A Class Apart (39 page)

“Look, I don’t see that there’s anything else we can do, we’ll have to ring the police.” He felt her stiffen, and he rushed on. “The baby’s parents are bound to have reported her missing by now, they’re probably going out of their minds with worry.”

“But I haven’t hurt her,” said Kate.

“I know. But they don’t know that. All they know is that she’s disappeared. You must give her back to them, Kate. Think how the mother must feel right now.”

Kate looked down at the sleeping child.

“Will you let me call the police?” he said. “Please.”

“What will they do to me?”

“I don’t know. But they will be kind to you. They won’t do anything to hurt you, I promise.”

“Do you think they’ll lock me away?”

“No, of course they won’t. They’ll probably want to ask you a few questions, but I’ll be here.”

He watched her face, and he longed to be able to take some of the pain from her. She looked so frail and helpless sitting there, holding on to the baby, knowing she was going to lose it.

“So,” he said quietly, “will you let me ring?”

She forced a smile. “You won’t go, though, will you?”

“Of course not.”

The police came, and then the baby’s parents arrived. The mother looked ravaged in her grief and fear, and Nick’s heart went out to her too. Kate sat in her bedroom, talking with a policewoman, and Nick handled everything else. It was a nightmarish experience, and he was terrified at one point that the police were going to insist that Kate go with them.

An ambulance arrived and took the baby and its parents to hospital, and the police stayed. Nick made them tea and coffee, while Kate stayed in the bedroom with the policewoman. When she finally came out, she shook her head solemnly to the others, and asked to speak to Nick alone.

“This happens such a lot,” she said. “More than you think. They’re usually our most tragic cases. She needs help, she needs it very much. Are you her husband?”

“No,” said Nick. “No, I’m a friend.”

“Can you stay with her tonight?”

He nodded.

“Good. I’m afraid that this isn’t the end of it, though. Someone will be round to see her again in the morning. I think you ought to ring her doctor, maybe he can help. Anyway, she shouldn’t be left alone.”

“I understand,” said Nick. “What do you think will happen to her?”

“I’m not sure yet. It really depends on the report of the police psychiatrist. But as she has so recently gone through such a traumatic experience it will be taken into consideration and they will treat her with care, please don’t have any worries on that score.”

“Will she have to go away?”

“Again, that depends on what the doctors have to say. But from talking to her, I think it might do her some good. That, or to have someone here all the time. She needs love, and care, and she needs rebuilding again. It won’t be easy, but what has happened to her has completely crushed her.”

Nick looked at the policewoman. “I wasn’t the father.”

“You’re not Joel, you mean?”

“No.”

“Thank God for that. Where is he now?”

“I’ve no idea, and I don’t want to know. Look, if I say that I’ll stay here, all the time, and I won’t leave her alone, not even for a second, do you think they might let her stay?”

“They might. Does she have any family?”

Nick nodded. “Do they have to know about this?”

“Shouldn’t they?”

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I can’t explain, but I think it would be better if they didn’t know, at least for the time being.”

“OK,” said the policewoman. “Well, it’s over to you for now. But as I said, someone will be round again in the morning.”

“Right.”

“Can you give me your name?”

“Nicholas Gough.” She wrote it down. “And you are?”

“Detective Sergeant Brown. And please, phone me, any time, if you think you need to.”

“Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

When they had all gone, Nick went into the bedroom and found Kate lying on the bed, asleep. He stroked the hair from her face; she stirred but didn’t wake.

The next day Kate was taken off to hospital again. She probably wouldn’t have to stay long, the doctor assured Nick, but for the moment it would probably be for the best.

Nick went with her, and stayed with her, until finally she fell asleep. All the time she held onto his hand, as if she were terrified that he might leave her. When he was sure that she was sleeping, he slipped his hand out of hers, and went to the phone. He had promised to ring Ellamarie as soon as he could. She and Bob had rushed round to Kate’s flat after last night’s peformance, and had sat up with him all night, only returning home when Kate had gone off to the hospital.

The telephone woke Ellamarie, but she didn’t mind, and Nick told her that Kate was sleeping, and that the doctor had said that probably the worst of it was over now. He wanted her to stay in overnight, so that they could keep an eye on her, but there was nothing more they could do that love and care, and a great deal of patience, wouldn’t do.

Nick decided against ringing Kate’s father. The thought of Mr Calloway left a bad taste in his mouth, and he didn’t care to think about why.

He went back into Kate’s room, and flopped down in the chair. He was soon fast asleep.

Kate’s doctor saw the police psychiatrist, and the two of them talked for two hours or more behind closed doors. When they finally emerged, the police doctor seemed satisfied that Kate was in no danger of doing it again, and he went away.

When Nick finally woke, Kate was sitting up in bed, dipping into a bowl of soup. She smiled over at him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Bit groggy,” she said. “But OK, I think.”

He got up, and went to sit on the bed. “Do you remember much about last night?”

She nodded. “Yes, everything, even though it feels like a bad dream. If only it was. I’m sorry that you’ve had to go through all this. Have you spoken to the baby’s parents?”

He shook his head.

“No,” she said. “Probably not a good idea anyway. I’m sure they never want to have anything to do with me, or anyone else to do with me, ever again. I can’t blame them. I just don’t understand why I did it. Oh, I know, with the, well, with the you know, that it must have had an effect. But to do something so terrible, I can’t believe I did it. It was so wicked, so terrible.” Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You weren’t well. You lost control for a bit, that’s all. But you’re all right now.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you, Nick. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure,” he grinned, “but under the circumstances, I think experience would be a better word.”

She pushed her soup away. He pushed it back again. “Eat!” he ordered.

“But I’m not hungry.”

“Eat.”

She made another attempt at the soup, and he watched over her, making sure that she ate it all, and trying to ignore the rumblings in his own stomach. He couldn’t remember when he had last eaten; it felt like a week ago. When she had finished, he took the bowl and put it on the small table beside the bed.

“Does Daddy know I’m here?” she asked.

Nick didn’t meet her eyes. “No.”

“But didn’t you ring him?”

“No. I didn’t want to worry him any more than he’s already been worried. I would have rung him if things looked like they might get worse. But as no one seemed to think it was necessary, I thought I’d wait for a while.”

She nodded. “Probably for the best.”

Nick sat down again. “The doctor said you can go home tomorrow. If you feel up to it, that is. But you’ll have to register as an out-patient.”

“I’d like to go home,” she said. “I don’t like it much in here. Right now, I feel as though I’ve spent my whole life here.”

“There is one condition, though.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“I’m afraid that you’re not to be left alone.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” said Kate. “But that’s all right. I shall go and stay with my parents, in Surrey.”

Nick nodded. He would have liked to offer to stay with her, in London, but she wasn’t ready for anything like that yet, and he must give her time. The thought of her back under the protection of her father made him uncomfortable, but he tried to push it from his mind.

The door opened, and a nurse came in. She picked up the bowl and, smiling at Kate, asked her how she was feeling. Kate answered politely, and Nick smiled to himself. Proper, polite little Kate. Almost like her old self again. But he knew that there was a long, long way to go yet.

“Could I have a word?” said the nurse.

Nick was getting up to leave before he realized that the nurse was talking to him.

“Yes, outside,” she said, as he went to sit down again.

Kate looked at them curiously, but the nurse was already half out of the door. Nick shrugged his shoulders at Kate, then followed the nurse outside.

“This way, please,” said the nurse, and she walked along the corridor.

Nick followed, wondering where they were going. When they got to the end, the nurse stopped, and opened a door that led into a small room on the right. She gestured for Nick to go through.

Nick was more than a little surprised to find Jenneen sitting by the window, obviously waiting for him.

“Jenn! What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see Kate.”

“Then why don’t you go in?”

Jenneen looked into his face. “Don’t you know? Hasn’t Kate told you?”

“Told me what?”

“We had the most terrible fight,” said Jenneen. “The night that she broke up with Joel.”

“But why? What was it all about?”

Jenneen gestured for him to sit down, and she went to sit opposite him. It didn’t take her very long to tell him what had happened, but by the time she had finished she was crying so hard Nick went to comfort her. “So you see,” she said. “It’s all my fault. This whole damn rotten mess. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not. How can it be your fault? No one’s to blame, no one at all. With the possible exception of Joel Martin. But why have you come here now?”

“I had to see her,” said Jenneen. “I couldn’t stay away any longer. I don’t care if she hates me, I don’t blame her. I don’t care if she shouts at me, but I have to see her. You do understand, don’t you, Nick?”

“Of course I do,” he said. “And Kate will too. Why don’t you go along now?”

“Do you think she’ll see me?”

“I’m sure of it. Come on, I’ll come with you if you like.”

Jenneen nodded. “Yes, I’d like that.”

Together they walked back along the corridor until they reached Kate’s room. Jenneen hesitated as Nick made to open the door. “Perhaps you should warn her first.”

Nick nodded. “OK, but wait there, don’t run away.”

Jenneen smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Kate was lying back on the pillows when he went in, but she opened her eyes at the sound of the door. She smiled when she saw him.

“You’ve got a visitor,” he said.

“Oh? Who is it?”

“A friend of yours. Jenneen.”

Kate’s eyes widened, and she looked afraid.

“I think she’s got something she’d like to say to you, if you’ll give her the chance. Can she come in?”

Kate didn’t answer, but she looked at the door. Oh, how she had missed Jenneen these last weeks. How she had longed to talk to her, to tell her everything she was feeling. Jenneen was so strong, and she always knew what to do. But she had said so many hateful things to her, Jenneen would never forgive her.

Nick went back to the door and opened it. He gave Jenneen an encouraging smile. “You can go in now.”

“Aren’t you coming too?”

“No.” He steered her through the door, then walked away.

Jenneen stood in the doorway, and looked at Kate. Kate lay in bed, and looked at Jenneen.

Suddenly Jenneen sobbed. “Oh Kate!” she cried, and ran across the room to throw her arms round her.

“Oh Jenn!” Kate wept. “Jenn, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

Jenneen hugged her even harder. “I’m sorry, Kate. I’m so terribly, terribly sorry.”

“And I’m sorry,” said Kate. “I should never have said all those awful things to you.”

“No, sssh! Don’t,” said Jenneen, wiping the tears from Kate’s face. “We’re together again, that’s all that matters.”

“Oh Jenn, I love you. Now that you’re here, I know that everything’s going to be all right.”

“It will be,” said Jenneen. “Oh, it will be!”

Nick wandered outside to see if he could find himself something to eat. He was surprised when he was stopped by a strange woman. “Are you Nicholas?”

He nodded, and looked at her curiously.

“I’m Victoria Deane,” she explained. “A friend of Jenneen’s. Is she with Kate?”

Nick nodded.

The woman seemed relieved. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes,” he said, “I think so.”

“Thank God for that,” she sighed, and walked away, without saying another word.

TWENTY-THREE