Chapter 7

The paramedics worked on Jane Brock until they were sure she could be moved.

They took her to the ambulance where they transported her to the hospital. One of the officers offered to go and would contact Silverman with an update on Jane.

There were interviews with the rest of Jane's colleagues about what had happened.

Fred questioned the receptionist about Daphne. She said that Daphne had left long before and that she was only at CBS for a short time.

'How long for?' Fred asked.

The receptionist thought, 'I'd say less than 10 minutes.'

Fred sighed, 'Alright, ok, thank you.'

'She didn't seem all too happy when she left though.'

'Huh?' Fred asked.

'The detective. She looked fucked off when she left.' The receptionist replied, 'Angry. Like she was really fucked off.'

'Great.' Fred muttered.

'She had something with her too. A file I think. I'm not too sure, she left quickly.'

'A file?'

'Yeah,'

Fred explained to Silverman that he had an idea where Daphne could be, so he left CBS, climbed into the police car and drove like lightning back to his apartment building.

He sighed with relief when he saw her car parked in its usual parking spot.

But he was angry. Hell, he was angry.

He tried to calm himself down but all he kept thinking was she had been gone for hours and she had probably been home the whole time.

When he stepped into his apartment, he noticed how dimly lit it was.

Daphne phone was on the table. The little light flashing in the corner indicate notifications of unread messages and unanswered phone calls.

'Where the hell have you been?! I was worried sick about you!' He exclaimed as he slammed the door shit and flicked on the light.

When he saw her, he saw that clearly she had been crying.

Her cheeks were stained, and her eyes still filled with fresh tears.

'What happened?' He asked, rushing to her side.

Then he saw the file on the table with her father's name printed on the front.

Daphne sniffled, 'Jane Brock has been talking to him.' Her voice was hoarse.

'What?' He asked.

'She wants to publish a book about his life and how he got into prison. About what he did.'

'You're ok though?' He asked. 'You didn't do it did you?' He knew it was a stupid question, he knew she hadn't been the one who stabbed Jane, and he knew it was true by the confused expression on her face.

'Do what?'

'Daphne, I've been trying to call you all afternoon.'

'I'm sorry. I just- I couldn't-'

'Jane Brock was stabbed in her office.' Fred said quickly.

'What?' Daphne asked, she sat up and looked him in his eyes, he wasn't lying.

'Her colleague found her on the floor in her office. She's been taken to the hospital, she's alive for now.' He put his trembling hand against her cheek, 'You're ok.'

'Who did it?'

'We think it was him. The killer.'

'She's alive, and she's talking.' Silverman said he had gotten the call from the officer who went to the hospital that Jane Brock had survived the attack.

'That's good.' Fred replied.

'How's Blake, was she at home all along?' Silverman asked.

Fred could tell he was irritated but he explained to Silverman what had happened, to which Silverman was sympathetic, 'Never trust the press. Is she ok?'

'Yeah, I think she'll be ok.' Fred replied. He looked over at Daphne who was now asleep on the couch.

'Both of you take the rest of the night off. Garrett and I can handle it from here, CBS is currently under patrol by armed officers so nobody is going to be getting in. Winters has taken the security footage back to the station and we'll be reviewing it later.'

'Thank you, Captain.' Fred replied.

'No trouble, make sure she gets some rest.' Silverman hung up.

Fred went into the bedroom to charge up his phone before he returned to the living room.

He sat on the couch next to her, and whilst she was sleeping, he picked up the file on the coffee table.

There were things inside it that he recognised, such as the list compiled by Mr Blake's employees which included all their missing items, a list of items found in Mr Blake's office and his study at home, and things found around his home.

That wasn't strange, it was good invesrigative work, but what was weird was how Jane Brock – a CBS news reporter – got hold of this file which was clearly a police file.

He turned a few pages and he started to realise that it was not a police file, maybe some of the papers had been taken out of the police file, but no this was a file made by someone other than a police officer.

There were photographs of George Blake – getting in and out of his car, walking in and out of his office building – along with photos of him with Daphne and her sister Thalia, and his wife.

The next page seemed to be a copy of a police report, dated back to 1980. A neighbour had called the police to report a domestic dispute taking place at his neighbour's home. The police arrive and George Blake was arrested, another police officer took Elizabeth Blake to her sister's home a few miles away.

The next page was another domestic dispute, in 1983. The same neighbour calls the police reporting a domestic dispute – officers arrive but Elizabeth Blake tells them that "everything is ok, we couldn't get our baby to sleep".

There was another domestic dispute reported in 1986 and they seemed to stop after that until 1993 and another time at the end of 1993, after which it stopped.

And George Blake was arrested in June 2020 for domestic violence charges and major theft in the workplace.

He turned the next page.

His heart began racing when the next photograph was of Daphne and Fred sitting in a coffee shop.

He tried to remember when this taken, sometime in the last few years he thought.

They were both smiling in the photograph, they had been to that coffee shop so many times it could be one of many.

But the photograph was taken outside the coffee shop – someone had been watching them. Goosebumps ran through his body.

Why? Who?

He turned the next page, which was another photograph – this one was of Daphne's sister and her baby, Emily. It looked like they were at the park.

There were several photographs of Emily and then more of Thalia and her husband. Then some of Elizabeth Blake, some of Daphne and himself.

Some of Daphne on her own - Fred was more unsettled by this. Arriving at her parents building. On her phone as she stood outside her car. Inside her car, Fred recognised the building in the background - the courthouse where her father's trial took place.

There were more and more photographs.

Not very many of George Blake – until he turned the page. There was a photograph of George Blake with a woman who looked a few years younger than himself. She was in several other photographs.

One even showed him kissing this woman.

Another photograph was of George Blake and a different woman.

And then a different woman in another photograph – but there were more of her.

After several photographs of them hugging, there were a few photographs of her by herself, before he found one of her cradling a small bump.

Who had taken these? Why? And who was this woman?

Fred wouldn't have put it past George Blake to have an affair – multiple affairs – but this woman looked Daphne's age.

He wondered if Daphne knew who she is. He wondered if that's what had gotten her so upset that she couldn't return to work.

He closed the file and put it back on the coffee table.

Fred's phone began ringing on the kitchen table – he quickly got up to answer it but by the time he picked up, Daphne was beginning to wake.

'Captain?'

'Jones, you and Blake need to get down to the hospital.'

'Why?'

'Brock wants to talk. She's been asking to talk to Blake but settled to speak to both of you.'

'Ok, we're on our way.'

'Who's that?' Daphne asked tiredly.

'We need to go to the hospital. Jane Brock wants to talk to us.' Fred explained.

Daphne nodded. She got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she came back, her eyes flashed to the file on the coffee table before she looked at Fred and they stared at each other.

She knew he had read it, and he was just as confused as she was. They both ignored it and left the apartment.