Read Online Fatal Impact by Kathryn Fox - Free Book Online Page B

number. It answered on the first ring.
    ‘We have nothing to say. Please respect that,’ a male voice pleaded.
    ‘My name is Dr Anya Crichton. I met with Mrs Quaid this morning. May I speak with her?’
    There was a muffled conversation in the background. At least someone was screening the calls to the home. The media would be on Beatrice’s doorstep and were probably calling for comments.
    ‘Have they found Jenny and Mia yet?’ Beatrice sounded raspier than earlier.
    Anya closed her eyes. The waiting had to be intolerable. ‘They’re still searching everywhere possible. I’m calling about Emily.’
    Beatrice took an audible gasp.
    ‘It looks like she died from a severe gastrointestinal infection.’ She deliberately avoided using the term food poisoning over the phone, in case the grieving and worried grandmother misheard and believed Emily had been poisoned. ‘The source was most likely something Emily ate. It isn’t contagious and there’s no vaccine that could have prevented it.’
    There was a prolonged silence on the line.
    ‘I don’t understand. The police said she was . . . they said foul play. It’s why they were so worried about Jenny and Mia.’
    ‘Initially, that’s what they thought. Blood tests confirm the presence of the bacteria, but they can take a couple of days.’
    ‘Then where are my daughter and grandchild?’ Beatrice’s voice was strained. ‘Did Jenny . . . did she just let Emily die?’ She swallowed. ‘Then shove the dead child in a box and run away, as if no one would ever know? Not even Jenny could be that cold.’
    Anya didn’t have the definitive answer. ‘Maybe Jenny panicked.’ It was difficult to imagine how any mother could let a child suffer without getting help. Especially when Emily was so close to Jenny. She had previously lost her son to an infection, and could have feared Mia would be taken away from her. By her own mother.
    Without a car, it would have been almost impossible to take a three-year-old far, and even harder if the child were sick as well. Unless she had hitchhiked or someone had offered her a ride. But the house looked as if she’d left in a rush. The phone was off the hook. Records would show who she’d last spoken to, if she had, in fact, called for help.
    ‘The police are chasing up medical centres and hospitals, in case Jenny presented at one of them.’
    ‘Do you think Mia could have the same infection as Emily?’
    Anya couldn’t lie. As difficult as it was for the grandmother, she deserved to know the truth.
    ‘It’s possible, if they ate the same contaminated food. Jenny as well. Public health and food inspectors will swab the contents of the home fridge. If this bacteria is there, they’ll find it.’
    ‘Thank you, doctor, for keeping me informed. I’m sorry, I have to go now.’
    Anya wondered about Jenny Quaid’s mind-set. The woman had shunned conventional medicine and lost her baby in a hospital. Dylan Heyes came across convincingly with his pseudoscience and medical jargon. To perform his intranasal therapy, he had to have had Jenny’s complete trust. Anya wondered if he had dissuaded her from seeking medical help in the past. Or if he had advised that diarrhoea and vomiting were a normal part of his detoxification program. Without answers, and nothing more to offer the investigation tonight, she drove back to the hotel, showered and washed the day out before changing for dinner.
    The loose cotton dress she’d chosen billowed as she approached the harbour. The sea air, and all her memories of watching the ocean, were invigorating. She pulled out her ponytail and let the breeze dry her wavy mane.
    Her phone rang and she answered as soon as she saw the number.
    ‘Hi, Mum,’ Ben enthused.
    She almost missed being called Mummy, but those days were past.
    ‘Hey, gorgeous boy, I’ve been looking forward to hearing all about your day. How was it?’
    ‘Good. We went to this really great zoo. I patted wallabies. The emus