Page 73 of No Safe Place
‘Okay.’
Field paused, and broke eye contact. ‘Before I do that, though, there’s something we need to tell you.’
Sam. She was dead.
He looked at Lily – she looked nervous, unsure.
‘There was another incident in the area in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, the victim of that attack has passed away.’
He’d forgotten – the policewoman at the door, asking questions, wanting to know if their CCTV camera was real.Why wasn’t it real?If it was real, the police could see who stabbed Sam. They would have seen it wasn’t him.
‘So, Sam wasn’t the first person they attacked?’
Field ignored his question. She looked like she was choosing her words carefully. ‘I’m really sorry to tell you this, Callum. It was Dr David Moore who was attacked, on Wednesday. He passed away this morning.’
The room seemed to bend in and out of focus, and he thought he was slipping out of his chair. Callum turned to Lily and saw his own shock mirrored back at him.
David.
‘David? No.’ Callum heard his words but wasn’t conscious of speaking them. ‘No. David isn’t – he can’t be.’
Lily had gone very still.
‘I’m sorry,’ Field said.
The other detective, Wilson, lowered her head.
‘But – I have a phone appointment with him on Tuesday.’ Callum’s voice came out in a whine. ‘He’s—’
Callum didn’t know how to end that sentence.
Field’s voice stayed low and calm. ‘He was attacked on Ancona Road, while walking home. We found the cover sheetof theDisordered Approach to Diagnosispaper he published in 2010, at the scene.’
She pressed on, like this conversation was a plaster she needed to rip off.
‘I’m sorry to tell you, Callum, but Sam also died of her injuries.’
It was too much, and Callum didn’t know if they were waiting for him to say something.
Did they think it washim?
‘We’ll give you some time, Callum, to gather your thoughts.’ Field stood up.
Through the fog of the medication and the shock, it finally hit him.David and Sam.If it was a coincidence, it was a big fucking coincidence.
‘I’m sorry for your loss.’
Chapter 49
Friday | Morning
Callum
They came back after a ten-minute break, which presumably was supposed to be enough time for Callum to absorb the news.
The label of his T-shirt was scratching his neck, but he didn’t want to rub it. He didn’t know much about body language, but was pretty sure there was something about touching your neck.
‘So, if we go back to Wednesday evening, before you found Sam outside the house.’ Field cleared her throat. ‘What were you doing that evening, Callum?’
