Страница 55 из 69
It wasn't hard to believe the level of violence she'd inflicted on her seven-month-old brother that had led to her being removed from the home.
Unlike Tracy, Louise had no balance. She was just harsh. There was no sexuality, no humour and I couldn't stand the sight of her.
No one messed with Louise. There was a rage inside her that just ached to be freed. It bubbled amongst the hurt and resentment.
But I knew something about her that no one else did.
Louise was mean, and she was violent. And she also wet the bed.
Assisted by a vibrating wristwatch, at four a.m. Louise would leave her warm bed and head for the toilet. She would not return until her bladder was empty.
‘Hello, Louise,’ I said, one night as she exited the washroom.
‘What do you want?’ she asked, covering her mouth.
‘I think we should have a little chat. You seem unsettled lately.’
‘D’ya think?’ she asked, placing her hand on her hip. ‘My mates are dropping like flies.’
I shrugged. ‘Clearly they don't like you enough to hang around.’
Her face seemed to gather in the middle as her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. ‘Yeah, and maybe they got no say in it.’
Oh, full points for me. It took a psychopath to know one.
There was no reason to play games with Louise. Her fate was assured. But I took the time to have a little fun.
‘How so?’ I asked.
‘I know you've got something to do with it. You pretend to be all nice to us but there's something not right with you.’
I silently congratulated Louise on her perceptiveness.
‘You don't really have room to talk. Who would purposely hurt their baby brother? There's a nastiness in you and it drives everyone away. I bet your mates left because they couldn't stand you any longer. Even your own family hate you now.’
She thrust her chin forward. ‘I couldn't give a shit.’
‘Then why do you still wet the bed?’
She lunged towards me, her closed fist en route to my face, but I was ready. I grabbed her wrist and turned her body so that she fell backwards against me. My forearm was clamped against her throat. She thrashed her head from side to side but I wedged my chin on top of her head. My left hand covered her mouth as she tried to scream.
I walked her forward as she tried to bite at my fingers. Her arms flailed but caused me no harm.
Her efforts to live became weaker as I walked her outside. I placed my right hand on her shoulder and tightened the hold.
I shook the last breath of life out of her like a doll. I felt the end of her existence as her body collapsed against me as though someone had sucked out the bones.
I raised my right hand from her shoulder to her neck just to make sure.
The skin was silent against my fingerprint.
I threw her over my shoulder and carried her outside to the waiting hole.
Unlike the other two, I felt nothing for the flesh that I dropped to the ground. Melanie's neediness had made me feel sick. Her obsequious face had made my skin crawl.
Tracy had inspired desire in me. It was her own greed that had led to her end.
But with Louise there was nothing. She was a means to an end.
She was insurance.
The ma
So I opened her legs and reached for the saw.
Sixty-Two
Kim walked the corridors of Russells Hall hospital for the second time in as many days. Because it was outside of visiting hours, she a
The first priority of the medical perso
Kim walked past the small waiting room at the top of the ward. Bryant stood when he saw her. She motioned for him to sit back down.
She paused at the nurse’s station. ‘Richard Croft?’
The female in dark blue was short and round. An elasticated belt searched halfway down the uniform for a waist and failed miserably.
‘Detective, I don’t think he’s quite ready for your questions.’
Kim nodded her understanding but wanted some of her own. She leaned forward and spoke quietly. ‘Sister, this week I have more than six bodies behind me and they all need answers. Richard Croft was very nearly number seven and may be able to help.’
The frown on the woman deepened.
Kim held up her hand. ‘I assure you I will not do anything to upset his condition.’
That was no lie, because Kim had no intention of doing anything at all.
The sister nodded towards the third open doorway off the main ward. ‘Just a few minutes, okay?’
Kim nodded her understanding and moved quietly along the corridor,
Kim stood in the doorway and looked not at the inert form in the bed but at the figure of his wife in the easy chair, currently engrossed in the contents of her mobile phone.
As Kim leaned against the doorframe, the head of shiny black hair raised. Nina
Croft’s fixed expression was politely tolerant. Clearly the look she reserved for the staff. When her eyes rested on Kim, any remnant of tolerance or politeness fell away.
Kim was momentarily surprised at how such an attractive face could be affected by the venom within. Suddenly, the beauty faded and was replaced by narrowed eyes and a thin, mean mouth.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’
‘Mrs Croft, your husband needs to be questioned.’
‘Not now, Detective Stone, and most definitely not by you.’
Nina Croft stood. Just as Kim had hoped.
Richard Croft moaned from the bed. Kim took a step towards him and Nina instantly blocked her path.
‘Get out,’ she spat.
Kim tried to walk around her but Nina grabbed her roughly on the arm and pulled her towards the door. Had she not been a serving police officer Kim would have smacked the woman in the mouth. Sometimes the sacrifice was just not worth it.
‘Get out of this room and away from my husband right now.’
Nina marched her to the front door of the ward. As they passed the waiting room Kim glanced in and caught Bryant’s eye. She nodded backwards to the unguarded room.
Once outside the ward, the woman threw Kim’s arm away from her as though it were covered with leprous scabs.
‘I don’t like your methods, Detective and I don’t like you.’
‘Trust me when I tell you that will not keep me up at night.’
The woman turned away to re-enter the ward.
‘And it’s not really my methods you dislike, is it, Mrs Croft?’
Nina turned and stepped back. Good.
‘You are not a stupid woman. You would have researched me before you made that call to get me removed from the case. Surely it's my success rate you despise.’
Nina stepped closer. ‘No, I despise the fact that you made my husband feel like a suspect, which says to me that you are not equipped to handle this investigation. You are clearly inept ...’
‘Why would you want me removed from this case when you know full well that I will solve it, no matter how long it takes?’
Nina Croft continued to glower at her.
‘Especially when you know your husband to be at risk. Any normal wife would want the killer caught as quickly as possible to remove their loved one from danger.’
‘Be very careful what you say to me, Detective Stone.’