Death Row - Mark Pearson [41]
Bennett held up his hand. ‘It’s okay – no one is here to judge you.’
‘And then …’ Jamil concentrated for a moment or two, looking down at the floor to the side of his head. He hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. ‘No. Nothing after that.’
Bennett leaned forward. ‘You looked as if you might have remembered something then, Jamil.’
‘No. Some other students came into the library, I think. But no, that was early evening. You say I was found at midnight?’
‘Just about. You were lucky!’
‘Lucky?’
‘Relatively speaking. The woman who found you is a police surgeon. She was able to keep you alive until the paramedics found you.’
‘What is her name, please? I must thank her.’
‘Kate Walker. Doctor Walker.’ He gestured with his thumb to the general ward outside. ‘She’s trying to find your consultant, right now.’
‘And where was I when she found me?’
‘Just off Camden High Street.’
Jamil reacted, surprised. ‘Camden. What was I doing there? I’ve never been to Camden in my life. Why would I want to go there?’
‘We don’t know, Jamil. Maybe it was a random attack. Maybe it was racially motivated, like you said, or maybe it was just a robbery gone wrong.’
Jamil looked at the side table. ‘My wallet?’
‘No. Sorry, there was nothing on you.’
‘It was a mugging, then?’
Bennett shrugged. ‘Most likely. But maybe why you were there in the first place has something to do with the attack on you.’
‘Can’t see how. Like I said, I’ve never been to Camden.’
‘You’ve been there once.’
Jamil held a hand to his bandaged chest, his breathing becoming more ragged as he laboured to draw in breath. ‘Yeah, and it seems like once was too often.’
Bennett would have replied but the nurse opened the door quietly and came in.
‘Okay. Time’s up,’ she said in a manner that would brook no argument.
Bennett looked at her appraisingly. ‘I’m sorry – I didn’t get your name?’
‘Jessica Tam,’ she said.
Bennett held out his hand and after hesitating for a moment the nurse shook it. ‘I’m Tony Bennett.’
Jessica Tam raised an eyebrow but before she could say anything Bennett handed her a card. ‘If Jamil remembers anything more be sure to give me a call straight away.’
Jessica put the card in her pocket. ‘Okay.’
‘Or, you know …’ he said, with a smile. ‘If you just want to give me a call.’
‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ she said coolly, and taking his arm by the elbow she steered him out of the room. She closed the door on him and turned back to her patient. ‘Are you okay, Jamil?’
‘I’ve been better,’ he said weakly. ‘I just wish I knew who would want to do something like this to me.’
‘I know how you feel,’ she said thoughtfully, remembering a time when she had been attacked by a deranged former patient. ‘Sometimes it’s just because you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
‘Why was I there, though? That’s what I don’t understand.’
Jessica Tam nodded. ‘Give it time. Sometimes that’s all we can do.’
‘I suppose so.’
‘And try to get some rest. We need to get you well first. Maybe things will be better for you tomorrow.’
Jamil sank his head back deeper into his pillow and closed his eyes.
Maybe he would find some peace in his sleep, Jessica thought.
But she was wrong.
Very wrong.
*
Delaney pushed the fingers of his right hand through his damp hair. It had stopped raining a short while ago but there was still a stiff breeze in the moist air, and it was cold, too damn cold. He shouldered through the crowd of people who had gathered behind the yellow ribbons sealing off the top end of Carlton Row. Sally Cartwright was sailing behind him in his slipstream and smiling apologetically at the disgruntled members of the public shunted aside by him.
Melanie Jones was shouting something at Delaney as he ducked under the ribbon and he could feel the lights of a video camera trained on the back of his head – a new cameraman stepping into the breach for her, he guessed. But he had had enough of that particular reporter for one day and had tuned her out entirely. However, he couldn’t tune out the red-faced man who was even then barrelling towards him, clearly agitated.