Free Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek Page A

moving. I felt a draught and the lighter went out. Then a terrifying thought occurred to me.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘The danger that Charlotte was warning me about had been there all along.’
    The telephone rang. Viktor, who was itching to ask the next question, hurried to the kitchen to take the call. The touch-tone phone had been installed at Isabell's insistence. She refused to stay in a house without a modern phone.
    ‘Hi. I'm not sure whether this is good news or bad,’ said Kai without preamble.
    ‘Just be quick,’ whispered Viktor, not wanting Anna to overhear.
    ‘OK, the traffic accident: I put one of my best fellows on it, and I made a few enquiries myself. We know two things for certain. First, a couple of cars rear-ended on Uhlandstrasse on the afternoon of November 26.’
    Viktor's heart missed a beat, only to speed up alarmingly.
    ‘Second, it had nothing to do with your daughter's abduction.’
    ‘What makes you so sure?’
    ‘A guy stumbled into the road and nearly got run over. According to the witnesses, he was drunk. There was no sign of any kid.’
    ‘You're saying that . . .’
    ‘I'm saying that schizophrenic or not, your patient had nothing to do with our problem.’
    ‘Josy isn't a problem.’
    ‘No, of course not. I'm sorry, Viktor. I didn't mean it that way.’
    ‘It's all right, Kai, I shouldn't have taken offence. I just thought we were finally getting somewhere.’
    ‘I know how distressing this is for you.’
    No you don't , thought Viktor. He wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. Kai had no idea what it was like to lose everything, to feel so wretched that every glimmer of hope seemed dazzlingly bright.
    ‘Did they find the guy?’
    ‘Which guy?’
    ‘The drunk guy. Did they question him?’
    ‘No, but that doesn't change the fact that no one saw a woman or a kid. The same facts came up in all the witness statements: a drunk man staggered across the road and disappeared into the car park at the Kudamm-Karree mall. He was gone before anyone asked for his details. You know how crowded it gets in those superstores. Who's to say that he wasn't buying himself a—’
    ‘It's all right, Kai, I understand. I appreciate your help, but I should probably go now.’
    ‘Is your mental patient there?’
    ‘Yes. She's in the other room.’
    ‘You've been cross-examining her again, haven't you?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘I might have guessed. Well you can leave me out of it. Next you'll be telling me that you've found a new lead. I suppose you've found some more parallels?’
    ‘Maybe.’
    ‘OK, Doc, here's what happens next. You throw her out. Whoever she is, she's not doing you any good. You said you were going to Parkum to get some peace. You should be looking after yourself, not her. There are plenty of other shrinks who could help her.’
    ‘I can't send her back to the mainland until the weather clears up. And I can't just throw her out!’
    ‘Then tell her not to bother you any more.’
    Viktor knew that Kai was right. He had left Berlin in the hope of getting closure, but Josy was still at the forefront of his mind. And there were parts of Anna's story that didn't make sense. He had heard what he wanted to hear and forgotten about the rest. Josy was twelve, not nine. She wasn't the type to run away from home, and she knew where to find the key to the cabin. She wouldn't let a stranger vandalize their door.
    ‘Well?’
    Viktor was brought back to reality by the sound of Kai's voice. ‘Well what?’
    ‘Remember what you promised? I check out the car accident, and you call off the hunt. You need to stop looking for her, Viktor. You're only opening old wounds.’
    ‘Sure, but—’
    ‘We had a deal.’
    ‘Just hear me out,’ said Viktor coldly.
    ‘What?’
    ‘There aren't any old wounds; only fresh ones. They haven't healed.’

14
    Viktor replaced the receiver quietly and made his way unsteadily to the sitting room, swaying slightly as if he were on a boat.
    ‘Bad news?’
    Anna had