After checking into the Anchor Inn, Louise crashed onto the hard bed, and tried to control her breathing. She was shaking. Adrenaline had gotten her this far, but it was wearing off. The realisation of what had happen hit her hard, and Louise felt fear taking over. She buried her head into the pillow and sobbed, her whole body shaking vigorously, while she let the nights events pour out.
After thirty minutes in the shower, Louise felt better. The hot, steamy water washed away her fear and calmed her down. She had no clothes, no nightwear, nothing. After nearly being killed, Louise had raced out from her apartment, and headed here. Tomorrow she would go back and get some fresh clothes. What if Sam were waiting? He would kill her this time. Her mind was racing with thousands of thoughts, and she paused when thinking about Luke. Louise had never told Jessica, but she secretly had a thing for her brother-in-law. He is an attractive man. Lean body, muscular build. Chiselled jawline. She was Jessica's husband, and Louise had kept those thoughts away. All she could think about was he was now a killer. Trapped inside his head by a psychopath. Louise desperately wanted to help Luke. She owed it to him. But what could she do? Even with all her knowledge and training, somethings are impossible to cure. Luke was suffering, and his suffering would only get worse, until he would be locked away in a mental institute. With medication, and treatment, his personality disorder could be contained. That was the only way to help Luke.
Sitting on the edge of bed, Louise turned her thoughts to something Sam had said. He mentioned the fictional character of Jekyll and Hyde. She knew little about the story, never having read the story. But she knew enough to know the ending. Dr. Jekyll killed himself. He could no longer supress the evil Hyde and running out of serum, he decided the only way to pay for the crimes he had committed was to end his life. Louise did a quick search on her phone and scanned through the synopsis of the story. She was right. His concluding words were: 'I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end."
Luke was dealing with an evil beyond his control. She wondered if he, like Dr. Jekyll would take his own life. Sam had killed his friends. She knew Luke would not be able to live with that guilt, and if he did not get help, she feared he would take his own life. Not only to end Sam's desire to kill, but also to cope with the knowledge that he would be responsible for killing Alan and Debbie. She had to help him before it was too late. Getting close to him would put her own life at risk, but what other choice did she had. It was no use hiding here forever. She would have to return home, and when she did, Sam would find her.
Sleep overtook her, and sliding under the thin sheets, Louise allowed her thoughts to drift away, and let sleep take its place. Tomorrow, she would speak to Russell, and tell him the truth. Together they could help Luke. Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow. Then Louise was in a deep sleep.
Louise woke up to the sound of doors slamming and distant voices. The Inn was open, and breakfast was being served. She glanced at her watch. It was early. Too early for Louise, and she buried her head under the pillow trying to drown out the morning noise. She wanted to sleep and forget everything that had happened. Nothing could make her forget yesterday's events. Louise had nearly died. She remembered the sight of the cold blade edging closer toward her. The look in Sam's eyes. It was terrifying. Her near death experience would be forever engrained in her mind. If Luke had not saved her, she would be dead. She owed him her life and now it was her turn to help Luke. She would eat, and then make her way to the hospital. She had to tell Russell. Would he even understand what she was saying? The last time Louise had seen the big guy, he was heavily sedated, barely able to construct a sentence. His mind had been turned to mush. But he was not mad. Sam had tried to kill him, tried to make it look like an accident. That was why Russell was so agitated when he saw Luke, he must have caught a glimpse of him, and started to panic. She would talk to Russell and explain what had happened.
The morning sun hung against a crisp blue sky. After the windy night, the air had cleared and left behind a perfect chilly autumn day. Leaves littered the ground, and everyone was wrapped up in scarves and hat.
After a light breakfast, Louise joined the heavy traffic, and slowly made her way toward the hospital. She was thankful for the blast of heat that came through the vents, warming up the interior of the vehicle. She wondered what she would say to Russell. Her mind raced and she hoped Russell would listen and help her. Her last visit had not been very productive.
A car honked its horn bringing Louise back to reality. She turned into the hospital car park and found a spot. Her black hair was a mess, and her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep. She prided herself on always looking good. The thought of stepping out of the house looking this way would normally had been unheard of. Yet, this was a desperate situation, and called for desperate times. Her hair and makeup were the last things on her mind. All she wanted to do was help Luke and stop Sam from hurting anyone else.
The hospital was as busy as the first time she was here. The corridors were filled with the buzz from patients, doctors, and nurses, all rushing around, trying to get somewhere. Louise remembered how much she hated hospitals. The smell, the noise, the depressing feeling it gave you. Louise brushed past a young doctor and headed toward Russell, trying to calm her thoughts. The last 24 hours had been intense, and she still struggled to accept what had happened. Worst of all, Sam was out there, looking for her, waiting to strike. She wondered how Luke felt trapped inside his own mind, unable to get out, powerless to stop his enemy. It must be driving him crazy. Louise had more important things to worry about. She needed an ally, someone to help her. Together, Russell and Louise could help Luke.
Louise confidently stepped into the ward. She was far from confident. Inside, her heart was pounding, and she could feel herself shaking with apprehension. Scanning around, she looked for the nurse. Surely Louise would be recognised as a wanted fugitive. Her last visit here had nearly ended with Sam trying to murder Russell, and Louise had escaped with a wanted criminal. She scanned the busy reception area. Her search saw different faces, and the nurse who could identity her was nowhere to be seen. Louise took a deep breath and moved further into the busy ward.
Up ahead, her eyes locked on two figures walking toward her. One man was dressed in a sharp suit, neatly pressed shirt, and wearing a black and blue stripy tie.
Next to him, stood a uniformed officer. Black jacket, with a blue chequered strip running across the chest, and the words police surrounded in a blue box above the strip. The officer was wearing a black hat, with the classic white chequered band running around the base. In the centre of the pattern was the police badge. Metropolitan Police.
Louise's heart skipped a beat. The sight of two officers sent a shiver down her spine, then she realised they must have been talking to Russell, trying to get some facts from him. Louise ignored their stares and headed toward Russell.
'Ms. Hutchings.' called the smartly dressed man. 'Excuse me. Ms. Hutchings.'
Louise stopped. What did they want with her, and how did they know her name?
'Yes,' replied Louise, tentatively.
'I'm detective Cortado and this is officer Hook. Can we have a quick word?'
'Sure. What's it about?'
With each word, Louise could feel the tension building up inside her. She felt concerned. Louise had no reason to feel this way, yet something was niggling inside her mind.
'We just wanted to ask you about your vehicle. Do you drive a black Mini?'
'Yes. Yes, I do. Why?'
'It's of concern to us as it was used in an attempted murder.'
Louise could feel her knees giving out. She reached out and supported her weight against the wall. Her car. Used in a murder. What was he talking about?
'My. My. Murder?' She could not speak.
'Yes. Your black mini was used to drive Mr. Knight off the road and into the river.'
'But, he tried to kill himself.'
'We reviewed the CCTV footage from the bridge, and saw your Mini swerve deliberately, forcing Mr. Knight off the road. Can we ask where you were?'
Louise was struggling with what she had been told. Her Mini drove Russell off the road. She was being questioned by the police, and they wanted to know where she was on the night of Russell's attempted murder.
'I was at home, I think.'
'Are you sure, Ms. Hutchings?'
'Yes. Yes. I'm sure. I was with Luke.'
'Mr Hill?' asked detective Cortado.
'Oh!' stammered Louise, blushing slightly. 'Not like that. He had too much to drink and he stayed in the spare room.'
'And you were alone all night?' asked the young officer.
'Yes, I was,' she said indignantly. 'and I didn't leave the house.'
'Was your Mini stolen?' interrupted the detective.
'No. It was on my driveway when I woke up.'
'Your Mini was used in attempted murder, and the thief returned it?'
Louise frowned, knowing what he was leading to.
'I have no idea.'
She knew what had happened. Luke had taken her Mini and Sam had tried to kill Russell. She remembered that morning wondering why her car was parked at a strange angle. She was being suspected of driving the Mini, and it she told them about Luke, he would be wanted for murder.
'Maybe someone borrowed it and returned it.' It sounded stupid, but she could not think of anything else to say.
'Ms. Hutchings, said the young officer. 'Is your car outside? Does it have any sign of forced entry?'
'No. Nothing.'
She had to tell them. They would take her away if she did not tell them she suspected Luke as driving her Mini. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves.
'That morning, I thought Luke might have taken my car out in the night.'
The two officers looked at her. The noise of the hospital was drowned out by the thudding of her heart.
'Why do you say that?' asked the detective.
'Because my car was parked at a different angle than I would normally leave it. I thought it was strange but ignored it. I also asked Luke about it, but he said he had never left the house.'
'Are you sure?' asked the officer.
'Yes. I'm sure,' said Louise.
'Do you know where we can find Luke?'
Louise shook her head. She had no idea where he was. He could be at her apartment, he could have gone to his house, or he could be sleeping on a park bench. She had no idea.
'I'm sorry,' she continued. 'I have no idea.'
The officers nodded, and thanked Louise for her time. One of them handed her a business card.
'If you think of anything, please let us know. We'll be in touch.'
Those words hung in the air. We'll be in touch. Did they suspect Louise? She did her best to smile politely and excused herself.
Trying to compose herself, Louise stood motionless in the doorway to the large room Russell was in. She watched the detective and the uniformed officer make their way through the crowd of people and disappear through the large double doors. Louise wondered what she had done. She had put Luke on their radar, and they would be actively looking for him. Poor Luke. It is not his fault.
At this point, I'm furious with Louise. Please don't tell me you would have done the same? You know how I feel about those who betray me. She had given Luke to the wolves, and that was unforgivable. I couldn't wait to find her, and when I did, I wouldn't hide in the shadows. The last thing she would see before she died was my face.
'Hey Russell,' said Louise quietly.
She looked at the man. His stubble was turning into a beard, and his face waswrinkled. Along with his messy hair, Russell did not look his best. Louisebarely knew Russell. They had bumped into each other on a few social occasionsand their conversation was always limited. Now, she was about to asked him tohelp her and save the man who had tried to kill him.
Russell looked at her wearily and glanced behind her. He was more alert thanlast time and Louise noticed that he was no longer connected to the IV drip.That was a good sign. He must be feeling better.
'Where's Luke?' he asked,glancing behind her.
'I came alone,' she saidreassuringly. 'I needed to talk to you.'
This got his attention. Russell pulled himself upright. 'About what?'
'About Luke,' she said,holding her breath. 'And Debbie.'