Page 19 of Soul of Discretion

“Simon?” the thin, dark-haired woman asked. Her body shook, and Nick could see the track marks up her arms and sores on her body and face. She looked at Simon with drooping red eyes as if seeing a ghost. “What are you bloody well doing here?”

“Mrs Teeman,” Nick talked as nonthreateningly as possible. Drug addicts didn’t do too well around police. “We have some news for you about your husband, may we come in?”

“Jack? What about Jack?”

“Can we come in, ma’am?” Nick asked for a second time because Simon seemed to be in a state of shock.

Margaret looked around without really seeing anything. “Sure, come in.”

She turned, her shapeless dress revealed nothing but skin and bones. They followed her through the piles of boxes and belongings scattered across the floor. The place looked trashed, as if someone had been searching for something. Nick and Simon looked at each other uneasily.

Margaret saw them and waved a hand at the shambles of the inside of her home. “I was out visiting a friend yesterday, got back and found the place like this. I think I called the police. I can’t remember.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The burglars probably need it more than I do.”

“Margaret, this looks like a lot more than a burglary,” Simon said gently. “Nick here is a policeman. He can get someone here to take a report, look around.”

Nick nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call it in as soon as we’ve said what we need to say. I honestly believed that the home was already secured.”

Margaret nodded. “Whatever,” she replied vacantly. When they made it into the living room, she used her arm to swipe everything piled on the couch onto the floor. Nick looked at Simon and saw the horror and shock on his face. This obviously wasn’t the Margaret Simon knew.

“Sit down. Do either of you like…I mean, would either of you like something to drink?” Margaret asked while shifting from side to side.

“No, ma’am. We’re fine. We came here to discuss your husband, Jack,” Nick mentioned while nudging Simon’s knee. Simon wanted to be the person to tell her because they’d all been good friends, but Nick worried he wouldn’t be able to get the words out. Yes, the sight of an addict must have been a shock, but this seemed like an extreme reaction.

Then he saw it, hanging on the far wall. A portrait of Jack and what used to be Margaret. She had to have been a model; the amount of change was horrifying. Now Nick understood why Simon was speechless.

The fact someone had been in Jack’s house, turning it upside down, was a bad omen. Margaret Teeman could be in danger.

Simon came out of it and took Margaret’s thin hand. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this but Jack is dead.” Nick could almost feel the regret pouring off Simon, but the strange part came when Margaret didn’t respond. “Do you understand, Jack is dead?”

It was easy to see that she didn’t, as she stared back at Simon.

“Margaret, I’ve changed my mind and would appreciate a bottle of water, please.” Nick had to get her out of this room.

“Of course,” she agreed and walked toward what Nick assumed to be the kitchen. Such a beautiful view of the lake and it was wasted behind stacks of boxes, trash, and shattered furniture.

“What the hell has been going on around here? That’s not the woman I knew. And this place…” Simon stared around in horror. “Someone’s been here looking for something.”

Nick nodded. “I agree. I’m sorry, Simon, but you realize I can’t simply leave her here all alone. She’s sick. She needs help and protection. And from the empty syringes I can see along with the used baggies on the coffee table, I can’t walk away, Simon. When she’s someplace safe, we can go through all this and check if we can find some answers to what’s been going on.”

Simon simply nodded his head, determination taking over from shock. “We’ll get her the help she needs.”

“I can keep her for a seventy-two-hour hold, at which point a psychiatrist must extend it,” Nick explained. “After that, we’ll figure out how to protect her from whoever is looking for whatever they’re looking for.”

“I’ll have the best consultants here before then,” Simon assured before squeezing Nick’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Nick stood and walked to the condominium’s front door. Once he heard Margaret talking to Simon, he stepped out into the hallway to call his boss. After he finished explaining everything to the inspector, they arranged for the penthouse to be sealed until it could be thoroughly searched. He then called the ambulance for Margaret Teeman before calling down to the reception to let them know to send the paramedics up when they arrived. The last call he placed was to his team at the office to send down a forensic team to look the place over.

He went back inside to wait and check on both Margaret and Simon. The sight of Simon gently holding her hand was heart-wrenching as he tried to get her to respond to the simplest of questions. The knock on the door surprised Nick because the ambulance was still five minutes out.

“I’ll check to see who that is,” Nick said. He didn’t know why but he looked through the peephole first before opening the door and he was glad he did. Reggie, a local east end drug dealer. Nick had arrested him on numerous occasions. Now he knew where Margaret got her dope.

Reggie knocked again. “Come on, Margaret, are you dead?”

Nick prepared himself for the fight that was coming; Reggie was looking at a serious amount of time if he had drugs on him today. Slowly, Nick unlocked the door and turned the knob.

“About time, you fucking junkie,” Reggie said seconds before Nick came barrelling out of the door and took Reggie to the ground.

“Police, Reggie. Stop fighting and put your hands behind your back,” Nick ordered as Reggie continued to fight. He got a few good shots in but Nick quickly had him subdued and in handcuffs.