Page 74 of Watching You
‘Sam,’ Connie said. ‘I need a word with you and Beth first. Christie, you can stay.’
‘Of course,’ Beth said. ‘Did you want me to take a look at Mr Smith? You hit him pretty hard, Sam.’
‘He’ll be okay. We’ll get him checked over by a doctor while we’re processing him. But Beth, you said something earlier, about Karl coming back again and again. What did you mean?’
Beth frowned and shook her head. ‘I’m not sure. Just that … he seems to be everywhere. First when he was stalking Molly, then me with that video, then he followed me to the cabin up at Loch Voil. And I’ve seen him since, I think. He was at a recycling centre once. And since then I’ve suspected he was around, but … I can’t give you any specifics.’
‘At the hospital?’ Connie asked.
Beth’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I don’t really know. Whenever I see him, it’s like I get so panicked that I can’t remember it clearly later.’ She walked to the sofa. ‘I’m sorry, Sam. When he attacked me, I was so scared. I believed I’d killed him, and after the police didn’t help when Molly was being harassed, I didn’t feel I could go to them and explain. I knew then, it was him or me. I hurt my arm, and he’d given me a fractured rib and a head injury. I got back to St Columba’s for treatment then just blocked it all out. If I’d known it was him you were looking for … if I’d seen the photo … I feel so responsible.’
She was trembling. Lively went to sit next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
‘I think that’s enough,’ he said. ‘I think that’s enough,’ he said. ‘We’ve had our home invaded and a knife held to our throats, surely this can wait.’
‘I don’t think it can,’ Connie said. She went to sit down in an armchair opposite Beth. ‘Because I believed Karl when he said he didn’t kill those other people. He’s going to prison, of course, for what he did today and for killing his father. But hewas genuinely surprised, outraged actually, when I mentioned the other deaths.’
‘Aye, well I’ve never seen a killer put his hands in the air and say, “It’s a fair cop, you got me,”’ Lively said.
‘Me either, but they usually find it hard to fake surprise well. And normally they don’t need to do any acting. They just deny it and make us prove it in court. This was different, Sam, and I think even you know it.’
Lively stood up. ‘Where are you going with this?’ His voice was cold and hard.
Connie’s heart sank. ‘Will you bear with me a minute?’
‘I will not. This is ridiculous. It was you who told us what Smith’s motivation was, and you were right, too. Look at his face. It’s exactly what you thought. The similarity to the victims is right there.’
‘Sam—’
‘Don’t Sam me. You’re not my fucking colleague.’
‘Then I will, because I am,’ Salter cut in. ‘Sam, would you sit down and listen for a minute? If Dr Woolwine has something to say, she’s going to say it sooner or later. Better to hear it now.’
‘Sit down, sweetheart,’ Beth said. ‘I don’t know what you’re so worried about.’ He took a seat. ‘What is it, Dr Woolwine?’
Connie cleared her throat and kept her voice gentle. ‘Beth, have you needed any repairs to your car recently?’
Beth shrugged and thought about it. ‘Yes. I managed to get a dent in the front. I don’t even know what happened. I think someone must have hit me when I was parked either at the hospital or while I was shopping. Took them a day to beat it out and respray it, and it cost a fair bit. What’s the relevance?’
‘It’s an electric car, yes?’ Connie checked.
‘That’s right. Do you know something I don’t about how that happened?’
Connie sighed and Lively balled his hands into fists.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I don’t care what mumbo-jumbo bullshit you’re about to spout, but this is absolutely fucking outrageous!’
‘Sam, you’re scaring me,’ Beth said. ‘You’re all scaring me, and I’ve been through enough.’
‘Yes, you have,’ Connie said. ‘Beth, how did you feel when you saw Karl again today?’
Beth looked down at her hands, then drew her arms around herself. ‘Scared. Terrified, in fact. Like it was all happening again.’
‘But you didn’t overreact. You stayed calm, handled the situation, like you did at the cabin?’
‘I suppose so,’ she said.
‘Can I ask, what did they find when they did the CT scan at the hospital?’
