Broken Silence: A tense psychological thriller

by Fran McDonnell

  Isobel pointed to the gateway of the derelict house.

  “I’ll put up some tape to stop anyone walking around and messing up any forensics.”

  Isobel nodded.

  She watched the scene as if removed from it. Sam was standing by his car, one Garda was directing the traffic and the other was tying tape to trees either side of the entrance. Isobel put her head down, hiding from any passing cars with nosy passengers. Her mind skipped over facts. She was lucky to be alive. Only that she’d had the training with Martin she would probably be dead. God bless Patricia and her pro-active approach to life. Isobel shivered. It had been very close.

  In the distance she heard a police siren. The cavalry was arriving. She could feel herself starting to shake. She lowered her head until it was resting on her knees. There was a screech of tyres and then a sharp voice shouting. She could hear other voices talking.

  “Isobel?”

  Isobel lifted her head. Eoin hunkered down in front of her. She could feel her eyes filling with tears.

  He said, “It’s OK. You’re OK.” He reached out and checked the fastening on the plastic bag. “Someone will sort that out in a minute. Can you talk?”

  “Just about.”

  “Let me see.” He moved closer and examined her throat. She could feel his breath on her face as he looked. “God, Isobel, you’re lucky to be alive.”

  Isobel nodded. She could feel the last of her coping ability dissolving and tears started to flow gently down her cheeks. Gently Eoin pulled her against him.

  “Thank God you’re alright.”

  “Eoin, Eoin!”

  Isobel recognised Alanna’s voice.

  Alanna ran up to them.

  Eoin stood and Isobel did also.

  “She’s OK.”

  “Thank God. What happened?”

  “The Shadow attacked me.”

  Alanna glanced at Eoin then back to Isobel. “Are you sure that it was the Shadow? This far out of Limerick?”

  Isobel closed her eyes. “He had the gloves and the rubber suit.” She swallowed gently. “He tried to strangle me.” Then she dissolved into tears.

  Alanna reached over and put an arm around Isobel’s shoulders. “We didn’t release that information to the public.”

  Eoin said, “Exactly, and Colette did warn us that women associated with the investigation could be targeted.”

  Alanna nodded. “True. My God, this is –”

  “Dangerous. Yes, it is. But there is some good news.”

  Alanna shook her head. “What? He’s annoyed! He’s making mistakes!” She almost spat the words out. “That’s hardly good news.”

  Eoin raised his eyebrows at her.

  Alanna rolled her eyes. “What good news?”

  “Isobel has a potential DNA sample from him.”

  “What?” Alanna spun Isobel round, grasping her by both shoulders.

  Isobel lifted her bagged hand and waved it in front of Alanna.

  “You scratched this guy?”

  Isobel looked Alanna in the eye and nodded.

  “You scratched him!” Alanna hugged her tightly. “Oh my God, you scratched him!”

  Isobel saw that her eyes were shiny with tears.

  Alanna released Isobel and swung round to Eoin, her eyes narrowed, her hands tightening into fists and her mouth curling as if tasting something bad. “Maybe we can get him now.”

  Eoin gave Alanna’s shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe. You take Isobel to the lab and let the experts see what the sample is like. After that we need Isobel’s statement. Don’t leave Henry Street. Wait for me there. I’ll sort out everything here.”

  “No problem.”

  At the sound of more vehicles arriving, Eoin swivelled away from them. “The crime scene crew is here. Isobel, can you point out where the attack took place?”

  With Alanna linking her on one side and Eoin close by, Isobel stood at the edge of the cordon. She described in short sentences what had happened and where she had been standing. Some of the crime scene officers examined the ground.

  “You drew blood and maybe some drops hit the ground,” Eoin said.

  Isobel looked at her protected hand. There was indeed blood under two of her nails. She couldn’t help but smile. Her nails had been brittle during chemo and for some months afterwards but thankfully they had been strong enough for tonight.

  Finally, Eoin nodded that he had enough information. Alanna guided her to an unmarked car.

  Isobel said, “I need to get my handbag. It’s in my car in the car park at the lake.”

  Alanna nodded. She drove towards the car park. “I have to make some calls.”

  Isobel nodded and barely listened.

  “Hello, Mairéad, we’ll be at the lab in about an hour. Can you be standing by? We should have enough blood and tissue for DNA and we’ll need the results asap.” Alanna rang off and looked across at Isobel. “Are you alright?”

  Isobel nodded.

  Alanna brought her eyes back to the road. “Do you think this is another of his hunting grounds?” She flicked a glance at Isobel.

  Isobel pursed her lips. She shook her head but Alanna’s eyes were back on the road.

  “No. Personal.”

  Alanna risked a longer look, then she nodded. “I think that too,” she said.

  Isobel retrieved her handbag from her car and Alana turned back towards Limerick City.

  “You’re not staying on your own tonight,” Alanna said. “You’re coming home with me.”

  Isobel nodded, relieved. She didn’t want to be alone tonight. She was shaken up. She was conscious of her right hand in the plastic bag, taped up securely to protect any evidence. Using the elbow of that hand to stabilise her handbag, she rummaged around in it with her left hand. She always travelled with an array of things that she might need. Her hand burrowed down until she felt a small round bottle. She pulled it out.

  “What’s that?” Alanna asked. “You better not take anything until we’ve taken a statement and you’ve been seen by a doctor.”

  Isobel shook her head. “Arnica. Homeopathic remedy for shock.” And bruising, she thought to herself. Her throat was really sore and she needed all the help she could get in reducing the swelling.

  “Oh, I suppose that’s OK.”

  Isobel shook the tablet onto the lid and then under her tongue. She exhaled.

  “Rest now. It’s going to be a long night,” Alanna said.

  Isobel nodded and closed her eyes, surprised to find that despite everything that had happened she was probably going to sleep.

  Chapter 35

  “Isobel, we’re here.”

  Isobel dragged her mind back from the welcoming darkness. Alanna was gently shaking her shoulder. As Isobel shifted she realised she was in a car. Her neck gave an agonising twinge of complaint as she straightened and sat up. She grimaced and then swallowed, her throat feeling as if it was on fire. Isobel lifted her right hand, immediately sensing the clumsiness of the plastic bag. Using her left hand instead she rubbed her forehead and gently touched her throat.

  “Sore?” Alanna asked.

  Isobel nodded.

  Alanna screwed the lid off a water bottle and passed it to her.

  Gratefully Isobel took a small sip and swallowed gently. “Better.”

  “We’re here. And you slept like a baby most of the way. You even snored.”

  “I did not.” It was hard to sound indignant in a whisper.

  Alanna laughed. “That’s more like it. Giving as good as you get, just like tonight. I hope the other guy is as sore.”

  Despite herself Isobel laughed.

  “I didn’t know you were a kung fu expert,” Alanna said.

  “I’m not.”

  She got out of the car and Alanna locked it.

  They were outside a grey building.

  “This way.” Alanna said. “They’re waiting for us in the lab.” She moved towards a grey door in the side of the grey wall. She uncovered a key-pad and typ
ed in a code. There was a click and the door opened.

  They followed a corridor which had closed doors on each side. Lights came on in response to their movement. As they progressed along the narrow hall lights behind them extinguished.

  Isobel raised an eyebrow.

  Alanna rolled her eyes. “They don’t give you much light – they’re really saving on the electricity – budget cuts.”

  Isobel smiled.

  They arrived at an elevator and Alanna pressed the button for the third floor.

  “I brought you in the back way, less public,” she said.

  The lift arrived. They climbed in and within seconds were whisked up to the third floor. As the door opened, a grey-haired woman stepped forward. Her face had the beginnings of wrinkles but they conferred on her wisdom and experience. Her eyes were blue and both perceptive and gentle.

  “More than an hour, Alanna.”

  “Sorry, Mairéad.”

  Mairéad clicked her tongue. “And this is Isobel.” She reached out gently for her packaged hand. “You’ve had an eventful evening.”

  Isobel looked into Mairéad’s blue eyes and could feel her own eyes filling with tears.

  Mairéad smiled. “Let’s see if we can get this guy.”

  Isobel took a deep breath and trailed after Mairéad who still cradled her wrapped hand. She seated Isobel at the desk on which was placed a sheet of white material. Mairéad rested Isobel’s hand on the sheet and sat down opposite. Close to Mairéad’s right hand lay a stainless-steel tray containing a number of instruments. Mairéad pulled on a head torch and angled its magnifying lamp over Isobel’s hand as she focused on her work.

  “Let me see what we have here.”

  Mairéad cut open the plastic bag and studied Isobel’s nails. She produced swabs and nail-clippers and proceeded to give Isobel a forensic manicure. It was painless but very thorough.

  Finally, Mairéad sat back and removed her head torch. Beside her were a number of samples labelled in vials. “I would say we definitely have enough for DNA. You did very well to scratch him so deeply.” Mairéad looked her in the eye. “You knew what you were doing.”

  Isobel nodded.

  Mairéad reached out towards her throat. Isobel flinched away.

  “That bad?”

  Isobel nodded.

  Mairéad turned to Alanna who held up her hands. “The hospital is my next stop.”

  Mairéad nodded. “They probably can’t do much. Before you go, let me take a few pictures of your injuries. You never know, we may need all of this as evidence when we catch this man.”

  Isobel could feel her eyebrows rising. She had never considered that she would have to give evidence. Mairéad pointed Isobel to an area with a white background. She asked Isobel to remove her top and photographed her neck.

  “Any other injuries?”

  Isobel reflected back on the attack and shook her head.

  Mairéad turned to Alanna. “I’m done. You can head to the hospital.”

  Back in the car they pulled out of the yard. The University Hospital Limerick wasn’t too far away.

  “So, the kung fu or whatever you do, tell me about it.” Alanna glanced over at Isobel.

  “Learned years ago. Practice today. Cork.”

  Alanna flicked a look at her. “Today?”

  Isobel nodded. “Patricia organised.” She swallowed gently over her throat. “Colette … warning … Patricia … worried.”

  Alanna moistened her lips. “She probably saved your life.”

  Isobel shivered. “Yes.”

  Alanna reached out and squeezed her hand. “Either that or you have a shit-hot Guardian Angel watching over you.”

  Despite everything, Isobel laughed. She certainly hoped it was true. It would be ironic to survive an attack from The Shadow only to find that she had cancer again.

  At the hospital Alanna found a parking space and led the way to Accident and Emergency. It was dark now and they were busy but Alanna showed her badge and very quickly they were shown into a room.

  A young doctor arrived. He listened as Alanna described what had happened. Isobel was shown to a couch and he gently examined her neck.

  “I’m going to organise an X-ray to make sure that your neck bones weren’t damaged. It’s just to be on the safe side.”

  Alanna said, “We might need to produce some of this evidence in court someday.”

  The doctor nodded. “We’ll do an MRI as well to see the soft-tissue damage. Then I think that the treatment is going to be time to allow the tissues to heal.”

  It took another hour to get both scans taken and read. Isobel dozed on her trolley while she waited. Alanna was busy pacing nearby and talking on her phone. As predicted, there was no damage to the neck bones. Alanna collected up the X-rays and scans and placed them in an evidence bag. She noted the doctor’s name and they left.

  Back in the car, Alanna said, “I know you’re tired but we need to get your statement tonight. Are you hungry?”

  Isobel shook her head, touching her throat.

  “What about some ice cream?”

  Isobel raised her eyebrows. “Definitely.”

  Alanna used her Bluetooth.

  Eoin’s voice flooded the car. “I’m on my way back to Henry Street, where are you?”

  “We’re just finished at the hospital. Can you pick up some Supermacs for us?”

  “I didn’t think it was my turn.”

  Alanna grinned. “I have the heroine of the hour here. You hardly expect her to queue up for food. She needs some TLC.”

  Isobel smiled.

  “Fair enough. I suppose you want the usual.”

  “Of course, and Isobel wants a large tub of ice cream … flavour …” She raised her eyebrows at Isobel.

  “Vanilla,” Isobel whispered.

  “Plain vanilla.”

  “Diverting to Supermacs now. See you at the station.”

  Isobel and Alanna were in Eoin’s office, Isobel writing out her statement, when Eoin arrived with the food. They suspended work and opened their take-aways. Isobel glanced at her watch. It was almost midnight.

  “How are you doing, Isobel?” Eoin asked.

  “Good.”

  “Did he rape you?”

  Isobel shook her head. “No.” Automatically her hand went to her throat. She had pushed her voice and suffered for it. She spooned some ice cream into her mouth and closed her eyes as it slid gently over the swelling and inflammation. It really helped.

  “We’ve been resting Isobel’s voice,” Alanna said.

  Eoin nodded. “Good. Sorry, Isobel. When I saw you after the attack I assumed you hadn’t been raped and then over the course of the evening my mind has been tormenting me. I had to be sure.” He looked down at his hands. “I don’t want another woman I know suffering that fate. You were targeted because you’ve been helping us.”

  Isobel’s frowned as she wondered who the woman in his life who had been raped was.

  Alanna said, “Of course you were worried, but our Isobel had a card up her sleeve. She was in Cork today practicing self-defence, courtesy of Patricia. Not only did she defend herself, she attacked back. And Mairéad is hopeful about the sample.”

  Eoin clenched his fist. “Excellent. At last we might have some evidence against this man.”

  “How did he get on to Isobel so quickly?” Alanna said. “Her name appeared today but that’s all.”

  “There was a photograph of Isobel online – taken, it looks to me, here in the police station.”

  “What? How did that happen?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think Gregory took the picture.”

  Isobel shook her head. “The people in reception. I heard a click.”

  Eoin raised his eyebrows. “We have CCTV footage from reception. We can check it.”

  Isobel started to speak and then realised the strain was too great. She wrote down. When I arrived to talk to Mark Brady there were three people in reception.

  E
oin nodded.

  Isobel wrote. Two women. One man.

  “Let me check this.” Eoin left.

  Isobel continued with her statement between mouthfuls of ice cream.

  Eoin returned. “I can see the three people you mentioned when you walked through reception. I know the man.”

  Alanna said, “Who is he?”

  Eoin made a face. “He has an online presence. He posts news reports and interviews. He fancies himself as the next ace reporter.”

  “He probably used his mobile to take the picture.”

  Eoin nodded. “He looked like he was talking on it but I think he was taking a picture.”

  “His actions have put Isobel in danger – is there anything that we can do?”

  Eoin shook his head. “We can speak to him and ask him to be more responsible in his reporting, but it probably won’t do any good.”

  Isobel whispered. “How?” and gestured to her watch. “Time?”

  Alanna nodded. “Yes, how did The Shadow see that posting which was this evening and then find Isobel in Killaloe so quickly?”

  Isobel nodded gingerly.

  Eoin said, “He must have followed you there.”

  Isobel shivered. That was a horrible thought. She shivered again as she realised that he had watched all of his victims before he attacked them.

  “Do you think so?” Alanna said.

  Eoin shrugged. “I don’t know but how else would he have found her?”

  Alanna patted Isobel’s hand. “Come on, finish this statement so that we can all get home to bed.”

  At one o’clock in the morning they walked out of Henry Street Garda Station to their cars.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at your house, Alanna, eight o’clock,” Eoin said. “I’ll bring the buns.”

  Alanna laughed. “I’ll have the coffee ready.”

  “Chin was finding out where the men we need to interview are likely to be.”

  Alanna nodded. “Good.”

  Eoin waited while Isobel and Alanna got into her car. With a last wave Alanna drove out of Henry Street.

  She said, “Chez Finnegan awaits you.”

  “Thank you. I don’t think I could stay at home by myself tonight.”

  “Of course you couldn’t.”