Page 70 of Watching You
There was a pause.
‘She’s not on duty. I have her mobile number on the screen. We’re trying to contact her,’ Salter said.
‘Don’t scare her. She needs to either get straight to the hospitalor the nearest police station, or stay at home and lock all the doors and windows.’
‘Have you told Lively?’
‘Couldn’t get hold of him. I need you to email Beth Waterfall’s HR file over to Midnight immediately, and don’t take any shit from anyone about privacy. This could be a life-or-death situation. Midnight, stay on the phone to me while I drive. I want to know everything about Beth Waterfall that might help me negotiate with Karl when we find him. Christie, get me Beth’s address. I’m getting in the car now. Tell Baarda to meet me there, and make sure you have a team ready to go in but not until I say so. Keep trying to get hold of Lively.’
‘On it,’ Salter said. ‘And Connie …’
‘Yes?’ She was already running for the door, car keys in hand.
‘Two things. The carer said she could sometimes hear Karl talking to his mother, arguing, as if she was still alive. He sounds really deranged. And second, Lively’s in no condition to fight. I know he’s acting tough, but I’ve known that man a long time. He’s in pain and he hasn’t recovered. If it comes down to it, I’m not sure he’ll be any match for a younger man who’s out for blood.’
Connie reached her hire car and started the engine.
‘Then we’d better get to him before Karl Smith does, because if he could kill his father, he really didn’t plan on making it home.’
Connie fed the address into her satnav and raced off as Midnight received and digested Beth Waterfall’s personnel file.
‘How long have we got?’ Midnight asked.
‘I’ll be there in seven minutes. What have you found?’
‘Beth Waterfall is fifty-five years old. She trained and has always worked in the Edinburgh area. She’s been at St Columba’ssince it opened four years ago. Let me see … divorced. She’s involved with two charities at the hospital. There’s a mentoring scheme for female staff that she set up to encourage women to apply for promotions and new opportunities. That won an award from Women in Business.’
‘Anything about her daughter?’ Connie asked.
‘Beth reported that her daughter had died – no details other than that it wasn’t at St Columba’s – this was thirteen months ago. She took some leave but ended up coming back really quickly. The HR department was concerned about it and asked her to consider getting counselling. There’s no note about the outcome of that.’
‘Anything to do with being harassed at work?’
‘Ooh,’ Midnight said. ‘Not exactly, but this is weird. Beth was suspended on full pay pending investigation about a year ago because a video went viral of her talking about certain patients not deserving NHS care because of their lifestyle choices. Looks like a big deal. There are several entries about it. Beth’s reaction was to explain that it was a deep fake—’
‘Like the ones her daughter was subjected to,’ Connie said.
‘Exactly. The hospital brought in an expert who confirmed it. Beth’s suspension was stayed but by then she had to go off sick. She’d dislocated her arm, fractured a rib and had a head injury requiring a CT scan from an injury when she was out running. She spent a brief period in hospital for that. She needed physio before she could operate, but again, she got herself back on her feet and returned to work. She’s tough.’
‘As tough as they come. I can see why Lively’s fallen in love with her. Anything else in the records that might help me?’
‘Only that a few staff members expressed concern for her over the past year, having lost her daughter and still working at full capacity. It seems she took virtually no compassionateleave, went back to work and just never talked about it. She’s obviously been through hell. No pressure, Connie, but you have to save her. There’s a limit to what anyone should have to endure,’ Midnight said.
‘I agree, but also because Lively will never forgive me if I don’t. I can’t be the person who lost him the chance of true love. Everyone deserves their happy ending. Wish me luck,’ Connie said, slamming on the brakes and throwing open the car door.
Midnight never got the chance.
Chapter 46
19 June
Lively had been caught with his pants down, literally. Beth had taken his blood pressure the night before after his surveillance shift had ended and taken a look at the wound. She wasn’t happy with either.
‘Too much stress on your body, and in particular your neck,’ she’d declared. ‘The superintendent won’t mind you taking a day off, Sam. It’s not like you’re having any success at the hospital.’
‘We’re nearly there, I can feel it,’ he’d said. ‘Sometimes when you’ve been in the job long enough, you just know.’
‘So that’s your professional experience talking then?’ She smiled at him.
