Ken McClure - Trauma

Sarah joined him at the foot of the stairs and knelt down beside Tyndall. After a moment she looked up at Lafferty and said, “His neck’s broken. He’s dead.”

Lafferty closed Tyndall’s eyes with his forefinger and thumb before picking up Sarah’s belongings. Sarah herself seemed to be in a trance; she couldn’t take her eyes off the body. Lafferty put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

“It’s all my fault,” said Sarah quietly. “If I hadn’t been so stupid none of this would ever have happened.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Sarah,” said Lafferty. “Fate was holding the reins.”

Sarah shook her head and refused to listen, but Lafferty persisted. He made her look at him. “This is not your doing,” he insisted. “It just happened, that’s all. His death was an accident.”

Sarah looked back at Tyndall’s lifeless body. “He was a gifted man,” she said. “Whatever he tried to do to me.”

“Maybe,” said Lafferty coldly.

Sarah looked at him questioningly.

“Do you know how long he’s been living here?” asked Lafferty.

“He told me that he and his brother were brought up here. This was the family house. Why?”

“Because this is North Berwick. An intelligent man who’s lived here all his life must have known about the past connection with witchcraft and the Hand of Glory .”

“You think that Cyril was involved?” gasped an incredulous Sarah. “But he was a brilliant scientist! Why on earth would he get involved in anything criminal?”

Lafferty shook his head and said, “I don’t know, but you didn’t reckon on him being a rapist either.”

Sarah conceded the point in silence.

“Oh Ryan,” she whispered, her voice reflecting the hopelessness she felt. “This is all just too...”

Lafferty drew Sarah to him and held her for a moment before leading her slowly up the stairs.

“What do we do now?”

“We should call the police,” replied Lafferty.

Sarah considered this for a moment before saying slowly, “I managed to get the key to the Institute...”

Lafferty looked at her as if he found it hard to believe what she was suggesting. “You can’t be serious — after all you’ve been through,” he said softly.

“I want us to see it through together,” said Sarah firmly. “We’ve come this far.”

“If you’re absolutely sure...” said Lafferty, his voice betraying the doubts he felt.

“I’m sure,” said Sarah, but she sounded as if her confidence was balanced on a knife-edge. “If we call the police, these people might still get away with it. We owe it to John McKirrop, the O’Donnells, John Main and God knows how many others, to see that they don’t.”

Lafferty saw the determination in Sarah’s eyes and his heart went out to her. The feeling alarmed him but it was undeniable. “Come on then,” he said. “We’ll have to use your car. Mine has given up the ghost.”

Lafferty drove the Fiesta back at Sarah’s request. They didn’t speak until they had cleared the outskirts of North Berwick, when Sarah asked Lafferty how he had come to be there in the first place.

“I was worried about you,” he replied. He told her about the trick with the phone-pad.

“Ryan?”

“Yes?”

“Would you take your collar off, please?”

Lafferty glanced sideways then complied without question. He tossed it over his shoulder on to the back seat. Sarah rested her head against his arm. “That’s better,” she murmured. “And Ryan?”

“Yes?”

“Right now you are wondering what you should say. The answer is nothing. Just don’t say anything.”

Lafferty remained silent.

Sarah remained with her head resting against his arm for the remainder of the journey. She wasn’t asleep, but she kept her eyes closed until she heard the engine note slow as they approached a roundabout. She sat up straight and looked out of the window.

“How are you feeling?” Lafferty asked.

Sarah thought for a moment before replying, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so afraid in my life.”

As they drove through the outskirts of the city Sarah asked, “Do you think we could stop off at the hospital? I’d like to change.” She fingered her torn skirt.

“Of course.”

Lafferty was glad it was still raining as he parked Sarah’s Fiesta in the car-park outside the residency. It gave him a feeling of security. He supposed it was psychological, but a dark, wet night suggested that most people would be indoors. There would be less chance of being seen by casual passers-by.

Eventually, Sarah emerged from the building wearing jeans and her suede jacket. She ran down the steps and got into the car, brushing the rain from her hair with her hand. “Sorry I was so long,” she said.

Lafferty ignored the apology and said, “Sarah, you really don’t have to do this. I can go alone to the Institute. Why don’t you wait here and I’ll get in touch with you later?”

Lafferty was puzzled when he saw a flash of anger cross Sarah’s face. It was still reflected in her eyes when she said, “Ryan, don’t ever treat me like the little woman. Understood?”

“Understood,” replied Lafferty, a little taken aback.

Sarah wasn’t finished yet. She said, “This is as much my problem as it is yours and I’m the doctor in this team; I’m in a much better position than you to find my way round a medical research laboratory and understand what’s going on. If anyone stays behind, it should be you. You may be a man but you are a priest and in my book that makes you...” Sarah paused as she felt her mouth begin to run ahead of her brain.

“As much use as a chocolate spanner?” ventured Lafferty.

Sarah saw the humour in Lafferty’s eyes and her temper evaporated at once to be replaced by guilt. She let her body sag and she looked up to the heavens, saying, “What am I doing? What am I saying to the man who drove through the night to save me from a fate worse than death, the man who laid out the villain with a punch that would have made John Wayne look limp-wristed. He does all this and I start playing the aggrieved feminist!” Sarah shook her head.

“It wasn’t entirely unjustified,” said Lafferty. “You actually made a very good point.”

“Why do you have to be so bloody reasonable?” exploded Sarah.

Lafferty looked puzzled and Sarah burst into laughter. “What am I going to do with you?” she exclaimed.

When Lafferty still looked puzzled, Sarah said quietly, “Let’s both go to the Institute, shall we?” As the smiles faded, they both knew the time for laughter was over.

“Got a torch?” asked Lafferty.

“In the glove compartment,” Sarah replied. Lafferty started the car and they set off for the medical school.

A church clock struck one as Lafferty and Sarah made their way to the Institute. There was no security to speak of at the medical school, more a caretaker service to deal with late phone enquiries and keep a general eye on things. Despite the lateness of the hour, there were still a number of lights on in the main buildings. “Emergency lab services,” explained Sarah.

When they reached the Institute, Lafferty suggested that they wait in the shadows for a few minutes to make sure that there were no signs of activity inside the building. Being modern, a lot of glass had been used in its construction. Even a light on in a room at the back would have been visible from where they stood.

Sarah rubbed her arms as she became cold with the wait. Lafferty nodded and said, “All right, let’s go.” They flitted across to the door of the institute, and Sarah inserted the card in the electronic lock. There was a barely audible click and the door was released. Sarah ushered Lafferty inside, then closed the door again quietly. Both of them dropped to their knees to make sure they were not visible from outside; they waited a few moments until their nerves had calmed down.