Alanna nodded sympathetically. ‘And then what happened?’
‘Well, I called the ambulance. But they took days. And I just had to stay there with the body.’
Alanna’s brow deepened. ‘Days?’
Holly blinked. ‘Yeah, they said they were really busy.’
‘Two entire days?’ Alanna repeated, shocked.
Holly nodded quickly. ‘Yeah, definitely two days. Maybe even three.’ She paused. ‘It was because of nine-eleven.’
‘You were in New York?’ Alanna asked.
Holly paused. ‘Yes. I lived there as a child.’
Alanna had to clarify something. ‘I thought you mentioned that you’d lived here all your life. Did I get that wrong?’
‘Oh. Well. Yes, I did say that. I mean, I didn’t really live there. It was a holiday. So anyway, that’s when Jacob appeared.’
‘Jacob?’
Holly nodded voraciously. ‘Yes. My other personality. He can show up any time. I hope you never have to meet him. He’s kind of rude.’
Alanna had to think very carefully about how to proceed here. Holly was supposedly here for Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and now suddenly, Dissociative Identity Disorder had been added into the mix. That was a rare disorder, though Alanna would have been willing to believe her. Only, her story kept showing holes. Alanna didn’t think she was a garden variety pathological liar. It was more than likely Munchausen’s Syndrome, where the sufferer wanted to be viewed as unwell to gain care and attention. Though everyone needed attention and care on occasion, no one faked PTSD or DID because they were mentally well. That was the tricky thing about Munchausen’s. If they were faking mental illness, then they were still actually mentally unwell. Just not with the problem they wanted you to think they had. It was a real onion of a problem because Alanna was going to try and treat the problem underneath the problem without necessarily being able to address it.
‘Can I talk about your childhood before the, err, the incident in New York?’
‘Don’t you want to talk about Jacob?’ Holly asked, disappointed.
‘I’m sure we’ll come around to him,’ Alanna assured her. ‘I’d just like a bit of background.’
Holly frowned. ‘What for? I had a very happy childhood before my dad died. There’s nothing to talk about there.’
There was almost certainly something to talk about there.
‘I noticed you haven’t mentioned your mother. Could I ask where she was when your father died?’
‘Oh, yeah, well, she was there too, I guess,’ Holly said quickly.
‘So your mother was with you too?’
‘Not at the exact moment he died. I mean, she went out and… Did I forget to mention, she was hit by a car the same day? So that’s why I was alone with my father.’ Holly sighed and looked down, and Alanna thought she was about to break down and admit to making the whole thing up. But instead, she suddenly sat bolt upright and said, in a deep voice with a very broad cockney accent, ‘Who the fuck are you?’
Alanna was somewhat taken aback. ‘Sorry?’
‘Holly’s gone. I’m Jacob. What are you doing with her? Are you getting her upset?’
Alanna felt suddenly wildly out of her depth. She was not ready to deal with this.
‘You don’t believe her, do you?’ Holly (or Jacob) asked.
‘I never said that.’
‘Yeah. Well, she can tell. I can tell. So leave the kid alone, alright?’
‘Umm, Jacob? Do you think Holly might want to tell me that for herself?’
‘No. Because you’re a bitch.’ He nodded to himself as though he was listening to someone. ‘She’s staying in here where she’s safe.’
