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“How so?” Sylvie asked.
“I’m pretty sure that Dr. Kolsby thought that I was one of the women who he had killed. One of his victims.” Millie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “He was almost frightened when he first saw my face. As I’ve already told you, I originally believed he’d assumed someone had died during the car accident. It soon became very clear to me that he meant something else entirely different.”
Brook noticed that Sylvie was subconsciously rubbing her right wrist. She still had physical scars from when she’d been abducted by an unstable male subject. He had truly believed that her soul had been possessed by another simply due to her having blonde hair and blue eyes. To hear that another individual might have been mistaken due to her physical features had to be difficult.
“I know who you are,” Millie declared as she straightened her shoulders. She was speaking directly to Brook. “Your real name is Brooklyn Walsh.”
On the plus side, Millie was no longer focused on the front entrance. She had tilted her chin slightly in an upward angle, as if she was ready to engage in battle. No one could say that she didn’t have grit.
“I saw the interview that you gave at the beginning of the year,” Millie disclosed with no chagrin. “Your brother is a serial killer, and he is the reason that you became a profiler. The reporter asked why you didn’t say anything to your parents sooner, and your response was that you were afraid they would doubt you. It was your word against his. Well, it’s my word against a prominent psychiatrist. Not to mention they have claimed that I’m in violation of my pledge as a nurse and probably a dozen different HIPAA violations. I’m not, by the way. I have been very careful with my words regarding Dr. Kolsby’s medical care. The bottom line is that you were right. No one believes me.”
Brook didn’t respond to the bait.
Instead, she made the calculated decision to savor the malt beverage that Bit had poured for her earlier. She needed a moment to form her response.
Brookhadgiven an interview at the beginning of the year, but that had solely been to draw her brother out of hiding. There had been drawbacks, of course. The surname that she’d chosen to take at the age of eighteen had been made public, her life had been placed under a microscope, and her face had been splashed across every television station in the nation. Her decision to grant such an interview had upended her life, but she didn’t regret her choice. It had been her way of taking control of the narrative.
Millie Gwinn was attempting to do the same thing in her own way, but good intentions didn’t always yield the desired results. There were several reasons why S&E Investigations wasn’t the right avenue for Millie.
First and foremost, they were a private firm.
Their revenue usually came from personal clients who wanted to procure closure or law enforcement agencies who were seeking consultation for what was usually a high-profile case.
Second, the firm currently had a cold case that would no doubt spill over into the new year. They were being paid for their time and resources, and it wouldn’t be fair to their client to drop everything in order to go on a fishing expedition.
”Idobelieve you heard your patient confess to murder, Ms. Gwinn.“ Brook carefully set her glass down on the table. She licked her lips to remove any excess foam. “My professional opinion remains the same, though. This is a police matter. You mentioned that you filed a report with them. Regardless that the officer who you spoke with indicated that you were simply trying to garner attention from such claims, it is still his or her duty to follow through with a thorough investigation.”
Millie finally released her hold on the purse in her lap. She used the zipper to open the main area. In seconds, she had produced a single piece of paper and slapped it down on the table.
“Is this thorough enough in your opinion?” Millie asked, her opinion obviously disagreeing with such a premise. “Officer Hadley Soerig spoke with Dr. Kolsby, who in turn stated that he didn’t recall confessing to such crimes. He then suggested that the stress of my job might have caused me to make such horrific allegations. The investigation has since been closed, and I am now required to attend weekly sessions with a therapist until my employers decide otherwise. Have I mentioned that I am no longer working in the ICU? I’ve been moved down to the rehabilitation unit.”
Sylvie grimaced as she reached for the piece of paper. It didn’t take her long to peruse the contents, and Brook didn’t need to inquire about the authenticity of Millie’s summation.
“Please tell me that the therapist isn’t the psychiatrist in question,” Theo said right after he had brought his chair closer to the table. “Talk about awkward.”
“No,” Millie replied as she shot him a relieved glance. “I have an appointment set up on Monday with a psychologist. It’s not like I have a choice in the matter. I could very well lose my job over this if I don’t follow their recommendations. I’m seriously considering handing in my resignation and working in a doctor’s office.”
“Does your appointment have to be with someone affiliated with your hospital?” Kate asked as she leaned forward on her elbows so that Millie could hear her. “As I mentioned before, my father works for the CDC. I know firsthand that they support one another. Usually, that’s not a bad thing. In this case, I don’t know if I would be comfortable speaking with one of Dr. Kolsby’s colleagues.”
Kate had a very valid point. If Millie had been their client, Brook would have suggested the same thing. Only Millie wasn’t their client, and Brook could only continue to point the nurse in the right direction.
“I’m going to be brutally honest with you, Ms. Gwinn.”
Brook sensed the weight of everyone’s stares, and she regretted hearing Millie out in front of the team. The meeting shouldn’t have taken place at all. It was evident that the team was breaking down under the nurse’s story. So much so that Bit had been on his cell phone for the past few minutes. Brook didn’t want to know if he’d found anything, because then it would be left up to her whether or not she shared those details with the police. It was best not to get involved in something that was beyond the scope of their mission statement.
“There isn’t much that can be done right now. From what you’ve already shared with us, it’s clear that you fulfilled your duties as Dr. Kolsby’s nurse during his time in ICU. You’ve spoken to your employers and the police about your suspicions of ongoing criminal behavior. Your obligations have been met. Truthfully, there isn’t much else that you can do that hasn’t already been done.”
Theo had been the one to follow Millie’s stare, which had once again been diverted over Brook’s shoulder toward the entrance of the pub.
“Unless, of course, there’s something that you’re not telling us.”
All curious gazes landed on Millie.
Even Bit had lowered his cell phone in anticipation of additional details.
“Would you believe me?”
“Yes.” Brook’s affirmative reply had nothing to do with trust. She simply had a talent for reading people, and Millie Gwinn came across as a rational human being. That didn’t mean Brook wouldn’t tread with caution. “What is it that you are withholding from us?”
