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

‘Everyone has their burden, but Rose milked hers a bit too much.’ She plays with her necklace. ‘Even Daniel Deane had problems. It wasn’t easy bringing up a child with Abe’s medical condition.’

Theo only found out about Abe’s EDS after speaking to Natasha. The information wasn’t in any of the newspapers at the time. After a little more research, he discovered that not only is it a reasonably rare condition, but it’s also not widely recognised and acknowledged. He decides to keep this to himself for the time being. He doesn’t want to alert Marion to his growing suspicion about her relationship – a potentially on-going one – with Daniel Deane.

Is his guile today instigated by his need to crack this story, write the book and secure the large advance, or is it because of the engulfing feeling he already has towards this woman’s daughter?

‘No, it couldn’t have been easy,’ he says finally, studying her expression.

Is Marion still in touch with Daniel? He pushes the basket of premium bread towards her, the pats of truffle-infused butter too, and then goes in from another angle. ‘How well did you know Ed Madden?’

‘Ed Madden?’ She looks away from him, fixing her gaze somewhere towards the kitchen door, where waitresses are coming and going furiously. ‘Ah, you mean Daniel’s mate? God, I haven’t thought about him for years. I didn’t know him at all really. I met him a few times when I was cleaning at Bluefields; he sometimes came in with parcels and correspondence. It was a long time ago, though.’

He had no idea that Marion had worked at Bluefields Hospital. ‘I didn’t know you worked for Deane?’

‘I worked at Bluefields, not for Daniel. And it was a long time ago.’

Interesting. ‘So you haven’t seen Ed Madden recently?’

‘Why would I?’

‘No reason at all. Did you like him?’

‘I hardly knew him.’

‘Marion, why did you agree to help me?’

‘Because Rose suggested it.’

He nods. ‘Fair enough.’ He takes a sip of water. ‘When did you move to the house you’re living in now? It’s a lovely place.’

‘I can’t remember exactly.’

‘Rose says it was around the time she got married.’

‘Yes, probably around then.’

‘So the back end of 1992?’

‘That sounds about right.’

‘Did you carry on working for Daniel after he and Rose split?’

‘Of course. It was a good job, paid well.’

‘It certainly did.’

She gives him a hard stare. ‘I’ve lost my appetite. I’d like it if you’d take me home.’

Sweat pools at the base of his spine and underneath his arms. This isn’t how he planned this lunch. Or is it? As a journalist, he often operated this way, his intuition leading, but Marion won’t see or speak to him again after today, although he’s found out all he needs to know.

Marion did know Ed Madden.

After Rose’s split from Daniel, she moved to a much larger house.

What he can’t understand is why she has agreed to have any contact with him. And the villa in Spain? The story about the money isn’t hanging together.

Theo is confident that he’s the sleaziest bastard alive doing this, until he thinks of Rose. She needs his help, and somewhere in the folds of this story is the reason she agreed to talk to him. A puzzle she expects him to work out.

‘No problem. I understand.’ He lifts his hand to get the waitress’s attention. It’s always effective in films.

It doesn’t work, so he stands and puts on his jacket, his hand in his pocket fingering the wallet holding his last usable credit card, and goes off to find the maître d’.

21

15 April 2016

Theo has become a little more au fait with the prison’s routine because the previous Friday, two days after his lunch with Marion, he was here to take the first creative writing seminar. His class was fully subscribed within twenty-four hours. Everyone wants to be a writer, and what better place to have a go? No shopping to do, limited internet access, regular meals provided. Contemplating all the pluses, he began to think it might be a good idea to get himself put away. Until he saw what incarceration did to a human. The loneliness, the impotency, the time these women had to mull over their lives – and the mess most had made of them. He was aware that not all the inmates contemplated their navels, but it was obvious in his first class that those who did were the ones who wanted to have a bash at writing.

For today’s visit he has brought a nicely packaged array of pencils, which have already been confiscated. So much for knowing the routine. He spent a good hour in Paperchase picking the ones he thought would please Rose, settling on a nest of ten, beautifully presented and setting him back fifteen quid.

He makes his way to the visits hall.

Today Rose wears jeans and a grey jumper, which he recognises as the clothes he bought in Next. It satisfies him that they fit perfectly, although she appears deflated and flat. It seems it’s only as she tells her story that she comes to life, as if that helps her come to terms with what she’s done. It’s then she becomes the Rose Theo sees in his mind’s eye. The young Rose with so much vitality.

He plants a smile on his face, hoping he can encourage one from Rose. ‘How’s it going?’ he says, pulling out a chair.

‘Oh, you know, can’t complain.’ She lifts her head but doesn’t move.

‘I bought you new pencils, but unfortunately…’

‘Confiscated?’

‘Yep, sorry.’

‘You have to package stuff up and leave it in the visitor reception, then it will be given to me.’

‘I know that now.’

‘Never mind. But thanks for the thought.’ A trace of a smile shadows her face. She was hunched forward in her chair, but now, quite suddenly, she sits back and looks almost relaxed.

‘I’ll bring some more next time,’ he says.

‘Just remember the rules, eh?’ Her cheeks lift fully; her dark brown eyes brighten. She presses the pads of her