Page 75 of Watching You
‘Nothing of note. They believed I was concussed but not badly. I was kept in briefly for them to check on me, mainly because a dislocated arm can cause lasting damage if it’s not corrected professionally.’
‘Did they do an MRI?’ Connie asked.
‘No. There was no indication that one was needed. I’m afraid I don’t understand, what does it matter if I had an MRI or not?’
Connie rubbed her forehead. ‘You treated Archie Bass. That’s where you two met, if I’m not wrong. I believe you spoke to him, Sam, before he was anaesthetised. How did he react when he saw you, Beth?’
She shrugged. ‘He was losing blood fast and confused. Patients are often distressed directly before surgery.’
Lively’s jaw dropped.
‘Sam?’ Connie asked. ‘You just remembered something.’
He shook his head. Beth reached out gently and put her hand on top of his. ‘Whatever this is, it seems to be important. I’d like you to just say it.’
Lively dashed a sleeve across his eyes. ‘All right. Fine.’ He glared at Connie. ‘But you’d better have a bloody good explanation.’ He looked at Beth. ‘Bass was okay for a moment. Then you came in. He started freaking out when he saw you.’
‘I really don’t understand any of this,’ Beth said. ‘I’d never seen Archie Bass before that moment.’
‘I believe you,’ Connie said. ‘I think you saw Karl Smith, and I think your brain told you he was in disguise. I believe you felt that you were being stalked again. Persecuted, and with good reason. And I think your brain told you to do exactly what you did in the woods. It was him or you.’
Beth dropped Lively’s hand and stood.
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘No! You’re saying you think I killed him. That I stabbed him! That’s insane. I’d know – I’d remember.’
‘Were you at the hospital the day Vic Campbell died?’
Beth turned to Lively, tears streaming down both their faces, and Connie wished she was on any other case, anywhere in the world.
‘I was,’ she said. ‘But I didn’t hurt that boy. Tell me I didn’t. Please?’
‘I need you to look at some photos for me and tell me what you see,’ Connie said. She took out her phone again, tapped in a search term and got a series of images up. ‘Here.’ She handed the phone to Beth.
Beth took it and breathed deeply before casting her eyes down on the screen.
‘Is this a joke?’ she murmured. ‘Why would you do this to me?’
Lively took the screen from her and flicked through the different photos as Beth moved across the room.
‘What’s the matter?’ Lively asked. ‘Who are all these people?’
Connie looked at Beth. ‘Who do you see when you look at the photos?’
‘Well, half of them are him. I mean, he’s disguised, but you can see him clearly. Are you trying to catch me out, because—’
‘I’m not,’ Connie said. ‘I promise. Would you show me which ones are Karl?’ She stood up, took the phone back from Lively and walked it to Beth.
‘Here,’ Beth pointed. ‘And here, this one, that’s him again—’
‘What the fuck is going on?’ Lively asked. ‘There are no photos of Karl on there.’
Beth put her hands to her mouth and shut her eyes tight.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Connie said. ‘It’s not your fault.’
‘I didn’t do it,’ Beth muttered from behind her hands.
‘In all the ways that count, you didn’t,’ Connie told her. ‘Have you heard of Fregoli syndrome?’
