Tania Carver - The Creeper

‘ Oh my God…’

Hazel Mills, the woman sitting opposite Anni, had

Hazel Mills, the woman sitting opposite Anni, had her hand over her mouth in a gesture of shock that would have looked caricatured if she hadn’t been so sincere and upset. ‘Oh my God…’

Speechless, thought Anni, then felt guilty at even thinking of a joke like that.

She was on Gainsborough Wing, in the office of the Head of Speech Therapy at Colchester General Hospital. The unit was as institutionalised as the rest of the building but efforts had been made to make it appear more colourful and comfortable. Anni had glimpsed primary coloured chairs and tables in the treatment rooms as she had been led along the corridor. Boxes of well-used toys were stacked and overflowing in corners where small children weren’t playing with them. Charts adorned the walls, phonetics and letters in bright, bold letters interspersed with positive messages.

Hazel Mills’ office was just the same: big, bright and bold. But there was little positivity at that moment. Anni had just told the head of department about Suzanne Perry and Zoe Herriot.

Anni had spoken to Rose Martin before she left the crime scene for the hospital. Asked her about her chat with Mark Turner, seeing if there was anything he had said that could have thrown some light on the situation. Given them something to work on. She had been tight-lipped about it.

‘I don’t think it’s him,’ was the first thing she had said.

Anni was taken aback by her defensiveness. ‘I didn’t ask that. Look, I’m sorry that Phil made you do it. It should have been me.’

Rose had said nothing, just looked at Anni as if waiting for her to finish talking. She barely blinked.

‘It wasn’t my decision. He’s the boss.’ Anni sighed. ‘Look, if it’s any consolation, I’ve just had a big bust-up with him.’

A light came on in Rose’s eyes.

Anni sensed a breakthrough. She smiled. ‘He’s not the easiest of people to get on with. I know.’ Phil was probably the best boss Anni had ever had if she was honest but if it would bring Rose Martin onside she would say what the woman wanted to hear.

Rose seemed to snap out of it then. She shook her head, gave a small smile. ‘We had a bit of a… difference of opinion yesterday.’

‘First day?’ Anni laughed. ‘Good going. I waited at least a week.’

Rose’s turn to laugh then. Anni joined her. More out of relief than anything else. She hadn’t known her long, but already she found the DS hard to get along with.

‘So, I’m sorry, yeah? Apology accepted?’

Rose nodded, the hint of a smile playing at her lips.

‘So what happened last night? Anything I should know about?’

Rose shrugged. ‘He’s a bit of an odd one. Typical student, I thought. Dull and nerdy. Not much to him. I doubt he’s a serious contender.’

‘Why not?’

‘Well, for one thing he’s got a girlfriend who he says can give him an alibi for when Suzanne Perry reckons the intruder was in her flat, and another thing…’ She tailed off.

‘Yes?’

Rose smiled. ‘He’s just not that into her.’

Anni laughed.

‘Really. Had to be prompted to see if she was OK or not. Sounds like he’d moved on. No great loss, she can do better than him.’

‘Let’s hope she gets the chance.’

Rose reddened. ‘Sorry. I meant…’

‘I know.’

‘We can talk to him again, if you think we should, but to be honest…’ She shrugged.

‘Not a priority.’

‘I doubt it.’

So, armed with that and the hope she had made a new ally, she had gone off to the Speech Therapy Department at Colchester General.

There were other officers and uniforms taking statements from other members of staff but Anni, being of senior rank, was interviewing Hazel Mills.

She was a small woman. Compact, Anni would have said. In her late forties with short, greying hair and wearing a striped, mannish blouse, linen trousers and little make-up, she was clear-eyed and sharp-featured. But not today. Those eyes were wide and threatening tears, her featured blurred and unfocused.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Anni. She hated this part of the job. Seeing the carefully constructed worlds of ordinary people collapse. It always made her think of the Shakespeare she had studied at school. Macbeth. The death of Banquo, the spectre at the feast. The reminder that no matter how much people try and forget, go about their ordinary lives, follow their dreams, indulge their passions and make their wishes, it all, ultimately, stands for nothing. Because it can be taken away so easily, so arbitrarily. And where a work colleague or friend or lover should be there’s now just a void. An ache. And with it another reminder: That’ll be me one day. One day there’ll be a world without me in it .

If that hadn’t yet happened to Hazel Mills, if she hadn’t quite reached that stage, thought Anni, she soon would.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Anni once more.

Hazel Mills nodded, barely hearing her. She reached for a box of tissues on the corner of her desk, pulled one out. Then another. Rubbed her eyes with them. Kept them there a long time.

Anni waited for her to look up, then continued. ‘It happened quite quickly,’ she said. ‘To Zoe. She wouldn’t have suffered.’

Hazel Mills nodded. ‘Does… have you told her, her boyfriend yet?’

‘Someone’s there now.’

‘And, and… Suzanne?’

‘We don’t know. Yet.’ Anni leaned forward. ‘Obviously we’re doing all we can to find her.’

Hazel Mills nodded once more. Anni wasn’t sure she had heard her. She looked at her, trying to make eye contact.

‘But we need help. D’you mind if I ask you some questions, please…’ Anni checked the woman’s fingers for wedding rings, ‘… Ms Mills?’

‘Go ahead.’ She blew her nose, blinked the tears from her eyes, took a deep breath, sat stiff and erect, her body tensed as if ready to ward off blows.

Anni looked down at her notes. ‘Did you know Suzanne had a stalker?’

Hazel Mills leaned back in her chair, thoughtful. Anni got the impression she was a very serious person although she clearly wasn’t seeing her at her best. ‘I… yes.’

‘She told you?’

‘Word… got out. There was talk so I asked her outright. And she was honest with me. Told me it was something that had happened when she was at university. All over and done with. All in the past.’ She sighed and Anni thought she was about to start crying again.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘We’re a small unit here. We all have to work together. Get on. That’s one of the things I look for in staff when I employ them. I like to create a… nurturing environment. The two girls fitted in very well with that.’ Her bottom lip trembled. She bit it. ‘I take a personal interest in my staff ’s welfare.’ She sniffed, dabbed her nose. ‘I’m sorry.’

Anni nodded, said nothing. There was nothing she could say.

‘So this stalker problem Suzanne mentioned,’ said Anni, keeping the questions going, keeping Hazel Mills’ mind occupied, ‘it was all over and done with by the time she came to work here.’

Hazel Mills nodded. ‘She hadn’t been here that long really. Just before Christmas. She wasn’t long out of university.’

‘I know. And she had no trouble here?’

Hazel Mills shook her head.

‘Did she mention the name Anthony Howe?’

Hazel Mills frowned. ‘Doesn’t ring a bell…’ She sighed again, dabbed away at her tears. ‘This is awful. Especially after what happened to that occupational therapist. Like we’re cursed, here…’

Anni’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Occupational therapist?’