Liar Liar

41

It was early morning, but already the hospital corridors were packed with people. The breakfast rounds were about to begin and the night shift was just handing over to the day workers, so it was always busy at this time – but still today was different. The hospital had received more walking wounded as a result of last night’s fires – one firefighter, two members of the public and even a foolhardy journalist who’d been hit by falling debris – and everywhere you went concerned health workers were discussing this sudden spate of arson attacks. Six fires in two nights was unheard of in Southampton – everyone was clearly wondering what the next twenty-four hours would bring.

Charlie didn’t linger, ignoring the hopeful looks from staff and patients hoping for titbits from one of the investigating officers. She wasn’t here to gossip. Stepping out of the lift on the third floor, she presented her credentials to the ward nurse, then made her way into the burns unit. As expected, Thomas Simms was sitting where Charlie had seen him so often, keeping a silent watch over his daughter, Alice.

The six-year-old girl was still in a critical condition, but she was stable and with each passing day her chances of survival increased. She had a long road ahead of her and who could predict what kind of life awaited her at the end of it, but there were grounds now for cautious optimism. Thomas Simms looked up as Charlie approached, offering her a brief wan smile, before returning his gaze to his daughter.

‘How’s she doing?’ Charlie asked, as brightly as she could.

‘Up and down. But more up than down. She has her mother’s spirit.’

Charlie nodded and looked at the little girl. She looked so fragile there, wrapped in bandages, her breathing and heart rate controlled by machines – Charlie hoped Thomas Simms was right.

‘And how are you?’ Charlie asked.

Thomas Simms just shrugged, but said nothing in reply.

‘It’s tough, I know,’ Charlie continued and was immediately aware of how hopelessly inadequate her response was. What did she know of what he was going through? Charlie was thinking what to say next – and coming up blank – when Thomas suddenly said:

‘I heard about last night’s fires.’

Once more, Charlie kicked herself. This was why she was here, to make sure Thomas and his family were up to speed with developments and yet in her own blundering way she had left it to Thomas to bring it up.

‘Of course. That’s why I wanted to see you – to answer any questions you may have about them.’

‘Are they connected?’

‘It’s a bit early to say. We’ll know more later when we have the forensics reports. But the MO appears to be similar.’

Everyone at Southampton Central was assuming the perpetrator was the same, but no one would say it publicly.

‘Is there any connection to Spence? With these latest…’

‘Nothing so far. There’s nothing in his accounts to suggest he’d lent to any of last night’s victims and the individuals concerned don’t appear to have heard of him.’

‘So this is something else then?’

Charlie paused, uncertain how best to respond, and before she could do so, Thomas Simms added:

‘Karen’s death and Alice and Luke… they’re all part of something… bigger?’

‘That’s what we’re trying to find out.’

‘Well perhaps you could fucking hurry up.’

It was spat at her with such venom that Charlie was struck dumb.

‘I don’t think you get it, do you? Any of you. You come in here with your platitudes and good wishes, but I’m dealing with a terrified sixteen-year-old boy whose whole life has been crushed and who is looking to me for answers as to why his mother is dead. Is it something he did? Is it something I did? Or is it because some crazy fucking psychopath wants to burn down the whole city?’

‘Believe me we’re pulling out all the stops -’

‘Well it doesn’t look that way to me. So stop mollycoddling me and do something. Get out there and do your bloody job.’

With that he turned back to Alice, dismissing Charlie once and for all.

On her way out, Charlie kept her head down once more. But this time it wasn’t to avoid entreating glances. It was to hide her shame.