‘If you can’t prevent it, don’t worry, but I don’t want to hear anything the voice says in your head,’ warned Fosdyke. ‘I just want your answers to my questions.’
‘Jane isn’t here,’ broke in Jennifer.
‘How do you know?’
‘There’s no tingling, burning sensation.’
‘Why didn’t you tell us about that earlier?’ demanded the neurologist.
‘I didn’t want her to know. That’s how I’m warned she’s with me: how I can beat her.’
‘When were you born?’ demanded the neurologist, briskly.
‘June eighth, nineteen sixty-six.’
‘So you’re thirty-three?’
‘Thirty-two.’
‘What’s your name?’
‘What?’ frowned Jennifer.
‘Answer me.’
‘Jennifer Lomax.’
‘What was it before you were married?’
‘Stone. Jennifer Stone.’
‘Where were you married?’
‘Caxton Hall.’
‘When?’
‘January fifteen, nineteen ninety-three.’
‘What time?’
‘Two o’clock.’
‘Your degree’s economics?’
‘And mathematics. I took an additional module.’
‘Where?’
‘Oxford.’
‘What was it?’
‘Double First.’ Before either man could speak further, Jennifer said, ‘Why is this important?’
‘That’s for us to decide,’ said Fosdyke. ‘Do you know what a brain scan is?’
‘Like an X-ray, of my head.’
‘ They won’t see me! ’
‘She’s back. Says you won’t see her.’
‘I’m not looking for her.’
‘ What’s he want? ’
‘She wants to know what you want.’
‘It’s nothing to do with her.’
‘ Tell me! ’
‘She’s demanding to know.’
‘She isn’t going to,’ said Fosdyke. ‘Do you think you could walk to the scanner? It’s one floor below.’
Jennifer looked to Lloyd, who said, ‘Do you feel up to it?’
‘Of course.’
Lloyd helped Jennifer into a shapeless hospital dressing gown, over the smock that had been changed after she’d wet herself. Jennifer looked down at herself, then smiled wanly up to Mason. ‘Not actually haute couture, is it?’
‘That worry you?’ asked the psychiatrist.
Jennifer remained smiling, although sadly. ‘I was going to ask Rebecca to bring some of my own stuff in. That’s ironic, isn’t it?’
The two policewomen straightened into something like attention when Jennifer came out into the corridor, hands clasping the dressing gown around her. They quickly fell into step behind the specialists, who walked either side of Jennifer. It wasn’t until they shouldered into the elevator that Jennifer realized Hall and Perry had joined them. No-one spoke. Jennifer remained tensed for Jane, who never came. The lawyers and the policewomen stood separately outside the scanner room.
Sure he was beyond their hearing, Perry said, ‘You sure it was a good idea to antagonize Bentley quite so much?’
‘It was a good idea to close down any further interviews.’ Hall nodded towards the uniformed women. ‘And insist they remain outside. From now on the prosecution is going to be kept strictly within the rules of exchange and disclosure.’
‘Does that matter, considering the case they’ve got?’
Hall smiled at the solicitor. ‘If they’ve got enough then they’ve got enough.’
It was almost an hour before Jennifer and the doctors left the scanner room. In the tiny outside vestibule Fosdyke said to Lloyd, ‘We’ve got all the samples?’
‘The spinal tap was with pathology an hour ago,’ said Lloyd.
‘Then I’m finished.’ He looked at Mason, who said, ‘I’ve got enough, for the moment.’
‘For a preliminary finding?’ demanded Hall.
Jennifer felt the onset of numbness and blurted, ‘Not in front of me: I don’t want her to know!’
‘ Bitch! ’
‘Too quick for you,’ said Jennifer.
‘She back?’ asked Mason.
‘Called me a bitch.’
‘I’ll need an hour, to go through the tests, apart from my own,’ said Fosdyke.
‘I’d like to think about it too, before we talk. Let’s make it an hour, shall we?’ suggested Mason.
‘My rooms,’ offered Fosdyke.
‘We’ve got some other business to go through,’ said Hall. He looked at Peter Lloyd. ‘And I’d appreciate your being with us.’
No-one spoke during the walk to the upper corridor. Immediately inside the ward again Jennifer said to Perry: ‘Can you arrange for me to get my own clothes in here? Have someone call Annabelle and go down to fetch them…?’ She smiled, as the uninterrupted thought came to her. ‘Would it be possible for me to see Emily?’
There was a moment’s silence between the two lawyers. Perry said, ‘That’s the other business we have to go through, Mrs Lomax. Social Services want to get involved with care provisions for Emily.’
‘ NO!’ screamed Jennifer.
‘ Everything destroyed completely,’ mocked the voice. ‘ I’ll leave you all by yourself to think what it’s going to be like to lose Emily for ever. ’
Chapter Eleven
‘She can’t be taken away! She’s all I have now.’ There was no sensation of Jane and Jennifer forced herself to remain icily calm after the initial outburst. Panic or hysteria wouldn’t save Emily. And saving Emily – keeping Emily – was abruptly the most important consideration. The only consideration. It was still difficult to sit on the side of the bed and not do more, speak louder, to make them understand. Dr Lloyd was beside her, still holding the wrist he’d snatched up to check her pulse rate at the screamed protest.
‘Is she all right?’ demanded Hall, worriedly.
‘Pulse is OK,’ nodded Lloyd.
‘Don’t talk across me!’ demanded Jennifer. ‘I’m perfectly under controclass="underline" Jane isn’t here. I said Emily isn’t being taken away from me. You’ve got to stop it. Stop it now.’
‘Is there no family, on either side, who could become legal guardians in your…’ Perry hesitated. ‘… in your absence?’
The question unnecessarily reminded Jennifer once more of how totally alone she was and momentarily she couldn’t reply. Swallowing she said, ‘No. No-one.’
‘What about Gerald’s family?’
‘There isn’t one. He was an only child, no uncles and no aunts. And his parents are dead.’
‘The local authorities do have a legal responsibility, although I am surprised they’re exercising it so quickly,’ warned the solicitor, cautiously. He ignored the now vacant chairs. So did Hall. The doctor remained where he was, beside Jennifer on the bed, although he released her wrist.
‘Emily hasn’t been abandoned. Left.’ Jennifer became aware of the two policewomen staring through the window. ‘Must they look in like that? I’m like a bloody freak show.’
‘They’re not being allowed in here any more, so I’m afraid you’ve got to put up with it,’ said the barrister. He should have anticipated the effect upon her of the official approach about the child but hadn’t. But then neither had Perry. At least there’d been the forethought to get Geoffrey Johnson the woman’s power of attorney.
Jennifer made an impatient dismissive gesture. ‘Emily can’t be taken away from me! I won’t let that happen.’
Hall breathed in, heavily. ‘I won’t hold out any false hope. Legally she can be, if you’re convicted.’
‘I’ve not been convicted, not yet,’ seized Jennifer. ‘I’m still innocent, aren’t I?’
‘Yes,’ conceded Perry and Hall regretted the doubt in the man’s voice.
‘Then they can’t do anything. Emily is being cared for by a certificated nanny, in a mansion for Christ’s sake. She’s the best looked after child in England.’
‘That’s probably right, at the moment,’ agreed Hall. ‘You want us legally to oppose any move by the authorities?’
‘Of course I do!’ said Jennifer, with fresh impatience. ‘I want you to do every conceivable thing to block whatever they try to do. I don’t care what it is or how much it costs. Just do it.’ There was a sudden empty feeling of helplessness. ‘Please…’ She half reached out, towards the barrister, before stopping, embarrassed at the unthinking movement. She was glad the man hadn’t instinctively responded.