Chapter 53
FIFE
Ruth’s phone rang, and she was tempted to ignore it, but she knew she couldn’t. She had many patients who relied on her to be at the other end of the line if they needed someone to talk them down off the ledge.
She looked at the caller ID. ‘Laura, I need to take this. We’ll talk later.’
‘Are you going to come back?’ Laura asked as Ruth walked away.
‘Soon. I promise.’ Ruth walked over to the stairs and answered the phone. ‘Hello?’
The caller on the other end was crying, attempting to speak while stifling sobs.
‘Take your time, Dermot. It’s going to be okay.’
She heard him sniffing back the tears so he could talk to her. ‘I’m sorry, doctor. I was doing well, I really was. Now I feel like jumping off a bridge.’
‘Oh, don’t do that. Please. Let me find you and we can talk.’
‘Do you think you can help me?’
‘Of course I can,’ Ruth said. ‘We can sit and talk as long as you like. I’m not in Edinburgh just now, but can you meet me at my office in an hour?’
‘Yes, I can wait for you. I’m so sorry to bother you.’
‘It’s no bother. Just wait for me.’
‘I will. Thank you for being here for me, doc.’
‘It’s honestly no problem. If you feel like you have to stay on the phone while I’m driving, then that’s fine too.’
‘No, no. I’ll have to get the bus, and I don’t want people to be listening in. I’ll be waiting at your office. And thank you again.’
The call was disconnected, and Ruth put her phone away until she reached her car. The timing of the phone call was dreadful, but it couldn’t be helped. When she started her car, she plugged a cable into her phone to connect it to the vehicle.
Then she made another phone call.
The drive took less than an hour. She would tell Brodie that she went one or two miles per hour over the 70-speed limit, and while the road was busy, it wasn’t heaving, so she made good time. Then along the Edinburgh bypass and down through Comiston to the Astley Ainslie.
She pulled into the staff car park and sat back for a moment. Now she knew what race-car drivers must experience, albeit on a much lesser scale. She put the car into park and the doors unlocked.
That was when the back passenger door opened behind her and someone jumped in. She yelled and then felt her hair being pulled back, the cold steel coming round from her right side and touching her neck.
‘Make a move, and I’ll slit your carotid. You’ll be dead before I even leave this car park. Do you understand?’
‘Uh huh.’ She didn’t move her head.
‘Drive. I’m going to take the knife away, and if you do something stupid, I’ll ram it into your ear while you’re driving.’
‘Why are you doing this?’
‘No questions. Just do as I say. Now move.’