“It wasn’t hard to work it out. From what they said in the papers.”
“So you stalked him to his house?”
“I’m not sure I like that term, Inspector,” her lawyer intervened.
“My apologies, Sandy. I had no idea you were so sensitive. How long did you treat Diane Anderson for?” Helen said, returning her attention to the suspect.
“A couple of months. I’d been recommended to her by a colleague. Her best friend had died very suddenly and she needed help. But in truth her heart wasn’t in it. I think she felt seeing a therapist was ‘weak.’”
“Did you meet Amy during that time?”
“No. Though I was obviously aware of her.”
“So there’s no reason why Amy would recognize you?”
“Inspector...” her lawyer intervened. He could see where that was heading. But Helen made her answer the question anyway.
“No, we’d never met.”
They moved on to alibis. Hannah was at home on the night of Amy’s abduction—no witness, as she was working alone on her paperwork—but claimed to have been with a client when Ben went missing. She didn’t have a secretary or assistant, so that one would have to be confirmed or denied by her client.
“Tell me about Marie Storey.”
They hadn’t been expecting that one.
“You treated her a few years ago, following the suicide of her husband.”
Mark had found this one. Funny how the team was slowly coming together on this case.
More discussions with the lawyer, then:
“I was assigned her case by Hampshire Social Services. Her husband had killed himself with bleach, as I recall. Couldn’t cope with the cards life had dealt him. The mother, Marie, was stronger, though. Had to be, for Anna.”
“You remember their names well.”
“I’ve a good memory.”
Helen let that sit.
“Have you seen them recently?”
“No.”
“Spoken to them?”
“No. I read about their deaths, obviously. I assumed in the end that it had got too much for Marie. The papers were pretty vague on the details.”
“Why did you stop treating her?”
“Cutbacks at the Health Trust. It wasn’t my decision.”
“How do you view your clients? As just that—clients? Or as patients? Friends?”
“I view them as clients. People I can help.”
“Do you ever find that you dislike them?”
“Never. They can be frustrating, but that’s to be expected.”
