by Noreen Mayer
Dr Henry frowned as he listened.
The nurse continued, 'When Kathleen did come, she did an ultrasound test. Straight away then, she organised an emergency Caesarean Section. She tried to save the babies, but they were born dead. Just after the operation Fiona's blood pressure fell rapidly. We knew she was bleeding internally.'
Libby asked, 'Did the bleeding come from her womb?'
'Yes,' the nurse replied, 'Kathleen Lynch gave her more Oxytocin, more IV fluids and a blood transfusion. But sadly, in spite of all our efforts, we failed to stop the bleeding.'
'Then what did Dr Kathleen do?'
'She gave Fiona another blood transfusion, but Fiona went into severe shock.' The nurse hesitated for a moment. 'And then she died.'
'Do you think Dr Lynch was negligent?'
'No, I don't. She came in late, true enough, but she could not have prevented the postpartum bleed. Fiona would have died, no matter what Kathleen did. The real problem was, no one knew about Fiona's blood disorder.'
'Would Kathleen have saved the babies' lives had she come earlier?' Libby asked.
'Yes, she may have, but not the mother's life.' The midwife sighed deeply. 'Poor Fiona. Life is so unfair sometimes.'
The phone rang, Dr Henry answered. He told Libby he had to go out for an errand, and left the office.
Libby seized the opportunity to question the nurse alone, away from the consultant. 'What did her patients think of Dr Lynch?'
'Not much, I'm afraid,' replied the midwife.
'I expect the mums are in good form when they have their new babies,' said Libby.
'Yes, they chat a lot to me and each other, so I hear a lot of gossip.' The nurse smiled.
'Did Fiona like Kathleen Lynch?'
The nurse shook her head. 'She told me she found Kathleen cold and rude.' As did everyone else, thought Libby.
'Why didn't Fiona change her doctor, then?'
The nurse said, 'I asked her that, I remember. She had heard that Kathleen was the best around. She said she didn't care how rude Dr Lynch was if she was good at her work.'
But she wasn't good, at least, she wasn't good enough to prevent a patient dying, Libby thought, but remained silent.
Dr Henry, the consultant, came back into the room and sat down.
Libby asked, 'What's his name, Fiona's husband?'
'Just a minute, I'll check.' The nurse searched through the file. 'The surname on this file is Browne, which was Fiona's maiden name, I know. This is odd - it's not here, the husband's name.' She flicked again through the file and then handed it to the consultant. He went through the pages again, carefully. He frowned and said, 'There's a page missing.'
That husband could be Kathleen's murderer, thought Libby.
The consultant jerked his head. Then he was silent for a moment. He scratched his chin with his long fingers. 'Another young woman recently asked me all the same questions you've just asked. A doctor, in fact.'
Libby asked suddenly, 'When was that?'
'About two weeks ago. She said she had worked with Kathleen Lynch.'
'Was her name Pamela Kelly?' Libby asked, with a sinking feeling in her insides.
'That's right,' replied Dr Henry, with surprise.
Libby sank back in the chair. This was sad news. Evidently, Pamela had arrived at the truth before they had. Why didn't she come to the police or me first, instead of confronting the killer? Libby wondered. We could have protected her and saved her life.
Chapter 29
Dawn called to see Nuala Sullivan to find out more about her brother.
Dawn introduced herself and Nuala brought her in. She made them both a cup of tea while Dawn sat at her kitchen table.
Dawn talked about her mother.
Nuala said, "My mother's dead a year now. She had Alzheimer's.'
'I'm sorry to hear that,' Dawn said.
Nuala placed a plate of biscuits on the table and sat down on the opposite chair. She sighed. 'Yeah, Ma was there for two years. She was very hard for the nurses to manage. I could see that clearly, because every time I visited she was always trying to get out the window. The nurses told me they had to strap her in the bed and sedate her at night to stop her roaring. Ma was a handful.'
'Do you think the nurses gave her good care?' Dawn asked, taking a biscuit.
'Oh yes. Ma's mind was gone, nothing could bring it back.'
'They weren't too harsh?'
Nuala said, 'Not at all. Of course Brendan didn't see it like that.'
Dawn put down her cup quickly. 'Your brother Brendan?'
She nodded. 'He blamed the staff up there for Ma's death, and the nursing home owners, in particular. He said Matron Murphy should be shot. Brendan doesn't understand what dementia is, he thought Ma could be cured.'
Dawn gazed sharply at Nuala. 'Well, the thing is, someone did kill Mrs Murphy, so I heard.'
Nuala's eyes grew large. 'I never knew that. And you think Brendan did, do you?'
Dawn remained silent.
'No, you're completely off track there. He wouldn't hurt a fly.'
'It's just that Libby tells me he's a bit well...volatile,' Dawn hesitated. 'She says he got into a state about Conor going missing.'
Nuala sighed. She was evidently not surprised at hearing this. 'Brendan's very sincere, but he does tend to overreact when things go wrong. Brendan was devoted to our mother, and devastated when she died. He had just managed to get over her passing when his own wife died. That knocked him back altogether; he took it really hard. She was only a young woman, you see.'
'I'm sorry to hear that.' Dawn thanked her for the tea and left. I need to talk to Libby urgently about this, she thought. Brendan is a man who holds a serious grudge. Maybe he's not the harmless character he seems to be.
Chapter 3
0
Libby brought Buddy for a trip to the State Forest in Glengariff. It was her favourite forest because of its acres of mature oak trees. Leaving work early, she drove out beyond Bantry, through Ballylickey, on Wednesday afternoon. The great thing about summer, she reflected, was the hours you have before it gets dark. The sky was grey, but at least it was dry. She had dressed in a tracksuit and hiking boots. Buddy, with his boundless energy, adored the place.
She parked her old navy Triumph near an area with wooden tables. Buddy jumped out as soon as she opened the door. A couple and two small children were having a picnic at one of the tables. Their dog, a Labrador, greeted Buddy.
Libby walked along the path, which led into the main forest. The whole area was full of every type of tree a person could wish for, tall pine trees, wide dark yew trees, and giant horse chestnuts. Their branches were all high up. The lower sections of their silvery trunks were bare. The lower area of ground was covered with holly and laurel bushes. On the ground were ferns, dock leaves and wild grasses.
There was a lot of mud everywhere, Libby was glad to have worn her thick boots. She was careful to avoid the deeper patches of mud in the centre of the path to avoid skidding and falling. The clouds grew darker and a soft rain fell. Buddy headed straight for the muddy patches, coming out with his white legs half-covered in brown dirt.
She headed towards a lake, an area that had three old willow trees. These trees hung over the large lake as if they were ready to fall in. Libby walked along the concrete track until it became a dirt track. Buddy ran ahead, but never strayed too far. He was still only five months old and a little unsure. She sat down on a wooden bench and gazed at the pond. A few swans were swimming up and down, joined by a few ducks.
Libby thought about what she had learnt the previous day, about Kathleen Lynch and her fatal mistake. Fiona's husband must have been very angry with Kathleen, maybe he was the one who killed her. Who was he? she wondered.
She heard footsteps behind her. Someone was following her, she realised. She increased pace, he copied her. She ran, and Buddy ran close to her. For once, she was glad of Buddy's endless energy. Libby knew she was fit, she was glad of the hours she
had spent walking Buddy on the beach. She wondered how long she could keep up this running, without getting tired. The mud made it harder, as she worried about slipping and the ground felt spongy.
Glancing behind her, she saw the man wore a red top and was tall and slim, with wide shoulders. She wondered if he was Brendan Sullivan. However, he was too far back for her to be sure. Looked back again as he came closer, she realised it was indeed Brendan.
Libby knew then he had murdered Kathleen Lynch. It all suddenly made sense. Brendan was a widower; his wife must have died in labour. I'm such a fool, she thought, not calling the police before this. I should have told them about my suspicions that he was the one who tried to kill Shane.
Brendan was catching up on her. 'Stop, I want to talk to you.'
She turned around and shouted at him, 'I know you killed Doctor Lynch.' She increased her pace, and Buddy ran beside her.
'I can explain,' he cried. 'Slow down. Wait a minute.'
'Go away,' she gasped. 'I don't want to talk to you. You're frightening me.'
He roared at her, 'Stop bitch.' Brendan had lost his patience, she knew. He sounded livid.
She felt scared now. She tried to run faster, her heart thumped in her chest. Why did I come here alone? Why didn't I take Dawn with me? She could hear him gaining ground on her. He was muttering something nasty.
Then he shouted, 'I've got a gun. I'll use it if you don't stop.' She ran faster, waiting for him to use the gun, waiting for the firing sounds. Her heart pounded. She refused to think of anything, just concentrated on running faster and getting away. She ran off the path, into the thickness of dense evergreen trees and undergrowth.
Libby heard no sound of a gun being discharged, so she knew he was bluffing. She didn't dare look backwards again. Brendan is a murderer, her brain told her. He's killed two women and I'm going to die here, unless I can hold him off. She grabbed a can of Mace spray from her pocket and held it tightly in her right hand. She tripped over a stone in the centre of the dirt track and he stumbled.
He caught the back of her hood and pulled her back towards him. He put his arm around her neck. Her right arm was free, and holding the can. Buddy had at last realised what was happening, she saw. He growled at the man and pulled at his trousers. Brendan turned around to kick the dog.
In the meantime, Libby broke free. She whipped around fast, pressed the can's nozzle and sprayed her attacker straight in the eyes. Brendan yelped with pain and stumbled. He wiped his eyes frantically. She ran back on the straight track, by the way she had come. Her dog ran after her.
She came to a junction of similar paths, one to the left and one to the right. She tried to remember the route. Both paths appeared similar and there were no signposts. Buddy chose the left path and ran a short distance ahead of her. Oh no, I was never good at directions, she thought. Buddy knows the way far better than I do. She decided to follow Buddy's lead. There was silence behind her, which she was relieved about, but she knew Brendan must be still there, not far behind her.
After five minutes of fast walking, she passed a group of four trees that stood side by side close together, on her left. One of them was a small sapling, and one was a dead fir tree. She remembered seeing them before, on her way into the forest. This meant she was on the way out of the forest. Great, she thought, I'm nearly there. Next, she saw a signpost pointing to the car park.
Libby followed Buddy's route to the left. Now she could hear Brendan behind her, cursing. He was a good bit behind her, she knew, judging from the sound of his pounding feet, and laboured breathing. He was more breathless than she was, she realised with relief. She saw the car park and the picnic benches ahead. 'Thank heavens,' she said aloud, letting out a deep breath. She felt ecstatic. She knew she would reach her car and get away safely from the lunatic.
She saw her old navy Triumph in the car park. She raced to the car, fetching out her car key from her trouser pocket. She unlocked the driver's door, then went around, and unlocked the passenger door for Buddy. She opened the door, and the dog hopped in. The dog sat up on the seat, staring at her with confused eyes, still wagging his tail. He seemed nervous. He probably just thinks it's a game, she thought. She closed the passenger door. There was still no sign of Brendan, she noticed, with relief.
She jumped into the driver's seat, and closed the door. Starting the car, she fired up the engine and reversed quickly out of the car park. She caught a glimpse of Brendan while he stood at the picnic benches, wiping his eyes and scowling at her car. The Mace spray had done the trick, she knew. Feeling safe at last, she knew she could get home before he did.
***
Libby felt very shaky after her ordeal. Her arms trembled as she found an old bottle of brandy and poured herself a drink, adding some water. She took a gulp, and winced at the taste of the strong burning liquid as it passed her throat. She threw out the remainder of the glass and made a cup of hot cocoa. She thought about the day's strange event and wondered then what Brendan would have done to her had she not escaped his clutches.
She thought about the other two women who had not been as lucky. Brendan, the maniac, had caught them unawares, she reflected. Pamela was drugged, and Kathleen had been asleep. In addition, I had a weapon, even though it was only a spray. It did the trick. So luckily for me, I live to face another day. I should be celebrating, she thought.
Still before that, we have to catch that maniac Brendan before he strikes again. He's mad and dangerous, and he should be locked up.
After a few minutes, she rang Raman at the hospital. She waited until the nurse managed to find him. After a short while he came to the phone. 'Brendan Sullivan chased me in the woods in Glengariff,' Libby said, in a rushed voice. 'I managed to fend him off. I was afraid he'd kill me.'
Raman gasped. 'Why would Brendan want to kill you?'
'I know what he's done,' said Libby flatly. 'He's a murderer. He tried to kill Shane for a start.'
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, as Raman digested this news. 'So Brendan was the one I saw attacking Shane,' he cried. 'Of course it was him. How stupid am I?'
Libby said, 'I thought about it, and I guessed it was either him, Pat Sharpe or Mick Doody. The three of them are tall slim men.'
'I feel so stupid now,' Raman repeated, 'I should have recognised him.'
'It was too dark to see. Don't worry about it. You found Shane in time, thank heavens.'
Raman told Libby that he would collect her shortly and put down the phone. He called to her house in his car and drove her to Ballyhasset Garda Station. He told the duty officer, Sergeant Sean Maguire, Brendan was the one who viciously attacked Shane in the car park. Then Libby told about her own experience, where Brendan chased her in the Glengariff forest.
A short while later, two uniformed officers arrived at Brendan Sullivan's house. Brendan refused to answer the front door. Sergeant Maguire kicked in the door. He rushed into the hall, and looked into the sitting room. There was no sign of anyone.
Then the pair of officers entered the kitchen. They found Brendan standing at the cooker, facing them, armed with a bread knife held high in his right hand. Pointing it at the officers, he waved it up and down. His face was red, and his eyes held a wild expression.
He roared at them, 'Don't come closer, or I'll use it.' The second officer approached Brendan with his baton. He lunged at Brendan at the same time as the sergeant grabbed Brendan's right arm.
The knife flew out of Brendan's hand onto the floor. The second officer threw his baton down and gave Brendan a hard blow to the stomach with his fist. Brendan nearly toppled over. He cried out in pain. The two officers held Brendan until they got handcuffs on him.
They arrested Brendan for his attempted murder of Shane and his assault on Libby. The sergeant read Brendan his rights. The two officers brought Brendan into the squad car. When they arrived at the station, they placed Brendan into a police cell.
Chapter 3
1
&nbs
p; The next day, a Thursday, Libby called into Ballyhasset Garda Station. Brendan agreed to see her, so they met in an interview room at the station. This was a small room with a desk and four chairs, where the jail inmates normally met their solicitors.
She sat down on a plastic chair and faced him across the bare wooden table. Beside her lay her handbag with a concealed tape recorder. The room was stuffy and dark. A uniformed Garda stood at the door.
She thought of the time she had gone swimming with Brendan. Why didn't I suspect him then? she wondered. Just because he was attractive and friendly, I was taken in. When his sister was afraid of him that should have set off some alarm bells in my head. I just didn't suspect him of being capable of murder. And Pamela had even told me at the party shortly before she died that she was afraid of someone. The signs were all there. What a fool I was not to spot them, she thought.
Brendan scowled at her. 'What's this about? I'm busy.'
Doing what? Libby wondered. 'Your wife Fiona died during labour, I know.'
'It was a nightmare.' Brendan stared at the floor.
'Tell me about her death. I know Doctor Lynch did an operation on your wife.'
'That cow refused to come in at the start of Fiona's labour contractions. For her first few hours of labour, Fiona screamed with the pain.' Brendan flinched as he spoke. 'I begged the nurse to give Fiona painkillers, but she insisted on waiting till the doctor arrived.'
Libby nodded. 'Dr Lynch was late, I heard.'
Brendan's voice was low. 'We waited five hours and finally, the bitch arrived.'
'I know Dr Lynch operated on Fiona and tried to save her,' said Libby.
Brendan clenched his jaw. 'She operated too late, the stupid cow.'
'So you lost your babies,' Libby said quietly.
'Our twin babies were born dead and my wife died too, a few hours later.' Brendan stood up and paced around the room. 'Fiona gave birth to two little boys. I had to witness their little tiny white coffins going into the grave.'