[2022 Wattys shortlisted story]
A missing family. A twenty year old murder. An old ghost story. And a private detective from London. But what do they all have in common? It's the job of DCI Neo Denzel to figure it all out.
In the quiet town of Mart...
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'Mr Phillips, I hope you know how serious we take these allegations,' Gwilt warned once he'd gotten over his shock.
'I understand, officer, but I can't allow this to go on. I can't allow this to happen again,' Jerry whimpered.
Neo pulled up a plastic chair and sat down next to Jerry's bed.
'Mr Phillips, why would Jane do this to you? Can you help us understand what's happening?' Neo coaxed.
Jerry's hands shook where they lay rested on the blanket. His wedding ring shone on his bony finger under the white fluorescent lighting. He stroked it to give himself strength for what was about to come.
'M-my wife, she doesn't suffer from Alzheimer's.'
'We know,' Neo said. 'Whilst you were in recovery, your wife was moved to a home where they recognised the signs. She has schizophrenia.'
Jerry's hand came up to rub his temple before he realised his bruising made that impossible.
'I was always working, always at the pharmacy. I didn't notice the signs. If I had, she'd never have burnt herself and ended up at the hospital.'
'You moved to Marton to protect your wife?'
Jerry's eyes locked on Neo's. 'My wife is a gentle soul. She just gets easily confused. I knew that if she went into an institution, I would never see her again. The things they would have done to her; I couldn't let her go through that.'
'You used medication from your own pharmacy to help treat your wife.' Gwilt stated, already knowing it was true.
'There wasn't much I could do. Mental health treatments were limited in those days. But she got better.'
'And then you had a family,' Neo said.
Jerry's lip quivered, and one big tear ran down his battered face.
'I would do anything for my family, DCI. I need you to understand that.'
Gwilt pursed his lips. 'Then why would your daughter try to kill you?'
'Because Jane isn't in her right mind.'
Gwilt looked at Neo in confusion before turning back to Jerry. 'In her right mind?'
The fight in Jerry Phillips seemed to die as he sank against the cushions.
'Did you know that most women aren't diagnosed with schizophrenia until their late twenties or early thirties like my Alice. But Jane wasn't that lucky.'
Neo ran a hand over his hair, down the back of his neck as he let out a breath.
'So Jane also suffers from schizophrenia?' Neo questioned.
'I started to notice her behaviour change, but I made excuses for it. Her and Lucy were so close and Jane never had that many friends. With Lucy and the others leaving school, I thought she was worried about being alone. I missed the signs, but Alice didn't. She began giving Jane some of her medications but it didn't have the same effect.'
