“How is she?” I went on. “Is she badly hurt?”
“She’s all right,” the doctor said. “Don’t worry about her.”
“And her husband?” I asked.
“What husband?” the copper said, staring at me.
“The guy who was sitting at the back of the car. She said his name was Paul. Is he all
right?”
“You don’t have to worry about him, either,” the doctor said
The copper passed his hand over his face and shook his head. He seemed to be the one who
was worrying.
“How did it happen? Maybe you can tell me that,” he said but there was no hope in his
voice.
I couldn’t be bothered to explain about Petelli. That would have taken too long. I wanted to
close my eyes and forget about the car smash.
“Another car was coming towards us,” I said. “He was coming fast. He didn’t seem to see
us. She tried to get out of his way, but he caught us. What happened to him?”
The copper drew in a deep breath.
“I’ll say it this time,” he said, with heavy sarcasm. “You don’t have to worry about him.
Now look, pal, let’s get all this down the mat and work at it. If you were hitch-hiking how
come you were driving this Buick?”
It was my turn to stare at him now.
“It was a Bentley, and she was driving. I was sitting at her side, and her husband, Paul, was
at the back.”
47
“Well, smother my old father in a feather bed!” the copper exclaimed. He took off his hat
and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Then he put his hat on again and pulled
aggressively at the brim. “You were driving! She was at the back! And there was no goddamn
husband.” He leaned forward and wagged his finger at me as he bawled, “And the
sonofabitch of car was a Buick!”
I got excited.
“You’ve got it wrong!” I said, clutching hold of the sheet. I tell you she was driving. The
car was a black Bentley coupe. This other car hit us. Ask the driver. He’ll tell you.”
The copper waved his notebook in my face.
“There was no other car! What’s the matter with you? What have you got to lie about?”
“That’s enough,” the doctor said, his voice sharp. “He’s nor in a fit state to be shouted at.
You must leave him alone, sergeant.”
“I’m not lying!” I said, and tried to sit up. That finished me. A light exploded inside my
head, and I took a nosedive into darkness.
It was daylight when I opened my eyes again. The screen at the foot of the bed had been
removed, but the screens on either side were still there. I could see another bed facing me.
From the sounds going on around me I guessed I was in a ward.
I looked to see if the copper was there, but he wasn’t. I lay still, aware I was feeling a lot
better, that my head didn’t ache, although it was still sore, and when I moved my arms I could
do so without effort.
After a while I got around to thinking about what that copper had said. It began to worry
me. No other car, no husband, it was a Buick and not a Bentley, and I was driving. What did
he mean ?
Maybe I had dreamed the copper. Maybe he was part of the mists and the fog and the
darkness. He must be unless he was confusing me with someone else.
Then the doctor came around from behind the screen. He grinned cheerfully at me.
