Jane’s driver halted right behind Mrs Jack’s car. It was almost an hour drive. They were at a psychiatric hospital deep in the suburbs.
Jane wondered why they put Sandra away from civilization but when she looked around she was fascinated.
They were surrounded by greenery. Shrubs and trees were dispersed here and there. Bright and colourful flower lawns decorated the entrance. The ambience bespoke tranquility, it gave a vibe that brings peace and healing to the mind.
“Does your daughter have a fiance?”Jane asked Mrs Jack as they made their way in.
“Yes,” the older woman responded.
“Can we invite him?” Jane requested. “Not at all, he is the last person she wants to see. She can’t even stand the sight of men for now,” Mrs Jack replied.
“Oh!” Jane responded thoughtfully.
“Good day, ma’am,” the receptionist greeted Mrs Jack. She put a call through to the doctor and beckoned Mrs Jack to go in. Jane waited in the reception.
“I don’t think this is right, her condition is critical, opening her up for questioning could open up the wounds we are trying to conceal,” The doctor advised.
“Instead of concealing, I want healing for my daughter… Justice could bring her healing,” Mrs Jack reasoned.
“Alright, let’s give it a try… Can I have a word with the investigator?” The doctor asked.
Jane was led in and the doctor broached her up on Sandra’s health status. The doctor obliged to the arrangement only if she would be there to witness the questioning. Jane agreed and she was led into Sandra’s room.
Unlike the exterior, the room was colourful. The walls were brightly coloured but sparsely decorated. The few decorations were mostly in colour red. Jane wondered if this was palliative for her client.
“The rooms here have varying designs and decorations. We design them to befit each patient’s needs,” the doctor answered Jane’s unasked question.
“Oh. Really? I see,” Jane responded and fixed her gaze on Sandra who was seated at a corner of the bed.
“Jane! Is it really you? It’s been ages!” Sandra exclaimed immediately she sighted Jane.
Jane was taken aback, she wasn’t sure they had met before. She felt at a loss. She looked at the doctor who signaled to her to play along.
“Sandra! Nice to see you,” Jane said and Sandra rushed down from her corner. She sat at the edge of the bed and opened her arms wide for a hug. Jane walked towards her hesitantly and hugged her moderately.
“I am happy to have you around. I feel at ease to have a long time friend come see me,” Sandra said and looked spitefully at the doctor from Jane’s shoulder.
“Mother told me you studied investigative journalism. I know you are here to help investigate. Let’s get right on it, I feel at ease with you,” Sandra said and Jane wondered. She wished she was hinted about her relationship with Sandra. As it was, Sandra seemed to be one of her childhood playmates that she couldn’t remember.
“Can you please excuse us?” Sandra asked the doctor. “You mean me?” The doctor asked in surprise. “Yes,” Sandra responded flatly. “Alright, just press the alarm button if you need me,” the doctor said and made her way out.
“They kept me here because they think I am behind myself! Not at all. Jane, do you understand my predicament? I feel rejected and abandoned. My parents drove me down into this jungle because of their public status. They just wanted to save their faces… If my parents rejected me, how do I have the confidence to face my fiance? How do you expect me to look into his eyes and tell him I was raped and duped? It sounds like I am a dummy,” Sandra said in a rush.
Jane sighed, “I think they are not just trying to save their faces, you are also a public figure. I saw your profile, you have risen to stardom alongside your parents, you did their biddings all your life. Aren’t you into politics too? You need to save yourself too, don’t you think?” Jane reasoned and Sandra looked away. “Sandra, please just calm down and tell me where it went wrong,” Jane pleaded.
Sandra’s countenance changed immediately. She looked away from her friend as recounted her ordeal.
Jane was mad after listening to Sandra’s story. She felt like strangulating whoever did this to her. She sighed in disbelief as she scrolled through Sandra’s phone.
There were Sandra’s nude pictures and sex tapes. The picture depicted Sandra in different sex scenes and positions with an unidentified man.
The man’s face and body were blurred in all the pictures and video clips. They were sent to Sandra as a threat. They were to be released to the public if she did not pay a certain billion dollars.
Sandra professed she just can’t remember having sex with a stranger. The only day she remembered was on a friend’s birthday party where she had too much to drink and woke up to find herself all messed up. She could not pursue the case because of her family status.
Jane’s mind skipped a beat, she remembered Lisa’s similar ordeal. She knew she couldn’t bring it up with Lisa for now.
Mrs Jack tried to speak with Jane but she just wouldn’t bulge. “Our protocol is to respect our clients’ wishes. Sandra did not want a jolt of what we discussed to leak to a third party. So stay out of this and let me do my job,” Jane told the older woman.
Jane returned to her parent’s house dejectedly. Her emotional attachment is one of the numerous reasons she avoided taking up investigations from associates.
She ventured into her room and put a call through to investigator park. “Hello Pat, it’s Jane. I am at my parent’s. Please, can you stop by tomorrow? I need to check something up with you.”
“Tomorrow it is. I will come around in the afternoon,” Patrick responded. “Alright, I will wait,” Jane said and hung up.
Sleep eluded her as her mind roamed from Lisa to Sandra.