Play Dead (D.I. Kim Stone, #4)(58)

‘Would you like me to leave?’ Duncan asked.

Kim shook her head. He was helping Isobel lift her right hand to her mouth from a bowl of thin soup on the hospital table.

Isobel tried to lift her left hand to offer a handshake. Kim touched the hand and laid it back down.

She leaned forwards, resting her arms on her knees.

‘Izzy, I understand that you don’t remember anything, but I have to ask, okay?’

She nodded as Duncan guided her hand once more to her mouth. The effort of swallowing the murky liquid seemed to take a great deal of effort.

‘If you get too tired, just let me know.’

‘I don’t want to close my eyes,’ she said.

Her voice was weak, barely more than a whisper. Had Kim been further away she wouldn’t have heard a word.

Kim could also understand her reluctance to close her eyes. Perhaps she was frightened of returning to her comatose state or even not waking up at all.

Duncan held her hand and scooped another spoonful of soup before helping her guide it to her mouth.

Again she swallowed with effort and held up her left hand to signal no more.

Duncan put the spoon back into the dish but continued to hold her hand.

‘Isobel, I know this might be difficult for you to take in, but your injuries are not from any kind of accident.’

She swallowed and nodded. In the short time she’d been awake she had probably already worked that out.

‘We’re pretty sure you were abducted and kept against your will. Your head injury was supposed to kill you.’

A cry sounded from her throat. Kim placed a reassuring hand on Isobel’s arm.

‘Don’t worry – you’re safe. He’s not going to get to you here. But we need to catch this man before he does it again.’

Kim didn’t want to frighten her further by admitting that two other women hadn’t been as lucky.

Isobel’s look of horror turned to frustration. ‘I don’t…’

‘Save your throat,’ Kim instructed. ‘I just want to see if we can shake anything loose.’

Isobel nodded, but the frown remained. Kim saw her look to Duncan for reassurance. He smiled and squeezed her hand. ‘You’re doing great, Izzy.’

‘There are marks on the back of your legs and your stomach,’ Kim explained. ‘Do you have any idea where they came from?’

Isobel shook her head.

‘Do you remember anything about being taken, a smell, a sound, anything?’

Isobel shook her head.

‘Do you have any recollection of where you might have been taken from?’

She shook her head and then looked to Duncan who was pained that he could offer no response.

‘Is there anything in your mind to do with where you were held, anything at all?’ Kim asked.

Isobel’s eyes filled with tears and Kim understood.

With no memory of anything she was looking into an empty space. She knew nothing about herself. Her mind was an alien place to be with nothing familiar, nothing she knew. No memories of herself or people that she cared for.

Duncan stroked her arm. ‘It’s okay, babe. It’ll come back.’

Kim hoped he was right, not only for her own sake, and what she might learn for the investigation, but for Isobel too.

Otherwise the woman had to start again. She had to make a whole new person. Her memories would begin from about half an hour ago, providing the equipment was still working, but that was a worry for another day.

As Kim opened her mouth she caught sight of the doctor at the entrance to the bay.

He had said she couldn’t take long and he was reminding her of her instruction. She couldn’t tire the patient too much.

She was tempted to keep asking questions in case just one smidgeon of information had become lodged in the brain before the injury had washed it away. Just one stubborn recollection that was hanging on the end of a thought.

But it would be unfair and probably fruitless.

Kim stood and returned the easy chair to its position.

‘Isobel, you’re doing great, so don’t push yourself to recall stuff. The harder you try the more it may stay out of reach.

‘I’m going to leave my card here. If you do remember anything ask Duncan to give me a call.’

Isobel nodded and attempted a weak smile. Duncan nodded too. He looked tired and sad.

‘You okay?’ Kim couldn’t help but ask.

‘I’m fine,’ he said brightening.

‘You need rest too,’ she advised. Hospitals were draining, and the worry was etched into his face.

‘I’m okay. I’m going to fetch a few things for Izzy when I leave here.’ He turned to his girlfriend. ‘Pink pyjamas. You always wear pink.’

Kim enjoyed the expression of warmth that spread across Isobel’s face. Facts, information, any little nugget would be gratefully received and hopefully stored.

Kim wondered how many times the finite detail of their few dates would be recounted back to her over the coming days. And each time she would learn something new about the person she was.

Kim said her farewells and headed back to the doctor.

‘Sorry if I overstayed.’

‘No, no, Inspector. It’s not that. There’s something I think you should know.’

He stepped away from the opening to the ward.