to succumb to the bloody vapours every time a girl holds your hand.”
McNeil blinked slowly. The memory still tingled in his palm. He clenched his fist to suppress it. He wondered how much Dennis had actually seen. Maybe nothing, because there was nothing to see. Ghosts and shadows. It wouldn’t be the first time his mind had played tricks on him. He needed to be left alone in a darkened room with his paranoia and ‘what ifs’, but he knew that wouldn’t happen unless he gave Dennis something, anything.
“Horse meat,” he offered with a half-smile.
“What?”
“It’ll be that lasagne I had the other night that’s done me in. I should sue them. It’s supposed to be full of veterinary happy juice. No wonder I’ve got the trots. It was all over the news. Didn’t you hear? Selling horsemeat as beef, it’s a disgrace.”
Dennis swung his head in disbelief. “You think this is a joking matter? I’ll give you bloody horse meat. What did she say?”
“She said she was in danger.”
“Well, bugger me, there’s a surprise. Case closed, let’s all go home. In danger from who? A bloody phantom who slits throats and hangs his victims up for later?”
“Some bloke called Jacob.”
“Last name? Description?”
McNeil dipped his head and took a breath. “Dennis, I don’t know, I didn’t get that far. You ask her. She talks in riddles. Have they done a tox screen? If not, I think they should. You want my opinion: she’s crazy. I’m not even sure she knows what she’s saying.”
“Crazy or not, she’s our only witness, and we need more than that if we want to tie this up quickly. And believe me, Joey, we need a quick turn around on this one.”
“Yeah, well not from me. I’m done. You heard the doc. I need to take it easy. My brain is fried, my guts are headed straight for the pan, and then I’m gone, out of here and home to my bed. Do me a favour, Dennis, don’t call me. Send your report to Mather if you must, but don’t call me.”
“What about the investigation? Are you dropping the ball?”
“I never had the ball. I thought I was off the case, a liability.”
“You’re off when I tell you you’re off.”
McNeil shrugged. “Make your bloody mind up. Her name is Nell. She’s running from a man called Jacob. That’s all she told me. That’s all I know.”
That wasn’t entirely true. He recalled everything she’d said. It replayed in his head jerkily like an ancient VCR on fast forward. Not just the words, but the lilting inflection, the look in her eyes, the expression on her face when she spoke. And then suddenly his mind hit freeze frame on the twin-headed serpent tattooed at her wrist.
“Did she give a description? I mean, who is this man? An old boyfriend? A pimp? Come on, Joey, she must have said more than that.”
McNeil paused, one hand on the men’s room door. “You’re right, she did. She said, thank you.”
When he re-emerged from the bathroom, the hallway was empty. Dennis had given up and left, no doubt to chase up the rest of the team after finally accepting that McNeil was a step too close to the psyche couch than was beneficial to the case. He was relieved, not least because he was sick of Dennis breathing down his neck, but essentially because he agreed with his diagnosis. He couldn’t help his obsession, took comfort from it, but was the first to admit that it was affecting his judgment. Even now, despite his inner voices screaming at him to walk away, he was drawn back. He needed to speak with the girl for his own reasons, and this time he didn’t want any witnesses.
Chapter Ten
Her eyes were closed when he entered. A lunch tray lay untouched at her side. He drew his jacket closer, aware of how cool the room seemed, which was odd in a hospital that was otherwise stiflingly overheated. Perhaps she’d opened a window, or maybe it was just him and the virus he’d apparently fallen foul of.
He crossed quietly to the internal viewing
McNeil blinked slowly. The memory still tingled in his palm. He clenched his fist to suppress it. He wondered how much Dennis had actually seen. Maybe nothing, because there was nothing to see. Ghosts and shadows. It wouldn’t be the first time his mind had played tricks on him. He needed to be left alone in a darkened room with his paranoia and ‘what ifs’, but he knew that wouldn’t happen unless he gave Dennis something, anything.
“Horse meat,” he offered with a half-smile.
“What?”
“It’ll be that lasagne I had the other night that’s done me in. I should sue them. It’s supposed to be full of veterinary happy juice. No wonder I’ve got the trots. It was all over the news. Didn’t you hear? Selling horsemeat as beef, it’s a disgrace.”
Dennis swung his head in disbelief. “You think this is a joking matter? I’ll give you bloody horse meat. What did she say?”
“She said she was in danger.”
“Well, bugger me, there’s a surprise. Case closed, let’s all go home. In danger from who? A bloody phantom who slits throats and hangs his victims up for later?”
“Some bloke called Jacob.”
“Last name? Description?”
McNeil dipped his head and took a breath. “Dennis, I don’t know, I didn’t get that far. You ask her. She talks in riddles. Have they done a tox screen? If not, I think they should. You want my opinion: she’s crazy. I’m not even sure she knows what she’s saying.”
“Crazy or not, she’s our only witness, and we need more than that if we want to tie this up quickly. And believe me, Joey, we need a quick turn around on this one.”
“Yeah, well not from me. I’m done. You heard the doc. I need to take it easy. My brain is fried, my guts are headed straight for the pan, and then I’m gone, out of here and home to my bed. Do me a favour, Dennis, don’t call me. Send your report to Mather if you must, but don’t call me.”
“What about the investigation? Are you dropping the ball?”
“I never had the ball. I thought I was off the case, a liability.”
“You’re off when I tell you you’re off.”
McNeil shrugged. “Make your bloody mind up. Her name is Nell. She’s running from a man called Jacob. That’s all she told me. That’s all I know.”
That wasn’t entirely true. He recalled everything she’d said. It replayed in his head jerkily like an ancient VCR on fast forward. Not just the words, but the lilting inflection, the look in her eyes, the expression on her face when she spoke. And then suddenly his mind hit freeze frame on the twin-headed serpent tattooed at her wrist.
“Did she give a description? I mean, who is this man? An old boyfriend? A pimp? Come on, Joey, she must have said more than that.”
McNeil paused, one hand on the men’s room door. “You’re right, she did. She said, thank you.”
When he re-emerged from the bathroom, the hallway was empty. Dennis had given up and left, no doubt to chase up the rest of the team after finally accepting that McNeil was a step too close to the psyche couch than was beneficial to the case. He was relieved, not least because he was sick of Dennis breathing down his neck, but essentially because he agreed with his diagnosis. He couldn’t help his obsession, took comfort from it, but was the first to admit that it was affecting his judgment. Even now, despite his inner voices screaming at him to walk away, he was drawn back. He needed to speak with the girl for his own reasons, and this time he didn’t want any witnesses.
Chapter Ten
Her eyes were closed when he entered. A lunch tray lay untouched at her side. He drew his jacket closer, aware of how cool the room seemed, which was odd in a hospital that was otherwise stiflingly overheated. Perhaps she’d opened a window, or maybe it was just him and the virus he’d apparently fallen foul of.
He crossed quietly to the internal viewing
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