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

Hugo begins to fidget. ‘Five years. He comes across as a bit crabby, but I love the old sod.’ His green eyes glitter in the bright but cool sun.

‘He must have come with a bit of baggage?’ Theo delves.

Hugo eyes him. ‘Don’t we all? You attached?’

‘Divorced, hence the small flat.’

‘Ah!’

‘Another beer?’ Theo asks.

‘Don’t mind if I do.’

He gets up and returns with two more, cracking them open, handing both to Hugo.

‘Ta, mate.’ Hugo uncrosses his legs and allows his knees to splay wide as he slouches into the chair. ‘Ed does have a lot of baggage. Bella doesn’t like him. Wants me to finish it. Thinks he’s bad news.’ He sighs, gulps down more beer. ‘He’s certainly not perfect…’ He pauses. ‘Bella says I should talk to you.’

‘It might help,’ Theo replies softly.

‘Daniel Deane and Abigail, Ed’s sister, were bad news—’

‘Abigail Deane is Ed’s sister?’

‘Yep.’ Hugo peers at the bottle in his hand. ‘These little devils are strong.’

‘Wow.’ Theo waits. ‘That’s not a known fact, is it? In the public arena, I mean. It wasn’t mentioned at the time of Rose’s hearing?’

‘It wasn’t. Why would it be? Abigail managed to drop off the grid after meeting Daniel, although she’d changed her name before she’d even married him. She’d wanted to reinvent herself, apparently. Determined to shake herself free of her working-class heritage, according to Ed.’ He pauses. ‘And now… they’ve both dropped off the grid, it seems.’

‘Yes. Big news.’

‘It is.’ Hugo sinks the beer.

‘Have you met Abigail?’

‘Nah. But I think she’s a nasty piece of work.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Gets everything she wants… although there was one thing she couldn’t get. And that’s what led to all this. Rose Marlowe, everything. The outcome for Abigail wasn’t exactly what she’d bargained on.’

‘What outcome? What couldn’t she get?’

‘I can’t say. I can’t do it… A child. Abigail couldn’t have her own child.’

‘Ah. I see.’ And Theo is beginning to see. ‘What do you know, Hugo?’

‘Jesus Christ, I can’t tell you. I’ll get banged up. Ed definitely will. But it’s been playing on my mind since he told me. And even more now that the Deanes have done a bunk.’

‘These are people’s lives.’ Theo takes a glug of his own beer. ‘Rose’s life.’

Hugo wipes his forehead with the back of his hand – the outdoor heater is a bit too effective. He is clearly dying to get things off his chest. Bella understood this about her brother. And the Deanes’ disappearance will be pushing him.

‘Bloody tragic, Rose Marlowe,’ he says. ‘Her baby…’ He stops and checks himself. ‘Then, at the hospital, her finding out that Abigail was Daniel’s wife, and about Abe’s existence. But Christ, going on to murder Abe…’ He drinks more beer and peers at Theo. ‘What’s Rose like?’

‘She’s… very sad.’ Theo exhales.

‘Abe wasn’t Abigail’s son. That’s the thing.’ Theo is getting closer. ‘I’ve only been able to talk to Bella about it all. She told me to go to the police.’ Hugo slumps into the chair; his arm drops downward, the beer bottle dangles from two fingers. ‘But the thing is, the thing is…’

‘What, Hugo?’

‘I’m calling Bella to pick me up.’ He stands up and stumbles. The empty bottle clanks to the ground.

‘Is Ed in touch with his sister and Daniel Deane?’ Theo ploughs on.

An expression of despair takes hold of Hugo’s handsome, symmetrical features, and a bead of sweat makes its way down one neatly sculpted dark sideburn, nestling on the apex of his cheekbone. ‘What sort of partner am I? I’m a traitor, a Judas. But I can’t stop thinking about Rose Marlowe.’

Theo sees real conflict, real distress, and he is beginning to piece together the collage. He tells himself that keeping all this inside was torturing the young designer, and that he’s doing Hugo, and Bella, a favour.

Hugo continues. ‘The worst thing is that Ed knew. Knew all along. How can I love a man like that? That’s what Bella says.’

‘What does Ed know?’

Hugo holds his head in his hands, and then, like a Catholic parishioner in the confessional, he finally tells him.

55

Bella has arrived to pick up Hugo. They’ve put him in her Corsa and she and Theo are standing next to the car.

‘Tell him to send his bill and I look forward to seeing his ideas,’ Theo says.

‘Hugs told me he talked.’

‘He has.’ Theo shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

‘I’m glad. Although I’m guessing it’s all going to come out soon anyway.’ She bends down, checks on her older brother, who is now lying in the back seat snoring gently.

‘I’ll have to share this with the police, Bella. I’m sorry,’ Theo says.

She straightens up, closes the car door. ‘I know. My lovely big brother.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

She lifts her slim shoulders a fraction. ‘I’ll look after him.’ She gets in the driver’s seat. ‘We’ll deal with the consequences. It’s time.’

Theo watches her drive off and then makes his way back to his flat. Thinking of Rose, he pulls a Desperado from the fridge. He’ll have to tell Alison Greenwood that Hugo is his source. He doesn’t want to but there’s no alternative. As he takes a swig of the beer, his mobile rings out. He’s had it on loud since Sophie’s call.

Alison Greenwood.

‘Mr Hazel.’ Her voice is deep, her tone no-nonsense. ‘Sophie and her stepchildren are safe. A DS Mulholland is leading this investigation up in Manchester. I need to ask you some questions. We need to know if Rose Marlowe has revealed information to you she has not shared with the police. Considering what has now happened with your ex-wife, I need to know what you know, or what Rose knows. I expect you to tell me.’

‘Have you picked up Ed Madden?’

‘What do you know, Mr Hazel?’

‘Rose Marlowe did not kill Abe Duncan. DI Greenwood, are you aware that Ed Madden is Abigail Deane’s brother?’

Silence.

‘I am now.’

‘Like, just now?’

‘Recently.’ Her voice is louder, her mouth, he guesses, closer to the receiver. ‘And why do you think Rose admitted