Part 9 (2/2)

”Sylvie, I'm Sylvie.”

”Good, that's good. What's your surname Sylvie?”

She didn't know what to say, she couldn't remember the name Samuel had signed them in with but surely this woman would know it, from the hotel register, or did she. Was she as kind as she seemed or was it a trap, she needed Samuel, she needed him to tell her what to do, show her how to do this now. She turned back again to the nurse.

”Samuel, what are they doing to him, is he dead?”

”He's very badly hurt, they are doing all they can. Is it your husband? Can you tell us about him, his name, can you help me to fill in the forms?”

Could she, no, she couldn't, she knew so little and yet he had said they were married. She knew only that he was a sad and grieving man who had shown her kindness. She knew he was in deep trouble and now so was she. With fresh horror she faced the fact she had killed someone, in a moment of dreadful danger and with no other choice she had fired a gun but he was dead, his brains sprayed over the hotel room and surely she was now a murderer. This thought led onward to the next, Phil, she had been there when he had died, knew she was involved, she was in desperate trouble and she didn't know what to do.

She put down the cup and lowered her head into her hands. The nurse came back and sat beside her, wrapping warm arms around the thin shoulders, as great gulping sobs shook Sylvie's entire body. All was lost, her life was over and if, as she believed, Samuel were dying then it didn't matter anyway.

Chapter 38.

”Can I see him, just for a minute, a second, can't I just see him?” The nurse just shook her head.

”I'm sorry, they have to do their work, you can see him as soon as he is stable.”

”But, what if he's not, what if he is never stable, what if he dies and I haven't even been able to say goodbye. Don't you see I need to see him now, in case I can't ever see him again. Please, please.”

Sylvie's small figure shook and trembled and the nurse looked in desperation at the police woman, out of her depth in the face of such pa.s.sion. She was young and had been sent to do the easy part, deliver tea and comfort but now she was lost. The policewoman shrugged and raised her eyebrows, she knew while Sylvie was in this state it was unlikely they could interview her successfully and in truth she did understand her need to be with her man.

”Is there no chance she could pop in, into the emergency room, just to see him?”

”I'll go and see, I'll find out anyway what is happening, OK?” She nodded in Sylvie's direction and slid through the half open door.

”Sylvie, you need to hang on, they'll do what they can. Hang on love.”

The door opened and the young nurse beckoned to them. ”You can pop in for a minute, he is going for surgery but you can just see him first. There are a lot of tubes and things and of course he can't talk, he hasn't regained consciousness at all but you can see him.”

She leaned over and gently patted Sylvie on her blood stained sleeve. She had no idea of the horror this person had been through but obviously it had been extreme and if she could help a little then she felt better...

He was pale and still, tubes and wires led from beeping machines and plastic bags. The sheets were stained red, he was in a thin cotton gown. He looked vulnerable and ill, there was a tube down his throat.

”Samuel, I don't know if you can hear me, I don't suppose you can but it's me, it's Sylvie. You're going to be okay now Samuel and I'm okay. I love you. I'll be here.”

They led her away, the sobbing had stopped and she was in control, the fact he was being looked after and the room had been calm had done much to rea.s.sure her.

”You can wait in the relative's room and then, afterwards they'll probably take him to the Intensive Therapy Suite and you can pop in and see him again. Alright?”

”Yes, thank you. You're very kind, I appreciate it. Thanks.” ...

The sky began to pale and the tiny window was filled with milky light, they had waited hours for news. The policewoman had made a couple of abortive attempts to ask questions but each time Sylvie had simply dissolved into a sobbing heap. Her seniors had called her into to the corridor and she told them there was no point trying to do anything yet. They had no real idea what had happened and so no reason to take the girl in for questioning. She gave them her thoughts, she didn't know Sylvie listened, leaning close to the gap in the door, breath stilled, heart pounding. Now things were calmer she had begun to see, she had to act, if she was to be able to save them she needed to come up with a story that would hold water.

Chapter 39.

”I'm sorry Sylvie, I don't understand. I thought you and Samuel were married.” The detective sat on a low, upholstered chair; it had been dragged across the room to where Sylvie still perched on the hard plastic seat. They had asked her to go with them to the police station but she refused to leave.

”I can't, I can't go anywhere. I can't leave him.”

Now he was trying to get some information, anything at all that would help unwind the horror and confusion in the hotel room. The gun had been sent away for testing and the ruined body was in the mortuary, everything picked up and packed up, swept for prints and examined for clues. They had interviewed the landlady and all she could tell them was - the young couple seemed very nice, had paid in cash and she had no idea who the other man was or how he had got into the hotel unnoticed. They hadn't forced her to confront the carnage that had been his head but she had looked at his clothes and glanced nervously at the blood stained cloth over his face. She was tough, a Liverpool Landlady of the old school but still she had been shaken by what had happened.

He leaned forward, hesitant, wanting to touch Sylvie's hand but knowing he mustn't. She was small and forlorn in the blood stained clothes and her eyes were sore and red looking. They had told him she had cried and sobbed, inconsolable at times and unable to talk about what had happened. He had to encourage her, she was the only person who could help him. The doctor hadn't been too hopeful about the other man, the one now in surgery. Very serious damage to his lungs, possibly his heart, ma.s.sive blood loss, shock and so it went on. They didn't know what the outcome would be but the prognosis wasn't good.

So, either he was sitting with a victim or a murderer or an accessory to murder or G.o.d knew what, he tried again.

”Is Samuel your boyfriend, fiance, what?”

”I only know I love him. We haven't been together long but, well he said we were married more as a joke, no not a joke, just so I wouldn't be embarra.s.sed. Well you know, we didn't want any fuss, anything. Oh I don't know, he just did.”

”It's okay, I guess it happens a lot but we do need now to have things straightened out. You do see that? You're not in trouble, if you didn't do anything wrong you must tell us, all we need to do is find out what happened. Samuel can't tell us. The other man can't, so we need you to tell us. Was the other man a friend?”

This was where she would need to be careful, she had to walk on eggsh.e.l.ls, there was no story she could tell to show them as innocent.

”I don't know who he was. He was in the room when we got back from town.”

”Tell you what. Let's start right at the beginning. You just tell us your name, your real name and Samuel's. We know you checked in as Mr and Mrs Percy. That's not your real name?”

She shook her head.

”Is it Samuel's name?”

She nodded, it didn't matter at the moment, his real name, Carter, was the one she must avoid. She didn't know if there were any records of him but best to err on the side of caution and as he had chosen Percy the chance was it was safe.

”Right, so he is Samuel Percy and you are Sylvie?”

He waited, the man in the suit with his b.o.o.by trapped questions and his puzzled eyes and tired face. She stared back at him.

”Sylvie Rigby.”

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