Page 71 of Finding Jacob
I hadn’t gotten on with Hannah for a long time, but she had come to me. She had voiced her concerns that something wasn’t right. She had said she didn’t believe her daughter had taken her own life. Would she have done that if she had something to hide?
“Do you think she was in my house?” My voice was small, and I started to shiver, more with shock than cold.
“I don’t know.”
“What was that syringe on the floor? I asked.
He shrugged his shoulder. “I know one of the coppers, I’ll be able to find out. But my guess is that someone was about to, or had, injected something into your milk and orange juice.”
“Injected something...”
It was madness. I couldn’t process what Nathan was saying. I shook my head. “No, she wouldn’t do that... Would she?” He didn’t answer.
“The person who came at you was a bloke, probably, by the way he crashed through the door, but you heard a female voice, didn’t you?”
“Yes... I think so. I don’t know now. Yes, it was a female. I heard the chair fall and a sound. It was a woman.” I recalled the sound. I only wavered because I now had two people in my mind as intruders.
“And PC Andrews?” Nathan asked.
“He called me—”
“Give me your phone,” Nathan said urgently.
I had dropped my phone when he’d grabbed me. I shook my head and tears formed in my eyes, again.
“It’s okay, I’ll get it.” Nathan picked up his and made a call. I wasn’t privy to who he called but he asked for them to search for my phone and he wanted it. He didn’t ask nicely.
I wrapped my arms around myself. “I don’t understand what’s going on, Nathan.” My voice was small and strained.
Before he could answer, headlights swung across the car as another pulled up alongside us. Jacob was out of the car and tugging on the rear door. I scrambled out and into his arms, crying once again.
“Shush, baby, it’s okay now,” he said, smoothing my hair down and holding me close. He repeated himself a couple of times.
“I don’t understand what happened. There was a noise, I shouted, and then someone attacked me. Why would they do that knowing the police were there?”
“I don’t know, baby, but we will find out.” He looked over to Nathan who nodded.
“We need to get you home,” he said. He started to usher me to his car.
I stopped and reached out for Nathan. He stepped forward and hugged me, Jacob gave him space to do so. I wanted my friend and my partner with me.
Jacob ran a bath for me. I soaked for a little while, starting to feel the effects of the attack. I ached across my shoulders and a purple bruise had formed at my temple. I couldn’t say whether it was a punch or a slap that had connected with my head but it fucking hurt like hell. I had finger bruises on my side and assumed that was when Nathan had lifted me. I was utterly exhausted. I’d cried a couple more times on the way home and Jacob had comforted me as best he could while driving. He had also called a doctor to come to the house.
I could hear Jacob talking to someone downstairs as I climbed from the tub. I wrapped a towel around myself and walked into the bedroom. I had no clothes at Jacob’s, that was something we said we’d get around to doing but hadn’t. Instead, he’d laid a T-shirt and sweatpants on the bed for me. I slipped them on, my back still wet as I didn’t have the dexterity to dry it.
Jacob opened the bedroom door slightly and peered in. When he saw me sitting on the edge of the bed, he opened the door farther allowing the doctor to walk in. He was exactly as I would imagine a private doctor to look like. Old, in a tweed suit, and carrying a leather holdall.
“Hello, Anna. How are you feeling?” he asked, coming to stand in front of me.
I looked up at him. “Like I’ve been assaulted,” I said. He chuckled.
“You look like you’ve been assaulted,” he added, giving me a kind smile. I returned the smile, I liked him. “Let’s have a look at you. Jacob, I’d like that glass of water you offered, please.”
Jacob stood staring at us. “That’s code for, can you give us some privacy, please,” the doctor added.
“Oh, right.” Jacob frowned.
“I’ll give you a call when it’s safe to come in,” the doctor said, and shooing Jacob from the room.
