“Anything else?” Hamish doubted it could get any worse, but he was wrong.
“Yes. She was charged with murder after a snitch got shot. She was found with the gun in her hand, covered in blood and incoherent. Police had no choice but to throw her in the paddy wagon when she went ballistic, waving the gun around and making threats. They had to take her in and charged her. It got sorted out in the end, but she was less than willing to cooperate, so made it harder for herself.”
“She got fired?”
“Yes. In a very public way too, which is a shame because she was one hell of an investigative reporter before her husband died. Won awards all over the place. I don’t understand why you have a problem calling the police or getting the family to. Sounds as if she’s in trouble, for goodness sake.”
Hamish wiped a hand over his chin, frustrated with the position he was in. Alex had told him things in confidence and he didn’t want to break that trust, although he doubted he could let it slide for much longer. The police would want to know why he was worried and what could he tell them?
“Confidential discussions with her son. He’s told me things that have me overly concerned for her welfare.”
“Glad it’s you and not me. Listen, why don’t you drop hints to the family that if they don’t report her missing, you will. I’m pretty sure they won’t want another whiff of a scandal touching them. They seemed to be the type to avoid any hint of underhanded goings-on. He’s a lawyer isn’t he?”
“Frederick? Yes, he is. He’s not the one I’m having trouble with though. It’s his wife. She seems almost as highly strung as the daughter.”
“Oh, what fun for you. Can’t stand that kind of snobbery.”
“I don’t see them like that. Well, not the husband anyway, we’ve been friends for years. His wife is rather lovely most of the time, but this thing with Billie has changed her and unless I’m mistaken, she has enough issues of her own. I think that’s making her more than a little dismissive of her daughter’s problems.”
“The way I see it, you don’t have much choice if you want to keep on the kid’s good side. How important is this lady to you?”
“I don’t know. We get on well, but so far there’s nothing more than friendship.”
“I guess it’s enough to talk to the family. I do know that I’d be making waves and stirring them up if it was me. That way you don’t have to break the kid’s confidence and you might get them to do something.”
“I can’t see any other way myself.”
“What are you going to do if you find her, Hamish? She obviously hasn’t resolved the loss of her husband. Typical reaction to a death or major trauma. Unfortunately, it’s quite possible she’ll never resolve her grief this way if she keeps pushing it to the back of her mind. I put those panic attacks down to her not facing reality.”
“From what you know of the case, do you think she’s at risk of harming herself?”
“More than likely. If I was her doctor, I’d be very concerned about her state of mind. Don’t you think this is a little bit above your brief, Hamish? I’d hate to see you get a mark against your name over this.”
“Technically she’s not my patient, merely a friend. But I appreciate your concern.”
“Always here to help. You know that.”
Chapter 14
Sydney 1980
Billie opened her eyes and lay staring at the ceiling. She’d tossed all night, twisting in the sweat dampened sheets as she struggled to stay in the moment. What she’d told Alex was true to a degree. She needed to get to the bottom of this before it was too late. How much longer could it continue before she herself, sought help from a doctor or signed herself into care? Surely this wasn’t the normal response to grief?
She rolled over and picked up the letter she’d read last night. Gertrude had started to become real to her, someone she had a personal connection with.
26th April 1941
Dear Wilz,
I do hope you’re well. It saddens me that I haven’t had any replies to my letters and I’m beginning to worry about you. Heaven forbid you’ve taken another turn and are stuck in hospital again without me to take care of you. That would be too tragic for words. If you can’t write to me, would you ask Ernest to do so?
I’m so busy, I rarely have time to worry about things at home even though you are always in my thoughts. The fighting has intensified and we are under constant threat of bombings. We hear Toobruk has been evacuated but so far, we are staying put.
The amount of surgeries that are performed each day is quite staggering and I fear they are never going to cease. If we do less than fifty, it is considered a quiet day but those are few and far between. The operating theatre works twenty-four hours a day and some of the staff are dropping with exhaustion.
At last I feel useful! You have no idea how invigorating that is for me. Growing up on the estate in no way prepared me for what I face here on a daily basis. If it wasn’t
