Final Cut(9)

I’m spooked, that’s all. Being here, miles from home. Stuck without a car, without friends. Thinking about Daisy and Zoe; one dead, the other missing. I watch Gavin and wonder who sent Dan the postcard. Could it have been him? But how could he have known we were looking for a location? How could anyone?

Suddenly, Gavin stops.

‘Well, this is me.’ He points towards an alleyway a little further down Slate Road. ‘You know where you’re going?’

‘Yes, thanks. I looked on the map.’

He passes me the bag he’s been carrying.

‘I’ll let you know. About your car, I mean.’

‘Thanks.’

He pauses, just for a moment.

‘Well, nice to meet you,’ he says. ‘See you around.’

I tell him I hope so, but he doesn’t move. He stands there, ill at ease. He has something else to say.

‘Bye, then.’

I’m turning to walk away when he calls me back.

‘Daisy …’ he says, and I freeze.

‘What?’

‘It’s just …’ He lowers his voice. ‘You ought to know. There are people here who think it wasn’t suicide. Zoe’s disappearance, too. Some people think they’re linked.’

‘Who?’

‘I can’t say. Just … people.’

‘But—’

‘That’s all I know.’ He glances over his shoulder. ‘I have to go.’

He turns away then, quickly and decisively, and disappears into the dark. I draw breath. I wish even more that I’d never come here, but there’s no going back now. I have a film to make, a deadline to hit; progress is necessary. I look up towards The Rocks, towards Bluff House and the tall cliffs, then lower my gaze and walk, head down. I go on, towards the upturned rowing boats and rusted lobster pots. I go on, towards the pub – The Ship Aground – and down, towards the slipway, thinking of the missing girls as I descend, going deeper and deeper into Blackwood Bay.





Then





5


Case report

NAME: Unknown

HOSPITAL NUMBER: 87498565K

DATE OF BIRTH: Unknown

ADDRESS: Unknown

DATE OF REPORT: 28 March 2011

The case is of a young female of unknown age but thought to be around fifteen to eighteen years old who was referred to the memory disorders clinic in March 2011. She first presented at the A&E department of the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEH) in Margate, Kent, with hypothermia and a suspected head injury, having been found unconscious in Deal. At the time of presentation she had no identification, and in fact no possessions other than a mobile phone. It is reported that on regaining consciousness she exhibited confusion, claiming to have no recollection of any autobiographical details, including her name, date of birth, address, etc. Following subsequent treatment at the QEH, the patient demonstrated extreme confusion when questioned about her life prior to being found. She was subsequently referred for inpatient assessment and further treatment.

On arrival the patient was extremely fearful, confused and reticent, though alert and not entirely uncooperative. Reports from the local hospital suggested that her head injury was minor, and certainly not consistent with brain damage severe enough to account for her symptoms. She maintained that though she could recall some fragmentary details of events in the year or so leading up to her hospitalisation, she had not regained knowledge of her name or any other significant biographical details, other than an impression that she had lived in the north of England, which was consistent with her accent, and that she thought in the days or weeks prior to hospitalisation she had been living rough in London. No other details of her previous life were forthcoming. She could not recall how she had made the journey to Deal, what forms of transport she had used, or how she had funded it. She denied hitching a lift, claiming that she ‘wouldn’t do that sort of thing’. She admitted to having low mood and a poor appetite. She slept badly, with early-morning wakefulness. She reported no suicidal ideation.

On examination

Examination revealed a young woman who was clean, somewhat overweight, though with evidence of recent poor nutrition, with poor eye contact. Judgement and insight were unimpaired. The patient was distressed during examination, and oriented in time and place but not in person. Her mood was depressed. There were symptoms suggestive of both derealisation and depersonalisation disorders, though no thought disorders were evident. Immediate recall and short-term memory were intact. Her memory was largely intact for the period since hospitalisation and very significantly impaired for the period prior to hospitalisation.

Though necessarily incomplete at present, due to the patient’s incomplete recall, examination revealed no symptoms suggestive of seizure, bipolar disorder, a manic episode, schizophrenia, anxiety or other organic disorder. Though she denied abusing psychoactive substances, physical evidence suggested the possibility of recent intravenous drug use.

Medical, psychiatric, family and personal histories were all incomplete, due to the nature of the patient’s presentation.

Physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory testing revealed no abnormalities. Neurological assessment was unremarkable. An EEG suggested no seizure activity and there was no evidence for epilepsy.

The Dissociative Experiences Scale was administered, though, due to the lack of long-term memory and the patient’s distress, the results should be interpreted with caution. They certainly do not rule out a dissociative disorder, however.