Page 88 of Killing Mind
‘She brings her new friends now and again but mainly she’s on her own.’
‘How did you meet?’ Tiff asked, sitting down.
‘She just turned up one day saying she was doing some volunteer work in the area and asked if there was anything I needed from the shops.’
‘And when was that?’
‘Well Ernest had only been gone a couple of weeks so it was about four months ago.’
She leaned forward and winked. ‘I think one time she brought her young man with her. I didn’t say anything but I could tell the way she looked at him.’
Tiffany chuckled at the glint in the woman’s eye. The woman must have been mistaken. They weren’t allowed to form romantic attachments the boss had said.
She left Hilda for a few minutes to finish making the tea.
When she returned with the drinks on a tray, Britney was just coming back in the door.
‘Ah, lovely,’ she said, spying the steaming hot mugs.
Britney held her hand out for Hilda’s purse and dropped the change back in.
‘I’ll just go and pop these in the fridge and you’ll be able to make your nice little supper sandwich later.’
Hilda smiled as though Britney knew all her secrets.
‘Yes, that fridge is making a strange buzzing noise. I think it’s on its last legs,’ she said. ‘A bit like me.’
‘Nonsense, Hilda,’ Britney said, coming back into the room. ‘You’re just getting started.’
Britney sat and took a sip of tea. ‘I’ve told you. You need to sell this place and come and live with me. I’d look after you.’
Hilda smiled fondly. ‘I know you would, love.’
‘Speaking of which, do your feet need doing? I’m happy to cut your nails and rub in some cream.’
‘They’re grand, love. Maybe next time.’
Britney finished her tea and Tiff followed suit.
‘Okay, Hilda, best be off.’
Tiff collected both their cups and took them through to the kitchen. She rinsed them out, dried them and put them away.
She turned and hesitated before leaving.
For some reason, she reached over and picked up the middle canister.
She was surprised to find it empty.
Seventy
By the time Bryant approached Russells Hall Hospital Kim still wasn’t sure how she felt about Mrs Leland’s admission.
Further questioning had revealed that seven months ago Eric had been removed forcibly from the cult using the services of none other than Kane Devlin. And of those seven months Eric had been in Bushey Fields for six and a half of them. She had explained how Kane had advised her that Eric was so indoctrinated he feared for her life and that she had to make the choice to allow Eric to return to the Farm or ensure he could not hurt her or anyone else until he’d received professional treatment.
On one hand, Kim could understand that the ever present fear of your own son coming one night to kill you could only be terrifying. But was it believable? And even if it was, was sectioning your own son really the only option?
Bushey Fields was the Dudley Psychiatric Unit, built to accommodate the closing of mental health services at nearby Burton Road. It was attached to the hospital and consisted of five sections: three acute wards; male, female, and an admission ward. Two further wards were exclusively for older people.
