Page 87 of Rookie Days

“Sure, go ahead.”

Everything was quiet and still in the room. Dr Elliott lay on the bed in the semi-darkness with her eyes closed. Her head was heavily bandaged; her face as white as the sheet that covered her under a series of dark bruises. Still, she looked peaceful. Ellie stepped closer. Started to take her hand, then hesitated. Asked herself if she’d like a total stranger to touch her when she slept, and decided not to. She did talk to her though, in a quiet voice.

“Dr Elliott, I’m Detective James. I look forward to meeting you when I can. You did extremely well, you know, fighting that guy? Janet said you’re a black belt.” Ellie smiled. “That’s really impressive. Thanks to you, we’re going to throw a killer behind bars. Rest well, okay? I’ll see you soon.”

She did squeeze the woman’s hand, briefly, and turned to find her lover watching her from the door. Janet was smiling, her eyes soft and thoughtful.

“Hey,” Ellie murmured.

“Hi, darling.”

Janet held out her hand. Ellie took it, and they walked out. Officer Brett Elias was back at his station, armed with a burgerand a steaming cup of coffee. He flashed Ellie a firm nod and a thumbs-up.

“I got this.”

“Thanks, man.”

Guard duty had to be the most boring job in the universe, but not if you were aware of the bigger picture. Brett was in the know, and Ellie knew no one would get past him.

“It was lovely, what you just said to Susan,” Janet approved as they stepped into the elevator.

“I thought if it was me, I’d like to hear it.”

“I think your words probably got through. She’ll appreciate it.”

“Good.” Ellie observed a subtle line of tension in the tilt of her shoulders, and faint shadows under her eyes which were not usually there. She pulled her close. “How are you doing, Jan?”

“Oh, fine.” Janet flashed a smile as she leaned against her. “It’s been non-stop all day. No major drama, just a steady stream of broken people. We’ve got them fixed up. So I’m a bit tired, but feeling good.”

“Great. Can you take a break?”

“I can’t go far tonight but I’m starving. Fancy dinner in the canteen? It’s not like the Italian across the street, but…”

“At the risk of sounding silly,” Ellie grinned, “I don’t care where we eat, or what, so long as it’s together.”

“That’s not silly.” Janet stole a quick kiss. “I like it.”

Over chicken nuggets and ketchup fries, Ellie updated her on progress, including useful info she’d dug up on Hayes.

“He was raised by a single mother, a successful lawyer who apparently was more interested in her career than her son. There were allegations that one of Robert’s many child minders abused him emotionally and physically when he was thirteen.”

“A woman?”

“No, it was a male. But when Robert confided in his mom, she refused to believe him and punished him instead.”

“I feel sorry for the child he was,” Janet sighed.

“Yes... As a result, he seems to have developed a profound hatred of women, especially the strong professional type that probably remind him of his mother. The one woman who was supposed to care for him and keep him safe let him down in a very fundamental way.”

“How did you get this information?”

“Before he started med school, he spoke to a therapist. I got a warrant to read through his files. Hayes said at the time that he was feeling quite depressed. That his anger and resentment were getting worse. Unfortunately, he didn’t stick with the therapy for long enough.”

Janet shook her head.

“That’s a shame.”

“Yeah. And get this: the child minder was beaten to death outside a San Francisco bar a couple of years ago. His wallet and phone were taken, so the death was treated as the consequence of a robbery gone bad.”

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