King relished the confusion in Ava’s eyes when she saw the women on their beds. Neither of them said a word. He gave his latest guest the opportunity to use the toilet before securing her to the bed. The intimacy with their personal habits was an aspect of being a guardian he disliked, but it gave him an additional element of power.
‘Could I have more painkillers, please, Dr King?’ Elaine whispered.
He thought about it. She was consuming an awful lot lately. Still, there were worse things than an addiction to prescription drugs and it certainly made her easier to bear.
‘I’ll get you some paracetamol but you have to help me with your new friend. Secure that cable tie around her wrist and the bed post. Not too tightly! We don’t want to cut off the circulation.’
‘Don’t do it,’ Ava said to her. ‘Elaine, I’m a police officer, you don’t have to help him.’
‘She does have to,’ King whispered, ‘don’t you, my dear?’
Elaine nodded feebly.
‘Or what will I do?’ King kept the knife pointed at Ava while Elaine tied her up.
‘You’ll get the ruler out again,’ she said.
Ava looked to Jayne. It didn’t take a genius to realise he’d broken Elaine, snapped her inner fortitude into so many useless fragments, but he hadn’t expected the gutsy detective inspector to give up on her quite that fast. Jayne was praying. Same old same old.
‘Now, Ava, I don’t want you inciting these girls to riot.’ He giggled at the notion of it. ‘Let me explain why. If one of you behaves in a way that is detrimental to the well-being of our community here, I will have to punish another among your number. Hence, if you are difficult with me, I shall have to do things to Jayne that she really will not enjoy.’
‘Jayne,’ Ava said. ‘Can you talk to me? Jayne Magee, help will come.’
‘That’s exactly what I was talking about,’ King said. ‘Normally I would be more lenient on your first day. I expect a bit of kerfuffle while you get settled, but I’m shattered and I think you need to fully comprehend the position you’re in.’ He unlocked a drawer, took out two tablets and gave them to Elaine with a plastic tumbler of water. ‘See how kind and considerate I can be?’ He withdrew another item from the drawer that he kept folded in his hand. Ava strained her neck to watch what he was doing.
King stood at Jayne’s bedside. The chant of her prayer had risen in volume and she wasn’t making eye contact with him. Elaine had swallowed her medicine and was in the process of sliding under her bed clutching a pillow and blanket. There was a vague humming coming from where she was hiding, something childish and repetitive.
‘She’s regressing,’ King said sagely to Ava. ‘Lesson number one, DI Turner. Do not think you can ignore the warnings I give you.’
He grabbed Jayne’s nose with his left hand, pinching it viciously. She squealed, heaving her body up and down, on and off the mattress, fighting to get away but his grip was vice-like. It was odd, he thought, as he positioned the bulldog clip in his hands, how he had been so weak as a child. No good at sports, never strong enough to help his father with lifting or woodwork. But recently, in his late middle age, when he’d needed it most, he had the strength of a bear. It wasn’t so much mind over matter as freedom from worrying about it. His brawn in the heat of the moment was effortless.
He squeezed then released the metal clip onto Jayne’s tongue, allowing the spring to close with a twang. Her eyes rolled as the pain dug in, then she was awake again, crying, screaming, gagging.
‘You have Miss Turner to thank for that,’ King said. ‘Perhaps later today when I return you’d like to think of some way to repay her. It being a Saturday, and as I’ve not slept for eighteen hours, I’m off to rest. I’m sure you could use some as well.’
‘Take it off her,’ Ava shouted.
King could hear Elaine’s mantra of ‘no, no, no’ from beneath her bed. She was shaping up to be the most sensible of them all. Even Jayne was fighting through the agony to shake her head wildly at Ava.
‘I don’t think the good reverend wants you to intervene any further,’ he said. ‘I think she’d like you to behave in a way that does not result in me taking more drastic action.’ Jayne was nodding fiercely, almost growling at Ava.
‘I’m sorry,’ Ava said quietly.
‘I don’t think we could hear you over the other ladies’ noise,’ King said. ‘Say again, please.’
‘I said I’m sorry,’ Ava yelled at him. ‘All right? I’m sorry.’
‘Good,’ King said. ‘Now, Jayne, don’t you move that clip! You’ll find that the pain will die down naturally in a couple of hours. And Elaine, don’t you be tempted to help your friend by relieving her of it. You may be unrestrained now, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to do as you wish. Not if you don’t want to experience first hand just how excruciating this is. Very interesting history, though. It’s a form of punishment that was used popularly in Colonial America to encourage nagging wives to talk less. Seems appropriate. I shall leave some music on for you. Might help take your mind off it, Jayne.’
As he left, one of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos filled the air. King listened at the door for a moment after he locked it, but heard no voices. They would talk later, when he was asleep. It didn’t matter. They would say what a monster he was and how they hated him, make plans and imagine rescuers winging their way to them. Let them have their fantasies, he thought. If that was all they had left of their former lives, who was he to deprive them of such paltry comfort? They would adapt very soon and, if any of them failed to do so, he’d have one less decision to make.