Page 146 of No Safe Place
They went through three more doors, and then they were at the cells. At the furthest end there was an open door, with a PC stationed outside looking in – a twenty-four-hour constant watch.
‘You can get a break now, ta,’ Field said to her, as they approached.
She jumped up gratefully, stretching out her legs. ‘Thanks, ma’am.’
The AMP shook Maxwell’s hand, notebook and pen at the ready.
‘I’ll wait out here, okay?’ Field said. ‘Any sign of trouble, don’t engage with the suspect, just get yourselves out of the way.’
Maxwell nodded, straightened his collar.
Ruby was sitting in the middle of her bunk, hands gripping legs. From Field’s vantage point outside the door, she could only see the back of Maxwell’s head, but she could hear perfectly.
‘Hi, Ruby, I’m Dr Maxwell. This is Celia Garfield, she’s a community mental health nurse.’
Ruby didn’t lift her head, but Field watched her fingertips start to scratch at her legs.
‘Can you tell me where you are, Ruby?’ Maxwell asked.
A long pause, then: ‘Police station.’
‘Good,’ Maxwell said. ‘And do you understand why you’ve been arrested?’
She nodded. ‘David Moore. Samantha Hughes.’
‘And can you tell me, Ruby, why you attacked Callum Mulligan and Lily Stewart in their home this evening?’
Now Ruby did lift her head. Her body seemed to rise with it, like she was about to get up onto her tiptoes. Field braced herself, ready to launch herself into the cell – but Ruby stayed sitting.
‘Would you sleep with a patient, Dr Maxwell?’ Ruby’s voice was a rasp.
‘No, I wouldn’t,’ he said, evenly.
‘Would you sleep with someone underage?’
‘No, Ruby. I wouldn’t.’
Ruby gave an exaggerated shrug. ‘Well then.’
Maxwell considered her for a moment. ‘Can you tell me, Ruby, did anyone tell you to attack those people?’
‘I’m not mad,’ she spat.
‘Okay.’ Maxwell held up a hand.
‘If I was mad, I couldn’t have planned it all, could I?’ Ruby threw her hands into the air. ‘I followed them. I made notes.’
Field sighed. None of what she said could be admitted as evidence, or even recorded – not if it was part of a 132. But Christ – it was quite something to hear Ruby say it.
‘And why did you plan it?’ Maxwell kept his voice low.
‘Because I know the crash was deliberate.’ Ruby matched his volume, leaning towards him.
Field got up from the chair, standing in the door of the cell. From this angle, she could see Maxwell’s face in profile.
‘Back then, I knew Paige had crashed the car deliberately, but no one believed me, because there was no note,’ Ruby said. ‘But she didn’t need to leave a note, did she? Not when we had that – that whole record of their conversations.’
‘You believe your sister’s death was suicide?’ Maxwell asked.
