Brian Freemantle - A Mind to Kill

Despite having had little sleep himself, Humphrey Perry was in his office promptly at nine, waiting for Hall’s call. It took the solicitor fifteen minutes to take down Hall’s instructions, which included having collected from Geoffrey Johnson and delivered the clothes and belongings he’d collected from the prison. When Hall told the solicitor what he wanted from both the defence and prosecution sections of the murder file, Perry said, That absolutely-’

‘Don’t even bother to say it!’ stopped Hall.

‘We actually know Bentley, a trained murder squad detective, looked into it,’ still protested the man.

‘The same detective who didn’t properly carry out the investigation at the scene of the crime,’ rejected Hall. ‘It was all too obvious. They laid back.’

‘Leave it to the priests and the psychiatrists.’

‘Just have what I want sent down. But not by courier: someone you can trust from your office who won’t be recognized and followed.’

Mason and the clinic doctor were in deep conversation when Hall emerged for the second time.

‘I’ve managed a preliminary medical examination,’ said the squeaky-voiced doctor. ‘I don’t like all the medication she’s been having. What St Thomas’s administered was fine but God knows what was pumped into her in prison. I’m going to put her on detox, to clean her out.’

Hall flinched at the brutality of the doctor’s expression. In daylight Cox was an unusual looking man: Hall guessed the hooded eyes were normal but weren’t helped by the man waiting up for their arrival. ‘You consider she’s medically unwell?’

‘She’s not in good physical shape,’ said Cox. ‘I don’t think she’s eaten properly for weeks. The knife wounds have barely healed. The cut on her leg is still open. And I’m going to take X-rays later to see how the ribs are knitting.’

‘And that’s before I get involved or we think about exorcism,’ said Mason. ‘We’re wondering just how much more, at the moment, Jennifer Lomax can take, physically and mentally.’

‘Surely it’s a measure of how strong Jennifer is, mentally, that she’s been able to withstand it?’ said Hall.

‘There’s a limit,’ warned the psychiatrist. ‘I think she might be close to reaching it. Which is why I’d like to know what you think you can do?’

Before Hall was halfway through explaining Mason and Cox were exchanging looks. The moment Hall finished Mason said flatly, ‘I don’t like it. You’ve no basis for believing that it would work. And it’ll put a hell of a strain on her.’

‘Any greater strain than she’s already under?’

‘Additional.’

‘I outmanoeuvred Jane to get us away from the hospital.’

‘You’re talking of more than outmanoeuvring her now.’

‘Are you telling me, on medical or mental health grounds, not to try it?’

Both doctors were momentarily silent. Cox said, ‘I’d want to detox her, first. And after that give her some time to rest.’

Mason said, ‘And I’d like to start treating her for the depression.’

‘I wouldn’t be able to do anything for some time…’ Hall paused, forcing the admission. ‘Perhaps never.’

‘What if both of you fail?’ demanded an unimpressed Cox.

It was the psychiatrist who answered. ‘Then she’ll probably kill herself. Which maybe she should be allowed to do before Jane makes her kill someone else even if she isn’t allowed to get near Emily.’

Jennifer was wearing a track suit, too, grey against Hall’s deep blue. Her hair was combed but her face was devoid of make-up, shiny and sallow. There was a hollowness to her cheeks Hall hadn’t noticed before and her eyes, still black-ringed, were red-rimmed, too: incredibly, startling him, it actually made Jennifer look ghost-like. She looked up disinterestedly through glassy eyes at their entrance. The animation was brief, with her first demand. ‘Is Emily safe? Hidden?’

‘Absolutely,’ promised Hall. ‘No-one can get to her.’

‘ Wanna bet. ’

It seemed an instinctive movement for Jennifer to reach out for Hall’s hand. Unquestioningly – almost just as instinctively – he took it. Her skin was clammy but at the same time cold, feverish. She said, ‘I saw what was happening at the hospital.’

Hall located the television, close to the window, louvred doors enclosing the screen. It was a huge suite, by comparison to the wards she had been in. The furniture was predominantly comfortable, appeal-to-everyone modern, with a few pieces – a side-table and a bureau – that could have been antique and from the cost of the clinic probably were. There was a profusion of flowers, mostly roses and lilies, in the sitting-room in which they were and more in what he was able to see through the open door of the bedroom. ‘You’re out of it now.’

‘When we were getting out Jane said they would have torn me apart if they’d got to me,’ reminded Jennifer. ‘Would they have, really?’

‘ You betcha! ’

‘It didn’t happen,’ said Mason, placating. ‘They didn’t get the chance and you don’t need to think about what didn’t happen.’

‘ What’s going to happen from now on? ’

‘But would they have done?’ insisted Jennifer.

‘It was an uncontrollable mob,’ said Mason. ‘They might have tried to hurt you. Others would have wanted to worship you.’

‘ Don’t I always tell you the truth! Remember the slogan: you heard it here first. ’

Hall frowned at the psychiatrist’s directness and at the fear that shuddered through Jennifer, making her hand tremble. Forcefully he said, ‘The past is just that, past. We’re planning a future now. We’ve got a lot to talk about.’

‘ Let’s hear it, big boy! ’

‘She’s talking to me all the time. Mocking, as usual.’

‘And I want to talk to her. Like I did last night. But not immediately…’ He indicated the psychiatrist. ‘Dr Mason wants to try to help get rid of Jane-’

‘ Don’t waste your time! What’s lover boy want with me? ’

‘She says don’t waste your time,’ said Jennifer, stopping short of repeating the entire remark.

Hall ignored the interruption. ‘I know we talked about it and you don’t believe in any God, but he wants you to try exorcism…’

‘… There’s a chapel here. A visiting priest: rather high Church of England. He’ll try to help,’ picked up Mason. ‘It doesn’t matter that you don’t believe. And I want us to spend a lot of time together, on other things. You’re giving up. You mustn’t give up. I want to stop you thinking like that…’

‘I don’t know how to think any more. Too tired.’

‘ I won! I’m in charge.’

‘No, you’re not too tired. Not really. Just for the moment. We’re going to get you better.’

‘ I’ve never felt better.’

‘How can I be got better?’

‘By letting me help you. By letting us all help you,’ insisted the psychiatrist. He looked pointedly towards the lawyer.

‘Dr Mason has helped us a lot already,’ responded Hall. ‘Not just last night. Before. He wants to treat you – help rid you of Jane – but he also wants to write a clinical report on it. A technical paper that other psychiatrists and psychologists can read and learn from…’

‘ Freaky, freaky, freaky! ’

Jennifer gave a weary sigh. ‘There was a discussion about books on television.’

‘This isn’t – won’t be – a book,’ stressed Mason, urgently. ‘It will be a technical account of everything that’s happened. Not sensational at all.’

Jennifer gave another sigh. ‘Why not?’

In his urgency Mason had been leaning forward, elbows on his knees. Now he eased back, smiling.

‘ And he’s got his piece of flesh. You’re going to make a lot of people rich, Jennifer.’