Alex Barclay - Time of Death

‘I hope you’re right.’

‘You don’t need to hope.’ Gary paused. ‘OK, if I’m going to get Denver PD to bury this, you need to tell me what you were seeing Helen about…’

‘Everything, really,’ said Ren.

‘Relationships? Your family? Work?’

‘Yes.’

‘Ren,’ said Gary, leaning forward, ‘for now, you are one of three patients Denver PD are interested in. I need to be absolutely sure that your file is not going to hold the key to this entire investigation or even be twenty steps behind the key to this investigation. I need to know that we’re not all going to spend weeks or months or years looking for a killer who is named on page one of your patient file.’

‘No, not a chance.’

‘You’re off medication at the moment, right? That’s according to my last time checking in with Helen.’

‘Yes.’

‘Were you discussing the work stuff in detail with Helen?’

‘Not major details, no. And I doubt she would have taken them down if I was.’

‘Different psychiatrists take different kinds of notes. It’s their call. Did you notice — did Helen have separate psychiatry/psychotherapy files? Did she have the meds in one file and notes on the talk therapy in another?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Ren. ‘Most psychiatrists do nowadays. Or do they? I mean, if you thought someone other than your therapist would be able to access the inner workings of your mind, you wouldn’t tell them everything. And if you don’t, then your treatment is a total waste. I would have said that Helen was a “one file for Medicaid, one file for me,” kind of person. But then again, I wouldn’t have had her down as a secret author…’

‘Do you think there’s something up with that?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Ren. ‘I mean, why would she tell me about a book if it was early days? Maybe it was just a confidence thing.’ She shrugged. ‘I really don’t know.’ But I’m a little rattled.

Gary nodded. ‘The other thing is — and I’m asking because I have to — was there any tension between you and Helen?’

I must meet all these devils that my family and friends are being advocates for. ‘No, no tension at all. We had an excellent relationship. We were like…’ Ren’s eyes filled up with tears. ‘…friends. It was a professional relationship, but she was like a friend. She was…just…always…there for me.’

Gary reached out for the phone.

‘OK,’ said Ren, standing up. ‘Thank you.’ She turned back as she reached the door. ‘Do you think Glenn Buddy is going to guess that it’s me?’

‘Does that matter? The point is you’re being eliminated from his investigation. I know a lot of agents, I’ve moved around a lot. I could be vouching for anyone. And Helen’s worked as a shrink for over thirty years in different places, with different law-enforcement agencies and in psychiatric units…this could be anyone.’

‘OK…’

‘Don’t worry.’

‘Thank you,’ said Ren. ‘I’m heading out now. I’ve got to speak with a possible girlfriend of Gavino Val Pando…Oh and I almost forgot: I need to fly to El Paso Monday…please…’

Jessica Ellerbee lived with her parents in a well-tended middle-class suburb of Denver. She was dressed in an oversized white bathrobe when she opened the door to Ren. Her blonde hair was wet and combed back with a side parting. There were traces of mascara under her eyes. She was wearing glasses with brown rectangular frames. There was an intelligent prettiness about her.

‘Hello, Jessica. My name is Ren Bryce. I’m with the FBI.’ She held up her badge.

Barely a flicker.

‘Can I come in?’ said Ren.

‘Sure,’ said Jessica. ‘I’m sorry, I’m just out of the shower.’

‘That’s OK.’

She brought Ren into the living room and curled up on the sofa, pulling her legs under her and making sure her bathrobe was tucked in everywhere.

‘I’ll have to sit beside you to show you something.’

‘Oh…’ Jessica sat up and put her feet on the floor, elaborately fixing the bathrobe again.

‘Jessica, I’m with The Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and we’re trying to find Gavino Val Pando.’

‘Uh…who…?’

Bless your heart. ‘This guy,’ said Ren. She took out her laptop and opened it on the table in front of them. It was already on and the DVD was ready to play.

‘We have a great audio-video department at the office,’ said Ren. ‘They can take video and turn it into DVD so quick, it saved me having to drag you all the way in to the office to have your memory jogged.’ She surprised Jessica when she turned to look at her. Neither of them had realized how close they were sitting. Ren shifted back a little. Away from the startled teen.

Ren hit the space bar. The screen went from black to snowy to the inside of the Brockton Filly. Jessica went very still.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Ren, hitting pause. ‘But I’m under a little time pressure with these cases and I want to stop you from having to lie when I know you don’t really want to. I also understand that this video is probably a reminder of a night at the sheriff’s office that you’d rather forget.’

Jessica let out a breath, but said nothing. Ren let the footage play a little longer and paused again. ‘This looks like you and Gavino are punching each other’s numbers into your cell phones…’ she said.

‘We were playing a computer game,’ said Jessica. There was sweetness in her delivery. But none in the lying.

‘OK…’ Ren played the tape. ‘Wow — a thirty-second computer game? Who won?’

Jessica shifted again in her seat.

‘And this is you leaving,’ said Ren, pointing to the screen. ‘And being ushered back in by the sheriff’s department and taken in for under-age drinking.’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t really remember,’ said Jessica.

‘That’s understandable,’ said Ren. ‘It looks as though you’d had a lot to drink.’ I had the same problem myself in that bar. And screwed up on a grander scale. But there you go. I’m twenty years older than you. And I have a badge.

‘OK — I met him once,’ said Jessica, pointing at Gavino. ‘It’s all there on the tape. We got separated at the sheriff’s office. And I never saw the guy again.’

Ren put a photo of Gavino on the table. ‘He’s not just “that guy”, though, is he?’

Jessica looked at the floor.

‘I think I can understand your position,’ said Ren. ‘You were in trouble last year and I’m sure your parents were mad at you and you swore you’d never give them any trouble again? And now your boyfriend’s connected to Denver’s Most Wanted list…’

‘My parents don’t even know that he-’

Bingo.

Jessica started to cry when she realized what she had said. She took off her glasses and wiped her tears with the sleeve of the bathrobe.

‘Are you and Gavino together?’

Jessica shook her head. ‘He…we weren’t…I didn’t sleep with him.’

‘That doesn’t concern me.’ So there’s no need to lie about that either.

‘I really didn’t,’ said Jessica. ‘He’s…so sweet. Was.’

‘So, you’re not together? I’m a little confused.’

Jessica shook her head, tears streaming down her face. ‘No. He left Denver when you guys brought out that list. He left because of me. He knew that my parents would kill me if they found out I was with him…if they found out anything about his family.’

‘I can understand that.’ Ren nodded. ‘It must be very difficult for you.’

Jessica glanced at her to check for sincerity.

‘Hey,’ said Ren. ‘I may be over twice your age, but-’