Spiritwalker (6 page)

After a lot of gesturing and conversation which Anna couldn't make out, one of the detectives came over to her and sat into the car.  He introduced himself as DS Waters.

“Miss Cotter, PC Lane informs me that you were the driver of that car.”  He said pointing to Anna's car. 

“Yes, I was.”

“She also told me that you refused to have an ambulance called.”

“Yes I feel fine, much better than the car looks at any rate.”  She smiled tiredly at him.

“I'm going to the hospital.  I need to interview The Westhall's and their daughter.  My colleague is going to sort out matters here.  I really think you should get checked out too.  Can I offer you a lift?”

“I suppose I should.”  Anna said.  “I need to see how Sassy is.  I hope she’s okay” Tired as she was she knew she should go to the hospital.  She knew it wasn't just out of the goodness of his heart that he suggested taking her.  It would suit him to have all of them in the same place for questioning.

Anna followed DS Waters to his car and they drove off to Canterbury.  Conversation was at a minimum, which suited Anna.  She wasn't in the mood to re-hash everything again.

                        At the hospital Anna was examined by Dr. Patel, a pleasant Indian man who continually shook his head as she told him of the events that led to her being in need of his professional services. 

“Young English women should not be going around the countryside chasing criminals and crashing cars.”  He admonished her as he gave her a clean bill of health. 

Anna didn't bother to educate him that she was in fact Irish.  She didn't think this information would alter his outlook on young women.   

Leaving the A&E she headed off in search of The Westhall's.  The receptionist told her that Sassy was admitted to the children's ward and asked her if she was a relative.  Anna lied and told her she was.  She was given directions to the ward and headed off.  She bumped into DS Waters, he was carrying a steaming hot cup of coffee.

“Miss Cotter.  How are you?  No problems I hope?  Can I get you a coffee?”  He said taking a sip of the steaming liquid.

“Fine.  No and yes please.” Anna answered.  A cup of coffee sounded good to her and since she had left her purse in her room she hadn't the finances to purchase one herself.

After buying the coffee DS Waters showed her into the relative’s waiting room and explained to her that he was waiting to interview the Westhall's.  They were still at their daughter's side.

“Is she going to be okay?”  Anna asked anxiously

“I think so, the doctors think that her abductor gave her something to knock her out.  She is coming around fine now.  She doesn't seem to have any other injuries.”  I've been told I can't interview her until the morning, her parents are still in with the doctors.  They promised to talk to me as soon as she gets the all clear.

            It was a further twenty minutes before the Westhall's made an appearance.  They both looked exhausted but relieved.  They greeted Anna and sat down close together facing DS Waters.  He in turn took out his notebook, he had questioned Anna while he was waiting for them.  She once again answered all the questions as truthfully as she could.  She deliberately omitted to tell him how she had actually discovered that Sassy was being abducted.  She felt sure that sooner or later someone was going to ask that awkward question and she had no idea how she would answer it.  No matter how she put it she knew it was going to sound unbelievable. 

Eva and Andrew corroborated everything that Anna had said.  DS Waters went over Jane's disappearance and the burglary.  When he was finally satisfied that there wasn't anything else to be gained by going over it again he told them he would be back in the morning to interview Sassy and he left.  He told them that they could expect Inspector Morley to want to interview them in the morning too. 

            It was almost four in the morning when they were finally able to relax and discuss the night’s happenings.  Eva and Andrew thanked Anna over and over for saving their daughter' life.

“God alone knows what he would have done to her if you hadn't discovered it.”  Eva said

“Where on earth did you learn to drive like that?” Andrew asked.  “Michael Schumacher couldn't have done a better job.” he joked.

“Oh god I almost forgot about the car” Anna groaned.  “It’s a hire, I hope the insurance covers the damage.”

“Don't worry about it” Andrew said.  “I'll cover any expenses. It’s the least we can do”

“Andrew, We'd better send Anna home, there's no point in us all sitting here, now that we know Sassy is not in any danger.” Eva said “You should go home too, I'll stay with her.”

Andrew reluctantly agreed to go home, but only after his wife promised to phone it there was any change.   They ordered a taxi, it wasn't long before they were headed home.

Anna was grateful to fall into her bed and was asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Chapter nine

       
Inspector Morley woke to the sound of his phone shrilling on its perch.  He looked at the digital clock- radio on the bedside table.  It was barely five O clock.  The voice at the other end identified himself as DS Waters.  He sat bolt upright in the bed as he listened intently to the account that was given to him regarding the near abduction of Sassy Westhall.  He assured DS Waters that he would meet him at the station within the hour.  Replacing the receiver he wondered if there was more to Jane Turners disappearance than he had thought at first.  Judging by the recent events it certainly seemed that there was.  He hadn't been happy with the opinion of his Super that she had left of her own free will, but he had to agree that since she had done it before it was likely that she had again.  That and the fact that he had used a lot of time and resources on that case and turned up nothing, had led to his Super to order him to put it on the “back-boiler” and concentrate on his ever increasing work load which was piling up.  He washed and dressed quickly and was walking into the near-deserted police station an hour later.

            At the station He listened to PC Lane's account of her interview with Anna.  He frowned from time to time as she related the details to him.  DS Waters account was more thorough and he had interviewed the Westhall's as well.  All parties seemed to be in agreement with each other.  Yet there was something bothering Inspector Morley.  How had Anna Cotter known? Had she been following the girl?  And if so, how was it that she was not able to warn her in time?  She seemed to have been close enough to get a good view of the vehicle used in the abduction.  He knew that there was no way she could have seen any of that from the house.  The road wasn't visible from the house.  The only way she could have seen it was if she had been closer.  He didn't blame D S Waters for not probing her more thoroughly. He wouldn't have been aware of geography of the house or its distance from the road.  D S Waters was famous for his kid glove treatment of the younger prettier ladies, and Anna Cotter certainly is a looker, Morley thought to himself.  He was anxious to interview her and clear up those niggling questions. That interview would have to wait though.  First he wanted to go over Jane Turner's case again and then he wanted to interview the girl.  He now felt that there must be a connection between the two, it was almost tangible.  He pulled out the file and poured over it, carefully reading every interview and checking every piece of evidence.  The more he read the less easy he became. They had dropped the ball on that case.  He was beginning to realise that her sister had been right the whole time. Jane Turner had been abducted...Or worse. Hindsight is great, He reflected as he read through Eva Westhall account of the belongings of her sister's that were missing.  It was more what wasn't missing that bothered him now. 

            It was after eleven when he finished reviewing the file and all his notes on Jane Turner's disappearance.  He checked his watch surprised at the length of time he had been engrossed in his work.  He rang the hospital to find out if Sassy Westhall had been discharged.  He was informed that she had. 

He decided to go to the Westhall's and interview the girl.  He was wondering what she had been doing out at that time of night alone in the first place.  Maybe she knew the man who abducted her.

        Sassy Westhall was lying on the couch in the living room when he arrived.  She looked tired and drawn from her ordeal.  Her parents were fussing over her and it looked to DI Morley as if the girl wasn't going to be let out of their sight any time soon and who could blame them if he had children he knew he would move heaven and earth to protect them too.   He interviewed Olana first but found that she didn't have anything of value to add.  She had stayed overnight with her sister and hadn't known anything about last night's events until she returned to the house in the morning.   She was fussing around Sassy and muttering to herself in Polish and blessing herself every now and then.   Eva sent her out of the room to make refreshments for them, explaining to the inspector that she had been like that since they arrived home.  D I Morley pulled a chair close to Sassy and sat down.

“Do you feel up to talking about last night?” he asked Sassy gently.

She looked at her parents worriedly and tears began to form in her eyes.

“It’s okay love” her mother said softly, “We know about Danny, he rang your father earlier to check on you.  Don't worry we're not cross, we just wish you had told us about him instead of sneaking off without telling anyone.  You are still only fourteen.”

“I'm nearly fifteen.  Anyway Danny's not much older he's only seventeen.  I was supposed to be meeting him, he passed his driving test a couple of weeks ago and his dad has just bought him a new car and he wanted to take me out and show it off”  Sassy said.  “I was waiting for him to show up, then next thing I know someone is grabbing me from behind and putting something over my mouth.  I tried to get away but my legs just sort of turned to jelly and I must have fainted.  I don't remember anything else until I woke up in the hospital.”

“Can you give me a description of the person who attacked you?” Morley asked

“I didn't see him.” Sassy insisted.  “It was dark and he grabbed me from behind.”

“Are you sure it was a man?”

Sassy frowned at the inspector and thought for a moment.  “Definitely.  He smelt like after-shave, like the sort Dad wears and he was pretty tall and really strong.”

“Can you remember what he was wearing? Or was there anything unusual about him?”

“I don't know, I was really scared and that stuff he put over my mouth smelt disgusting.  I thought he was going to rape me.”  Sassy was crying and her whole body was trembling as she relived the experience.

“That's enough” Andrew Westhall said.  “Can’t you see she doesn't know who it was?  We're just glad that she's back safe and sound.”

“I'm sorry Sassy, I don't mean to upset you.” DI Morley said gently.  “I just want to catch him before he does it to someone else.”

“It’s okay Dad, I want to help” She said calming a little.  “Do you really think he might try to kidnap someone else?”

“I hope not but I don't want to give him the chance.  I've just a few more questions.  Had you seen anyone suspicious hanging around before?

“No”

“Miss Cotter told my colleagues that she tried to warn you.  Did you not hear her?”

“No, I didn't know she was there.  I had my iPod in.”

“Did you see her following you?”

“What? No.  Did you tell her to follow me?”  She asked looking from one parent to the other accusingly.

“No of course we didn't” her mother said “I hired her to find your aunt.  But I can assure you my girl that if we had known, you wouldn't have been out wandering at that hour.”

            Olana arrived back carrying a tray of coffee and sandwiches and placed them down on the table in front of the Inspector.  He gratefully tucked into the sandwiches not realising until then how hungry he was.  He had grabbed a slice of toast before he left his house this morning but hadn't had anything since.  In between mouthfuls of food he asked Sassy a few more questions.  She wasn't able to give him any more information about her abductor.  He went over the account DS Waters had been given by the Westhall's with them but they had nothing more useful to tell him. 

“Is Miss Cotter about.  I need to clarify a few points with her” The inspector asked.

Andrew looked at his wife.  “No Inspector.” he said.  She has gone to London to meet Molly Turner, I took her to the station, her car was damaged last night so she had to take the train.  She wanted to interview some of Jane's family and friends”