Page 89 of Killing Mind

‘There,’ Kim said, pointing to the building that held the Clent ward.

Each ward was housed in a separate single-storey building that looked like an oversized bungalow, and Eric Leland had been placed in the ‘Acute Male’ category.

Kim stepped into the foyer and tapped on a plate glass window. The man behind the glass slid it aside.

‘May I help you?’

‘Eric Leland, can we speak to him, please?’

‘And you are?’

She looked to Bryant, who held up his identification.

‘Wait a minute,’ he said, closing the window.

He turned his back and spoke to three colleagues, who all glanced their way before giving him a response.

Still with his back to them he placed a call to someone.

She turned to her colleague. ‘You didn’t have your thumb over the bit that says police, did you?’

‘He’stheir priority not us,’ Bryant said, easily.

‘But we are investigating murder,’ she snapped. Surely that took priority over everything.

‘Yeah and I’m sure they already know that Eric didn’t do it.’

‘You know, Bryant, sometimes you are so…’

‘Right,’ he said, moving towards the inner door. ‘Sometimes I’m right.’

‘What are you doing?’ she asked, deciding to let that one pass.

‘Filling out the visitor’s book. I’d imagine they’re gonna insist whether we’re police or not.’

She followed suit and signed her name as the inner doors opened.

A woman with a shot of blonde hair wearing minimal make-up held out her hand.

‘Susan Robinson, Administrator. How may I help?’

Even though Kim was sure the reason for their visit had been relayed to her, she repeated the request.

‘May I ask why? I’m sorry but Eric doesn’t get many visitors, so I have to ask.’

‘We believe he can help us in our current investigation.’

She frowned and made no movement to let them through. ‘He’s been here for quite some time so I’m unsure how he can be involved in…’

‘I didn’t say involved, Ms Robinson. I said he may be able to help, and as we’re police officers investigating murder, we’re not in the habit of spending too much time talking to people who we don’t think can help.’

‘Does this have anything at all to do with his mother?’ she asked, cautiously.

Kim shook her head.

‘Because the last time she came to see him he damaged three tables, two chairs and had to be heavily medicated and restrained for twenty-seven hours.’

‘And other than that?’ Kim asked, as the woman swiped them into the ward.