The Red Dahlia

'Maybe I'll just die and then it will be over.'

'Tell me what happened to you, Emily.'

The thin hand twisted and then clung to Anna's.

'I know about your abortion.'

Her eyes filled with tears, and her hand grasped Anna's even more tightly. 'He used to say how much he loved me; whatever he did to me was because he loved me, and I believed him. But then I began to get sick.'

'Was it your father's child?'

'I've never been with anyone else. I didn't know I was pregnant until Daddy examined me. He said he would make it all better, make it all go away, so no one would know.'

'How many months pregnant were you?'

'I don't know.'

'So when he made it all better for you, where were you?'

'At home.'

'Did your father operate on you?'

Emily released her hand and curled up on her side away from Anna. She picked at the plaster holding the needle to the drip in her right arm.

'Was there a room in the house he used?'

'Yes.'

'Tell me about the room.'

Emily didn't answer.

'Is there medical equipment in this room?'

Anna leaned closer and the girl half-turned towards her. It happened so quickly Anna wasn't fast enough to get clear. Emily vomited and then clung onto Anna as she retched and spewed up again.

Langton let the receiver drop back onto its cradle. Lewis was sitting opposite him.

'Travis is at the hospital with Emily Wickenham. Emily just chucked up all over her so she doubts she'll be able to question her for a while, but she admitted her father did the abortion, and inside the house. Travis was trying to ascertain where it took place, if there's medical equipment that could have been used in the Louise Pennel murder. I mean, there's got to be someplace he cut her body in two, for Chrissakes!'

'Well, when we go in, we'll find it,' Lewis said.

Langton pursed his lips. 'Yeah, but he could have got rid of the gear, and it might not necessarily be at Mayerling Hall.'

'So when do we go in?'

Langton stood up and pulled at his tie. 'We should wait until we get a result from the blood spotting at the other daughter's flat; has it come in yet?'

'No, they need twenty-four hours at least. Why the hesitancy?'

'We get one big hit. To get the amount of SOCOs I want there is gonna cost and I don't want to blow it.'

'Your shout,' Lewis said, standing and placing the chair back against the wall.

'Yes, yes it is; let me think about when we make the move.'

Lewis gave a small shrug, and walked out. Langton opened his top drawer and took out a half bottle of brandy, then thought better of it and dropped the bottle back into the drawer. He picked up the phone. If it was possible to arrange for the troops and warrants to be ready in time, they would hit Mayerling Hall at dawn the following morning.

Anna had washed her shirt front, and her face and hands, but the smell persisted. The doctor had examined Emily and sedated her, as she had become hysterical. Anna had a few words with the doctor who was, if anything, even younger than the one who had attended to Emily the previous night; he too, however, was very concerned about her. Emily was very dehydrated and undernourished and her blood pressure was fluctuating. It was a comfort to Anna that they were not about to release the girl.

It was less reassuring that Justine Wickenham had been allowed in with her sister. The officer they had asked to guard Emily was very much on the defensive.

'I couldn't do anything: she's family; she's got a big mouth on her and she was very aggressive. I was outside the door and I didn't hear much dialogue; the patient looked pretty sick and I monitored them every ten minutes or so. Which was all I was told to do.'

'Right yeah, sorry if I sounded off.' Anna was just glad she hadn't had to confront Justine; the previous evening had been enough to last her for a long time. She thanked the officer and released her.

The doctor had Emily's medical records; he glanced down and then looked back to Anna. 'How well do you know Miss Wickenham?'

'I am with a murder team. Miss Wickenham is just someone we need to talk to. I happened to be there when she attempted to kill herself

'Well, she has tried a few times.'

He stared at the document, and then back to Anna. 'She should be transferred to a different unit, whether or not we can arrange it… She's only seventeen years old, so we would need parental permission. We tried to get some previous medical history but nothing has come in yet.'

Anna asked if it was all right for her to see Emily and he said it was fine, but if she was sleeping, not to waken her. He passed the clipboard with Emily's notes to the same nurse who had taken her blood pressure earlier.

Anna followed the nurse into Emily's room, and waited as she placed the clipboard on the end of the bed.

The nurse bent over Emily, who was lying curled up like a small child. 'Hi, Emily, would you like a cup of tea?'

There was no answer, and after checking the drip and straightening the bedclothes she turned to Anna.

'I think she should be left to rest. She was sedated, and she needs to get some strength back.'

Anna decided she'd go home to shower and change before going into the station. She bleeped the car open and drove away, unaware she had been watched and was now being followed.

In the small car park of her block of flats, Anna grabbed her handbag from the car in a hurry; she didn't bother to close the garage doors, as she would be leaving shortly. As she walked up the first flight of stairs, she heard the door from the garage bang open and shut. She paused for a moment, then continued, turning into the corridor on the first floor and up the stairs to her second-floor landing. She paused as she heard footsteps, but when she stopped, so did the footsteps. She listened. Silence.

'Hello? Is someone there? Hello?'

Silence.

Uneasy, Anna took out her flat keys in readiness. As she stopped at her front door, she sensed that someone was behind her and she whipped round.

Justine Wickenham was just walking out from the stairwell.

'What are you doing here?' Anna asked, keeping her voice steady as she turned the first lock. She wished she didn't have the additional security lock, because she had to use another key. Justine was coming closer and closer. She turned, keeping her voice calm and steady. 'I said, what are you doing here?'

Her hands shook and she couldn't insert the second key. At last, it slotted in the lock and she turned it fast.

'I hope you are fucking satisfied, you cunt!'

Anna pushed open the door ready to get inside before Justine could reach her, but she was too late. Justine gripped Anna's right arm so hard it hurt.

'They'll take her away this time, and that's your fault!'

'Just let go of my arm, Justine.'

'I'd only just got her straightened out and now you've fucking destroyed all that, but you wouldn't listen to me!'

'Let go of me!'

'I'd like to smash your face against the wall!'

Anna jerked her arm up with all her strength, hitting Justine in the face; Justine lost her balance and stepped back, but it still didn't give Anna time to make it inside and to safety.

'Didn't you hear what I just said?' Justine's face was twisted in anger.

'I heard you, Justine. You had better just step back and away from me. Get away from the door!'

Justine slammed her fists against the door and it opened wide. 'How's that? Go on, get in. Get in!'

Anna was desperate to avoid being trapped inside the flat with Justine. 'What do you want?'

Justine pushed her face close, flushed with anger. 'I'd like you to know what you've fucking done to my sister.'

Anna was fast: she gripped hold of Justine's left arm and twisted it up behind her back then, with her other hand, yanked her thumb almost out of its socket. Justine screamed in pain; she crumpled and howled.