Deadly Obsession

by Karen M. Davis

  Bream looked straight at Lexie.

  ‘I was busy and, to tell you the truth, exhausted. I wasn’t really paying attention. And then I got a call and had to rush off. I know it looks bad, me saying that I didn’t know her, but my mind was on other things.’

  What a load of crap. Lexie busied herself taking notes to avoid his gaze. She didn’t want him to see the disbelief in her eyes.

  ‘You say you didn’t know Melissa McDermott well, but we have information that suggests you had a sexual relationship with her. Is that correct?’

  Rod didn’t miss a beat.

  ‘Half the hospital has had a sexual – I wouldn’t call it relationship, more like encounter – with her,’ he said dismissively. ‘No offence to the dead and all that, but she was a good-time girl. She put it out there.’

  ‘That doesn’t answer the question.’

  Bream sighed loudly.

  ‘I had a one night stand with her a long time ago.’

  ‘She was only in the country for six months,’ Lexie informed him. The same length of time he had been dating Dani. No doubt he was doing his best to avoid stating the time frame.

  ‘Can you tell me roughly when this occurred, this one night stand?’ Brad asked.

  Bream avoided Lexie’s eyes. Staring at a spot on the wall behind her, he replied, ‘It was in March some time. Beginning of March, I think.’

  His eyes darted at Lexie, then quickly looked down at the table again.

  Lexie kept her face neutral, adopting a blank expression. She recalled that Melissa’s diary entry concerning Bream was dated 5th of March, so he was again telling the truth.

  Brad asked, ‘Why did you lie about knowing her?’

  ‘Because I’m not proud of having slept with Melissa. She had a reputation I didn’t want to be associated with,’ Bream declared, his voice rising a few octaves and growing in volume.

  Bream was getting angry and Lexie had been a cop long enough to know that people were more likely to tell the truth when they were angry.

  ‘Though to be completely honest, I was more concerned about you finding out,’ Bream said, nodding his head in Lexie’s direction. ‘I was going out with your best friend at the time, as you know. I didn’t want it getting back to Dani, obviously.’

  His tone was sarcastic once more.

  Lexie had to bite her lip. It was not her fault he was an unfaithful bastard. As much as she wanted to, she reminded herself it was unprofessional to shoot a smart retort back at him. Besides, she was the good cop. She needed to maintain that role.

  ‘So you purposely misled us?’ Brad accused.

  Bream rolled his eyes and shook his head at the ceiling.

  Bream’s insolence was really starting to get to Lexie. Glancing across the table, and seeing the look on Brad’s face, it was clearly riling him as well. This was certainly a side to Rod Bream Lexie had not witnessed before.

  ‘I asked you a question, Doctor Bream. Why did you intentionally mislead us? We are not here to make a personal judgement about you. I’m only interested in the facts. Lying about your association with a woman who has possibly been murdered is not very smart.’

  ‘I didn’t mean to mislead you,’ Bream hissed. ‘It was not intentional. I was trying to save face.’

  ‘Did you know Melissa McDermott had herpes?’

  Bream ran a hand through his impeccably groomed blond hair.

  ‘Not when I slept with her. I found out afterwards. And I’ll admit I was really angry when I found out about it.’

  ‘Did you say something like, “I want to strangle her”?’

  Bream pushed back in his chair, outraged.

  ‘Are you serious? Where did you get that from? Are you making this shit up or what? I’d never hurt anyone. I’m a doctor. I try to save lives, not end them.’

  ‘We have spoken to many people and it was mentioned that you had been overheard saying words to that effect.’

  Bream shook his head in anger.

  ‘Well, that’s bullshit.’

  His eyes darted around the room.

  ‘I had to be tested for bloody herpes, which I don’t have, by the way.’

  He gave Lexie a sharp look.

  ‘Wouldn’t you be pissed off in the same circumstances? Maybe I did say something in anger but . . .’

  ‘So, now you’re changing your story?’ Brad taunted.

  ‘I didn’t have anything to do with her death either, if that’s your next question,’ he added, angrily. ‘I think I need a lawyer. Am I a suspect?’

  Brad dodged that question.

  ‘If you have nothing to hide, doctor, you do not need a lawyer.’

  Bream huffed, ‘Well, I certainly have nothing to hide.’

  ‘Doctor Bream, we know what you told us regarding your whereabouts these past few days is true.’

  Patch and Ossie had checked the fishing trawler’s records and knew that Bream had got on the boat early Friday morning.

  ‘Can you tell us where you were last Wednesday night?’ Brad asked, formally.

  Bream stared at them for a few heartbeats before answering.

  ‘Are you kidding me?’

  His eyes bounced between their serious expressions.

  ‘I guess you’re not,’ he muttered to himself.

  ‘I was with Dani Wallace,’ he said without hesitation, again staring at Lexie in an almost challenging fashion.

  What are you doing, Dani? He hurt you . . .

  If Bream’s story was true, Dani was clearly struggling to cut ties with the man who had betrayed her. This surprised Lexie for so many reasons. But if Bream thought Dani’s love and devotion would stretch to lying for him, he would be bitterly disappointed. She knew her friend better than that. Or she thought she did!

  ‘We were at her place. I stayed the night.’

  ‘I’ll verify that after this interview,’ Brad announced, looking down at his notes. ‘What time did you arrive at Dani Wallace’s place?’

  ‘About 8.00 pm, I think. I left at 5.00 am. I had to get to work.’

  ‘Did you know if Melissa was into any type of drugs?’ Brad continued.

  Bream shook his head.

  ‘Nothing would surprise me, but no, I didn’t know if she popped pills or snorted coke.’

  ‘Did you ever give her any drugs or write her a prescription for anything?’

  Bream shook his head energetically.

  ‘No.’

  Brad paused, glancing at Lexie. She read his silent message. It was time to wipe the arrogance from Bream’s face.

  ‘Can you tell me about your association with Jenna Harrison?’

  That did it. Rod Bream looked stunned, and for a moment stricken, but he recovered well.

  ‘Jenna presented by ambulance to the emergency department after trying to hurt herself. I attended to her wounds before she was transferred to the mental health ward. What does she have to do with this?’

  ‘We’ll ask the questions thanks, Doctor Bream,’ Brad reminded him again.

  Lexie said nothing as Brad made a show of reading his notes, letting the silence stretch out, giving Bream time to think. This was a common tactic used by detectives. A drawn-out period where no one spoke could sometimes get a suspect talking, if for no other reason than to fill the awkward silence. Some people started rambling about anything, making excuses for what had happened, why they were there, and in the process giving up all kinds of information that led to culpability. The more someone said, the more chance they were going to give something away.

  However, in this case they were not dealing with the run-of-the-mill, dim-witted criminal. Bream was a very smart man. He said nothing. Bowing his head, he studied his hands and waited for the next question.

  Brad gave Lexie a brief glance before continuing.

  ‘What was your association with Jenna Harrison outside of the instance when you admitted her to hospital?’

  Jenna’s phone with the incriminating photographs of them together was in the detec
tives’ office next door. What they were hoping to do was tie Bream into a story – or a lie – and then go from there.

  Rod’s gaze darted between Brad and Lexie, uncertainty beginning to etch lines across his handsome features. He knew they had something on him, but he didn’t know what. Hesitating, seemingly considering his words carefully, he took a deep breath.

  ‘I am probably putting my career in jeopardy by saying this, but as you reminded me at the beginning of this interview, you are investigating a murder so I am not going to tell you anything but the truth. Yes, I saw Jenna outside the hospital. I felt sorry for her. She was a beautiful girl with all these problems and for a moment I thought I could save her. As it turned out, I couldn’t.’

  Lexie was surprised to witness genuine sorrow on his face. Then, swiftly snapping out of his sombre mood, he added, ‘In my defence may I just say Jenna was not my permanent patient.’

  ‘Your breach of doctor–patient codes of ethics, or whatever it may be, is not my concern. What I want to know is this; was your relationship with Jenna Harrison of an intimate nature?’ Brad asked.

  Bream drilled a resentful stare into Lexie. She felt as if he was blaming her for forcing him to reveal his guilty secrets.

  ‘Yes, it was, and I know what you must be thinking . . . I had the same girlfriend at this time also. I am not a saint, but my intentions were not to hurt anyone.’

  Poor Dani, Lexie thought. She’d had no idea as to the extent of this guy’s betrayal.

  ‘Did you ever give Jenna Harrison a rose?’

  For a moment Bream looked confused, then shook his head.

  ‘No, I didn’t, but she did send me a text thanking me for a red rose the day before . . . I didn’t get a chance to tell her it wasn’t me who sent it. Why?’

  Lexie noted this down, then spoke.

  ‘Jenna was found clutching a rose to her chest.’

  Lexie watched his eyes widen.

  ‘Were you surprised when Jenna committed suicide?’ she went on to ask.

  ‘I was. I couldn’t believe it.’

  Again he couldn’t meet Lexie’s eyes.

  ‘We had spoken the day before and she seemed really happy. We made arrangements to meet again in a few days.’

  ‘Did Jenna know you had a girlfriend?’

  ‘No, she didn’t.’

  So he was playing them both. Jenna clearly had no idea.

  Brad’s face showed no emotion as he continued with the questioning.

  ‘Since no one knew about your relationship with Jenna, how did you find out about her death?’

  ‘Doctor Norjin told me. She was her psychiatrist.’

  ‘Where were you on the 26th of April? The day Jenna Harrison died?’

  ‘I umm . . . I’m not sure. I think I was just at home alone. Dani and I had just broken up because she saw the text message from . . . I’m pretty sure I was at home by myself.’

  ‘Jenna’s toxicology report showed she had three times the amount of the drug OxyContin in her system that was needed to kill her. Did you know if she took this drug? Did you see any lying around her flat?’

  Lexie could see that the mention of the same drug his girlfriend had used to kill herself was not lost on Bream.

  Rod looked genuinely surprised.

  ‘No, I didn’t. I didn’t even know she had overdosed. I assumed she had probably slit her wrists as she had done in the past. I had no idea.’

  Shaking his head, he ran an unsteady hand through his hair.

  ‘As far as I know she was only on anti-depressants. She wouldn’t have needed OxyContin tablets, so I don’t know where she would have got them from.’

  ‘Do you prescribe OxyContin tablets very often?’

  ‘Sometimes, to cancer patients, people with chronic pain.’

  The look on his face suddenly transformed from concern and confusion to arrive at alarm.

  ‘Are you suggesting I gave her the tablets?’

  ‘Did you?’ Brad asked. ‘Melissa McDermott’s preliminary toxicology tests also found OxyContin in her system. We are awaiting the final results but it is seriously looking like she, too, may have overdosed from the same drug. Both Jenna Harrison and Melissa McDermott, like your girlfriend Rachel, were found clutching a red rose.’

  Brad let the implications hang in the air.

  Bream’s jaw hardened. He was angry again. The seriousness of his predicament was hitting home. Lexie sensed he was about to clam up, stop talking. They didn’t want that. It was time for the good cop to step in.

  Lexie reached across the small table that, apart from the three chairs and ERISP machine, was the only furniture in the room. She made a show of gently touching Brad’s hand that was resting on the table. When he glanced at her, she gave him a pointed look.

  Brad feigned frustration, sighing and pushing back in his seat.

  By silent consent, Lexie took over the role of questioning.

  She turned in her seat so she was completely facing Rod Bream. She had to work on their rapport, show empathy and hope he would respond to her kindness.

  ‘Rod . . . sorry, Doctor Bream; you are a very smart man. I know I don’t need to state the obvious, but I will for the purpose of this interview and the recording. Three women, all linked to you in some way, have died. They were all clutching a red rose. A lethal dose of the same drug – OxyContin – was injected into their bodies. Melissa and Jenna had identical injection sites. We are now of the opinion that the recent death of Melissa McDermott was meant to look like a suicide. I’m not convinced that any of these deaths are suicides. I think they are three separate murders.’

  Lexie took a breath, held it for a minute.

  ‘We need your help. Can you tell us anything that might assist us with our inquiries?’

  Bream’s complexion paled. For a long moment Lexie thought he was going to refuse to answer, then he finally said, ‘No, I know nothing . . . I had nothing to do with anything. You have to believe me.’

  ‘This morning a number of prescriptions were confiscated from a local identity.’

  Lexie placed the scripts out on the table in front of them.

  ‘These scripts are all for OxyContin and are made out to five different names which are all aliases for the same person.’

  Lexie paused. Bream watched her expectantly.

  ‘Your name is on these scripts as the issuing doctor.’

  ‘What?’

  Rod Bream jumped forward and grabbed one of the prescriptions.

  ‘I don’t understand any of this.’

  His handsome face became contorted as it screwed up into a tight ball.

  ‘What is going on? I didn’t write these.’

  He was starting to panic. His world was closing in around him. Grabbing each prescription one at a time, Bream studied them.

  ‘These names on the scripts are not familiar to me. I didn’t write them.’

  Lexie watched him carefully. His eyes were huge, scared, as he looked up at her.

  She risked a glance at Brad. He remained silent. Rod Bream really did seem sincerely baffled.

  ‘Calm down, Rod. We are not out to get you. We just want an explanation.’

  ‘Calm down? How can I calm down? Someone is setting me up. I can’t give you an explanation because I don’t know what is going on. I didn’t write these, I swear.’

  Bream took another look at the scripts. He gulped in a big breath.

  ‘This is not my writing or signature. Look—’

  He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. His hand trembled as he plucked his driver’s licence from one of the compartments.

  ‘Look at my signature, it’s not the same,’ Bream insisted, shoving it in front of Lexie’s face.

  She took the licence and compared the signature to those on the prescriptions. He was right. They were not the same. Lexie handed them to Brad for examination.

  ‘Can you tell me what happens at the hospital when you write a script for someone?’
/>   Rod’s movements were agitated. His hands kept rubbing his jaw and he was twitching in his seat as he explained.

  ‘You can use the computer system or the prescription pads. I don’t always have access to a computer in emergency, so I like to use the pads. It’s easier.’

  His eyes darted around the room as if searching for answers.

  ‘I can’t believe this.’

  Lexie continued, ‘I’m assuming these pads are personally issued. They have a prescriber number, from what I can see. Is that right?’

  Bream nodded.

  ‘So if someone got their hands on a pad issued to you, there would be nothing to stop them writing out a script for any tablets if they knew what they were doing?’ Lexie queried.

  Bream nodded again. His eyes were darting around the room. Lexie could almost see his mind ticking over the possibilities and the implications.

  ‘How in the world are you going to find out who might have stolen one of my pads?’ Bream asked, anxiously. ‘It could have been anyone.’

  Lexie looked at him seriously.

  ‘Do prescription pads go missing from the hospital very often? Could it be someone you work with?’

  He shrugged.

  ‘I hope not. But lots of things go missing from hospitals.’

  ‘Can you think of anyone who would have had access to your belongings? Anyone you’ve had a run-in with, has a grudge against you?’

  Bream shrugged.

  ‘Not that I know of.’

  ‘Do you know anyone by the name of Natalia?’ Lexie asked, watching his face carefully.

  Bream looked puzzled, then thoughtful.

  ‘I don’t think so. No. Why?’

  Lexie and Brad remained silent, observing his body language.

  With his gaze bouncing between them, Lexie noted there was no longer the slightest hint of the arrogance he’d demonstrated earlier.

  ‘I have no idea about any of this. I’m at a total loss. I’ll do anything to help you. I’m not guilty of . . . oh, my God . . . any of this. You have to believe me.’

  In complete contrast to her earlier convictions, Lexie actually did believe him. Rod Bream was undeniably guilty of certain things including infidelity, betrayal, and arrogance. However, Lexie was pretty sure that one thing he was not guilty of was murder.