The Nurse by J. Corrigan (list of ebook readers txt) 📕

all contact is totally restricted on these visits, and it would have been inappropriate anyway. He’s only just met her; she’s in prison for the premeditated murder of a young man in the prime of his life, and yet…

Because of a fire drill, visit time was unexpectedly cut to an hour rather than the allotted two. They were told to finish up their conversations quickly, so there’d been no time to talk at the end of the session.

He gets in the car with the last part of today’s story hanging heavily in his mind. Ed Madden is definitely a key player in the tale; everything is leading him to this conclusion. He was also – if Natasha’s thoughts and conjectures have any veracity – one of the last people to talk to Abe before he fell unconscious and was taken to hospital.

Marion is an important ingredient too.

He pulls out his notebook from his rucksack and starts scribbling.

Rose’s U-turn about seeing me – connected to Bella Bliss’s visit? WHAT?

Rose’s obsession with her mother

Is Bella related to Bliss owner – Hugo? Check out

Hugo is Madden’s business partner…

Abe sees Madden (?) before taken ill – what does he discover? Anything?

He closes the notebook, puts his seat belt on, enters Marion’s address into Google Maps and heads to Nottingham.

When Theo reaches Marion’s house, he parks up and surveys the detached property. It’s well kept and smart; he estimates the 300 K bracket in today’s climate. The impressive front door opens; she must have been waiting by the huge bay window. She waves and makes her way down the path. ‘Good to see you again, Theo.’

They shake hands and he studies her. A short woman, mid sixties and with too much flesh on her bones. A creased face, with visible patches of dry skin above each over-plucked eyebrow. Well dressed in a self-conscious way, but as at his first meeting with her at the café, she seems uncomfortable, if not in her skin, then in her outerwear. Her clothes, although clearly expensive (the label of her black Jaeger jumper sticks out like a square white ear), don’t sit quite right on her.

‘It’s nice to see you again too, Marion, and thanks for inviting me.’

‘Come in. I’ve put the kettle on.’

‘Perfect.’

He follows her through the front door, picking up the strong smell of her perfume. Nice. One he used to buy Sophie on her birthdays, before they were skint. Through the conduit of Rose’s story about Daniel Deane, he’s aware of her impoverished childhood. He glances again at Marion’s outfit.

‘Visit went well with Rose?’

‘It did.’ He pauses. ‘Are you planning another visit yourself, Marion?’ he asks, although he knows she probably isn’t.

‘Things are a bit hectic,’ she replies. ‘I feel for Rose, God I do. But she doesn’t want me there, not really… I will go. Soon. I have to be in the right headspace to cope with it. And, you know… life goes on.’

‘It does,’ he says, casting his eyes over the hallway, which is all hard-wood floors and perfect decor. He suspects Farrow & Ball. ‘Nice place,’ he says. ‘Shall I take my shoes off?’

She laughs. ‘No need for that. Let’s go into the kitchen.’

He follows her. ‘Really nice place.’

‘You sound surprised. Did Rose lead you to believe I live in a hovel?’

‘No, she didn’t.’ Marion can so easily, and disconcertingly, see-saw from mild to brusque. They are now standing in the kitchen, with its white units, aqua tiles. A huge skylight on the left. ‘We don’t talk about you,’ he lies.

She doesn’t reply.

He carries on. ‘I think she was disappointed you weren’t with me.’ That’s another lie.

‘I’m sure she wasn’t.’ She sighs heavily. ‘It’s difficult for Rose and me.’

‘I understand,’ he says although he doesn’t. Not yet, anyway.

She fusses around as she makes a pot of tea. Takes off the silk scarf wrapped around her neck. Puts it back on. Takes it off again and throws it onto the elegant jarrah-wood table. She adjusts the sleeves of her jumper and fingers a tight grey corkscrew curl that’s flopped over her right eye. Finally she hands him a mug.

‘Are you driving home today? You’d be more than welcome to stay here the night. Plenty of room.’

It’s a nice offer, but he concludes she might be mortified if he takes her up on it. ‘I’ll be driving back, but thanks for asking.’

She moves her head a fraction. Yep, she’s relieved.

‘You got a wife and kids up in Manchester?’ she asks. ‘Nice-looking bloke like you, bet you have.’

Fortunately the landline rings out, taking away the need for him to come up with the answer that always tears away another piece of his heart.

She lets the call go to answerphone, and a male voice leaves a message.

‘Mum, can you call me? It’s urgent, about Majorca.’

She looks at him. ‘My son, Sam.’

‘You can call him back, I don’t mind.’

‘It can wait.’

‘Rose says she hasn’t seen Sam for a while. He doesn’t visit her?’ Theo stops short at the ‘either’.

‘No, he doesn’t. It’s the way it’s been for a very long time.’

‘Can I sit down?’

‘Please do. Look, Theo, I didn’t want to say much when we met before, but don’t let Rose pull you in. Take what she says with a pinch of salt.’

‘She appears… balanced, considering.’

He watches for Marion’s reaction. She holds out her arms, palms up, and shrugs at the same time.

‘Does her husband visit regularly?’ he asks.

‘I believe he does. I have nothing to do with Miles, and never have, as I’ve already told you. Rose and I haven’t seen that much of each other since…’

Not at all, Theo is beginning to understand. ‘Since when?’

‘Since she married Miles,’ she finishes.

‘You must have known him a little?’

‘A little,’ she agrees. ‘It was a bit of a surprise when Rose married him. Anyway, that’s when she moved away and changed completely.’ She takes a slurp of tea. ‘I was just glad she’d found someone. Miles was a good catch. She was lucky to get him.’ Marion could