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

that might help us locate the Deanes? Anything she’s told you that will help our enquiries at all?’

‘I’m afraid not,’ he says.

She sighs. ‘Are you aware of her relationship with Daniel Deane, Abe Duncan’s father, in the early nineties?’

‘I am. Now. I wasn’t before she spoke with me.’

‘It seems that no one was aware at the time of her hearing. Has Rose talked to you about the baby girl she gave birth to in 1992, and the child’s subsequent death at Bluefields Hospital? And then soon afterwards Rose’s emergency surgery?’

‘She has.’ He can’t share the information about Abigail Deane. That is up to Rose.

‘Is there anything more you can tell me about Rose, Mr Hazel?’

‘I don’t believe she is guilty of murder,’ he says.

‘How close are you to Rose Marlowe, Mr Hazel?’

He doesn’t answer, but neither does he avert his eyes from her gaze.

‘Mr Hazel, it really would be in Rose’s best interests that we find the Deanes.’ She hands him a card. ‘Get in touch when there’s something you’d like to share with me. I’ll make my own way out.’

Before he hears the click of his flat’s door, he’s already devouring the day’s breaking news. The investigations into Daniel Deane are explosive. The press are all over it, he discovers as he googles the story on his mobile. It’s everywhere, Deane’s alleged involvement in illegal abortions at the Mount Clinic in Nottingham during the nineties, and whilst he was the manager at Bluefields. The connection to Rose Marlowe – her arrest and imprisonment for the murder of Daniel Deane’s son – is peppered throughout the reporting. The Deanes’ disappearance has thrown open the floodgates, encouraging women who were patients at the Mount Clinic to come forward. The current management at Bluefields are denying any knowledge of Deane’s activities, and any ongoing connection with him.

Theo folds the paper and clicks off his phone. Takes a deep breath, stretches his arms upward and makes his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Later he’ll venture out to stock up on caffeine.

53

28 April 2016

Theo is dragged from a tattered sleep by the sound of his mobile pinging. He went to bed late the night before, his mind on fire with theories and facts about Rose. As he’s brought to wakefulness in the frigid light of morning, Rose’s story is dropping into place. He should have told DI Alison Greenwood what he knows, but he wanted to put it off until after his meeting with Hugo Bliss.

He reaches for his mobile. 7 a.m. And a message from Sophie.

He’d forgotten about the manic voicemail he left for her in the middle of the night – he wasn’t even drunk, only high on adrenaline. He has no one to share news of his new project with, only Sophie, and she’s the only one he wants to talk to. He rambled on, telling her that he doesn’t believe Rose is guilty of murder.

That was a long message! I’m around if you want to talk. Nick’s away on business. I have time S x

Waking up properly, he smiles into the dawn light of the room. Despite everything, Sophie’s still here for him. He really has to work on that. He thinks of Rose, the only other woman for whom he’s felt anything. Sophie was his first love at university, although he made up for his lack of promiscuity during his youth in the years following Elliot’s death, and his divorce from Sophie.

He is just about to reply to her text when his intercom rings out. He hauls himself from the bed and peers out of the lounge window, but can’t see anyone at the entrance door to the block. Returning to the bedroom, he pulls on a sweatshirt and joggers and goes downstairs to investigate. He sees an envelope that has been shoved underneath the door rather than put in the communal letter box, his name scrawled on the front. His heart misses several beats and he bends down to pick it up.

A piece of A4 paper has been folded neatly into a third of its size to fit in the envelope. He opens it quickly.

Stay out of affairs that are none of your business. Stay away from Rose Marlowe. Stop visiting her.

If you don’t take this advice there’s a chance that something very bad will happen to your ex-wife and her new daughters. And I’m sure you don’t want that – for Sophie to lose another child, and for the blame to lie with you, again.

Stay away from Rose.

Theo doesn’t move, as if his feet are glued to the concrete floor. It’s not until the woman who lives in the flat above nudges gently at his arm that his muscles switch back on.

‘Theo, do you mind moving, I need to get out…’

He peels his eyes away from the typed words. ‘I’m so sorry…’ He steps to one side and she pushes her double-width buggy past. Two pairs of eyes stare at him, full of curiosity.

‘The twins are looking very cute today,’ he says, feeling guilty that he didn’t see her struggling down the stairs. He’d normally help her.

She tosses her head. ‘They haven’t been sounding very cute all morning.’ She manages a tight smile. ‘Got to go, Theo.’

He opens the door for her and she humps the buggy over the threshold.

Theo sprints back upstairs and finds his mobile in the kitchen. He calls Sophie immediately.

‘Theo, so glad you’ve called, but this is a bad time—’

‘Soph, I need to be quick. Have you taken the girls to school yet?’

‘No… just about to leave. Theo, what’s wrong? You sound demented. You were obviously up half the night, given the time you left the voicemail. Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine, but can you not take the girls to school this morning? Not yet. I’m sorry, I don’t want to scare you, but I’ve received a… a threatening letter.’

‘About what?’

‘It’s linked to my investigations into Rose Marlowe. Someone’s trying to scare me off.’ He takes a breath. ‘Whoever