The Soft Centre

Terrell looked around. On one of the chairs stood a blue and white suitcase. He passed the bed and opened the door leading into a tiny shower room. On the glass shelf stood a bottle of perfume, a tube of toothpaste and a tablet of soap. On another shelf by the shower was a yellow sponge and a shower cap.

He moved back into the room. Keeping his eyes away from the bed, he walked out on to the narrow veranda where his men were waiting.

‘Get a sheet,’ he said to Hess. ‘Doc arrived yet?’?‘He’s on his way,’ Hess said. ‘Should be here any second now.’

As he spoke a car pulled up and Dr. Lowis, the police M.O., came hurrying over, his bag of equipment in his hand.

‘Go right on in,’ Terrell said. ‘She’s all yours, and you’re welcome.’

Dr. Lowis, a short, fat man, gave him a questioning stare and then entered the cabin. Terrell called his men together.?‘When Doc’s through, go over the place as if you’re looking for a speck of dust. I want everything that can tell us anything. This is one of those jobs that has to be cleared up fast. A foot-loose sex killer usually strikes again.’

He went back into the cabin and picked up the blue and white suitcase.?‘Enjoying yourself?’ he asked Lowis without looking at the bed.?‘I’ve seen worse,’ Lowis said mildly. ‘Nice looking girl.’?‘You mean she was a nice looking girl,’ Terrell said and went out into the sunshine.

CHAPTER THREE

Dr. Felix Gustave came into his waiting room where Val and her father were standing by the open french windows.

It was an impressive room. Nothing had been spared to give it an atmosphere of luxury and confidence.

Dr. Gustave was a large, heavily built man, immaculaty dressed, with a bald, high dome of a head, fleshy jowls and clear, alert black eyes.

As Val and her father turned, he came across the vast room, his face expressionless as if he knew a smile wouldn’t be welcomed.

‘I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,’ he said. ‘Chris is in bed now.’ He used the Christian name without affectation. Watching him, Vat felt a surge of relief that he really was on Christian name terms with her husband. ‘Before you see him I suggest we have a little talk about him.’

Travers said sharply, ‘What has he been doing all the time he has been missing?’

Gustave took Val by her hand and led her to a chair.?‘Let’s sit down,’ he said, and ignoring Travers’ hostility, he lowered his bulk into a chair near Val’s.

Travers hesitated, then he came over and sat by Val.?‘You ask me what he has been doing?’ Gustave said. ‘He doesn’t know. Later, he may remember, but at this moment, it is better not to ask questions. Periods of complete loss of memory are to be expected from time to time. Frankly, this nice person is for the moment very unhappy, and he has every reason to be. He has suffered serious injuries to the brain, and yet he has long periods when he is practically normal. Now this has happened, it may happen again, and he knows it.’

‘Is there no cure then?’ Travers said impatiently. ‘This state of affairs has been going on for nearly two years. We thought he was showing some signs of improvement… now this!’

‘Daddy… Please!’ Val said.

Travers made an irritable movement.?‘My dear, if Chris isn’t going to recover, you…’?‘A moment, Mr. Travers,’ Gustave said quietly. ‘Nothing has been said about him not making a complete recovery. This is a matter of patience.’ He moved slightly to look directly at Val. ‘While I talk to your father, you would like to see Chris, wouldn’t you?’

Val nodded.?‘Then go up and see him. There’s a nurse in the hall. She’ll take you to him. He needs affection. You are the one to give it to him.’

Val got to her feet and went out into the hail. She heard a protest from her father, but she ignored it.

The elderly nurse who was waiting, took her up a flight of stairs and into a room where her husband lay in bed.

Chris Burnett was thirty-six years of age. He was a handsome man with dark hair and eyes, a firm mouth and nearly as tall as his father-in-law. Before the car crash he had been regarded by those in the know as a worthy successor to Travers’ financial kingdom.

Her heart beating painfully, Val paused in the doorway.?‘Chris… darling.’

He looked up and her heart sank. His mild, indifferent expression and glazed eyes told her at once that this awful wall that had grown up between them was still there.

‘Oh, hello, Val,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry about this. We don’t seem to have much luck, do we?’ Vat moved into the room and closed the door.?‘You don’t have to be sorry,’ she said, controlling her voice with difficulty. ‘Are you all right, darling?’ As he said nothing, she went on, ‘I’ve been so worried.’

‘It only wanted this, didn’t it?’ he said listlessly. ‘Quite something to be brought to a looney-bin by two cops. Of course the real fun of it all is that I just don’t know what I have been doing. I’ve been blacked out for hours. I could have done anything… murdered someone… anything.’