Dark Spaces (34 page)

This, Lilly could see at a glance, was going to be a slow process.

‘Enjoy,’ Harry told her with a mischievous wink.

An hour later, Lilly rubbed her eyes. It was obvious that when Chloe had arrived at the Grove she had been in the throes of a severe mental breakdown.

‘Patient requires restraint and sedation’.

‘Patient on suicide watch’.

Dr Cromer’s notes were brief but clear.

‘Patient prescribed Valium and temazepam’.

However, after a few days Chloe stablized and remained calm for several weeks with Dr Cromer recording nothing more remarkable than: ‘Patient well’.

Then, out of the blue, she had another episode. No trigger was noted, but the symptoms were serious.

‘Patient suffering suicidal ideation’.

‘Patient delusional’.

Dr Cromer prescribed more drugs and the situation was once again brought under control – a pattern that persisted throughout his tenure and into Harry’s, though his comments were more detailed.

‘Chloe is in a state of high anxiety. She describes herself as very frightened and asks to move out of her room, which she fears is haunted. I have agreed that she can move to a different corridor and prescribed Xanax 100mg.’

‘Chloe has made herself vomit twice this morning. She says JS is giving her the wrong medication, which makes her feel as if she is in a dream state. We discussed that this was known as disembodiment and a symptom of depression and anxiety.’

‘Who’s JS?’ Lilly asked.

‘John Staines,’ Harry replied. ‘He’s a pharmacist. Worked here forever.’

John Staines. One of only two suspects.

‘It says in the notes that Chloe thought he was messing with her meds.’

Harry nodded. ‘What can I tell you? He’s the person Chloe associates with medication, so any delusions about that would necessarily involve John.’ He smiled at her. ‘You’ll probably find she accuses us all in there at some point.’

‘He’s on the list,’ Lilly said. ‘Your list.’

‘Yes, he is.’ Harry went back to his work, unwilling to discuss the subject further.

‘What does he look like?’ she asked.

‘I’ve never given it much thought,’ Harry replied without looking up. ‘Fifties. Grey hair.’

‘Scraggly and hanging in his face?’

‘That’s a touch harsh, but yes, I suppose sartorial elegance is not one of John’s strong suits.’

It was the guy with the trolley. Had to be. Lilly shivered. He could certainly have drugged Chloe, and Lydia for that matter.

‘Leave it to the police, Lilly,’ Harry warned her.

She went back to the notes.

Two hours later, Lilly closed the laptop. ‘Done.’

‘What’s the verdict?’ Harry asked.

‘There’s nothing in there that even suggests Chloe has a propensity for violence,’ Lilly replied. ‘There are a few argybargies with staff, but that’s when she’s being restrained and she’s frightened. No one’s come away with worse than a few bruises.’

‘Then there is no reason for the police to have access to them.’

‘Probably not, and I’ll argue that tomorrow,’ said Lilly. ‘But, to be honest, even if they win, these notes won’t help their case. There’s nothing suspicious in there.’

Chapter Twelve

Your full name:

Phoebe Talbot

Your date of birth:

08/04/1998

Address line 1:

Hampton House, Locksford Way.

Address line 2:

Clayhill Estate

Town/city:

Luton

Postcode:

LU2 4TY

Telephone number:

01582 86222

Email address:

[email protected]

Reason for enquiry:

I wish to find my sister who I have not been allowed to see for two years

Full name of person you wish to contact:

Gigi Talbot

His/her date of birth:

Sometime in 1988

Lilly arrived at court early. It was quiet but at least the electricity was on.

She headed straight for the advocates’ room where Kerry had already commandeered the table, spreading her papers around her.

‘Nice to see you again, Lilly.’ Kerry’s voice dripped with sarcasm. ‘No doubt you’ve got a set of medical notes for me.’

‘Nice try,’ said Lilly. ‘But you’ll have to get a court order if you want them.’

‘That’s what we’re here for.’

Kerry bent her head and went back to her files, as if she had nothing more to say to Lilly. Bloody rude cow.

‘Actually, that’s not all I’m here for,’ she said.

Kerry left her finger on the document she was reading so she wouldn’t lose her place and looked up.

‘I wanted your opinion on the list of suspects,’ said Lilly.

Kerry sighed and glanced at the word her finger was marking as if it were far more important than anything Lilly might have to say. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lilly.’

‘That’s strange,’ said Lilly. ‘Two days ago I sent an email to Officer McNally listing the people who had access to my client’s room at the Grove. I assumed that those people would have been tested forensically by now to find out which one raped her.’

‘First I’ve heard of it,’ said Kerry.

‘Very odd,’ said Lilly. ‘I advised him to pass it on to you as a matter of urgency. After all, you’re going to look pretty stupid when I tell the judge that I want the matter set down for committal because there’s no case to answer.’

‘No case to answer? Your client’s fingerprints were on the knife.’

Lilly opened her palms. ‘What choice do I have, Kerry? You know our defence is that the same person who raped Chloe also murdered Lydia, and I’ve provided you with a list of suspects. If the police refuse to investigate then what am I to do?’

‘You can’t expect us to launch some expensive operation on the whim of one of your client’s wild fantasies.’

Lilly folded her arms. ‘Chloe’s rape was very real according to Dr Hicks. She took the usual samples. All you have to do is scrape the inside of two mouths to see who matches.’

‘Two?’

‘Two. You try telling the judge why you didn’t bother and see how far you get.’

‘And what if none of them match?’

‘Then I’m a twat and your case just got a hell of a lot stronger.’

Harry was sat in the waiting area outside court, flicking through a copy of
HELLO!
, the heel of one foot resting on the knee of the other.

‘I didn’t guess celebrity gossip was your thing,’ she said.

He laughed and put the magazine down on the seat next to him. ‘Doesn’t everyone need to know Jennifer Aniston’s top tips for thick, shiny hair?’

Thinking of her own unruly mop, Lilly thought she probably did need to know those tips.

‘I’ve already put a right royal rocket up the prosecution’s arse about the list of suspects,’ she replied.

Harry’s face fell.

‘I know you can’t bear the idea that one of those people is guilty,’ she said, ‘But we have to know. For Chloe’s sake.’

‘You’re right of course.’

Kerry and Jack approached. Kerry was hugging a fat file to her chest and Jack slouched next to her. He didn’t acknowledge Lilly but threw a scowl at Harry.

‘We’re popular,’ Harry whispered in Lilly’s ear.

‘Like Russell Brand in a convent.’

Jack’s face darkened further at the sight of Lilly and Harry laughing. He needed to grow up.

‘You give me the medical notes and we’ll do the forensics,’ said Kerry.

Lilly processed the offer. The notes weren’t a problem and the court might well order their release in any event. ‘When?’ she asked.

‘Straight after the hearing,’ said Kerry. ‘Jack will go with your man to the hospital and get it done.’

Jack worried the carpet tiles with the toe of his boot. Clearly he wasn’t happy with the proposals. Clearly he had been given no choice.

‘Fine,’ said Lilly.

When Kerry and Jack were out of earshot, Harry grabbed her arm. ‘I thought you were going to fight them about the notes.’

‘Don’t worry, Harry.’ She put a hand over his. ‘There’s absolutely nothing in those notes that can hurt Chloe.’

Harry’s face remained unconvinced and he dug his fingers further into her flesh.

‘Trust me, Harry,’ she told him.

The pressure he was applying was almost starting to hurt when he let go.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Of course I trust you.’

Kate was right. Lilly and Piper were having it away.

Jesus, how had he not seen it before? So bloody cosy. Like giggling kids. They’d probably set up the whole thing about the notes between them. Piper could easily have got his patient’s permission, but Jack would bet his arse that Lilly had advised him not to, knowing full well that Jack would nick him. Then they could sue and ruin him. Get him out of the way.

Not bloody likely.

‘Are you listening to me, Jack?’ Kerry barked.

‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

‘Why the hell didn’t you send me the list?’ she asked.

‘It wasn’t a priority.’

‘Where Lilly Valentine is concerned everything is top priority,’ said Kerry. ‘You do not want to give her the upper hand. Ever.’

Jack nodded and followed the prosecutor into court. Lilly had already taken her place at the front, joking with the clerk as if she were in the pub. Then she turned and waved at her client, and the girl waved back. All smiles like she didn’t have a care in the world. There was no way on God’s green earth that the kid was innocent.

‘My rule of thumb, is not to trust her,’ Kerry hissed. ‘She always has an agenda and she always has a plan.’

Jack knew fine well that Lilly had a plan. It was to replace him with bloody Piper. Well, she had better watch out because now he had a plan of his own.

When the hearing was over, Lilly gave Chloe a thumbs-up. She seemed much brighter today. Perhaps just getting away from the Grove cheered her up. That place would depress Jedward.

Whatever the reason, it was heartening to see signs of life in her client.

In stark contrast were Jack and Harry, who both had a face like a slapped arse. God knows what was wrong with Jack these days. He was beyond weird. At least Harry had good reason to feel sad. He’d been forced into breaching patient confidentiality, which he didn’t take lightly, and he was about to find out which one of his most trusted colleagues was a rapist. Not to mention the recent death of a patient.

‘It’ll be all right, Harry,’ she told him. ‘You go back to the Grove and oversee Jack. I’ll bob down to the cells and speak to Chloe.’

She watched him leave, resignation weighting his shoulders. Poor man. Could anything else go wrong for him?

‘Put your tongue away, woman,’ Jack snapped.

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘You’re making a show of yourself.’

Lilly narrowed her eyes. ‘There’s only one of us here doing that.’

He shook his head in disgust and walked away. What the hell was all that about? Lilly decided she didn’t have the time or the energy to care and headed down to the cells.

‘Hello, Lilly,’ said Chloe, tucking into a plate of mince and mashed potatoes. ‘They brought me lunch.’

‘So I see.’

‘I wonder if there’ll be any pudding.’

Lilly sat on the bed next to her client and smiled. ‘You seem a lot more relaxed.’

‘I am.’

Lilly watched Chloe chase the last spoonful of grey meat around the plate.

‘Can we talk?’ Lilly asked.

Chloe shrugged and smacked her lips.

‘Tell me about Lydia,’ said Lilly.

‘She was my friend,’ said Chloe.

‘How close were you?’

Chloe smiled. ‘She always said we’d already met in a previous life.’

‘When she told you she was going to blow the whistle on the abuse did you believe her?’

‘Oh yeah.’ Chloe nodded vigorously. ‘She couldn’t deal with it at all.’

‘I’m sure you both found it hard,’ said Lilly.

‘It was worse for Lydia though.’

‘Why?’

The cell door opened and the guard stepped in with a bowl of Swiss roll and custard. Chloe’s face lit up.

‘Why was it worse for Lydia?’ Lilly repeated.

‘She’d been raped before.’