CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Susan finished arranging the vase of roses she’d picked earlier that day from her garden and stood back to survey the result. The crimson buds were on the verge of opening and promised a perfect display. Already, the sunroom was filled with the heavy scent of their perfume. She couldn’t wait for them to bloom.

The phone on the wall of the kitchen rang, disrupting her thoughts. She walked out of the sunroom and made her way across the polished floorboards of the living room and at last picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Mrs Baker?”

“Yes, this is Susan Baker. Who am I speaking to?”

“It’s Detective Bryce Sutcliffe from the City of Sydney Police Station. I’m calling to let you know we’ve arrested your husband on suspicion of murder. He’s being held here at the station. He asked me to contact you.”

Susan frowned in confusion and tried to hear the detective over the roar in her ears. “Arrested? Leo? Murder? There must be some mistake.”

“No, Mrs Baker. I’m afraid there’s no mistake. He was arrested at the hospital a couple of hours ago. He was caught red-handed with the poison in his hand. We have reasons to suspect it’s not the first time he’s killed a patient. In fact, at the moment, we’re looking at him for three murders. There could be a lot more.”

Susan caught snatches of the detective’s response, but her mind refused to comprehend. Leo wasn’t a murderer. A lying, deceitful philanderer, perhaps, but a murderer? Surely, not.

And yet the detective was speaking like there was no contest to be had. Leo had been caught in the act.

But Leo loved his patients. She’d come to believe it was the only thing he loved. Trying to kill them with poison? It didn’t make sense.

“What kind of poison?” she demanded, interrupting the detective.

“Ricin. It comes from the castor bean. Somehow, it’s been extracted. It’s not the normal kind of thing we see.”

Her mind went back to the night she’d found Leo in the basement and she thought again about what she’d witnessed. It hadn’t made sense at the time, but all of a sudden, it did. Like a piece of a complex puzzle falling into place, she knew with unexpected certainty she was right. He was using the house as a laboratory to concoct his murderous intent.

“I… I’d like to see him. Is that possible?”

“Yes, I’ll make sure the guards know you’ll be stopping by.”

“Thank you, Detective. I’d appreciate that.”

Susan hung up the phone with a hand that was far from steady. Her thoughts were in turmoil, filled with anger and disbelief. How could he? How could he do this to her? Was the man completely unhinged?

Arrested and charged with murder? It would be splashed all over the news. Everyone would hear of it. She’d never live down the scandal. Her life would never be the same again. What was he thinking? Did it always have to be about him?

The thought of him murdering his patients shocked her beyond all comprehension. He’d always spoken so lovingly about them. For years, she’d been a little envious over the attention they were given, but she’d learned to accept it was just the way he was. For all his other failings, there was no denying he was a kind and brilliant doctor who truly cared about the people in his care. It was an admirable way to be.

Yet, if the police were to be believed, he’d been intent upon their murder. She didn’t have a clue what had happened to change him and now it was all too late. The damage had been done. The charges had been laid. The only thing she could hope for was to end things before the trial.

The publicity during a trial would be beyond unbearable as the prosecutor picked over every aspect of their lives. She shuddered in horror at the thought of it and pressed her hand against her mouth.

A sob escaped and then another, but she refused to allow him to best her. For too long, she’d let him do what he wanted, sleep with whatever slut he found… But no longer. Enough was enough. Her patience had come to an end.

This time, he’d pay for what he’d done.

* * *

Leo turned at the sound of the keys rattling in the steel door that held him prisoner from the world. He didn’t have a clue what time it was, but he guessed night had fallen. The prison cell was made of solid concrete without a window to be seen. It was only because there had been a change of shift that he had any idea of the passage of time.

He looked around and spied an officer outside the door to his cell. The door swung open and Leo’s heart lifted. God had saved him in time.

“You have a visitor.” The surly guard grabbed him roughly and turned him to face the wall. “Hands behind your back.”

Leo winced at the feel of the handcuffs biting into his skin. “Handcuffs, officer? Is that really necessary?” he asked in his most cajoling voice.

The only response was a shove in the side and then he was led down a cold and silent hall. A moment later, a door was opened and he was pushed inside.

“Fifteen minutes. I’ll be right outside. Don’t try anything stupid.”

The thinly veiled threat from the officer should have filled Leo with foreboding, but he smiled and even gave the man a wink. God was on Leo’s side. There was nothing he would fear.

Susan sat on a plastic chair with her elbows resting on a small table. Clad in Dior from top to bottom, including a matching handbag, she presented a striking image. Another chair stood opposite, completing the furniture in the room.

“Darling, how nice of you to come.” He greeted her with a genuine grin, pleased to see her. While he’d been pacing his cell right after the arrest, it had come to him to call her. God would work through Susan. She was the key to setting him free.

Her expression remained dark and forbidding and he wondered briefly if he’d made the right call. Perhaps he should have phoned his lawyer, like the officer who charged him had suggested?

“What are you doing here, Leo? The police officer said something about you being charged with murder. Is it true?”

He stared at her and knew it was time—time to reveal to her who he was—who he really was.

“I wouldn’t call it murder. I’m just doing as I’m told.”

She shook her head and her brow creased in a frown. Anger glinted in her eyes.

“Don’t talk in riddles,” she snapped. “Just tell me the truth.”

He stared at her, remaining calm. “I speak the truth. It is you who doesn’t understand it. I was chosen very early on to carry out God’s work. God chooses who I heal and…who I don’t.”

“So, you admit it. You poisoned those women. I looked it up on the Internet. It’s already all over the news.”

He smiled, pleased to discover his gift was finally being recognized. “I am a disciple of God. I live to do His will.”

“So, you’re God’s chosen one, murdering people in His name. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

He frowned at the sarcasm in her tone. “I’m not sure I’d use the word murder. I help them on their way. For many, their time on earth was over. There was no hope of them ever getting well. God doesn’t like to watch them suffer, and neither do I. He tells me when it’s time for them to meet their Maker.”

“I see,” she said in a tone much more to his liking. “Is that what you intend to tell the court when it comes time to explain your actions?”

“I don’t need to explain God’s work. I’m merely a vessel for the Almighty. God decides who lives and dies, not me.”

He thought of Amelia Arncliffe and Robyn Evan and even to some extent Eileen Green and did his best to ignore the guilt that flooded through his veins. He’d taken their lives at his own behest. God hadn’t factored in on those. Still, he was sure God would approve. He wouldn’t abandon him now. God had sent him Susan, hadn’t He? It was a sign He was still on side.

“I need you to do something for me,” he said and his wife frowned at him again.

“What is it?”

“There’s a small brown bottle in the safe in my office. I need you to find it and destroy it. Don’t say anything to the police. They wouldn’t understand. Will you do this for me? Please?”

He shot her his most charming grin and hoped it would have its desired effect. It had always worked in the past. To his relief, she smiled back.

“You mean this bottle?”

She held up the medicine bottle he’d filled with the ricin powder only a week before. He quickly got over his surprise and nodded.

“Yes, that’s the one. What made you look for it?”

“As I said, I’ve been researching on the Internet. I found some very interesting facts. Did you know ricin can be injected?”

A sudden wariness crept up inside him. There was something about his wife’s calm expression that he didn’t like. Still, he offered her a nod. “Yes.”

“It’s usually more lethal that way. You can be assured the recipient receives the full dose. Injected straight into a vein, it quickly works itself around the body. Soon, every tissue is filled with it. It almost certainly leads to death.”

She leaned forward as she spoke, until their faces were just inches apart. Her eyes glowed with excitement and something else. He stared at her, transfixed, like a field mouse poised before a snake.

The tiniest prick of pain in the side of his neck was all he felt. He reached up to touch the skin and a spot of bright red blood stained his fingers. He frowned in confusion and focused back on his wife. The syringe was barely visible, clutched inside her hand. A second later it disappeared into the vastness of her handbag.

Panic fluttered inside him and built into a flood of dread. She couldn’t have…? Surely, she didn’t…?

He shook his head back and forth, his movements becoming more frantic. No, he was mistaken. She wouldn’t dare. Besides, God would protect him. God would keep him safe. With that, he relaxed and the tension eased out of him. He had nothing to worry about.

When his wife stood and pushed back her chair, he even managed a tiny smile. She smiled back and he relaxed some more. He even offered her a wave as she collected her bag and turned and headed for the door.

All was good. All was fine. God would see him through.

* * *

Susan Baker slid her handbag over her shoulder and smiled at the young officer stationed outside the door. He flushed, just like he had when she’d greeted him upon her arrival. Her practiced charm worked then as it did now and he grew flustered once again.

“I’ll see you out, Mrs Baker. Do you have everything?”

“Yes, I only came in with my handbag. Thank you once again for letting me bring it in. It cost five thousand dollars and is very dear to my heart. My children bought it for my birthday last year.”

“Well, I’m sorry I had to check through it, but it’s standard procedure.”

She shot him another brilliant smile. “I understand. I do. And I appreciate that you didn’t paw through it. A woman’s handbag is an extension of herself. It’s a very private thing. You don’t know how nice it is to find a man who understands.”

She pressed her hand to her heart, making certain her cleavage was elevated to full advantage. She was rewarded when his gaze lowered to her chest.

“I was happy to help, Mrs Baker. You deserve better than that man in there.” He indicated with his head the room where she’d left her husband.

She nodded. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I thank you once again for doing what you could to make this whole experience a little less awful.”

“My pleasure. It’s the least I could do for a beautiful woman such as you.”

She smiled and dropped her gaze and pretended to blush at his words. “Thank you, officer. You’re very kind to an old woman.”

The officer opened his mouth as if to protest, but Susan pressed a finger against his lips.

“Hush, let’s just leave it there. It’s been nice meeting you, officer and I thank you once again.”

He stammered out a few words on his way out into the main part of the station, but she paid them no heed. She’d accomplished her mission. It was done. It was time for Leo Baker to meet his Maker.

* * *

Bryce pressed a satisfied kiss on the tip of Chanel’s nose and sighed. “You’re going to kill me if you keep going like that. I’m not sure I can keep up.”

She chuckled and snuggled against him, as naked and replete as he. His hand found the curve of her hip and idly caressed her. They’d only just finished making love and yet he still craved her touch. It was like she was a drug and he was an addict. He couldn’t get enough.

“How did things go with your interview yesterday? Did Doctor Baker give himself up?”

He shook his head. “Believe it or not, despite the fact we played him the recording, he continued to deny everything. Lucky for us, his wife wasn’t so good at keeping her mouth shut.”

“Really? What did she say?”

“We spoke to her this morning. Apparently she visited her husband in the cells last night. She told us about a house in Mount Druitt. We executed a search warrant on the place a few hours ago. It was empty, save for what we found in the basement.”

He went on to tell her about the equipment they’d found, including a supply of castor beans full of seeds. Coupled with the evidence from the tape, a guilty verdict was almost guaranteed.

“You did good,” she said and pressed a kiss against his chest.

“You did good,” he declared firmly. “If you and Tanya hadn’t gotten him to talk, we would never have known. We’re going to be busy for many months going over old records from the morgue. It’s possible he hasn’t stopped killing since he was in medical school.”

She nodded her agreement and sighed. “I’m afraid that might be true.”

“I was going to talk to him again this afternoon, but he’s taken ill. He’s been sent to the prison infirmary. Not that it matters. I can catch up with him when he’s brought back to the cells. It’s not like he’s going anywhere. With the evidence we have against him, there’s no way in hell he’ll make bail.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

With a sudden movement, Bryce rolled Chanel over and kissed her softly on the mouth. “Let’s not talk about it any longer. I can think of far better things to do.”

He pressed himself against her, leaving her in no doubt as to his intentions. She moved to accommodate him. Her legs fell open and he eased his cock inside. They sighed in mutual satisfaction.

“I love being inside you,” he whispered against her lips.

“I love having you inside me.”

He moved slowly, enjoying the exquisite feel of her warmth surrounding him. Eventually, passion overtook them and by the time they reached their peak, they were panting. Chanel cried out as she toppled over the edge and a moment later, Bryce followed her over.

When they’d caught their breath, he kissed her sweetly on her lips. “I love you, Chanel Munro.”

Her eyes widened in surprise and she sat up on one elbow, half dislodging him. “You love me? You mean it? You really love me?”

He grinned. “Yes, I really mean it. I love you.”

She turned and threw herself against him, her arms tight around his neck. “I love you, too. You can’t imagine how much.”

He kissed her again and then again. “I think I can.”

She sighed and relaxed back against him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

“I know I haven’t. Don’t get me wrong; Angela and I loved each other, but we were still kids when we met and fell in love. We didn’t have a clue how we’d grow and change as adults. We weren’t quite the same people in our twenties as we’d been in our teens.” He shrugged and continued quietly. “Maybe if we hadn’t had the strain of having a baby, we would have made it without the added pain, but we’ll never know. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

She was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was low and uncertain. “How do you feel about babies now?”

He was a little taken aback at her question, but the fact that she’d voiced it told him how important it was to her. He answered as honestly as he could.

“I love babies. I always have. The fact that it didn’t happen for Angela and I saddened me at the time, but I guess I resigned myself long ago that fatherhood wouldn’t happen for me. I haven’t given it any thought since. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve always wanted a big family. I have five brothers and a sister and between them they have about a hundred kids. Family gatherings are loud and noisy and crowded and I love every minute of it. I’d love to have a heap of kids, if you’re willing.”

He eased her away from him until he could look into her eyes. The hope in them stole his breath. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have a heap of kids with. I love you, Chanel, with every breath that I take and I’ll love our children just as much.” He grinned. “Can we get started on one now?”