Page 91 of The Girl in the Woods

Rufus sighed heavily. ‘Look, I’m a social worker. I saw her for three visits. One time, she didn’t even turn up.’ He lowered his eyes. ‘She could be quite provocative, and I wasn’t comfortable with that.’

‘In what way?’ asked Tom, still watching him closely.

‘She would lie and then admit she was lying.’ He licked his lips nervously.

‘Lie about what?’

Rufus rolled his neck to release the tension in it. ‘She’d talk about all the boys she’d slept with and what they’d done, and then laugh and say “Got you.” She said she could easily make accusations against me because we were alone in the room.’

‘I see,’ said Tom.

Rufus looked up, his face flushed. ‘That’s always a worry, you know. We don’t have cameras in here because of patient confidentiality. Look, I did nothing to that girl. I did the professional thing and asked for her to be referred to someone more qualified.’

Beth pulled out her notepad. ‘Who was that?’

‘Dr Raymond Grace.’

Beth stopped writing. So Ray had known the social worker for the Ludbrook Grove school. Why hadn’t he said that? She glanced at Tom and saw him roll his eyes. He’d asked Ray at dinner about the patient confidentially. She inwardly groaned. Beth had known Ray wouldn’t divulge much. He was very hot on confidentiality.

‘Thanks for your help,’ said Tom, standing up. ‘We might need to question you again.’

Rufus looked panic-stricken. ‘Why?’

‘Nothing to worry about.’ Beth smiled, following Tom.

‘You intimidated the poor guy,’ she said once they were outside.

‘Why the hell hasn’t your brother-in-law come forward to say he treated her?’ Tom asked, starting the car and angrily struggling with the gears.

Beth winced as he crunched into first gear. She struggled to find an answer, at least an answer that would make sense. ‘Maybe he never got to see her,’ she suggested. ‘We don’t know. Perhaps she skipped those appointments too.’

‘Bloody patient confidentiality,’ he said between gritted teeth. ‘Well, we’ll soon find out.’

Beth sighed. ‘I can’t interview him. You know that. I don’t think you should either. Let Rawlins and Matt do it.’

‘Bloody vicars and…’ He took a deep breath before agreeing with her. This whole thing of being able to withhold evidence had been simmering within him for years. The number of murders he’d known that could have been prevented if one of these so-called professionals had opened their mouth in time.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

The brass plaque on the door read Dr Raymond Grace MRCPsych and Dr Michael Rust MRCPsych. The building was impressive.

As they entered, Ana held her stomach as if in pain. Anxiety moved through her body like a current. The walls were blindingly white and two modern paintings hung on each.

Fear gnawed at her stomach, and she kept swallowing to ease the anxiety rising within her. Her hands trembled and her head ached. Then, for the first time in months, she dug out the Valium from her bag and swallowed two while Matt talked to the receptionist.

‘Jesus,’ she muttered, as memories flooded her brain until she thought she would drown in them. They’re just memories, she told herself. They’re just the same as nightmares. They’ll go soon.

‘It’s okay,’ she whispered. ‘It’s okay.’

‘First floor,’ said Matt, startling her.

They stepped into the lift and Ana could feel herself hyperventilating.

‘Jesus, Ana,’ said Matt, concerned. ‘Are you okay?’

Ana struggled to take deep breaths. ‘I hate these sort of places.’

Matt frowned. ‘Right,’ he said, thinking it odd, considering she had been in the mortuary earlier. Nowhere could be worse than that.

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