Page 156 of The Mercy Chair

Poe knew people would be gathering on the other side of the door, ready to rush in if needed. ‘One final question before we move on,’ he said. ‘You’ve worked on secure wards for years?’

‘I have.’

‘Then you’ll know what the number-one cause of non-natural inpatient deaths is.’

‘Suicide,’ she said automatically.

‘Now, tell me what you’re wearing.’

‘WhatI’mwearing?’

‘Yes.’

‘It’s a dress.’

‘Describe it, please.’

‘I really don’t see where this is going, Washington.’

‘Humour me,’ Poe said.

She looked down at her green dress. It was sleeveless, sturdily quilted and made of Cordura, a material ten times stronger than denim. It was tear-proof, fire-proof and so thick it couldn’t be folded or rolled into cords. The blood drained from her face as she understood the relevance.

‘Yes, thatisa noose-proof anti-suicide smock, Doctor Lang,’ Poe said gently. ‘Now do you understand?’

Tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and nodded. ‘I’m not a therapist here, am I?’ she said, her voice no more than a whisper.

‘No, Doctor Lang, you’re not,’ Poe said. ‘You’re a patient.’

Chapter 133

‘I don’t understand,’ Doctor Lang said. ‘Until I read your file I’d never evenheardof Bethany Bowman. Yet you seem to think I was the one who stopped her from killing you.’

‘You did.’

‘Are you saying I’ve blocked it all out?’

‘What do you remember of your childhood, Doctor Lang?’

She shrugged. ‘It was nothing special. My parents are English, but I grew up in Mindelheim. It’s about sixty miles west of Munich.’

‘In Bavaria?’

‘Yes. You’ve been?’

‘Not there. But I spent time in Germany when I was in the army.’

‘It’s a beautiful town,’ she said. ‘Lots of tourists, a bit like your Lake District. They’re both a curse and a blessing. Can’t live with them, can’t survive without them.’

‘You don’t have a German accent though.’

‘Like I said, my parents are both English. They’re both teachers.’

‘But you grew up around Germans. You went to school with German children. Surely you should have a bit of an accent?’

‘I’m bilingual,’ she said. ‘My German accent is flawless, I’m told.’

Poe nodded as if that explained it. ‘Tell me about your childhood,’ he said.

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