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told him everything O’Duncie had said so far.

      ‘Well, looks like I won’t be long with her.’

      ‘I don’t think she works in any actual medical or counselling capacity at the hospital. I’d say she was just a cleaner or a tea lady.’

      ‘So it looks like she’s trying to big herself up and waste our time.’

      ‘Yes, could be. Would you like a coffee?’

      ‘Nope, I’ll go and talk to her.’

      Jane returned to the interview room with a cup of sugared black tea. O’Duncie was leaning on the table and repeating her appendix experience to Bradfield who was sitting opposite. He had a look of impatience on his face and gestured for Jane to sit down.

      She passed the tea to O’Duncie who peered into the cup, smiled and made a slurping sound as she took a big sip.

      ‘Ahhh, that’s better. Dairy products play havoc with my stomach and give me diarrhoea, but this is just how I like it.’

      Jane sat to one side as he tapped his open notebook.

      ‘Julie Ann was missing for two weeks . . .’

      ‘I know, but I didn’t see her at the Drug Dependency Unit and she didn’t turn up for appointments so I just thought she’d gone off the rails or was going to another hospital elsewhere. They do that, you know, get signed up at different hospitals in different names to get more methadone and just abuse the system. We try and monitor it, well, not me exactly, but one of the staff will try to make contact with other hospital drug units.’

      ‘Did she ever mention she was pregnant?’ Bradfield asked quietly.

      ‘Oh, I didn’t know that. What did she have, a boy or a girl?’

      Jane felt Bradfield’s impatience and coughed as O’Duncie sat back in her chair.

      ‘She didn’t. The foetus was only twelve to fourteen weeks and died with Julie Ann when she was murdered.’

      O’Duncie looked horrified and close to tears. ‘I don’t know what to say . . . I really can’t believe it, I feel as . . .’

      He glanced at her and lifted his hands to say he understood she was shocked and didn’t have to explain her emotions.

      ‘Miss O’Duncie, Julie Ann Collins was strangled, but she also suffered a severe beating a few days before her body was found. Can you recall anyone who visited, or came to the hospital with her, that you think we should know about?’

      ‘Did you say Collins? I thought her name was Maynard.’

      ‘She fed her drug habit through prostitution so she used a false name.’

      ‘That’s quite common, you know, Officer Bradfield. Anyways there was a lad called Eddie, her boyfriend, I think. They were often together, now let me think, what was his surname . . .?’

      ‘Phillips?’ Bradfield asked, getting impatient.

      ‘Yes, that’s him – thin, weedy little chap with acne. I think he stays with his grandmother, when he’s not stoned or injecting, that is. Him and Julie Ann were at the clinic together as in-patients originally. In fact that’s probably how they met, and then they would come together on day visits. I’d have a cup of tea and chat with them as we like to keep a sort of open house and I try and be helpful, you know, by talking to them. But I found it hard when I was feelin’ so ill meself with a terrible agonizing pain down me right side, which I knew wasn’t menstrual.’

      Bradfield closed his notebook and glanced at Jane. It was obviously going nowhere, and he’d had enough of listening to O’Duncie prattle on.

      ‘Thanks for coming in.’

      ‘I didn’t have much option, did I, as the police officers told me I had to come in as I wasn’t around when they first came to the clinic, I was having terrible pains again and—’

      Bradfield glanced at Jane and interrupted her. ‘WPC Tennison will take your full details for our records.’ He left the room.

      Jane started to take down Anjali O’Duncie’s details and home address. She slurped the rest of her tea before pushing the cup away. ‘I regret telling her off now. It was the last time I saw her, but she was naughty.’

      Jane looked at her. ‘What was naughty?’

      ‘I caught her in one of the doctors’ offices. Eddie was standing outside keeping lookout and I thought maybe she was after methadone, but she was using the phone. The door was open and I heard her speaking to someone, having a big row, shouting and swearing.’

      ‘What time was this?’

      ‘I remember I was about to go home, so it would have been three o’clock, or maybe around four thirtyish. I mean, like tonight, I was there until I come in here.’

      ‘Was this recent? Can you recall what day it was?’

      ‘Erm, well, let me think . . .’ She paused for a few seconds.

      ‘At least two weeks before they found her murdered. I remember it because it was against the rules to be in that office, even I’m not allowed to use the doctors’ phones. They got a call box in reception but it’s always out of order.’

      ‘Do you remember who she was phoning?’

      ‘No, I don’t know who it was.’

      ‘Think hard, try and remember – every little detail is important.’

      There was a silence as O’Duncie closed her eyes and touched her forehead with her hand.

      ‘I’m sure I heard her asking for money. I think she said the name Paddy but whoever it was she swore at them and when she saw me she hung up. I told her she wasn’t allowed to use the doctors’ offices and she said sorry and just walked out.’

      ‘Did you report it to anyone at the hospital?’

      ‘No, I didn’t see any need to.’

      Jane hurried Miss O’Duncie out and then went in search of Bradfield. He was in his office with DS Spencer Gibbs and four other detectives, all playing cards and chain-smoking whilst drinking whisky and beer.

      ‘What do you want, Tennison? Can’t you see we’re busy?’ DS Gibbs said, a cigarette between his lips as he poured Bradfield a stiff Scotch.

      ‘Sir, just after you left O’Duncie recalled Julie Ann making a phone call in a doctor’s office to someone while Eddie Phillips was keeping watch outside in the corridor.’

      ‘What?’

      ‘It was two weeks ago. She was a bit unsure but she thought she heard her say the name Paddy and something about money. Apparently she was very angry and was swearing and shouting.’

      He inhaled deeply, sipped his whisky, and let the smoke drift from his nose.

      ‘Is O’Duncie still here?’

      ‘No, sir, I let her go.’

      ‘Well, that’s no use to me right now, is it? Type up a report and leave it in an envelope for me and I’ll deal with it tomorrow morning.’

      ‘I’m off duty in an hour, sir, but if you need me to visit the drug clinic this evening to check their phone records I can . . .’

      He glared at her. ‘What? If I need you? What the fuck are you inferring, if I need you? Jesus Christ, I’ve had it up to here today and I’m trying to relax now, so go home . . . hop it.’

      *

      Having typed up the O’Duncie interview report Jane collected her belongings from the incident room and went to the ladies’ locker room. There was now a printed notice: ‘LADIES ONLY – NO MEN ALLOWED!’ on the door. Having washed her hands she was about to dry them when she noticed a new dent in the metal roller towel. She smiled

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