The Eighth Witch (24 page)

“When you say, ‘in the most horrible way imaginable’, what do you mean?”

“They were found in the farmer’s barn, tied to a cross beam. Their tongues had been cut out, as had their eyes. Their bodies were then mutilated, hundreds and hundreds of cuts. Their breasts were sliced off and placed on the floor at their feet, and when their bodies were examined it was found that each of them had a large bronze effigy of Christ rammed up into their vaginas and hammered home.”

Carter shuddered. “And all in the name of Christianity. What about the other sisters? How did they die?”

“I know one of them was drowned and another burned at the stake, but I couldn’t say about the other three.”

“We need to find out.”

Lacey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Susan Grant, drowned with a garden hose, Amy Clarke, dead in a house fire… Is that where you’re coming from?”

“It’s possible that the manner of killings could be important to the person committing the murders.”

“Well. It’s certainly an avenue I haven’t explored.”

The conversation was interrupted by the shrill ring of Carter’s phone. He took the phone from his pocket. “It’s Annie.” He accepted the call. “Hi, Annie.”

Lacey watched the frown crease Carter’s brow, watched it deepen. “What is it?” he said as Carter ended the call.

“Holly’s just rung her from the hospital. It’s Norton.”

“Dead?”

“Gone,” Carter said. “The nurse checked him at three and he was still comatose. When she went back at six he was missing. His room and his bed were empty.”

“We’d better get over there,” Lacey said.

“I agree, but I’m not sure what we can do. The hospital staff have searched the building and the grounds and there’s no sign of him.”

“We’ll search again. Come on, we’ll take my car,” Lacey said, dragging his raincoat from the back of the chair where he’d draped it.

“But he was in a bloody coma,” Holly Ireland said tearfully. “And you’re telling me that suddenly he just woke up, pulled the wires off his body, got himself dressed and walked out of the hospital without anyone noticing. How does that happen?”

Dr. Jhadav shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He’d been called in urgently once the staff on the night shift realized Norton had gone. It was the last thing he needed tonight. It was only a short time ago he’d finished a grueling, eighteen-hour shift and he’d just fallen asleep in his bed when the call came in. He stifled a yawn. “I’m sorry, Ms. Ireland, I truly am. When he was last checked there had been no change in Professor Norton’s condition. There were no signs that he was coming out of his coma.”

“I was told that when I first arrived and found him missing. That’s not the point. I want to know how he could have just walked out of the building without anyone noticing.”

Jhadav shrugged helplessly. He had no idea how it could have happened. It just had.

“It’s all right, Holly. We’ll take it from here.”

Holly Ireland spun round to see Carter and Lacey approaching along the corridor. Her chest heaved as she breathed a huge sigh of relief. “I wasn’t sure if Annie would be able to get hold of you.”

“She tracked me down,” Carter said. “No developments?”

“He’s still missing,” Holly said. “I don’t believe this place. You’d think they’d take more care of their patients.” She directed the last at Jhadav who stared at his feet, even more embarrassed in the presence of Carter and Lacey.

Lacey went across and put his arm around the doctor’s shoulders and led him farther along the corridor, out of Holly’s earshot.

“You can find him,” she said to Carter. “Annie told me how you got inside his head. You’ve done it once. Surely you can do it again.”

“It’s not quite as simple as that. The last time I was making physical contact with him. Without that I’ve nothing to go on.”

A frown of disappointment creased her brow.

“Holly, are you okay?”

Carter turned at the sound of the voice to see a young woman trotting along the corridor towards them. “I came as soon as I got your message.”

“Sarah!” Holly ran to meet her, flinging her arms around her neck and burying her face in the other woman’s shoulder.

Finally they parted and Holly grasped Sarah’s hand and led her across to where Carter was standing. “Rob, this is Sarah. Sarah Bennett.”

“Your alibi,” Carter said with a smile.

The smile wasn’t reciprocated by Sarah Bennett who looked at Carter through narrow, disapproving eyes. “Meaning?” she said.

“Holly said she was getting hammered at your house when Henry Norton was attacked.”

“Yes,” Sarah said. “She was. And I’ve told the police the same. What are you doing about finding him?”
 

“We’ve only just got here,” Carter said. “Me and Inspector Lacey.” He pointed along the corridor to where Lacey was shaking hands with Jhadav and sending him on his way.

“Police,” Sarah said disdainfully, as if she were uttering a dirty word.

Carter didn’t rise to the bait.
 

The door at the other end of the corridor opened and a young police constable came through and made a bee-line for Lacey.

“I’ve checked the CCTV. The professor hasn’t left the hospital by any of the exits. He must be still inside.”

“Have all floors and all rooms been checked?” Lacey said.

“Yes, sir.”

“What about the basement area?”

“The hospital staff did a thorough sweep.”

“The roof?”

The constable shook his head, looking crestfallen. “Not as far as I know.”

“Not that thorough then,” Lacey said. He went back to Carter. “He’s still somewhere in the hospital. The roof would be a good place to start. It’s the only place they haven’t checked. Follow me.”

Lacey pushed open the metal door and stepped out onto the roof, Carter at his shoulder. They spotted Norton almost immediately on the far side, standing against the low perimeter wall, peering over the edge at the ground below.

The two men exchanged looks. “How do you want to handle this?” Carter said.

“Softly, softly, I think.”

“Which of us should talk to him?”

“You,” Lacey said. “He doesn’t know me at all.”

“I should talk to him.” Holly had followed them up the stairs to the roof. “I know him better than you, Rob.”

“Agreed, you do,” Carter said. “But I’m not sure it’s such a good idea.”

“I don’t know,” Lacey said. “It has some merit. She’s been at his bedside since he entered the hospital.” He turned to Holly. “I take it you haven’t been sitting in silence. You’ve been talking to him, right?”

Holly nodded, her wild, blond hair flapping in the steady breeze blowing across the rooftop.
 

“I think she should try,” Lacey said. “She has a much stronger connection with him than either of us.”

Carter turned to Holly. “Take it gently. We don’t know his state of mind.”

“Okay.” She flashed a smile and started to walk steadily across to where Norton was standing.

When she was less than three yards away Norton spun round. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Henry, it’s me. It’s Holly.”

His lips twisted into a sneer. “I know who you are.”

“Can we talk?” She took a tentative step forwards.

Norton’s eyes were wild. They had the look of a frightened, cornered animal. “I said, don’t come any closer!” He looked beyond her to Carter and Lacey. “You keep back as well. I’ll jump. I swear I’ll jump.” He edged backwards until he was up against the perimeter wall.

“We’re just here to help, Henry.”

Norton’s face crumpled into a mask of pain and he flung his hands to his head. “Get out!” he wailed. “Get out of my head!”

“What’s he doing?” Lacey whispered to Carter.

Carter ignored him. He was focusing. He was standing outside a black steel door, set into a vast, unending white brick wall. This time he couldn’t get in. Something was blocking him, stopping him from entering Henry Norton’s mind.

Lacey tugged at his sleeve, bringing him back to reality.

“It’s no use. Something’s stopping me from getting inside his head,” Carter said. “It’s much more powerful this time.”

Lacey looked at him askance. “What are you talking about?”

“I was trying to link with Norton. I did it before, the morning after he was attacked, but now I can’t. There’s another presence there and it’s put up a barrier.”

“Will he jump?”

Norton climbed up onto the perimeter wall, giving Lacey his answer. “Shit!” Lacey said. “Is there nothing we can do?”

Carter said, “It’s all down to Holly now.”
 

As Holly took another hesitant step forwards, Norton shuffled precariously on the wall. He raised his arm and pointed an accusing finger. “You!” he said. “I won’t let you do this to me!”

He took a step backwards.

“Henry! No!” Holly screamed. But she was screaming at the empty air.
 

Henry Norton had vanished over the side of the building.
 

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lacey rushed forwards but much too late. Holly was swaying, her eyes glazed with shock. Her legs buckled and she started to fall, but Lacey caught her and lowered her gently to the ground.
 

As Norton tumbled from the roof Carter ran back to the doorway. He could hear footfalls on the stairs as someone descended. He took the stairs two at a time in pursuit, but before he reached the second floor he heard a door slam and knew he wasn’t going to catch up. He stopped and leaned against the wall to get his breath.
 

Moments before Norton stepped into space, he’d glanced back at the doorway, following the line of Norton’s accusing finger. There had been someone there, standing in the shadows. Someone who had followed them up to the roof, someone who wanted to silence Henry Norton for good. He caught a fleeting glimpse, and in that moment several pieces of the puzzle slotted into place.

They were sitting in Lacey’s car in the hospital car park, watching the ambulance crew stretcher Henry Norton’s body into the waiting vehicle.

Carter looked across at Holly Ireland who was sitting on the step of the ambulance, a red blanket draped around her shoulders to ward off shock. She looked forlorn and very, very young.

Lacey followed his gaze. “Norton was pointing at her,” he said. “Pointing at Holly.”

“No. He was pointing beyond her, to the doorway.”

“Why?”

“Because the person tormenting his thoughts was standing there.”

“So that’s why you went charging off when Norton jumped.”

“Did you think I was rushing down to see the body?” Carter smiled grimly.

“Did you see who it was standing in the doorway?”

Carter nodded. “Sarah Bennett.”

“You’re sure it was her?” Lacey scratched at the stubble on his chin. “You saw her?”

“Only for a second,” Carter said. “But long enough for me to recognize her.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. I only met her for the first time tonight. Matt interviewed her originally. I’ll call him and get her address, then we’ll go and see her.”

“Did Sparks get anything useful out of her when he interviewed her?”

“Not that I’m aware. She corroborated Holly’s story and that’s about it. Matt did say though that her place is just a stone’s throw from where Norton was attacked.”

“I need to talk to Holly, to see what she can tell me about her.” But when he looked back he saw the red blanket had been tossed in a heap on the ambulance’s step, but of Holly Ireland there was no sign. “Shit!” he said, and bolted from the car.

“A woman in a blue Citroen picked her up,” the ambulance driver said.

“Describe her, can you?” Carter snapped.

“Youngish, mousey hair, glasses.”

“And did Ms. Ireland go with her willingly?”

The driver shrugged as if to say,
how the fuck should I know?

Carter went back to the car. Lacey was on his mobile phone. As Carter got in Lacey hung up. “Well?” he said.

“From what the ambulance man said she’s gone off with Sarah Bennett.”

“I just spoke to Matt and got her address. Let’s pay her a visit. Matt’s going to meet us there.”

“We should check Annie’s house and Holly’s boat as well, just in case Sarah Bennett’s just given her an innocent lift home.”

“But you don’t believe that, do you?” Lacey said.

Carter shook his head. “No, I don’t. Just covering all the bases, that’s all.”

There was no sign of Holly at Annie’s house and the narrow boat was locked up and in darkness.

“Well that’s two bases covered,” Lacey said. “Let’s try the third.”