big, frightened eyes on him.
‘Hello, Sarah. How are you today?’
‘What’s the matter? Is something the matter? Why are you here on a Monday? I don’t normally see you on a Monday.’ Her eyes shot across the room to take in Ed and Dave.
‘Who are they? What are they doing here? Oh God, they’ve finally come, haven’t they?’ She wrapped her arms around herself and started to rock backwards and forwards.
‘Shhh, it’s all right, Sarah. Those men are with the police. They need to talk to you. They’re not going to take you anywhere.’
‘How do you know they’re with the police? It could be a disguise. They’re here for me, I know it.’
‘You need to practise what we’ve talked about and remember to focus on those new assumptions we’ve been working on. These men are police and they need to ask some questions. How about we sit at a table here where everyone can see us while you talk to them.’
‘You’ll stay and make sure?’
‘I’ll stay.’
‘You won’t leave me alone with them?’
‘I’ll be right here and everyone around us can see what’s happening too.’
She nodded but her eyes were still enormous. Dr Phan beckoned them over and gently steered Sarah towards a table. They all sat.
Dave nodded at Ed for him to take the lead.
‘Hello, Sarah, I’m Detective Ed Dyson and this is my partner, Dave Reynolds. Thanks for agreeing to talk to us.’
‘I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?’ She looked down at her hands, picking at her nails. Ed noticed they were so short the quicks were red and infected. Her hair fell across her face, hiding her expression.
‘We’re grateful. We’re working on a case and trying to figure out if the deaths of three people are connected or not.’
‘You mean murders?’
‘One was a murder, yes, but we’re not sure about the others.’
‘I don’t like it. I’ve been telling the doctor for years there’s a killer after me. You wouldn’t be here unless you thought I was connected. I’m next, aren’t I? You’re here because the killer’s going to come after me?’ Her voice rose and she wrapped her arms around herself. She started rocking. Ed glanced over at Dr Phan. The doctor was frowning. Ed could feel his own nerves starting to jangle.
Ed decided to change tack. ‘We were wondering if you ever attended a Narcotics Anonymous group on Tuesday nights at Alberton?’
Sarah glanced up. Her pale, almost grey eyes briefly met Ed’s. He had a fleeting impression of what she might have looked like twenty years ago before time and drugs had ravaged her face.
‘If I tell you I did I’m admitting I took narcotics, aren’t I?’
‘We don’t care about that,’ Dave said. ‘We’re not interested in anyone’s drug habits. Ours is purely a murder investigation.’
Ed winced at the word murder. She started to rock again.
‘Did you ever go to the Tuesday group?’ Ed asked.
She nodded. ‘I might have gone once or twice.’
‘Do you happen to know any of the following people? We want to know if any of them went to the group.’ He pushed the list of names towards her.
The rocking stopped and she tucked her hair behind her ears. With a shaking hand she reached for the list and looked at it.
‘Are all these people dead?’
‘Did any of them go to the Tuesday NA meeting?’ Dave asked.
‘They’re dead, aren’t they? Oh God! I was right. All this time I’ve been right. Someone is out to get me.’
‘Sarah, try to stay calm,’ Dr Phan said.
‘Why would I listen to you? All you’ve ever done is try to convince me that I’m delusional. Well I’m not. Someone is killing people from the group. I was right. I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy!’ She stood up, pushing her chair back so violently it clattered to the floor. She was shouting the same words over and over again. Orderlies ran from the corners of the room to restrain her.
‘Sedate her,’ Dr Phan said. ‘Detectives, you need to leave now. This way please.’
‘No! No! I don’t want to be sedated! I’m not crazy! Hey you, tell them I’m not crazy!’ She reached for Ed. An orderly grabbed her arm.
Ed and Dave followed Dr Phan out of the room. Sarah’s yelling gradually faded as they got further away. No one said anything until they were back out of the ward and standing outside Dr Phan’s office.
Ed’s heart was still pounding and sweat was dripping off him. The doctor’s brow was deeply furrowed.
‘I thought something like that might happen. It’s going to take me a long time to rebuild her trust. It’s probably undone six months’ progress.’
‘We’re very sorry,’ Ed said.
‘It can’t be helped now.’ The doctor sighed and looked from one to the other. His professionalism was intact but Ed could sense a deep weariness underneath. ‘Did you get what you needed, at least?’
‘Not as much as we’d hoped for. We would have liked to ask a few more questions,’ Dave said.
‘That won’t be possible. Any further interviews could do irreparable damage. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have patients, including Sarah, who need my attention.’
‘Of course, but, Doctor
…?’ Dave stopped the doctor in his tracks.
‘Yes?’
‘Sarah’s name was on the same list as three other people who are dead. If our investigation establishes that one person was responsible for all three deaths then maybe she’s not as crazy as everyone thinks.’
‘You think there really is someone out there targeting Sarah and people she knows?’
‘We think it’s possible someone was targeting people from Sarah’s NA group, yes.’
‘Possible, but not certain.’
‘No, not yet.’
‘Until you know for certain, I have to assume Sarah is delusional. She exhibits all the characteristics of someone who suffers paranoid schizophrenia.’
‘So you’ll consider letting her out if our theory pans out?’ Dave persisted.
‘Let her out? I don’t think you understand. Ms Matthews is in a locked ward because it makes her feel safer, not because she’s a danger to anyone. She can leave any time she likes.’
When they stepped outside of the administration building into the cool winter air Ed paused and took a couple of deep breaths. There was something horribly stifling about the confined sterility of the hospital. It was good to be outside and to be able to leave at will.
‘I don’t know about you but I could sure as hell use a coffee,’ Dave said.
‘Makes you realise how lucky we are to be sane.’
‘We’re not sane, we’re just less obviously crazy,’ Dave said with a twisted smile.
‘I suppose so, and like you said to the doctor, Sarah might be saner than everyone thinks she is,’ Ed said.
‘I kinda hope so. It’d be nice if we caught the guy and she could feel safe enough to leave that place. I can’t imagine being so scared you’d want to be there voluntarily.’
‘No, but she is the only person on the list who’s still alive, so it’s working.’
Dave drove them to a nearby coffee shop. Ed couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at the old-fashioned and very un-chic exterior but the memory of the burger bar was fresh in his mind so he suspended judgement.
‘Good coffee at this place. The food’s pretty good too. The owner, Marie, makes most of the cakes and stuff herself.’
‘A friend of yours?’ Ed asked.
Dave snorted. ‘Not in the way you’re thinking. She’s one of my mother’s friends.’
‘Sorry, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’
Dave chose a table by the window. Pale sunlight was streaming through the glass, highlighting the motes dancing in the air. Ed sat back and let Dave do the ordering. He was learning that when it came to all things gastronomic, Dave was the man. Plus he needed some time with his brain in neutral. The interview with Sarah Jones née Matthews had turned the muscles on either side of his neck into tight balls. He dug his fingers into them, trying to massage out the knots.
Their surroundings were surprisingly soothing. The décor reminded him of a maiden aunt’s dining room. The tables were topped with crisp white tablecloths and small vases of flowers. The chairs were upholstered in red fabric and red checked gingham curtains framed the front window. It was homely and amazingly quiet considering nearly every table was occupied; a stark contrast to most of the places they frequented where the minimalist furniture and hard surfaces created a wall of noise and zero comfort.
‘What do you reckon?’ Dave finally broached the subject of their interview once the coffee and cake had been delivered.
‘It wasn’t as conclusive as I would have liked but it told us plenty,’ Ed said.
‘Not enough to start throwing our weight around but she definitely freaked when she saw the names.’ Dave took a sip of his coffee and exhaled the deeply satisfied sigh of a true caffeine addict.
‘I think we can assume she recognised one or more of them.’
Ed shovelled a mouthful of cake. It was a carrot cake, not usually one of his favourites but he was pleasantly surprised by the super-moist, heavily spiced creation that tantalised his tastebuds. ‘This cake is great.’
‘Told you. So what now? We’ve got nothing more than a stronger suspicion that all the vics are connected by the NA group.’
‘What Cass heard the killer say and Sarah’s reaction are enough to convince me there is a connection, we just need something concrete to confirm it. Now, since we’re back on topic, there’s a couple of other things I need to tell you,’ Ed said.
‘Yep?’
‘Janice drew a blank with her checks on Young. He was presenting a paper at some conference in Sydney when Jenkins took his swan dive. But she also did some trawling through records trying to pick up on anything we might have missed. She decided to check who was in the clink at the same time as Smythe.’
‘She found something?’
‘Jenkins did time at Yatala at the same time.’
Dave sat up straighter. ‘Did they share a cell?’
‘Nothing that obvious. A stint on the same block.’
‘Did Janice check if any of the guards remembered them being mates?’
‘She was doing it this morning. We’ll see if she got anything when we get back to the office. I’m not sure if it’ll lead to much. It was a long time ago, nearly eight years.’
‘Still, if we can prove they knew each other that might be grounds for a search. I told you Smythe was our guy! With a bit of luck Janice will find a guard who remembers Smythe and Jenkins hanging out together. So how do you want to handle it? We haven’t got enough to arrest him. Should we pull him in for questioning?’ Dave shovelled another huge mouthful of cake.
Ed shook his head at Dave’s sudden burst of enthusiasm. ‘Just as well you’re not a judge, you’d have him convicted and sentenced based on gut instinct.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with my gut, it knows what it likes. You gotta admit it’s the best lead so far. You telling me you don’t like Smythe for it?’
‘I think we should go and see him again and the sooner the better.’
‘Why?’
‘I want to take Cass with us.’
CHAPTER
27
‘How are you feeling?’ Ed broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled over us since I’d jumped in their car.
‘Nervous,’ I said.
‘No, I mean, how’s your head and everything?’
‘Oh, it’s OK, almost better. I’m back at work tomorrow.’ I raised a hand to my head, prodding at the spot where I’d taken the worst hit. It was still tender.
I turned back to staring out the window. It was a twenty-minute drive to the NA centre. I’d been alternating between brooding about the interview and thinking about what had happened between us the last time we’d met. I had the feeling Ed was doing the same.
I was also thinking about the last time we’d been down this road together. Ed had brought in a suspect for the Fleurieu case and asked me to listen to him talk and see if I could unofficially identify him as the killer. He hadn’t liked what I’d said and we’d argued about it. He was so mad he’d zoomed off in his car, leaving me in a cloud of exhaust fumes. While we were both stewing in self-righteous indignation the killer had taken another victim. The mistake had almost cost us our lives.
I couldn’t help wondering how ready he would be to listen to what I had to say this time round. Had anything changed? What if they had the wrong person in their sights? Could I remember the killer’s voice properly? I thought I could, but nerves were getting the better of me and I was starting to doubt my own ability. The tension was making my head and neck ache. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind and relax.
I forced my mind away from thoughts about what lay ahead and focused instead on the men in the car. I was very conscious of Dave sitting in the front seat next to Ed. I’d barely registered his presence the last two times we’d met; first at the hospital and then at the cemetery. This time I paid closer attention to him.
He was good-looking in a slick, used-car salesman kind of way. His suit looked like it cost more than I earne
d in a month. He had perfect teeth that practically glowed they were so white, made more so by the healthy tan he was sporting. I was sort of attracted to him and faintly repulsed at the same time. It was weird. He must have picked up on my scrutiny because he half turned to talk to me.
‘Cass, we haven’t really had a chance to meet properly,’ Dave said. ‘Last time I saw you, you weren’t quite yourself. Tell me a bit more about how your gift works.’
I smothered a sigh. It was the sort of question I got asked regularly and I never enjoyed answering it. I was beginning to think that maybe I should come up with a list of FAQs and answers that I could hand out to people.
‘What do you want to know?’
I spent the next ten minutes answering his barrage of questions. He asked me pretty much all the same things that Claire had asked me over dinner on the evening we’d gone out. His final question was a new one, though.
‘So have you ever had a vision when you’ve been in bed?’
My mouth dropped open slightly as I thought about how to answer that question. Did he mean what I thought he did? Was he asking if I’d had a vision while I was having sex?
‘Dave, I don’t think that’s any of our business, do you?’ Ed said.
Ed had obviously interpreted it the same way I had. It confirmed the impression I’d been forming of Dave; he clearly had trouble keeping his mind above his waist.
I decided to change the topic. ‘Tell me about this guy we’re going to meet.’ I was sick of being the centre of attention, particularly now I knew where Dave’s mind was going.
‘He’s one of the group leaders. Runs the Sunday-night group. He’s got a bit of form for drugs and a few other things,’ Dave said.
‘So you’ve really got nothing to prove that he had anything to do with the deaths?’
‘Nothing concrete. We want to know whether it’s worth pursuing him and trying to get some more evidence.’
The churning pit in my stomach went into overdrive. If I said that this bloke wasn’t their guy they might stop looking at him. What if I got it wrong and he really was the killer? I could be responsible for the deaths of more people. I felt sick.
‘What’s the matter, Cass?’ Ed looked at me in the rear-view mirror.
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