disposal they’re bound to corner him in the next hour. And an hour isn’t going to make much difference to me, or Anna.’
Elizabeth left Dave at the door to the lift and walked down the corridor to the Ladies. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her long dark hair was straggling out of the chignon at the nape of her neck.
She pulled out the pins, unhooked the net and rummaged in her handbag for a hairbrush.
‘Hello, Dr Santer. I hope we have a quieter day tomorrow,’ a staff nurse from Ward 7 commented as she entered.
‘Don’t we all? How are things on the ward?’
‘Under control. But Sister must be in shock. She told me to take all the time I wanted when I left for my break.’
‘Tell her I’ll be in shortly to check on the patients who couldn’t be moved.’ As Elizabeth brushed her hair she noticed dark circles beneath her eyes. Dave was right, she did look tired, but then she couldn’t remember a night she’d slept well since… an image flooded into her mind of her husband, Joseph, alive, vibrant and healthy. When they’d been together she’d thought he’d be there forever and she still couldn’t get used to the fact that he wasn’t, even after two years.
The sound of a closet flushing jerked her out of her reverie. She nodded as the nurse left. Tying her hair into a restraining band, she slipped on the net and pinned it into a knot. After washing her hands she reached into her handbag for her powder and lipstick.
‘Dr Santer.’
She turned around, unsure whether she’d heard her name being called, or not.
‘Dr Santer.’
It was a whisper but definitely there. A cold trickle of fear ran down her spine. ‘John?’
‘I’m in a cubicle.’
‘John, the police, army and everyone in the hospital is looking for you. You’re not going to get out, not without giving yourself up.’ She turned to the only door that was closed in the row of cubicles.
‘I didn’t kill that sergeant and corporal.’
She took a deep breath, and forced herself to remain calm. She’d never lied to a patient and wasn’t about to begin. ‘Open the door, John, and we’ll talk about it.’
‘I didn’t do it,’ he reiterated forcefully.
‘If you’re innocent it can be sorted, but not while you remain hidden here.’
‘If I leave here I’ll be dead in five minutes.’
‘You have my word, no one will harm you if you give up your gun and come out quietly with me.’
‘You’re going to guarantee my safety? Forgive my cynicism, Dr Santer, but you’re promising to do more than two armed guards managed to accomplish.’
‘You can’t stay in there forever.’
‘I know, that’s why I need your help. Get a wheelchair and a blanket. Bring them here. You can take me to the front door.’
‘The hospital is crawling with police and troops.
The building is surrounded.’
‘Just wheel me to the door. I can take it from there.’
‘John… ’
‘I have a gun,’ he reminded her harshly, ‘and I’ll use it on the hostage I’m holding in here. Do you want to take responsibility for the death of an innocent nurse?’
CHAPTER FOUR
Elizabeth stood in the corridor and leaned against the door of the Ladies’ room. She had to prevent anyone from entering but she couldn’t do that unless she stayed there and if she did, she wouldn’t be able to fetch a wheelchair. How long would John wait before killing his hostage?
She wished she’d offered to take the nurse’s place.
It would have made sense. She was the trained psychiatrist. She didn’t doubt that he’d kill again. Not after seeing the corpses of the two soldiers.
A door crashed back on its hinges further up the corridor and the porter who had turned up the television earlier, came whistling out of the canteen.
‘Thank God,’ she breathed in relief. ‘Could you please bring me a wheelchair? One of the nurses has fainted in the Ladies.’
‘No trouble, Dr Santer. Be back in a tick.’
Suppressing an impulse to call out
Elizabeth left Dave at the door to the lift and walked down the corridor to the Ladies. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her long dark hair was straggling out of the chignon at the nape of her neck.
She pulled out the pins, unhooked the net and rummaged in her handbag for a hairbrush.
‘Hello, Dr Santer. I hope we have a quieter day tomorrow,’ a staff nurse from Ward 7 commented as she entered.
‘Don’t we all? How are things on the ward?’
‘Under control. But Sister must be in shock. She told me to take all the time I wanted when I left for my break.’
‘Tell her I’ll be in shortly to check on the patients who couldn’t be moved.’ As Elizabeth brushed her hair she noticed dark circles beneath her eyes. Dave was right, she did look tired, but then she couldn’t remember a night she’d slept well since… an image flooded into her mind of her husband, Joseph, alive, vibrant and healthy. When they’d been together she’d thought he’d be there forever and she still couldn’t get used to the fact that he wasn’t, even after two years.
The sound of a closet flushing jerked her out of her reverie. She nodded as the nurse left. Tying her hair into a restraining band, she slipped on the net and pinned it into a knot. After washing her hands she reached into her handbag for her powder and lipstick.
‘Dr Santer.’
She turned around, unsure whether she’d heard her name being called, or not.
‘Dr Santer.’
It was a whisper but definitely there. A cold trickle of fear ran down her spine. ‘John?’
‘I’m in a cubicle.’
‘John, the police, army and everyone in the hospital is looking for you. You’re not going to get out, not without giving yourself up.’ She turned to the only door that was closed in the row of cubicles.
‘I didn’t kill that sergeant and corporal.’
She took a deep breath, and forced herself to remain calm. She’d never lied to a patient and wasn’t about to begin. ‘Open the door, John, and we’ll talk about it.’
‘I didn’t do it,’ he reiterated forcefully.
‘If you’re innocent it can be sorted, but not while you remain hidden here.’
‘If I leave here I’ll be dead in five minutes.’
‘You have my word, no one will harm you if you give up your gun and come out quietly with me.’
‘You’re going to guarantee my safety? Forgive my cynicism, Dr Santer, but you’re promising to do more than two armed guards managed to accomplish.’
‘You can’t stay in there forever.’
‘I know, that’s why I need your help. Get a wheelchair and a blanket. Bring them here. You can take me to the front door.’
‘The hospital is crawling with police and troops.
The building is surrounded.’
‘Just wheel me to the door. I can take it from there.’
‘John… ’
‘I have a gun,’ he reminded her harshly, ‘and I’ll use it on the hostage I’m holding in here. Do you want to take responsibility for the death of an innocent nurse?’
CHAPTER FOUR
Elizabeth stood in the corridor and leaned against the door of the Ladies’ room. She had to prevent anyone from entering but she couldn’t do that unless she stayed there and if she did, she wouldn’t be able to fetch a wheelchair. How long would John wait before killing his hostage?
She wished she’d offered to take the nurse’s place.
It would have made sense. She was the trained psychiatrist. She didn’t doubt that he’d kill again. Not after seeing the corpses of the two soldiers.
A door crashed back on its hinges further up the corridor and the porter who had turned up the television earlier, came whistling out of the canteen.
‘Thank God,’ she breathed in relief. ‘Could you please bring me a wheelchair? One of the nurses has fainted in the Ladies.’
‘No trouble, Dr Santer. Be back in a tick.’
Suppressing an impulse to call out
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