Seymour was about the same age as Jack, wearing casual jeans, a checked shirt and a thick tie pulled down to the third button of his shirt.
‘Sit down and let’s get on with it,’ Seymour said briskly. ‘I have a patient in fifteen minutes. You can remove your mask.’
Jack lowered his mask and sat down on a chair opposite Seymour. Positioned against a wall was a worn leather couch with stacks of files on the seats, so he doubted it was used in a Freudian capacity. The walls had numerous framed diplomas and a couple of Turner prints. The modern desk had a laptop, telephone and an anglepoise lamp. Seymour sat in a leather swivel chair and flipped open a large diary.
‘I would like some information regarding a previous patient of yours by the name of Rodney Middleton,’ Jack began. ‘As he is no longer a patient, I am hoping you’ll be able to assist me without worrying about client confidentiality.’
‘Yes, I am aware of the reason you’re here, Detective Sergeant,’ Seymour replied. ‘However, it would be unethical for me to discuss any patient with you, past or present. At my suggestion, Rodney Middleton was transferred to another practitioner; being only seventeen, he came under the umbrella of Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services.’
Jack was feeling frustrated. ‘But it would not be unethical if you were just to tell me how you came to see him.’
Seymour flipped back some pages in his diary, then took his time before he sighed.
‘He was referred to CAMHS by his GP, and they contacted me to do an assessment. He was with me for six months, having one session every two weeks.’
‘Why did you refer him to another practice?’
‘I suppose I can tell you that. I had grave concerns regarding his aggressive behaviour and his inappropriate interactions, not only with myself but with my staff. My receptionist in particular.’
‘So, you felt you couldn’t help him?’
Seymour nodded, then closed his notebook. ‘I suggested that perhaps past-life regression, a form of hypnosis, might help. He was refusing to take his medication, was becoming very aggressive and had missed several appointments. He would not accept that he had severe mental health issues, and I was concerned — not only for his wellbeing but for anyone associated with him.’
‘Was he schizophrenic?’
‘Not to my mind. Though I considered a multiple personality disorder, and decided that he needed treatment. Do you have the details of the clinic I referred him to, as they would obviously be better equipped to discuss his condition?’
‘Yes, but his current therapist is on holiday so I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. You said his GP referred him to you?’
‘Yes, that is correct, via CAMHS. They contacted me as it was suggested that Rodney needed further psychiatric assessment after he was released. His GP also knew about the fire at his family home.’
Jack was also aware of the incident. ‘Was he suspected of setting the blaze?’
‘I believe so. He was only sixteen or seventeen. He had an abusive father and his mother was a drug addict. As a teenage boy it was clear that he needed help to recover from the tragedy.’
‘Can you tell me more about it?’
Seymour sighed and glanced at his watch.
‘I can only tell you that his young siblings died in the blaze. There was an extensive investigation. However, I’m sure this will all be on his record.’
‘Well, I’ve read the case file and the SIO was of the opinion that Rodney could have been involved.’
‘I believe that was never proved, but after it happened, he became very troubled and then began to get into trouble with the police.’
Jack made a few notes, and it was obvious that Seymour was eager for the meeting to end.
‘So, Rodney was what age when you first met him?’
‘Eighteen. Once he became an adult, and no longer under CAMHS, I didn’t have any further contact with his doctor or the psychiatrist who took over his treatment. I’m afraid I’ll have to finish now, detective, as I have a patient waiting.’
Jack stood up, pleased that Seymour had in fact given him more information than he had expected. Seymour scribbled on a Post-it note and handed it to him.
‘That’s where Rodney was referred after being here with me. There may be someone else that can see you rather than having to wait.’
Jack put the Post-it into his briefcase and headed for the door. Seymour pushed back his chair and stood up.
‘Is he suspected of something serious?’
‘Yes. Another violent assault.’
Seymour put his hands in his trouser pockets. ‘On a young girl?’
Jack shook his head. He was slightly taken aback when Seymour moved from behind his desk to open the door for him.
‘I would certainly be worried about any woman getting close to Middleton, especially very young females and by that, I mean underage girls. There was a lot of press coverage...’ He added.
Jack thanked him for his time. As he passed through the small reception area, he saw a young woman was sitting waiting, wearing a felt hat pulled down to hide her face.
Jack smiled at the receptionist and walked towards her. From Seymour’s last comment about the press coverage, Jack thought that he had been hinting he should look through old newspaper archives. He would ask Laura to check through the case file on Holmes.
The receptionist gave him a small nod as he stopped in front of her. He spoke quietly.
‘Do you recall a previous patient named Rodney Middleton?’
The receptionist pushed her glasses further up her nose and shrugged.
‘I most certainly do, but I am obviously not allowed to discuss patients, past or present.’
‘He apparently caused some trouble with the staff a number of years ago. If there is anything you could tell me, I would be most grateful.’
She sighed. ‘He was a very troubled soul. But his aggressive attitude towards me, and another secretary who works here, was very unpleasant. That is all I am prepared to tell you.’
Jack didn’t waste any more time and left to drive to interview Middleton’s girlfriend in Hammersmith. On his way there he rang the station to ask Laura if she could search newspaper articles about Rodney Middleton and the house fire from about six years ago. He was certain there would have been a lot of coverage saved in the case file. Laura was a bit tetchy and said she had her own work cut out for her with the new DCI always being in the incident room.
‘Well, if you can help, I’d be really grateful,’ Jack said. ‘And perhaps you could make a note on the incident board that I’ll probably be out until after lunch as I’m on my way to West London. I’ve just left Marylebone and the traffic’s a nightmare.’
Laura promised to help if she could.
Jack dug out Middleton’s girlfriend’s address in Shepherd’s Bush. The girl had previously been questioned by uniforms as she had been at Middleton’s flat when he was arrested.
After finding a parking space and leaving the Met Police vehicle log book on the dashboard, he approached the large semi-detached house. There was a discreet notice by the front door with the name of the hostel’s caretaker and stating that privacy was essential. All callers had to ring a bell as the main front door was kept locked.
Jack waited several minutes before he heard an inner door opening. The main front door was eventually unlocked and opened by a woman wearing navy blue overalls and trainers.
Jack introduced himself and showed his ID before the woman removed the chain lock and stepped back for him to enter, then replaced the chain lock before ushering him into a reception area. This was dominated by a large table covered with leaflets and self-help guides. On every wall were Social Services posters, details of various self-help programs, and a list of instructions for the residents. The rules were underlined in red: no visitors, no late entry, no food in bedrooms, and all residents had to sign in and out.