Sean, pleased that the case was moving forward, disappointed that his studies for a Master’s degree were slipping, focussed on detailing the murderous woman’s movements in the intervening five years, from when she had walked out of St Nicholas Mental Hospital until the murder of Gregory Chalmers.
Legally prescribed drugs, especially the more potent ones, would be registered and on the record. Also, they needed to know if the drugs had changed over the years, and whether she was subjecting herself to regular medical checks.
If the records were meticulous, Dr Gladys Lake should have been able to access them. After all, she had been her primary doctor for many years, and someone with a known psychotic ailment would be monitored at all times.
His father, Keith Greenstreet recollected, was susceptible to blowing his top one minute, only to be calm the next, but with Charlotte Hamilton it was more than banging a fist on the desk in frustration. With her, it came with a knife, although no one, not even her doctor in Newcastle, had seen that possibility.
Sara, for once riding high in everyone’s estimation, knew that it would not last for long.
‘Five days maximum before they start questioning your ability and my judgement,’ Bob Marshall had said the previous night. Detective Superintendent Rowsome was looking for an arrest; his Key Performance Indicators were slipping in a couple of key areas. With Charlotte Hamilton behind bars, he knew that his KPIs would be excellent for the next three months. The arrest of a murderer always counted for a lot, and Rowsome was looking for promotion.
Bob had an unusual way of initiating sexual congress, Sara thought. Discussing a murder was hardly the ideal conversation for a lead up to a romantic interlude, although it was not going to distract either of them. Sara knew that DCI Bob Marshall was the man for her, although he had been cagey on the subject of marriage. She knew that he had been married before, and even though there were no children, no complications, it had left him cautious.
Bob did not talk about his previous wife, which suited Sara, but sometimes the subject came up in conversation. According to Bob, she had a fiery temper coupled with a loving disposition. One wrong word on his part and she would not talk for a month, other than with monosyllabic replies.
Sara could see no problems for Bob on that account with her: she had no temper, said her mind and then forgot it. And as for not talking? She was a woman with a need. A woman in need of affection, Bob Marshall’s affection, and she was not going to allow any temper tantrum to get in the way.
Next day in the office, after a successful romantic interlude the previous night, Bob Marshall was back into detective chief inspector mode.
‘Sara, what are you doing about this woman, and is her flatmate safe? How about her parents?’
‘We have uniforms watching out for them.’
‘Not really good enough, is it?’
‘What else can we do? We can hardly protect them day and night. Besides, Ingrid’s, or should I say Charlotte’s, flatmate is out of sight, visiting relatives in Nigeria. The woman was scared and rightly so.’
‘You have an address, contact details?’
‘Yes, DCI.’
‘And the parents?’
‘It must be tough for them,’ Sara said. She remembered the brief conversation with Fiona Hamilton, the sadness in the woman’s voice.
‘Tough for any parent. Remember, five days and those in the office upstairs will be baying for my blood and yours. I’ve trusted you with this case, and so far, what do you have? Just a name. Where is this woman, what is her next move? Who is her next victim? Have you considered this?’
‘Impossible to ascertain who the next victim will be.’
‘Why?’
‘One lover and then the lover of her flatmate.’ Sara realised that her DCI was placing her under pressure for her benefit. After the praise of the detective superintendent, she had to admit that she had lost some focus. Bob was sharpening her up; she would deal with him later.
‘So far, it’s been people that she knows, and male.’
‘Apart from Stephanie Chalmers, although we believe that was not intended. The woman walked in and found Ingrid with blood on her hands, as well as a knife. And Gregory Chalmers’ death appears to be unpremeditated.’
‘Brad Howard?’
‘Premeditated. She calculated his death.’
‘Why not kill Gloria?’
‘We believe that she targets males.’
‘At present. I suggest you tighten your operation. You have a full department here, and Keith will be back later in the day. I advise you to find this woman before there are any more deaths.’ Bob walked away, only looking back to mouth ‘Sorry.’ He knew he had been a bastard, but it had only been to make her focus.
Fired up, she called in Sean. ‘What do you have?’
‘Not a lot. I can find clear evidence that she continued with her medication for a couple of years, but nothing after that.’
‘Change of name?’
‘Unlikely. No doctor would issue antipsychotic medication without a full medical history, and then he would probably check back with the primary physician.’
‘Gladys Lake?’
‘She told Keith that she had not seen her since the day she left the hospital.’
‘It’s possible.’
‘Where did she get the additional medication?’
‘London.’
‘That gives us five years. Discounting the three years at college in London, we have two years unaccounted for. Where was she?’ Sara asked.
‘We’d better find out. There is an address for Charlotte Hamilton in London that Gladys Lake supplied. Supposedly, she had prescribed her medication the day she left. We should go there,’ Sean said.
