It did not take long to find the Pine Creek Hospital since Ben drove past it last night, when he took Maggie home. It was an unimpressive white building next to a small park.

“I hate hospitals”, muttered Officer Williams from the back seat.

“I can’t say I’m a fan either,” agreed Ben.

As they crossed the parking lot, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance and hurried down the stairs.

“Is that…?”, Kate turned to Ben.

“Looks like it”, he nodded.

“Should have known his mother will already be here.”

Kate braced herself as the thin frame of Anna Foster charged towards them. She couldn’t hear what the other woman was saying, but the anger on her face was unmistakeable.

“Good morning, Mrs. Foster”, said Officer Williams sheepishly.

“Don’t ‘good morning’ me young man, I’m not talking to you”, said Anna Foster and glared at the officer who slowly started turning red. She immediately turned to Ben. “I want you to leave my son alone! He’s had enough!”

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I’m afraid we need to talk to your son”, Ben replied, his voice even, a patient look on his face. “This is a murder investigation, I’m sure you appreciate, and your son has important information.”

Anna Foster threw up his arms. “What can possibly be so important about a whore?”

Kate felt her anger rising, but before she could open her mouth and make a possible mistake, Ben gently placed her hand on the mother’s arm. “I know it’s a lot to take in, you must feel horrible after what happened to your son. But this is important. We don’t actually need your permission to talk to him, but I’m sure David would feel better if he didn’t see his mother so agitated. Come on Mrs. Foster, let’s go inside. Perhaps you could do with a coffee?”

As Ben slowly led the somewhat subdued Mrs. Foster towards the building Kate wished she could take notes. Ben was smooth, always had the right words to say; unlike Kate who managed to get into trouble more than once because she couldn’t control her mouth.

Kate’s admiration grew even more when Ben also managed to convince the mother to stay in the cafeteria while they talk to her son; and now they were all seated on the visitor’s chairs next to David Foster’s bed. Living with his mother or not, Kate could not deny that he was a handsome man. Even under the cuts, bruises and bandages his face was, to put it simply, manly. The square jaw, the deep set dark eyes under the thick brows, and the few days old stubble created a combination that made Kate go soft inside for a moment, until she reminded herself they are talking to a possible murderer. That definitely helped take the charm away.

“How do you feel, Mr. Foster?”, Ben asked, and placed his notepad on his knee.

David Foster lay still on the bed for a few moments, then turned his eyes on Ben.

“How do you think I feel?”, he let out a bitter laugh and passed his hand over his brow. “My ma’ told me what happened. I have no doubt you think I murdered my girlfriend and I have the worst headache in the history of awful headaches.”

“I’m sorry for your loss”, said Ben. “We won’t take up much of your time. But if you could tell me what happened last night…”

“I did not kill her”, David Foster said, and slammed a fist on the bed. “I have nothing to do with this!”

Ben did not seem to be disturbed by this sudden outburst. “If you could tell me what were you doing last night, from the moment you arrived at the festival, that would help us a lot.”

“I don’t see why this is necessary”, David started protesting, but something in Ben’s face made him changed his mind. “I took my ma’ there around 7 last night. I was helping her set up her stand. You know, to sell her pies. Ma’ makes the best pies in Hillrose. Anyway, I met June at 8.” His voice trailed off and he stared into the far corner.

“Did you spent the whole time together?”, Ben prompted.

“Nah”, David scoffed. “Ma’ was giving us the stinkeye, so we agreed to meet at our usual place. In the barn. I had a couple of beers with my mates.”

“Didn’t June had her own house in Hillrose?”, Kate interrupted.

“She did, and we spent most of the time there, but she loved that barn; said it was rough, exciting. It was like a role-play sort of thing”, he shrugged.

“Do you know what she was doing between you parting and then meeting at the barn?”, Ben continued.

“No idea. I saw her a few times, mostly sitting alone though, and then she was with Paul for a while.”

“Paul who?”, Ben asked.

“Havers”, David replied. Suddenly he looked tired, his face sagged and he sunk back between his pillows, massaging his temples. “Sorry, my head is killing me.”

“We won’t take long”, Ben assured him. “So you said you saw June with Paul Havers.”

“Yea, briefly. I was with my mates. Then my ma’ needed my help with the pies…”

“What time did you meet with June in the barn?”

“I left the concert around the time my ma’ left, so 10.30. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk there. She was already there”, he said the last four words very quietly.

“What happened then?”, Ben’s voice sounded very kind.

David Foster sighed and Kate could see his eyes cloud.

“Take your time. I understand it’s hard”, Ben continued talking to David like he was a little child with a scraped knee. His voice was soft and reassuring.

“She was sitting there, smiling at me. I gave her a beer but she didn’t want it. Just kept smiling. When I sat down next to her and tried to kiss her she stopped me. I had no idea what’s going on, it was so not like her. Usually she’s all over me as soon as we are alone. I liked that about her, you know. Most girls need this whole act of being shy, and hard to get. June didn’t care. She wanted it, she got it, no messing around. I asked her if something was wrong, but then she was grinning even more. She told me she have some big news. I honestly had not seen this coming. I mean I liked her, she was easy, passionate, amazing in bed… but then she tells me she’s pregnant! What the hell? And what about me? Isn’t that my business as well to decide whether I want this or not?” His jaw tensed and his fingers curled up in a fist that pummelled into the blanket.

When neither Ben, nor Kate said anything, he continued. “I told her this is crazy. She can’t be pregnant. I don’t want her child. I mean… this is madness. I knew her for like five months! I would never marry her! I told her I take care of it, I can give her money. She slapped me and told me to man up. I felt trapped. She betrayed me! I did not want that kid!” He was looking at them, his fists at his temple, pained look in his eyes.

“Well, that got taken care for your, hadn’t it”, Kate muttered, and Ben shot her a warning look. She did not realise she said it out loud.

David Foster sat up straight and the colour drained from his face.

“What the fuck?”, he shouted at Kate.

Ben placed a hand on the other man’s wrists. “David, look at me”, he said, and when David turned his face, he continued. “Please ignore my colleague. Let’s just continue. What happened after this?”

David leaned back on his pillows. “I don’t know… I left. She was still screaming. But I couldn’t care less. I was done with her.”

“But you didn’t go home, did you?”, Ben said.

“I needed a drink. But I couldn’t go back to the festival. My mates were still there and I didn’t want to tell them what happened. So I went to the Red Cow. Had a few beers. I got pretty wasted”, he said with an acrid smile.

“Where did you spend the night?”

“With a friend.”

“What friend?”

“Does it matter?”

“We need to check it out. They need to corroborate your story.”

“I was with Maggie, she’s a friend”, David said, not looking them in the eye, and gave Ben the contact details of Maggie Grey.

“What time did you leave?”

“Around 11 this morning. I had this awful hungover. I was driving around for a while. Thinking. Wanted a coffee. The last thing I wanted to do is go home and face my ma’. She would take one look at me and knew something was up.”

“I don’t blame you”, said Ben.

David found this amusing. “She wanted me to stop seeing June, you know. Said she was wicked. But I couldn’t stay away…There was something about her I could not let go… For a while I just sat in my car. Smoking… Then I ended up in that watering hole I sometimes go when I’m in Pine Creeks. Continue drinking seemed like a mighty good idea. I really don’t remember much, but these guys show up and start talking shit. Next thing I know? He hits me with a bar stool! That asshole hit me in the face! Doc says they found me outside, in an alleyway! Who the fuck does that?”

“I’m sure the Pine Creek police is looking into that”, Kate said, trying to make up for her earlier mistake. David Foster ignored her.

The door opened and a pretty red headed nurse marched in.

“I’m afraid you need to leave now. The patient needs rest”, she said in her firm, well trained voice.

“We are almost done”, Ben said to the nurse who beamed at him and retreated from the room, then he turned back to David. “Officer Williams here is going to take your fingerprints.”

“What for?”, David’s eyes narrowed. “You know bloody well, that I was there.”

“Routine, nothing to worry about”, Ben said, as they left the room, leaving Officer Williams behind.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Kate turned to Ben.

“I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me”, her eyes looked too big to her face.

“Not now, Kate”, Ben said without looking at her. “We need to get his clothes from the doctor and then pass it on to Aruna. Call Ellers and see if he can get Paul Havers to come in today.”

Kate felt her cheeks burn, like when she was in school and the teacher scolder her for something in front of the whole class. She disappointed Ben, and that was the worst part. She wanted him to be proud of her, tell her she’s doing great, reassure her that she’s a good cop.

But she wasn’t, so that’s that.