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NICO LED LACEY out the front door and down the steps of the police station, then onto the pathway below. He turned left, and they walked side by side toward the harbor and the main shopping center. They passed the SES regional headquarters, a beautifully restored old colonial building and then strolled past the city council chambers before finally coming abreast of the first line of shops. Burnie boasted quite a few heritage buildings, scattered amongst the modern concrete structures. As did a lot of the country towns in Tasmania. It was one thing Nico liked about living on the island. They’d maintained a lot of their colonial history, unlike the bigger cities on the mainland where the old buildings were torn down to make way for the shiny new ones. The main street was busy, almost bumper to bumper with traffic, but it was nearly lunchtime, which accounted for the rush.
Lacey said nothing as she paced along beside him, and he wondered what was going through her head. It’d been an arduous morning, and it was probably going to be an even longer afternoon.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Mmm hmm.” She nodded her reply.
“Sorry you had to relive all that over again.”
“Don’t be silly. You were just doing your job.”
Her face was pale and drawn, and he was glad Imran had granted him this favor and slotted Lacey in for a consult. He’d tried to go easy on her in the interview, but it was being recorded—which she knew and understood the reasons for—and the answers she gave would be vital to the investigation. So he had to delve deep to make sure he got every little fact correct, insignificant, or not.
He hadn’t learned a lot that he didn’t already know. Lacey had been very comprehensive, even in her preliminary interview at the crime scene yesterday. She’d detailed how Margie had called her into the garden, how she’d found Rania, still alive, but unconscious with copious amounts of blood around her. Then Gabriel had arrived and taken over, inserting a cannula and administering life-saving drugs, while also bandaging the wounds. He’d established that Lacey never entered Rania’s house—a good thing because one less person to contaminate the scene always helped—but revealed both Herb and Margie had gone in to retrieve blankets to keep Rania warm.
Then Rania had gone into cardiac arrest, and Lacey had helped Gabriel as best she could. They performed CPR for twenty minutes until the paramedics arrived. Nico could vouch for that last part of her story, because he’d arrived soon after Rania had coded. He’d stood there watching, helpless and frustrated, because he could do nothing more apart from holding back the bystanders.
He glanced across at her again. Her features seemed to have brightened slightly now they were outside, and she had the sights and sounds of the main street to fill her mind. After what Nico had learned about Lacey, how badly affected she’d been by that terrible act she’d witnessed, he was even more proud of how she’d conducted herself over that first half an hour as she fought to keep Rania alive. A lesser person may have let the trauma overwhelm them and refused to help. Or run away completely. But Lacey had stayed. She said it was her police training that’d taken over. But Nico knew there was also a strength of will there too. She would’ve made a good cop. Nico was beginning to see hints of what Lacey’s commander had seen in her. If only she could get back to that person she’d once been. But that may be impossible.
“Up here.” Nico guided Lacey toward a set of stairs next to the local newsagent that took them up to a first-floor suite of offices in another faithfully restored, red brick building. It was sort of a mini healthcare center, with his friend Gabriel taking one office, Imran with his psychology practice in another. There was also a sports physiotherapist and a nutritionist filling out the other two offices, with one main reception desk for all four practices. It was very modern and clean, if a tad sterile.
Imran was standing at reception as they walked up the hallway. He had on his serious, professional face, mustache perfectly groomed as always, and dark eyes watchful. Lacey had fallen a few steps behind Nico, as if suddenly nervous. He turned and looked her directly in the eye, not giving her a chance to change her mind. She needed this. And he needed to know she was being taken care of mentally. Without a doubt, he could take care of her physical safety, but protecting a person’s emotional health was a tricky subject, best left to the professionals. Sure, he could offer her a shoulder to cry on if she needed it, but he wasn’t about to offer solutions to her PTSD. He’d watched his mother try and battle with his father’s demons, try to help him again and again, without success. Until his father eventually shut her out. Shut all of them out.
“I’ll see you in an hour,” he said, making sure his own serious and professional mask was also up. It wouldn’t do for Imran to see that Lacey was special to him. That man had a million and one ways of getting into your head, and Nico didn’t want him digging around in there asking about his love life if he could help it.
“Yes.” Lacey drew her shoulders up and lifted her chin to look him directly in the eye. Good. She could do this.
Imran nodded to him in greeting and gave Nico a searching look, noting the bruises on his face with a shrewd frown but not commenting, before turning to lead Lacey into his office. Nico watched the door close and then turned and walked back toward the stairs.
“Nico.” He was halfway down the hallway when a hand landed on his shoulder, and he spun around to find Gabriel standing behind him.
“Hey.” Nico gave his friend a smile in greeting.
“How are you?” Gabriel asked, slapping Nico on the back with gusto. “I mean things must be crazy up at the station right now.” His features pooled into a look of commiseration. “Are you here to see Imran?”
If Gabriel wasn’t such a good friend, Nico might’ve taken exception to such a personal question. Instead, he shrugged and said, “No. I was showing Lacey the way up here.”
He didn’t include the details about which of the practitioners she was seeing, but Gabriel clearly filled in the blanks, because he said, “Poor thing. I don’t blame her. I might book in for a few sessions myself. That was pretty intense yesterday. I mean, I’ve lost patients before, of course. But seeing Rania like that. Trying so hard to get her back. It just…” Gabriel’s eyes went cloudy as his memory seemed to fill with the hectic moments trying to revive Rania. Then, as if he remembered where he was, he shook himself and said, “It was hard,” he finished.
Nico could see it in the other man’s eyes. Rania’s death had affected him deeply. That was interesting; he hadn’t been aware Rania was one of Gabriel’s patients. But he shouldn’t be surprised. He was the only GP in Burnie. Some people preferred to travel to Devonport, or even Launceston to see a health professional, however.
“I’m sorry,” he said. Because he was. He was sorry they’d all had to experience this. This kind of thing would leave a permanent scar on a community. It also put everyone on edge and caused hysteria, making him that much more determined to catch the killer.
“I know.” Gabriel shrugged. “I’m sure a lot of people will be affected. I’ve already had other patients asking after her. And I hear they’re planning a vigil for her in a few days’ time. A candle-lit service to highlight violence against women, down on the waterfront.”
“Hmm.” Nico had heard the same rumors. If it helped to start the healing process, then he was all for it. He’d make sure to be there too, in a professional capacity. In the unlikely event that the killer came along to gloat. He could study people, gauge their reactions. Even the smallest details could often be significant.
“Are you free for a late lunch?” Gabriel suddenly asked. “I mean, after Lacey has finished. I’d really like to catch up with you both. Talk it over with someone who understands. I can get Sarma to shuffle my patients.”
No, Nico didn’t really have time for lunch. He had a murder investigation to run. But Gabriel was his good friend, and if he could help him, even a little, then of course he’d be there. He thought about Margie’s courgette slice awaiting him back at the station and shrugged. That could wait till tomorrow.
“Sure. Lacey is due to finish at two. I’ll meet you in reception then,” he said. He hoped Lacey wouldn’t mind that he’d answered for her as well.
“Great, I’ll book us into The Foreshore, I could go for some of their Cajun salmon right now,” Gabriel replied, then turned on his heel to go back to his office. Nico was fine with that; the food at the restaurant was good.
“Oh, Gabe,” Nico called. “I need you to schedule in a time to come down to the station. We still need your detailed statement.”
Gabriel grimaced, but nodded his assent.
