She insisted that she’d only been at the site of Peter’s demise because of her link with Ben. She was a therapist who had spent time with Ben after the horrendous events of his childhood. Murder was the worst type of case, worse even than suicide – that at least has a tragic dimension in its sheer futility and desperation. But how do you coach a young man through his father’s destruction of their family? How do you deal with the fact that someone you loved has ripped your life apart and left you all alone in the world?
Hannah felt she made progress with the young Ben – or James as he was then. And when he’d stopped visiting her three years later, he was kind of back on his feet. Functioning.
‘Did you stay in touch?’ Helen interjected, already irritated by the fond tone of Hannah’s recollections.
‘No, but I kept up to speed with his life. Through Facebook and the like.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I liked him. I wanted him to survive. I was thrilled when I heard he was getting married.’
‘And how did you feel when you “discovered” that he’d been murdered?’
‘I was devastated. Obviously.’
Said without feeling, Helen felt.
‘And when I heard from a friend that his killer had committed suicide, I… well, I couldn’t believe it.’
‘So you had to see it with your own eyes.’
‘Yes, I suppose so. It’s not very nice, not very laudable, but I did want to see.’
‘Is it true that you’d offered your services to Peter Brightston after his escape from captivity?’
There was a pause. A sideways glance at her lawyer, and then a ‘Yes’.
‘Despite the fact that he’d killed your friend Ben?’
‘Peter was clearly in a bad way. And he’d been released without char-’
‘How did you know he was in a bad way? Did you see him after his release?’
A longer pause this time. A really long one, then:
‘I went to his house once. I rang the bell and asked to see him. I offered my services but he wasn’t interested.’
‘How did you know where he lived?’
‘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.’