‘Doctor says she’s dying,’ he added. ‘Please let her rest. Please get your boyfriend to turn the music down. He won’t even answer the door for me. I’ve been up there three times, but it hasn’t done any good.’
Emma looked at Will and Lizzy, who returned anxious glances.
‘Sorry,’ she said, feeling desperately sorry for the old man but also wanting to get to the top floor without delay. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said again, sidestepping Mr Henderson and heading for the next set of stairs, almost launching at the first step.
‘I’ll call the police if you don’t turn it down,’ Mr Henderson shouted, before breaking out into a bronchial cough. But Emma had already turned the corner at the top of the stairs.
She reached the front door, fumbling with the keys to a rock soundtrack. The music was coming from inside their apartment, and it was extremely loud. Dan never played music that loud, and that thought only intensified her sense of foreboding about what lay inside.
‘Dan!’ she shouted. ‘Are you in there?’
She was really panicking now, feeling dizzy with nerves. The key wasn’t going into the lock, so she began banging on the heavy wooden door with her fists.
‘Dan!’
‘Come here, Em,’ Will said, taking the keys gently from her. ‘Let me do it.’
Emma stepped back, surprised to find that she was crying.
Lizzy hugged her. ‘Everything’s going to be all right,’ she said, but she didn’t sound convinced anymore.
Will unlocked the door and a crescendo of guitars and drums swept out onto the landing.
‘Danny, you in here?’ he shouted, moving into the apartment. He turned left towards the lounge, from where the music was coming from, while Emma and Lizzy headed for the kitchen.
‘Dan?’ Emma neared the kitchen. ‘Where are… oh my God!’
‘What is it?’ Will shouted.
‘Something’s wrong,’ Lizzy replied, as Emma stood in stunned silence, taking in the scene. Her worst fears were realised. Blood rushed to her head, sending her reeling, and she placed a steadying hand against the fridge-freezer.
The kitchen was smashed up: broken plates and dishes littered the floor, the bin had been overturned and emptied, the blinds were half torn down, and the water was running in the sink.
‘My God,’ Will said, as he appeared breathlessly at their shoulders and surveyed the damage.
‘What the hell’s happened?’ Lizzy asked, of no one in particular.
‘The other rooms,’ Emma said, pulling herself out of her shock.
She turned and headed for the bedroom, flinging open the door, expecting to find something horrible inside. But there was nothing. The bed was immaculately made, just as she had left it. Everything was in its right place. A faint hint of Dan’s favourite aftershave hung in the air. Emma turned to head for the bathroom, the last remaining room of the apartment.
‘Oh, shit!’ she heard Will shout from behind her. ‘Shit! Call an ambulance! Somebody get an ambulance!’
‘What’s wrong?’ Emma rushed out into the hallway. Will appeared from the bathroom, his hands covered in blood. ‘Oh no,’ she said, covering her mouth and shaking her head. She backed against the wall. ‘Please say he’s okay.’
‘It’s not Dan.’ Will’s face was pained as he held blood-soaked hands out in front of him. ‘It’s Richard. I think he’s dead.’
3
‘Do you think Dan did that to Richard?’ Emma asked, as the three of them sat in the hospital waiting area.
Ever since they had found Dan’s brother Richard unconscious on the bathroom floor, with what was undoubtedly a life-threatening head injury, Emma had been desperate to ask that question. But she was afraid of what her brother and best friend might say. Lizzy hadn’t said anything, either in the apartment waiting for the paramedics to arrive, or in the taxi on the way to the hospital. But although Will hadn’t commented either, Emma knew him well enough to sense that something deeper was troubling him about the situation.
‘No, no, of course not,’ Lizzy said, snapping out of her daydream. ‘Dan couldn’t have done something like that.’
Will sat with his head resting in his hands, staring blankly into space.
‘Will,’ Emma said, noticing his silence. ‘You don’t think he did it?’
‘I don’t know what to think,’ admitted Will, rubbing his eyes.
‘Dan would never hurt Richard!’ Emma said, turning on him. ‘Dan said they’ve never fought in their lives. They couldn’t be closer.’
‘Could you try and keep the noise down, please,’ said a passing nurse. ‘We’ve got patients who are trying to sleep.’
Emma apologised, feeling suitably chastised.
‘I’m sorry, Em,’ Will said. ‘But it doesn’t look good, that’s all.’
As much as Emma hated to admit it, Will was right – it didn’t look good. The paramedics made it pretty clear to the arriving police that they believed Richard had been attacked, rather than just falling and hitting his head. The injuries indicated that someone had used a blunt instrument, and had smashed it into his head more than once. It was no accident. And Dan had now disappeared. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. It was little wonder that most of the police questioning at the scene had centred on Dan’s likely whereabouts and the relationship between him and his brother.
‘He couldn’t have done it.’ Emma refused to believe that the man she had fallen in love with would be capable of carrying out such a violent attack. ‘I can’t believe you’d ever think he could.’
‘I hope you’re right,’ Will said. ‘I really do.’
‘I am right. I believe in him.’
A tense silence descended for a few seconds.
‘Do you think the police will want to talk to us again?’ Lizzy asked.
‘They’ll definitely want to talk to us in more detail,’ Will said. ‘Those were just preliminary questions before. But we’re talking about possible attempted murder here, or even murder, so they’ll want to know more.’
‘I really thought he was dead back there,’ Lizzy reflected. ‘When you couldn’t find a pulse, and there was all that blood, I thought that was it.’
‘So did I,’ Will admitted. ‘I can’t get those images out of my head – of Richard lying there against the bath. His head was twisted. I thought he’d broken his neck. You never expect to experience something like that. Thank God the paramedics got there quickly.’
‘You saved his life,’ Emma said, ‘doing the first aid work on him.’
‘I’m not sure I did anything really.’ Will deflected the compliment. ‘But at least he’s got a chance now.’
‘Sorry I shouted at you just now. None of us are thinking straight.’
‘Don’t worry about it, Em. I probably deserved it. Look –’ He got to his feet and exhaled. ‘I’m going to nip outside, call the others and let them know that the celebrations are on hold. They’ll be wondering where we’ve got to.’
‘What are you going to say?’ Emma asked.
‘I don’t know,’ Will admitted. ‘That there’s been an accident?’
‘Just don’t tell them where we are. I don’t think the hospital would appreciate twenty drunkards descending on the ward. And anyway, I can’t take all the attention, not yet. Not until I’ve had time to let this all sink in.’
‘Understood,’ Will replied. ‘I’ll be suitably vague.’
Emma nodded her thanks.
‘I won’t be long,’ he said, ‘and hopefully you’ll have had some good news by the time I get back.’
‘I hope so,’ Emma replied.
***
‘Will’s been gone a while,’ Emma commented, watching a team of medics wheel past an elderly man with an oxygen mask held over his face. The man seemed to look right at her, as if trying to communicate something with his watery eyes. It took her back to a time she had tried to forget.
‘Twenty minutes,’ Lizzy confirmed. ‘Maybe he’s having tr
ouble getting in touch with the others.’
‘Maybe. You know, Lizzy,’ Emma said, as the man on the trolley disappeared around the corner, ‘I really hate these places. It just brings back all the bad memories.’
‘Of what happened to your mum?’ Lizzy asked.
Emma nodded. ‘This was the hospital where she died, of the breast cancer. I came here every day for four weeks, watching her change from being the most energetic person I ever knew into an empty shell. When she died, I said I’d never come back here. I guess I thought it would be too painful, returning to the scene.’
‘It’s always painful being reminded that someone you love is gone, no matter how long after the event.’
‘It’s her birthday tomorrow.’ Emma gave a painful smile at the thought. ‘She would have been fifty.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry, Em.’ Lizzy reached over and put an arm on her back. ‘No wonder this is all bringing back bad memories. If there’s anything I can do – tomorrow, that is – let me know. You need to be with people at a time like this.’
‘Thanks,’ Emma replied. ‘Back when Mum was dying Dan was a massive help. Especially with what happened with Dad. When Dad sank into a depression and didn’t want to know, Dan stuck by me. It helped me realise just how special he was. He carried me through it all. But now he’s gone.’
‘He’ll be back.’
‘I’m really scared, Lizzy,’ Emma said, lowering her voice. ‘What if Dan and Richard did have a fight, and Richard fell and hit his head? What if Dan killed Richard by mistake? I mean, I don’t even know what Richard was doing there – he said he couldn’t make the stag party because he was away on business.’
‘Emma,’ Lizzy said, reaching across again to comfort her. ‘We don’t know that Richard is dead. We’ve got to hope for the best. And you’ve got to believe that Dan couldn’t have done this. You said it yourself.’
‘But if he didn’t do it, then where is he?’
‘I don’t know,’ Lizzy admitted.
‘Emma?’
Emma looked up and saw a fresh-faced man, dressed in a blue shirt, tie and smart trousers. He didn’t look much older than her. The stethoscope around his neck told her that he was a doctor.
‘Yes, that’s me.’
‘Dr Hennessey.’ He held out his hand. ‘I’m the registrar looking after Richard.’
Emma took his hand, her heartbeat quickening in anticipation. ‘Is Richard okay?’ Dr Hennessey maintained his poker face. ‘I think it’s better if we talk next door,’ he said, leading the way into a private room.
‘There is good news and bad,’ he began, perching on the very edge of his chair, leaning forward and glancing at the door every few seconds as if readying himself for a hasty departure. Emma scrutinised him for clues as to just how bad the bad news was going to be, but his expression gave away nothing. At that instant she thought how not all acting was done on the stage or in front of the camera.
She and Lizzy waited for a painful moment while Dr Hennessey gathered his thoughts, steepling his fingers with the point touching his top lip. The air in the room was stiflingly hot and stale: warm enough to make it feel as if the orange plastic chairs on which they were sitting were melting.
‘The good news is that Richard is alive,’ announced the doctor, without a hint of celebration. ‘It was touch and go for a time, but the team worked very hard and fortunately Richard also did his fair share of fighting, which always helps.’
‘And the bad news?’ Emma prompted, not really wanting to know the answer but desperate to find out everything and get it over with. She watched the doctor ready himself. For a time she’d toyed with the idea of studying medicine – her grades had been good enough and she liked the idea of helping people – but here and now, empathising with the doctor’s task of breaking bad news, it didn’t seem like such a great job anymore.
‘I’m afraid the bad news is that Richard has slipped into a coma.’
‘Right.’ Emma wasn’t surprised by the revelation. Although she’d hoped it wouldn’t be that serious, the extent of Richard’s injury and the fact that he had remained unconscious throughout the journey to hospital pointed to possible coma. But at least he was still alive.
‘The MRI scan showed that Richard has suffered a subdural haematoma – a bleed between the surface of the skull and the brain. The pressure that this puts the brain under can lead to coma.’
‘But he is going to be all right?’ Lizzy asked in an anguished voice. ‘He’ll come out of it?’
‘We’ll just have to watch and wait,’ stated the doctor. ‘I’m afraid it’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen with any certainty. But it’s worth saying that a large proportion of patients recover well from coma.’
‘But some never do,’ Emma said flatly.
‘Some never do recover, that’s true,’ he admitted. ‘But a lot do. I know it’s difficult, but you must try and be as positive as possible. The first few weeks are crucial, really. I hear that Richard has no immediate family, apart from his brother?’
Emma nodded. ‘His parents died when he was young.’
‘Well, it’s good that he’s got friends to be by his side. There’s plenty of research that shows patients in coma respond to external stimuli: familiar voices, smells. You could help greatly in his recovery. As I said, just try and stay positive, even if you don’t feel like it.’
‘We’ll be there for him,’ Emma said.
‘’Course we will,’ Lizzy affirmed.
***
Will watched from the hospital car park as an ambulance swung into the drop-off area. The back opened and a young girl, limping on her left leg, was helped through the main entrance by two paramedics – yet another human being with their life in the hands of strangers. He took a last long drag on the cigarette before stamping it out. He hadn’t had a cigarette in over a year, but he’d needed one tonight. Looking up at the clear night sky, he tried to pick out a star. But the lights leaking from the city obscured the celestial view.
He thought back to the item he had found next to Richard’s body.
What the hell am I going to tell her?
Pulling out his mobile, he punched in the number and took a steadying breath, feeling light-headed and nauseous.
The phone was answered on the second ring.
‘Hi, it’s me, Will,’ he said, leaning back against the wall for support. ‘Something terrible has happened. And I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about it.’
4
He had watched from the car across the road, sunk down into his seat for camouflage, as the ambulance arrived. It was traumatic, seeing Emma in such a state without being able to do anything about it. All he’d wanted to do was run over and wrap his arms around her, pull her close and tell her everything was going to be okay. She looked so vulnerable, tears flowing down her cheeks, and knowing that he couldn’t protect her from the pain made him feel sick inside. He was the one who should be comforting her, not that backstabbing brother of hers. But he knew that now wasn’t the right time. Things had to be planned carefully – they couldn’t be rushed.
He moved into the kitchen, taking the small knife from the block, and then headed for the bathroom, stepping over piles of old newspapers and stray pizza boxes. He needed a release from the pain.
He peeled back his shirtsleeve, right up to the shoulder, and stood in front of the mirror.
How had it come to this?
As he tensed his arm in readiness for the cut he thought back to all he had seen.
‘Don’t worry, Em,’ he said to his own reflection, the blade of the knife glistening under the bathroom light. ‘Everything is going to be okay.’
***
‘Will, where’ve you been?’ Emma said, as her brother appeared from around the corner. He looked even more exhausted than before he left.
‘I went for a walk.’ Will slumped into the seat with a thud. ‘I didn’t plan to, but I just ended up walking off down the road. Before I knew
it, I was up near Euston Station. You know, I never realised just how many really strange people there are around the streets of London – maybe I’m just on edge, but it didn’t feel safe out there. If it wasn’t a homeless guy it was a potential drug dealer or gangster. Then on the way back I nearly walked under a bus – think I was in some kind of trance.’
‘You do look pretty rough,’ Lizzy commented.
‘Thanks,’ he said, deadpan, staring at the ceiling. ‘I feel worse.’
‘Have you been smoking?’ Emma asked, sniffing the air.
Will put his hands up in the air. ‘Busted. I only had the one though – I succumbed to temptation but then threw the rest of the packet in the bin. Promise.’ He did a mock Cub Scout salute of honour.
‘You got hold of the others okay?’ Emma said, letting the cigarette issue drop. Will didn’t have to justify anything to her, and the dangers of smoking were the least of their worries at the moment.
‘Yeah,’ he replied, looking up at the ceiling tiles. ‘It took me a while to get any sense out of them – both groups are pretty drunk. They thought it was all a big wind-up at first. Sorry, Em, but I ended up having to tell them the truth. Well, as much as we know, anyway.’
‘That’s okay,’ Emma replied. ‘They had to find out sometime.’
‘It certainly burst their balloon. They wanted to come to the hospital, but I told them there are enough drunks here already in A&E. Now everyone’s going home.’
‘You did the best thing,’ Emma said. ‘We can keep them up-to-date with what’s happening from here.’
‘No news about Richard, then?’ Will rubbed his eyes as if he was trying to scoop out his eyeballs.
‘There is,’ Emma replied. ‘The doctor came along before. He’s alive, but he’s in a coma.’
‘Shit.’ Will shook his head. ‘Is he going to be okay?’
‘They said they’re still doing tests and won’t know how bad it is for a while yet. The doctor said something about a bleed on the brain.’
The One You Love (Emma Holden suspense mystery trilogy) Page 2
