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“In a lot of cases, hepatitis B causes limited infection. Most people can fight off the infection within months. They then develop an immunity that lasts a lifetime, so it’s very unlikely they will ever get the infection again. Regular blood tests show evidence of immunity, but no signs of active infection.
“Some people, however, don’t get rid of the infection. If you are infected with hepatitis B for more than six months, you are considered a carrier, even if you have no symptoms. This means that you can transmit the disease to others by having unprotected sex, kissing, or sharing personal items such as toothbrushes or razors. Being a carrier also means that your liver may be more prone to injury.”
“But surely if she had it, she wouldn’t continue to have unprotected sex with others because the risk of passing it on is great.”
“You wouldn’t think so, Mr Gardener,” said Margaret Pendlebury. “But human beings are fickle, and not everyone thinks the same. Some people are so incensed that they have been infected that they go out and try and infect as many people as they can, a form of revenge if you like. They can’t get back to the person who gave it to them because they’re never quite sure who it was. So they settle for the next best thing.”
Gardener could believe that. He spent his life investigating the darker side of human nature. His mind flashed back to the crime scene. She had been found naked. He’d wondered then if her killer had had unprotected sex with her. He remembered Reilly finding boxes of condoms, but they had yet to find a used one.
“If you are carrying the virus,” said Trent, “you should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, tissue, or sperm. Tell your doctor, dentist, and sexual partners that you are a hepatitis B carrier.”
“How would you know if you had the disease?”
“There are quite a number of symptoms,” replied Trent. “Jaundice, for one, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes. A brownish or orange tint to the urine is another, unusually light-coloured stools. You would have unexplained fatigue that persists for weeks or months. More serious complaints are gastrointestinal symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, or a lot of abdominal pain.”
Gardener noticed Margaret Pendlebury suddenly writing something down on a yellow stick-it note.
Even though he suspected he was clutching at straws considering the way she had earned her living, Gardener asked, “In her files, is there a list of her sexual partners?”
Trent glanced through once more. “N
o, I’m afraid not. We had a number of discussions about that, and I suggested it was her moral duty, if not responsibility, to tell me so we could check other people out.”
“She ever tell you what she did for a living?” Reilly asked.
“Not in so many words.”
“Did she tell you in any words?”
“It says in her files she was an escort.”
“That’s the polite version.”
“Are you saying she was a prostitute?” Margaret Pendlebury asked.
“All the evidence we’ve found and the people we’ve talked to suggest as much.”
“Good grief,” replied the woman.
Gardener suspected by the way she dressed and spoke and conducted herself, Margaret Pendlebury was a very upright, church-going woman.
“Do you treat other people here, Mr Trent, for the same complaints?”
“As I said, we specialize.”
“I will have to see your files so I can cross match.”
“Patient confidentiality forbids that, Mr Gardener.”
“This is a murder case, which means I have the full power of the law behind me.”
“And those patients have a right to their privacy.”
“Maybe so,” said Gardener. “And I would respect that right, but how would you feel if you found out one of them is a murderer?”
Trent didn’t have an answer.
“Maybe we should co-operate, Mr Trent,” said Margaret Pendlebury.
