by Val Penny
Gosh, they were already at the hospital. Her mind had wandered for the whole journey. And Mel got a parking space. This woman led a charmed life.
“Shall we go in and see Ailsa first? She was the admitting doctor when Eileen arrived, wasn’t she?” Mel asked.
“It can’t do any harm, can it? At least she could give us the background.” Rachael followed Mel into A&E so closely that she almost walked into her when Mel stopped to speak to the medic.
“I heard from her consultant they plan to start waking her up today,” Ailsa said. “The shorter the time she’s in a coma, the better.”
“Better for whom?” Rachael said, then realised she had spoken.
“The patient of course. And they’ll have to tell her about her injuries and how life will change going forward. It will be hard for her to take in. She’ll need a great deal of support and love from family and friends.”
“I just hope the bold Jamie will step up,” Mel said. “Which ward is she in?”
“Still in ICU, I imagine because they’ll be keeping a close watch on her respiration and circulation. Especially with that kind of injury. She’s had surgery to her eye sockets and the blood supply around that part of her face, so her circulation is a matter of particular concern.”
“Will we even be allowed in?” Rachael asked.
“You might be. But, even if she’s awake you won’t be allowed to ask any delving questions, I don’t think. Ask the nurse in charge. She’ll tell you how Eileen is and whether you can go in.”
“Thanks, Ailsa. Which way is it?” Mel asked.
“Go along that corridor. The lift is on the right-hand side about halfway along.”
Rachael followed Mel along to the lifts. “My stomach is churning. I think I’m going to be sick,” Rachael said.
“No, you’re not. Don’t be such a wuss.”
They walked towards intensive care. Rachael’s steps got smaller and smaller as she dragged further behind Mel.
“Come on. Shape up, woman. It’s not you who’s lost body parts.” Mel spoke briefly to the nurse in charge, then turned back to Rachael. “She’s awake. The doctors are in with her now explaining her injuries and what they had to do. We’ll have to wait until they’re finished. My guess is it’ll take a while. Shall we just sit here?”
Rachael and Mel sat down on two of the cheap plastic chairs in the corridor and looked sadly into the ICU that housed Eileen Maguire. The doctor spoke softly, but they could hear Eileen sobbing. Who could blame her?
“I’ll never see again?” she screamed hysterically.
“When he said I had beautiful eyes and he wanted them for his own, I thought that meant having the rest of me too. I never thought of this. I’ve always been told I had beautiful violet eyes, just like Elizabeth Taylor and that they were my best feature. Now all I have are raw gaping scars. What am I going to do? Frederick said he loved me and called me ‘darling’. How could he do this to me? Why would he be so cruel? How will I manage? I won’t even be able to see the kettle to make a cup of tea.”
“You’ll be amazed at what you can do,” the doctor said. “But you will have to relearn some basic skills, and there are amazing aides and gadgets. You’ll certainly be able to make tea.”
The detectives watched as Eileen sobbed again.
“Bloody hell, she still cries real tears,” Rachael said.
They didn’t know how long they’d been sitting in the corridor.
“My bum’s gone numb,” Mel said.
“Lucky you. I can still feel mine. Do you think they’ll let us in soon?”
“They said to give Eileen some time before they tell her we’re here. Do you think she’s had long enough?”
“Here comes the head nurse. We’ll ask.”
“Let me tell her you’re here and find out if she feels ready to have a short discussion with you,” the nurse said. “However, if she becomes upset or stressed, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” She went in and spoke to Eileen and waved them in. “Ten minutes, and no stress. I mean it.”
***
Mel introduced them both and Eileen said to sit on opposite sides of the bed and tell her who was speaking.
“I suppose I’ll need to get used to listening to people’s voices more carefully now that I can’t bloody see. Who would do something this ghastly?” she asked and began to cry again. “And who’s looking after Princess Leia?”
“Eileen, I’m Rachael, DC Anderson. Please don’t cry. Who is Princess Leia?” Rachael asked.
“My cat.” Eileen almost screamed the words.
“I’ll check, but I’m sure Linda and Jamie have that sorted.”
“Then it’ll be the first thing Jamie’s ever got anything sorted without a hitch.”
Mel chuckled. “I understand what you mean, But I think he is doing his best for you and Linda.”
“Who said that?”
“Sorry, it’s Mel, DC Grant. We don’t know that it was your date who attacked you, but it does seem likely. You’re really very lucky, we believe the same person assaulted two other women, but they didn’t get help fast enough. Both of those victims died.”
“I’m the lucky one, am I? I don’t have any bloody eyes, and I’ve been left completely blind. Excuse me if I don’t feel too bloody lucky right now And if it wasn’t Frederick who assaulted me, who the hell do you think it was? Did someone else just happen to get into the lift of the posh hotel with me and cut out my eyes? I may be blind, but I’m not stupid. It has to have been him. We were alone when we got into the lift. He was holding me up, then I must have passed out because I don’t remember anything else.”
“You’re probably right, but we have to keep our avenues of investigation as wide as possible. We don’t want any more women suffering similar attacks.”
“Remember to tell me your name. It’s not much to ask,” Eileen said.
“Of course not. I’m sorry.”
“You did it again.”
“Sorry. I’m Rachael. Can you tell me how you and Frederick met?”
“A friend at work fixed me up with an account for a dating website. That’s where we met. Sounds pathetic, doesn’t it? I should have been able to get a boyfriend through folk I know, but it hadn’t happened. I was lonely.”
“Mel here, Eileen. No, it doesn’t sound pathetic. Lots of couples meet online now. However you meet anybody, you don’t deserve to be attacked.”
“Not just attacked. He took my fucking eyes. Who does that? Who even thinks like that? I’m blind for the rest of my life.” She began to cry again and the tears from behind the bandages were hard to watch.
“I’m Rachael. Eileen, you’re blind now, but you weren’t when you met this guy. And you are our best hope of catching him and locking him up. You can help us stop him hurting anyone else’s like this, if you feel strong enough. Will you help us?”
“Damn right I will, if it’s the last worthwhile thing I do, I’ll help you get this monster. You know the funny thing is, when I met him at The Waldorf Astoria, he didn’t look quite the same as when we face timed on the phone.”
“Great, Eileen. Tell Mel and me about that.”
“The first photo I saw was on the dating website. He took it down when we started talking. He was lying on the beach with his dog, a Labrador, I think. I’m not great at dogs, though. The angle the shot was taken his legs looked extremely long. He seemed tall, with dark hair and a bushy beard.”
“Eileen, it’s Mel here. What colour was his beard?”
“That’s a funny question. It was dark brown, maybe black. It depended on the light how dark it looked.”
“The reason I asked, I’m still Mel, is that often men with dark hair grow beards that have a reddish hue.”
“No. There was never any red in it. On the phone, in the photos or in real life. His beard was dark. Oh, and I can tell your voices apart now, if that helps.”
“Thanks, Eileen. It does. But that description makes me wonder if his beard was real.”
“What about when you spoke on the phone? What did his limbs look like then?” Rachael asked.
“I never saw them. The camera was always trained onto his face. Of course, so was mine. He wanted to see my eyes, didn’t he? He had beautiful big brown eyes. They seemed so kind and loving. What kind of idiot am I?”
“Not idiotic at all. Have you always been this hard on yourself?”
Eileen smiled again. “You know, Rachael, I think I have.”
“Eileen, can you think about what he sounded like? What kind of accent did he have?”
“I didn’t really notice an accent, Mel. I suppose he must have been local, and he was well spoken. You know, polite.”
“Interesting. Where did he tell you he lived?”
“He said he lived in a big house in North Berwick with his cousin, but who knows. Was everything he told me a lie?” Eileen began to cry again.
The nurse bustled in. “Detectives, I said a few minutes. You have overstayed your welcome and upset my patient.”
“Sorry, nurse. Thank you for your help, Eileen. We may need to come back. Will that be okay with you?”
“Yes, Mel. It will be fine. I’ll give you all the help I can to track down this devil.”
Chapter Fourteen
The detectives turned to leave, but saw Jamie and Linda walking towards them.
“DC Grant,” Jamie said. “Always a pleasure to see you. Are you working on Eileen’s case? You need to find the bastard before I do, Mel, otherwise I’ll be going down for life.”
“The whole team is working on this, Jamie. Hellish isn’t it?”
“That really doesn’t touch the sides. It’s fucking unbelievable. She’s such a quiet girl, Eileen. She didn’t deserve this.”
“Nobody did,” Rachael said.
“Jamie, if you’re going to chat to the police, I’m going in to sit with Eileen. Join us when you’re ready.”
“Of course. I just want a quick word with DC Grant.”
“Do you have a suspect yet, Mel?” Jamie leant against the wall of the hall away from Eileen’s room and angled himself so that Linda couldn’t see his face. “How can I help?”
“Jamie, please, I know you’re trying to be useful, but just leave it to us. The police is the best agency to work the leads.”
“Good. You have some leads? That’s sound. Who are we looking for?”
“You know I can’t tell you that. But you could help by letting me know if you hear anything. When you speak to Eileen, she might mention something that could be useful. If she does, Give me a call.”
“Aye, course I will. You do know she’s going to be blind forever, don’t you? Bloody shocking. She’ll have to come and stay with me and Linda.”
“Isn’t your place a bit crowded already with Frankie and Donna and the twins? How old are the girls now?”
“Three. They’re growing fast. Don’t worry about us. I’ve got a plan.”
“Why does that sentence fill me with dread? Well, just keep on this side of the law, will you, Jamie?”
“Of course, DC Grant. You know me.”
“I know you only too well, that’s why I said it.”
“I’m hurt. That’s not a kind thing to say. No, my plan is one I came up with together with my pop.”
“Now that does upset me.”
“It’s quite simple. And you don’t need to worry. He heard the other half of Frankie’s semi is due to come up for sale, and what with Donna and Frankie being engaged, he thought we should buy the other half of the house. You know, spread us out a bit. So I’ll have a bedroom and plenty space for Eileen.”
“I’m not sure I want to know the answer to this, but how does your pop, who’s tucked away in HMP Edinburgh, know that your neighbours plan to sell their home?”
“Arjun Mansoor mentioned it. He knows them. Anyway, the place isn’t quite for sale yet, but it will be soon. Watch this space. What a break, eh?”
“I don’t think you should ask any more questions. We’re just going to learn something that we’ll have to act on.”
“You’re right, Rache. Bye Jamie. Take care of Linda and Eileen.”
“I will. I’ll do just that. Lovely to see you honey. Don’t pine for me too much, cos Linda and I are solid.”
Mel couldn’t help grinning at the young man’s cheek as she led the way along the corridor and towards the exit of the hospital.
***
Of course, it would have been cleaner if this one bled out and died like the others. But the fact that she’s still alive is exciting, in a strange way. Maybe now I’ve found out which hospital she’s in, I can watch the result of my work.
Yes, it would be fun to see how she copes with my handiwork. Maybe I can even go in to see her. She won’t see me. Now that would be intoxicating.
I also know about a woman with bright green eyes. Deep, emerald, green. Those would be a fine addition to the collection. She’s not difficult to spot, I’m told, because she has a bright green flash in her hair.
Chapter Fifteen
Tim left the hotel and slung the mugshot book into the back of his car. It was unbelievable. He had positive identifications for a Scottish politician, Yuhanaa Islam, Lucky Buchanan, John Hamilton, a rogue that Tim knew had been dead for two years and his own boss, DI Hunter Wilson. He felt exasperated as he drew up outside the rehab facility.
He noticed the security cameras follow him as he got out of the car, locked the doors and strode towards the main building. At least they would protect his car, he thought. Then it occurred to him that the cameras would have spotted Lucky too, whenever he left the premises. That might be helpful to the enquiries. Of course, he had known Lucky since their school days. They used to play rugby against each other. Tim knew Lucky was an entitled bully but had never thought of him as inflicting the kind of cruelty that would deprive a victim of their sight. On the other hand, he was an addict, he thought. Who knew what an addict could do when they were high?
When he reached the reception desk, Tim rang the bell and a harassed little nurse emerged from a back office.
She looked up at Tim. “My goodness, you’re tall.”
“I’ve been told that before.”
She blushed to the roots of her ash blonde hair. “Sorry. Now we’ve got that over with, what can I do for you? Something tells me you’re not checking in.”
“You’re right there, Staff Nurse Jessica.” He read the name badge on her chest.
“More’s the pity. How can I help?” She smiled, looked directly into his eyes, and continued. “You have amazingly blue eyes.” She put her hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I just said that. How unprofessional of me. I’m exhausted. I’ve been on shift for sixteen hours. Someone called in sick. I’m babbling now, aren’t I?”
“Don’t worry. I know what long shifts are like. I’m a police detective.” And you are pretty, he thought. “Perhaps if I checked in here, I’d get a bit of peace until my superiors tracked me down. What do you think?”
“I’m not sure about that. I know I don’t get much peace, that’s for sure.”
“I can imagine. I don’t suppose your patients are permitted to leave the grounds, are they?”
“Oh yes, especially towards the end of their stay with us. We encourage them to take up a sport, maybe riding or jogging, or even just going for long walks. And if they can go into the village and stop in at the shops or have a cup of tea in one of the wee cafes without coming back high or puggled, we can judge that they may be ready for life in the real world.”
“I see. And was Lucky Buchanan allowed out in that way?”
“Yes, indeed. He’s been doing very well.”
“Do you keep records of who goes out when?”
“We have to. Th
ey sign out, write down what they are going to do in the book, and sign back in again.”
“I don’t suppose I could have a quick look at this book, could I?”
“You could if you took your arm off it. You’re leaning on it.” She smiled at Tim as he stepped back and flicked through the few pages to reach the night of Eileen’s attack.
“There were two of your patients out that evening,” he said.
“Which one? Oh yes, old Archie goes out about that time most nights. He’s a keen fisherman and watches the fish coming to the surface of the lake down the road. Apparently, fish don’t have any eyelids, so they’re more comfortable eating insects in the dark.”
“Really? Who knew?” Tim shrugged. “Lucky Buchanan was out as well?”
“He’s taken up running and is training for a marathon. He was out for hours. Apparently, he got lost and hurt his foot. He had to hitch-hike back if I recall.”
“Hmm. Has Lucky taken up running? He’s the laziest man I know. Are you sure?”
“You know him? Well, I’m sure.” She grinned. “He’s even taking a pride in his appearance, grown a beard and everything.”
“Wow! Could I get a copy of that page?”
“Aren’t you meant to have a warrant or something?”
Tim handed her his card. “I honestly am a detective,” he whispered.
She looked left and right and hurried into the back office with the book. She handed him an envelope and replaced the book with care.
“Don’t tell anybody.”
“I won’t.”
“Anyway, you still haven’t told me why you’re here,” she said.
“That’s easy. I’m here to relieve you of Lord Lachlan Buchanan.”
“Lucky? Yes, he’s all packed and ready to go and complaining that his chauffeur is late again.”
“Chauffeur? I’ll give him chauffeur. I’ll leave him here if he’s not careful.”
“Please don’t do that. I need the room,” she said.
“Timmy boy.” Lachlan voice blasted from the corridor. “I didn’t see you arrive. I was looking for your big BMW hybrid thing.”