The Catalyst

by Angela Jardine

  ‘Yes sir, that would be most helpful.’ The policeman nodded his head, swiftly mulling over the ramifications of allowing this stranger to look at the victim before turning towards the door of the intensive care unit.

  The nursing sister who had been surreptitiously watching their conversation, sprinted out from behind her desk ready to intervene but was persuaded that a brief glimpse of the patient was vital to police enquiries for identification purposes.

  Jasper was utterly dumbfounded as he stared down at the unconscious woman in the bed. Bandages on her hand and arm hid the only sign of injury on her and she looked serene, much as he imagined Sleeping Beauty would look, serene but deathly pale … and most definitely not Jenny Lawrence.

  His first reaction was one of relief but it was soon replaced with a more chilling realisation. Was this the Rosie of the explicit email? If so, she was older than he had imagined her … and where was Jenny? More worryingly, could Jenny be the attacker? He knew how volatile her temper was and he felt his breathing struggle again as he realised this was more than a distinct possibility. Aware of the policeman watching him closely he tried to give nothing away.

  ‘No, this isn't Jenny Lawrence … I think I must have misunderstood what she said. She must have gone to stay with someone else. Yes, that was it ... I remember now ... she said she would be staying in Dehwelyans last night ... with a friend.’

  Shock had rendered him incapable of even lying competently and the policeman looked totally unconvinced. Taking Jasper's arm he gently led him to another bed in the same room.

  ‘Well, maybe you could help us identify this man, sir? Do you recognise him? He was also found at the farm.’

  Finally Jasper had come face to face, what he could see of it, with the infamous Jimmy Fisher, smalltime local artist and big-time serial seducer. He looked impassively at the unconscious man, at the swathe of bandages that covered his head and most of his face and hid the icy fear squeezing his insides as something told him this could be Jenny's work. The enormity of what she had done left him speechless and afraid for her and perhaps, even a little afraid of her.

  ‘No, officer, I don't know him,’ he said, shaking his head. This time he was telling the truth. He may knowofJimmy Fisher but it was true he did not actually know him. It was semantics but it was enough to allow him to be convincing and the officer seemed to believe him as he ushered Jasper out of the room.

  ‘Now, about your friend ... Jenny Lawrence … was it? You say she was going to stay with friends in town? So why would you think she was going to the farm? You seemed certain she should have been at the farm where the attack took place?’

  Jasper's heart plummeted. He had been naive to think he might be able to get away before the officer could question him further about Jenny. Even worse, he now realised wretchedly, he had inadvertently alerted the police to her existence. He answered the policeman's questions as briefly as he could, trying not to appear obviously unhelpful.

  After all, when Jimmy came round … if he came round … he would tell them what had really happened. Right now Jasper just wanted to get out and look for Jenny as soon as he could, which, he realised, would not be possible now until daybreak. He knew he would be impatient to start searching and wondered if he could he try to look for her in the dark.

  Giving his address to the policeman in case he was needed again he left, trying not to appear in a hurry. One thing was for sure, he needed to get out there before the police returned to their hunt in the morning.

  Hesitating to allow the automatic doors of the hospital to open for him as he left, he was so engrossed in thoughts of finding Jenny he did not even notice the man who ran in from the car park until he nearly collided with him. Hurriedly apologising to one another they went on their way, neither of them knowing they were both involved in the present drama.

  Edward Hervey had heard the news on his car radio as he had been travelling back from attending a small book fair and had driven straight to the hospital. He too had had the same sinking feeling as Jasper, the same spasm of fear even though he had no reason to link the news item with Jimmy's farm but somehow, given the report stating its location as ‘just outside Porthcarn’, he decided he needed to reassure himself it was not Jimmy’s farm and Sunny was not the woman involved.

  The policeman raised his eyebrows as Edward stood before him making the same request as Jasper.

  ‘I think I might know ... that is ... I need to make sure that ... er...’ Edward blushed and stammered, wondering what he was doing here. For Heaven's sake, why should the injured woman be Sunny? Why should the farm be Jimmy’s? He would look such a fool if it was not her. Yes, but a very relieved fool, he reminded himself.

  The policeman had to grab hold of Edward as he looked down at the woman in the bed. He had not really believed that anyone could collapse with shock.

  ‘Oh no ... no … please no,’ Edward begged under his breath as he put out his hand to tenderly brush a tendril of hair away from Sunny’s cheek. The nurse, hovering close by on the pretext of monitoring Sunny’s drip, caught his hand gently before he touched her and he apologised for his unhygienic gesture. ‘Why? Why would anyone want to do this to her?’

  She was deathly white. The bandage on her hand and wrist had faint bloodstains and he wondered what exactly had happened. Who could have done this to her? Surely, she would not have done that to herself? Could Jimmy have done it? The news report had stated it was an attack on a man as well.

  He tried to block his thoughts as strange scenarios surfaced one after the other. At least she is still alive, he comforted himself as the police officer's voice broke in on his thoughts.

  ‘I take it you know the lady, sir?’

  ‘Yes, her name is Sunny Smith ... Sunita ... Smith. She works for me ... in my bookshop in Church Street.’

  ‘And can you confirm the name of the gentleman who was found with her?’

  In a daze Edward glanced over at the other bed. Yes, that was apparently that bastard Jimmy Fisher all right, even under all those bandages and he was obviously not dead, more’s the pity. He felt a faint twinge of guilt at such thoughts as Jimmy did seem to be in a worse state than Sunny and he was now more certain than ever it could not have been her who had inflicted such damage on him.

  So there must have been someone else at the farm, some third person. Looking at them both, he was inclined to believe such injuries were the work of a mad man. It made him shudder. Whoever it was, he just hoped they caught him soon.

  ‘Yes, his name is Jimmy Fisher, he's an artist and he lives at Mellyon Farm. That’s the farm where you found them I take it?’ It suddenly struck Edward that he might fall under some suspicion if he was not careful.

  ‘And do you know his relationship to Ms Smith?’

  Edward looked the policeman in the eye, feeling sure he already knew the answer to that question.

  ‘Yes, I believe they were...’ he stumbled over the word ‘lovers’, it seemed such a quaint, genteel word for what Edward felt was such a sordid affair, ‘in a relationship,’ he substituted.

  The police would know what he meant, they must meet such dramas everyday. He anticipated the next question.

  ‘I was on my way back from the Blackhampton Book Fair when I heard the news on my car radio. I was concerned that it might be Sunny ... er, Miss Smith ... from the description of the farm as ‘just outside Porthcarn’.’ He could feel the officer’s eyes closely watching his face. ‘I slept at the Moorland Inn at Blackhampton last night and was at the book fair all day.’

  He wondered if the policeman was aware he was trying hard to appear casual, wondered if he could sense the sudden panicking of his heart. Freely offering such an inclusive alibi might be deemed suspicious in itself he supposed but it appeared to have been taken at face value and after all, it would be easy enough to corroborate.

  ‘Do you know a Jenny Lawrence, sir?’ the policeman asked, writing up his notes.

  Edward was suddenly struck dumb. Of co
urse, Jenny Lawrence! Hadn’t she lived with Jimmy at one time? He remembered all the locals had felt sorry for her living with him. Edward had just assumed she must have left Jimmy before he took up with Sunny though now he wondered why on earth he had made that assumption. Suddenly he realised it was because he had trusted Sunny to do the right thing!

  That was why he had assumed Jenny no longer lived with Jimmy. He knew Sunny would hardly have given Jimmy the time of day if she had suspected he already had a partner. Oh, Great God, had Jenny still been around somewhere? Could she possibly have done such a thing to both of them?

  ‘I don’t know Jenny Lawrence personally, but I believe she was Mr. Fisher's ex-partner,’ he said, wondering how he could tell the truth without seeming to implicate Jenny, wondering if he even knew the truth. And why should he try to protect Jenny if she were crazy enough to do this to Sunny? Jimmy, he found, he simply could not care about despite the obvious severity of his injuries.

  ‘Ex-partner, you say?’

  ‘Yes, I think so … well ... I presume so.’

  After successfully convincing the officer he knew nothing more, he was disappointed to find he would not to be allowed to stay by Sunny’s side. He felt he could hardly make a fuss now he was reassured she was in no danger so he settled down to wait outside the room until she came round.

  She would need him when she regained consciousness he thought as he selected an instant tea and a chocolate bar from the vending machine and slumped on a chair in the waiting area outside the ward. Unexpectedly his eyes filled with tears as he thought of her lying in her hospital bed and he dashed them away before anyone saw them, this was no time to be weak. Damn, Jimmy Fisher, he had known he was no good. Damn him to hell!

  Sunny's eyelids felt as if they were glued together as she struggled back to consciousness. She was aware of pain now, an awful lot of pain, but it took her some time to locate where it was on her body. She groaned as she tried to lift her head to look at her arm and instantly there was a kindly, concerned face above hers.

  ‘Hello, me darlin' … waking up a bit, are we?’ The nurse's soft Irish accent greeted her return to consciousness. Sunny swallowed, her throat was too dry to reply so she tried to return the nurse’s smile but it didn’t feel right and she suddenly remembered there really was nothing to smile about.

  As the memory of the recent events came back to her she gave a hoarse cry and looked round wildly, trying to raise herself. The nurse pinned her down, shushing and calming as she tried to steady the swinging drips and watch the monitors as well as soothe Sunny.

  ‘Now then, lovely, just you lie still and rest quiet for me. You aren’t ready to go gallivanting about just yet. Let’s just give it a day or two, eh?’

  ‘Where’s Jimmy?’

  ‘Ah, that’ll be your man now, will it? Look, he’s right here ... just across the way.’

  ‘Is he ... I mean ... will he … be okay?’ All she could see in the bed across the room was a mass of bandages and her eyes filled with tears.

  ‘Ah, bless ye. Of course, he will. Oh, he looks a bit of a mummy at the moment but he’ll do right enough.’

  ‘Is he asleep?’

  ‘Well, no, not really. He’s just sedated for the time being … but he’s doing well. So now, just you lie calm there. Here, let me help you have a drink of water.’

  Sunny obediently lay still and let the tears fall as her mind played back the terrifying images of the attack. Who was that mad woman? Even as she asked herself she knew the answer. She was Jimmy’s ex-partner, the maker of the cushions in the parlour. She was the woman Sunny had not thought to enquire about. Well, whoever she was, she had obviously not been ready to be cast aside. Maybe she had been unable to get over their separation? Maybe she was unhinged?

  Even as she had these thoughts she suspected they may not be true. What if the woman was not 'ex' at all? Surely there was no way she could have somehow been his current partner, was there? Sunny stifled a sob as something suddenly told her Jimmy was, beyond doubt, capable of such duplicity. How had she let this happen? What had she been thinking? How could she have got so enmeshed with someone capable of such a betrayal?

  She closed her eyes and saw again the intense hatred in the other woman’s eyes, the cold glint of the knife in her hand, the stabbing and slashing … the gaping wound across her own wrist. She remembered again Jimmy yanking her roughly out of the way and pushing her behind him, yelling at her to wrap her wrist in the tea towel and keep pressure on it.

  After that everything gradually became faint and she saw things as if at a distance. She heard Jimmy shouting and the woman shrieking in reply. Then, a roar of pain and Sunny knew he too was hurt and she was too weak to help him. The kitchen had spun wildly around her and she had struggled to fend off the encroaching blackness in her mind as she heard a door slam and a key click in a lock.

  Then everything had gone quiet except for the sound of someone gasping as a spreading redness dripped down onto her. She gradually slipped from consciousness only just aware of someone gently supporting her head as they tied something tight around the top of her arm.

  Now she just felt sick, deeply ashamed of both her gullibility and her culpability. She suddenly remembered Edward’s words, his stumbling attempts to warn her about Jimmy and knew he had been right all along. What an arrogant idiot she had been, what a fool! She looked across at the still figure in the other bed. Did she still love Jimmy now she realised what he was really like? She was no longer able to tell.

  ‘Someone to see you...’ said the nurse, putting her head round the door and smiling at her. It was Edward. His worried face had never looked so welcome to her and she wanted to kiss it and apologise to him for her stupidity. She put out her good hand to him and smiled weakly.

  ‘It’s okay ... I’ve sterilised my hands this time,’ he said to the nurse as he took hold of Sunny’s outstretched hand. The nurse brought him a chair and he sank down gratefully onto it, trying not to weep at the weary pallor of Sunny’s face. He was shocked by how slight and vulnerable she looked beneath the bedclothes.

  ‘Oh Edward, it is so good to see you! You were right, I’m sorry ... I have been so stupid.’ Her eyes filled with tears again as she rushed to admit her guilt. ‘Would you ... stay with me ... just for a little while? Please?’

  He shushed her. ‘Of course I’ll stay. I’ll stay for as long as I’m allowed,’ he promised as she faded away from him, back into sleep.

  It was midmorning when Sunny woke again. This time there was no confusion and, blessedly, much less pain in her injured wrist but she still felt very weak. She became aware of a very tired Edward still sitting beside her bed, still holding her hand.

  ‘Oh Edward … don’t say you’ve been here all night?’ she said, her voice husky with sleep. Edward’s teeth gleamed white from amongst his five o’ clock shadow as he smiled at her and nodded sheepishly.

  ‘Yes, m’dear, he has … and he only left you to answer a call of nature,’ the nurse said unnecessarily, bustling up to them. ‘Now I think he should go and rest, don’t you?’

  ‘She’s right, Edward … go home and get some sleep. I really do feel much better now.’

  She smiled encouragingly at him as he stood up. Physically, she didn’t feel that good but she certainly felt a great deal better than she had yesterday. Right now her real pain was more emotional than physical, the shame at her own naivety and stubborn selfishness boring holes in her soul. And yet, despite it all, here was Edward still loyally supporting her.

  ‘Yes, perhaps you’re right … I’ll be back when I’ve had a short nap and a cleanup.’ He rubbed the bristles on his chin, still looking down at her doubtfully.

  ‘Go on ... I’ll be fine ... I’ll see you later.’

  ‘Do you need anything? Shall I bring anything back with me?’

  She shook her head. There must be things she needed for a stay in hospital but just at the moment she didn’t have the energy to think what they were. She smiled
up at him reassuringly. His hand was still in hers and she pulled it with slow impulsiveness towards her lips and kissed it.

  ‘No … just you … thank you for being such a good friend, Edward. I hardly deserve your kindness.’

  He smiled down at her, touched at her gesture of tenderness but sad as he realised that she still only saw him as a ‘good friend.’ He wanted so much to respond to her with affection, even if it was only with the affection of a friend and almost bent to kiss her forehead before thinking better of it, knowing he couldn’t bear to see any look of surprise on her face.

  ‘See you later then,’ he said, giving her an awkward nod instead.

  For some reason Sunny found herself trying not to look across to Jimmy’s bed after Edward had gone. Her peripheral vision told her he was lying very still and she presumed he was still sedated. Suddenly, she knew she couldn’t face seeing him when he woke up. She needed to get out of this room. Turning to the nurse she asked when she could go home and was alarmed to find she would not be discharged from hospital for at least another two days and then only under supervision of either friends or family.

  The only concession the doctors would allow was a move onto an ordinary ward now she was no longer at risk. She was also assured she would be told the moment Jimmy came round and although she smiled and thanked the nurse she just hoped she could somehow leave the hospital before that happened. Their love affair now seemed deeply shameful and she felt dirty and defiled, as much by her own actions as by Jimmy’s deceit.

  ‘He’s had quite an operation, you know?’ the nurse informed her and, in spite of her apparent change of feelings about Jimmy, Sunny at once found herself becoming alarmed. ‘I expect he’ll tell you all about it once the doctors have put him in the picture properly.’

  Sunny lay in her bed, hiding the emotional battle raging within her, hardly able to bring herself to think of him being dreadfully injured because of her. She was uncomfortably aware it was more than likely she owed her life to him.