minutes,’ Ellie said. ‘I’m his sister, I’ve driven a long way, I came as soon as I heard about the stabbing.’
Gibbs narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. ‘I think he’s sleeping.’
‘Can I just see him for two minutes?’
Gibbs turned to one of the other nurses. ‘Carol, take this lady to see her brother.’
Carol smiled and got up, waved at Ellie to follow. Past four doors then in to the right, a small room with four beds. The two beds at the window were empty. To Ellie’s right was a woman in her eighties, half wasted away, skin hanging loose from her neck. To her left was Jack.
Ellie turned to Carol. ‘Thanks.’
‘Two minutes,’ Carol said, turning to leave.
Ellie walked over to Jack’s bed. His eyes were closed, he was on a drip and he had the covers pushed down to his waist. His stomach was heavily bandaged, thick layers of wrapping, his body rigid.
Ellie watched his chest rise and fall.
She wondered if Sam had been here. Surely he couldn’t say he was Jack’s son, the nurses must watch the news, they would know he was missing and would report it. Would he have lied to them? What if they recognised him anyway? Maybe he sneaked in. She looked at the door, no police presence. She’d thought maybe there would be an officer on guard, but presumably they didn’t think it was necessary.
She had no idea what she was doing here or what she hoped to achieve. She imagined lifting a pillow from one of the empty beds and pushing it into Jack’s face, picturing a hundred clichéd murders on television and in the movies. Was it really as easy as that?
She crept closer. Jack’s eyes remained closed.
She leaned in and whispered. ‘Can you hear me?’
Nothing.
She thought about the last time she’d seen him, on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. She wondered if he’d seen her then, could identify her.
‘I said, can you hear me?’
She saw movement under his eyelids and his breathing became less deep. She knew from years as a mum what it looked like when someone was pretending to be asleep.
‘I know you’re awake,’ she said in his ear. ‘I know everything. I know who stabbed you and why.’
Her pulse pounded in her ears as she took a breath.
‘Listen carefully,’ she said. ‘If you implicate Sam in any of this I will expose the kind of man you are. I have evidence. Do you understand? Then I will kill you. I’m a guardian angel to your children, protecting them, and I’ll be watching you every minute of every day.’
His Adam’s apple rose and fell.
‘Do you understand?’
His eyes moved under the lids, he swallowed, his breath came in and out of his nostrils.
‘I will come for you,’ Ellie said, patting his hand. ‘Don’t think I won’t. I have nothing to lose.’
She straightened up and took her hand away, then turned and smiled at the old lady in the other bed, who didn’t seem to see her at all.
On the way out she stopped at the reception desk.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘That’s laid my mind to rest, I’ll be back soon to visit.’
Gibbs nodded.
‘Just one thing,’ Ellie said. ‘Has anyone else been to see him this morning?’
Gibbs shook her head. ‘No, why?’
‘Just wondering.’
Ellie walked away, taking her phone out her pocket and dialling Sam’s number again.
18
Ellie was back on the bypass when her phone pinged with a text. She was in the outside lane passing an IKEA lorry as she lifted the phone from the passenger seat and looked at it. Sam. She unlocked the phone and read it.
Back at the boat. Don’t know what to do.
Her stomach fluttered as she glanced up. A Toyota in front of her braked sharply and Ellie did likewise, pushing her foot hard on the pedal. The seat belt cut into her chest as she was pushed forward by her own momentum. She was only a couple of feet from the car in front, her right leg straight, stamping on the brake, when the Toyota’s brake lights went off and it pulled away. The IKEA lorry hammered alongside
Gibbs narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. ‘I think he’s sleeping.’
‘Can I just see him for two minutes?’
Gibbs turned to one of the other nurses. ‘Carol, take this lady to see her brother.’
Carol smiled and got up, waved at Ellie to follow. Past four doors then in to the right, a small room with four beds. The two beds at the window were empty. To Ellie’s right was a woman in her eighties, half wasted away, skin hanging loose from her neck. To her left was Jack.
Ellie turned to Carol. ‘Thanks.’
‘Two minutes,’ Carol said, turning to leave.
Ellie walked over to Jack’s bed. His eyes were closed, he was on a drip and he had the covers pushed down to his waist. His stomach was heavily bandaged, thick layers of wrapping, his body rigid.
Ellie watched his chest rise and fall.
She wondered if Sam had been here. Surely he couldn’t say he was Jack’s son, the nurses must watch the news, they would know he was missing and would report it. Would he have lied to them? What if they recognised him anyway? Maybe he sneaked in. She looked at the door, no police presence. She’d thought maybe there would be an officer on guard, but presumably they didn’t think it was necessary.
She had no idea what she was doing here or what she hoped to achieve. She imagined lifting a pillow from one of the empty beds and pushing it into Jack’s face, picturing a hundred clichéd murders on television and in the movies. Was it really as easy as that?
She crept closer. Jack’s eyes remained closed.
She leaned in and whispered. ‘Can you hear me?’
Nothing.
She thought about the last time she’d seen him, on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. She wondered if he’d seen her then, could identify her.
‘I said, can you hear me?’
She saw movement under his eyelids and his breathing became less deep. She knew from years as a mum what it looked like when someone was pretending to be asleep.
‘I know you’re awake,’ she said in his ear. ‘I know everything. I know who stabbed you and why.’
Her pulse pounded in her ears as she took a breath.
‘Listen carefully,’ she said. ‘If you implicate Sam in any of this I will expose the kind of man you are. I have evidence. Do you understand? Then I will kill you. I’m a guardian angel to your children, protecting them, and I’ll be watching you every minute of every day.’
His Adam’s apple rose and fell.
‘Do you understand?’
His eyes moved under the lids, he swallowed, his breath came in and out of his nostrils.
‘I will come for you,’ Ellie said, patting his hand. ‘Don’t think I won’t. I have nothing to lose.’
She straightened up and took her hand away, then turned and smiled at the old lady in the other bed, who didn’t seem to see her at all.
On the way out she stopped at the reception desk.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘That’s laid my mind to rest, I’ll be back soon to visit.’
Gibbs nodded.
‘Just one thing,’ Ellie said. ‘Has anyone else been to see him this morning?’
Gibbs shook her head. ‘No, why?’
‘Just wondering.’
Ellie walked away, taking her phone out her pocket and dialling Sam’s number again.
18
Ellie was back on the bypass when her phone pinged with a text. She was in the outside lane passing an IKEA lorry as she lifted the phone from the passenger seat and looked at it. Sam. She unlocked the phone and read it.
Back at the boat. Don’t know what to do.
Her stomach fluttered as she glanced up. A Toyota in front of her braked sharply and Ellie did likewise, pushing her foot hard on the pedal. The seat belt cut into her chest as she was pushed forward by her own momentum. She was only a couple of feet from the car in front, her right leg straight, stamping on the brake, when the Toyota’s brake lights went off and it pulled away. The IKEA lorry hammered alongside
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