At First Glance (novella) by Paul Gitsham

Author:Paul Gitsham [Gitsham, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

By the time Cameron Bird had been formally arrested, it was getting late. Warren decided to let him sweat overnight whilst they continued to search his flat. In the meantime, John Grayson was still taking a keen interest in the case. Warren declined the offer of a coffee, knowing he’d be struggling to sleep as it was.

‘According to the doc in the hospital, there were fragments of a strong prescription-only sedative in Bradley Wiseman’s stomach, alongside a large volume of alcohol, but no sign of his anti-psychotic medication,” said Warren, “there’s no record of him having been prescribed the sedative, which wouldn’t normally be given alongside his particular anti-psychotic. It also shouldn’t be taken with alcohol. Fortunately for him, the formulation was slow-release and so it hadn’t fully dissolved by the time we found him and they pumped his stomach. Another few minutes and he may well have killed himself.’

‘Are we still going with suicide? He kills Hicks then decides to top himself?’ Grayson looked sceptical.

‘Possible, but it could also be accidental. He could have been self-medicating; his caseworker said he was stressed, maybe he was struggling to sleep? This type of sedative is easily available on the street, and I doubt it comes supplied with a patient safety leaflet.’

‘What about his regular meds?’

‘It looks as though he may have been off them for some time. They could find no traces in his bloodstream, which indicates he hadn’t been on them for a week or more, however there were high levels of alcohol and cannabis. Abruptly stopping his anti-psychotic isn’t advised, it can lead to a sudden return of symptoms. I’m waiting for forensic toxicology to get back to us about the residue found in the sink trap.’

Grayson frowned slightly. ‘It all sounds very plausible, but something bothers me. If he was chucking his medication down the sink, then why did he keep the empty container on his bedside table? Why not throw it in the bin?’

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