‘So you never told her to talk to Idris Krasiniqe?’
‘Don’t go there, Mike.’
Lewis paused for a moment. ‘You mind me asking what happened between you two?’
Langton closed his eyes.
Mike hesitated, but continued. ‘One time, you seemed pretty close; you were living at her place, and she was certainly taking good care of you. I used to see her either coming or going to the hospital, long schlep out there every day and night.’
Langton nodded.
‘So what happened?’
Langton shrugged his shoulders. ‘I’m not easy to live with.’
‘I would guess that. I’m sorry — she’s a good girl.’
Langton took a deep breath. ‘Look, we’d better get on to the station and see if they’ve come up with anything for us; might as well do something constructive. I also need some coffee — can you see if you can find the right corridor that’ll take you back to reception? They must have a canteen or something somewhere.’
‘Okay. You going to stay in here, or go back to the voodoo doc?’
‘I’ll stay here; make some calls.’
Mike nodded and walked out, leaving Langton sitting, dejected, in the chair.
Mike felt very concerned about his boss; in all the years he had worked with him, he had never seen him so lacklustre, and to hear him say he had lost his way really hit home. Langton had always driven each case they had worked on with total control. Sometimes, he had appeared to be too controlling, but now…
Mike looked up and down the empty corridor. He had no idea which way to go; he’d just been walking and not paying attention. He turned this way and that, then swore, deciding to retrace his steps. As he turned into yet another corridor, he saw Anna heading towards him.
‘I’m totally lost,’ he said, waving his arms.
‘Where are you going?’
‘To get some coffee for the boss; he’s sort of deflated.’
‘Where is he?’
‘Same room you left us in.’
‘I’ve asked the doctor to see Idris.’
‘Did you talk to him?’
‘Idris? I had a few words. I said I wanted him to know exactly what we knew and then I would talk to him later.’
Mike nodded and walked off, leaving Anna standing in the corridor. She looked around until she had her bearings, then headed back towards the anteroom. As she approached, she could hear Langton talking on his mobile. She quietly opened the door.
‘I’m not holding out much hope re this voodoo quack, but we do need to get every single visitor to both brothers checked out, plus the guy sharing Eamon’s cell, just to cover our tracks. It could have been in a hypodermic needle or powder, so check any food parcels, anything handed to our zombie whatsoever. Also, check out who had access to him during his trial, because somebody pumped this stuff into him; his body is like a pin cushion.’
Langton turned and gestured towards her, before continuing his call. ‘If Grace gets anything, call me; ditto forensics.’ He carried on firing off instructions, asking if Harry Blunt had come up with anything from the bus tickets, or whether Brandon had anything. By his long sigh, she could tell that there was obviously no new information. He cut off the call and turned towards her.
‘I talked to Idris and now the doctor’s with him,’ she said. ‘I told him to go through everything he spoke to us about.’
‘Well, that’ll take for ever, if the doc takes as long as he did to tell us. In the meantime, the kid is fading fast.’
‘There’s a one-way glass, if you want to sit in and listen.’
He nodded and then sat down, rubbing his knee. ‘I need some coffee.’
‘Mike’s sorting it,’ she said.
After a few minutes, he gripped the arms of the chair and stood up with a grimace, then had to sit down again, swearing.
‘Do you want me to ask if Esme has anything that might help the pain?’
‘Terrific, yeah. Gimme some of the poison, finish me off.’
‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Just give me a fucking few minutes,’ he shouted. Then he looked at her. ‘Sorry. I’m sorry — for a lot of things, Anna. It’s just I get so frustrated with this bloody knee. It freezes up and hurts like hell.’
‘I know. I wouldn’t dare suggest we ask for a walking frame — they may have one here.’
He glared at her.
‘I was joking! I know you’d never use one.’
‘I guess you do. Sorry again.’ He paused. ‘I know I have behaved like a real shit at times with you, and I want you to know, I don’t … I don’t ever mean half of it. I suppose I reckon that, knowing me so well, you can take it.’
‘Well, I try, but sometimes it hasn’t been easy.’
‘Come here.’
He lifted his hand towards her. She walked over and he held her tightly.
‘You are very special. I appreciate all you have done for me.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Okay, now give me a haul up, and let’s get cracking.’
She saw the pain etched across his face as she helped him stand. She was doubtful he would make it down all the corridors but as soon as they walked outside the room he moved ahead of her. He was limping but, as always, looked like he was in the lead.
Dr Salaam was indicating where the puncture marks had been discovered on his brother. Idris sat, expressionless, but listening intently. Anna switched on a speaker, so that they could hear what was being said.
‘They were also around his anal and genital area,’ the doctor said.
Idris shook his head. ‘So, is he going to live?’ His voice was very low and hardly audible.
Dr Salaam hesitated.
Idris leaned towards him. ‘I need to know: is he going to live?’
Langton pursed his lips, swearing under his breath; the last thing they wanted was for the doctor to say that there was no hope.
Anna reached over and touched his arm. ‘He knows not to say anything.’
Dr Salaam drew up a chair to be closer to Idris. ‘His heart is very weak.’
‘Can’t you operate?’ Idris interrupted; he was now speaking clearly.
‘It’s too late for that, but we are hopeful that if we give him ECT, it may jolt him back into consciousness.’
‘Shit, that’s those electrode things. I know about them: you plug them into fucking electricity.’
‘I would need your permission to do any kind of resuscitation.’
‘Listen, I’ll agree; but tell me what can happen if that don’t work?’
‘Idris, your brother is in a critical condition,’ the doctor said gravely. ‘He has refused all medical treatment that might have helped him. You have to understand that he is very sick. There is no antidote for this poison.’
‘So why do you want to put those electrode things on him?’
‘It might jolt him out of the terror inside his brain and give him some peace. He is a believer, isn’t he?’
‘You mean Christian?’
‘No, voodoo.’
Idris turned away.
‘Has he ever been involved with voodoo, or someone whom he believes has voodoo powers?’
Idris nodded slowly.
‘Do you need some time alone to think about what I have told you?’
Idris nodded again. Langton swore: the last thing he wanted was to give Idris any more time. The doctor tapped on the door and it was unlocked. Langton immediately walked out, leaving Anna alone in the viewing room.
Outside in the corridor, Langton conferred with Dr Salaam. He was not taking any crap from Idris. If there was any hope that Eamon could be jolted out of his coma, then the doctor had to do it; they were wasting time. The doctor insisted he confer with his wife, so they both headed back to the anteroom.
Anna watched Idris. He remained seated, staring ahead at the white wall, then he bowed his head and began to weep. Anna switched off the intercom and left the room. She went up to the officer guarding Idris and asked to be allowed inside. When she walked in, he looked up, wiping his eyes with his cuff.