“Great idea.” Sally punched the address into the map app on her mobile, and King’s Lynn Hospital was highlighted on the screen. “We’ll shoot over there. If Mr. Liddell shows up here, can you pretend that his wife called the store and urged him to go to the hospital when he arrived?”
“Of course. I won’t mention you were here, I’ll just tell him to get over to the hospital at once. I hope everything turns out well for his wife.”
“Thank you, I hope so too.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sally parked at the back of the car park, then she and Jack ran through the entrance to the accident and emergency department.
Sally showed the receptionist her ID. “I’m looking for a Mrs. Liddell. I think she came in a few moments ago.”
The receptionist nodded. “She did. You’ll find her in the family room just along the corridor.”
“Thank you.”
They found a woman pacing the hallway outside the family room.
Sally smiled at her as she and Jack approached. “Mrs. Liddell?”
The woman’s gaze shifted uncertainly between the two detectives. “Yes. You are?”
“We’re DI Sally Parker and DS Jack Blackman from the Norfolk Constabulary.”
“I don’t understand. How do you know who I am, and why are you pestering me here?”
“Sorry, it’s not our intention to pester you. I rang you about half an hour ago, and you told me you were on your way to the hospital. Can I ask why you’re here?”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “That was you? I thought it was Jed, my husband. It’s my son. He has kidney failure.”
Sally’s heart sank at the news. Aware that she should proceed cautiously to avoid causing the woman further upset, she asked, “I take it you haven’t heard from your husband?”
“No, he works away all week. Only comes home on a Friday and Saturday.”
“I see. What job does he do?” Sally asked, intrigued to see if Jed had actually told his wife the truth about his career.
“He’s an area manager with a supermarket in Devon.”
“Devon? Is that right? That must be tough, dealing with a sick child on your own. Can I ask why you don’t move to Devon to be with him?”
“My child comes first. He’s used to the doctors here. It wouldn’t be right to disrupt his life any more than was necessary.”
“I see. Is your husband aware of how ill your son is?”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at? Of course he’s aware. Michael has been ill from the day he was born, near enough anyway. He’s on the donor list. The doctors tell us that he’s close to the top now, but when we have episodes such as this, we have to pray that he pulls through.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Again, I don’t understand why you’re here, Inspector, asking me about my husband and my son. Why?”
Sally inhaled a large breath. “We’re trying to track down your husband to help us with our enquiries.”
“Enquiries? Into what?”
“Into a few incidents that have occurred in the area over the past few weeks,” Sally replied.
“What kind of incidents?” The woman started to pace anxiously again.
“I don’t want to concern you with that at this time, Mrs. Liddell.”
“Now you’re starting to worry me. What has this got to do with my husband?”
The door at the end of the corridor opened, and a tall, slim man with brown hair rushed in. Despite his striking resemblance to the sketch Kathy had drawn, Sally hadn’t expected a monster to be so handsome. Jack nudged Sally’s elbow. Jed Liddell stared at everyone, his feet shifting from side to side as if he were debating whether to take flight or not.
Mrs. Liddell called out to him. “Jed, these people want a word with you.”
Liddell remained where he was for a second longer then finally took flight. Jack bolted after him.
“We need to get him. I’m sorry, Mrs. Liddell. Your husband has committed some pretty heinous crimes. I have to go after him.” Sally chased after her partner and the suspect.
“Such as what?” She sounded alarmed as she tried to keep up with Sally.
“Murder and the attempted murder of several women in the area.”
“What? You’re mistaken. I know my husband wouldn’t—couldn’t do such a thing.”
Sally and Mrs. Liddell chased after Jack and Liddell and caught up with them in the adjoining corridor. A heavily pregnant woman was swiping Jack over the head with her handbag and shouting, “Leave my husband alone, you big oaf.” Jack was trying hard to protect himself while he sat astride the squirming, cuffed Liddell on the floor.
Mrs. Liddell froze on the spot. Sally stopped and retraced her steps to where the woman was standing. “What did she just say?” the stunned Mrs. Liddell asked.
“He’s her husband,” Sally said, feeling as confused as the woman standing in front of her looked.
Sally got out her mobile and called for backup, sensing the situation was about to escalate out of control. Mrs. Liddell walked up to the woman and pulled on her arm. “He’s my husband.”
The younger woman eyed Mrs. Liddell with distaste and rubbed her belly. “He’s my husband, and we’re expecting our first child.”
Sally wormed herself between the warring women. It didn’t take her long to figure out what was taking place. “Ladies, it would appear that Jed has lied to you both over the years. Isn’t that the case, Mr. Liddell?”
Jack jerked the man to his feet, prompting him for a response. “Answer the inspector.”
Jed Liddell’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He looked at Jack and said, “You can take me to the station now.”
Sally tutted. “Nice of you to want to stick around and face the music. You make me sick. Ladies, count yourselves lucky. Over the past few weeks, your husband here has killed four women and attempted to kill a fifth. Those are the victims we know about. Of course, there could be more murders we’re unaware of right now. Not only that, he tried to make sure an innocent man ended up convicted for the crimes, by placing the man’s DNA at each of the crime scenes.”
“What? Jed, tell me she’s lying,” the first Mrs. Liddell said.
“I don’t believe you!” the pregnant Mrs. Liddell shouted.
Jed couldn’t deny it. They had him by the short and curlies, and he knew it. His two wives glared at each other with pure hatred in their eyes. Sally whispered in Liddell’s ear, “Thought you had the best of both worlds, didn’t you? And it still wasn’t enough for you, was it?”
He turned to her and grinned, causing a shudder to rattle down her spine, one notch at a time. Two uniformed officers joined the affray, and Sally instructed them to take Liddell into custody.
They watched Liddell walk away nonchalantly with the officers. Sally addressed the two women, “Mrs. Liddell and Mrs. Liddell, we’ll need you to come down to the station to make a statement sometime in the next few days.”
“Of course. I never knew. Shit! What about Michael? How on earth am I going to break this news to him?”
Sally rubbed the woman’s arm. “I wouldn’t, not just yet.” Then she asked the other woman, “Can I ask why you were at the hospital today?”
Tears sprang from the woman’s eyes, and she brushed them away with the back of her hand. “I was having a scan on this one. There’s every chance that he has a severe illness. They’re not sure what it is yet.”
“I see. I’m sorry to hear that. And you live locally?” Sally asked.
“Yes, ten minutes away.”
The other Mrs. Liddell asked, “So when does he stay with you?”
“Only on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. What about you?”
“Fridays and Saturdays. When did he carry out the crimes you say he committed, Inspector?”
“We think on Sundays and Mondays. We’ll get the full picture when we question him back at the station. I’m sorry he’s involved you in this, ladies. Please, don’t take it out on each other, not if there are children involved. They’ll be half-siblings, after all.”