by Mairi Chong
Cathy turned to the door. Carol had failed to notice that the last customer entering the café, had been the detective inspector who had interviewed them originally in the shop.
Cathy and Holly stood in the cold, on the pavement outside, watching the police car wend its way up the high street, its passenger thankfully no longer able to cause harm. As Cathy stood there, she became aware of a presence beside them. He was in her peripheral vision for some time before she spoke.
‘Well?’ she asked. ‘What do you have to say about it all then?’
The man, who was commonly known about the town as Carbolic, was as brazen as anyone might have imagined.
‘Always hated that one; Carol,’ he said. ‘If you’d just asked, I’d have told you it was her. Not all-there,’ he said and tapped his forehead.
With that, he sloped off down the street.
‘One person’s madness affected so many others’ lives,’ Holly said.
Cathy looked at the young, fragile woman and nodded.
36
‘But I still don’t understand,’ Marie said, shaking her head with what seemed to be a genuine annoyance.
They were sitting together on ward thirty-two by Thomas’s bed. He had surprised everyone, including his orthopaedic surgeons, by announcing that morning that he wanted to get up and have a news with folk about the place. It seemed that he had been pushed in a wheelchair to the tv room and had sat for a good hour regaling his new acquaintances with tales of murder and mayhem. His nurses were apparently, quite taken with him and he adopted his new role as ward mascot with great delight.
Cathy had called earlier to say that she had spoken to the police that morning. It seemed that Carol had now made a full confession. The detective said that he thought with the help of a clever lawyer, she might plead insanity, but apparently, he was having none of it.
Holly looked across the room at Thomas, who was now sitting up in bed after his adventures and looking pleased with himself. She had spoken with one of the surgeons who confirmed that his injuries would not trouble him in the future. He should return to as independent a life as he wished for, once he had healed. Thomas grinned at her and mouthed ‘told you,’ for about the millionth time that day.
‘I know. I’m not the best at explaining things,’ Holly said, returning to Marie.
‘So, you’re saying that Carol, as a social worker at the time, had become mentally ill, and had been admitted to Fernibanks?’
‘I’m afraid so. I think she found the job very hard. She was friendly with Tricia on the ward even back then. Tricia was a student nurse at the time.’
‘So brutal though,’ Marie said.
Holly agreed. ‘Yes. Both Carol’s rough justice for the psychiatrist and then, for Betty herself when she said she needed to speak out and clear her conscience.’
‘She was a horrible woman.’
‘Who, Carol?’ Holly asked.
‘No Betty.’ Marie said quite severely. ‘She didn’t deserve to die that way, and she probably lived a dreadful life herself after she gave up the hospital, but she was a horrible woman all the same.’
‘The saddest thing is that she was dying anyway. I had suspected it for a while myself. Her weight loss ... When I heard she had a hospital appointment that afternoon, I assumed that it must be the case. Breast cancer,’ Holly explained.
‘How sad,’ Marie said. She glanced across at Thomas again. ‘But she was a nasty piece of work all the same.’ She shook her head. ‘Not fit to be a mother at all,’ Marie looked at the young girl, perhaps to check that her words had landed.
‘You knew?’ Holly asked, surprised. ‘I thought I had been the clever one, all along.’
Marie smiled and the corners of her eyes glistened. ‘It’s funny,’ she said. ‘For a while, I thought you had killed Betty for that reason. That was until I saw how you had become with Thomas. Then I couldn’t have suspected you for a minute.’
‘They told me that I was found in a doorway up at the old hospital,’ Holly said. ‘Discarded like a piece of tat, with only a blanket and a binbag to keep me warm. You’d have thought as a nurse, she might have done a bit better for me. I suppose Betty must have been near enough menopausal herself when she had me. I wonder if my father really was the dreadful psychiatrist. Had he forced himself on Betty? Was I the dreadful result? I think I’d rather not know. Betty must have struggled to conceal the pregnancy from her staff. I don’t know how she managed. I only found out I was adopted by chance, and that was barely months ago. I knew Fernibanks was part of it. It was all I came to this town armed with. Just a name and a story.’ Holly knew that she sounded bitter. ‘How did you work it out anyway?’ she asked.
‘I think the eyes,’ Marie said slowly. ‘Yes, probably that, and strangely, you had some of her mannerisms, which is surprising given that you were never brought up by her.’
‘I’m a monster like her, and worst,’ Holly said savagely. ‘I can’t help myself sometimes. I’ve no empathy at all.’
‘You’re not a monster,’ the old woman said sadly. ‘And as for the empathy, well I’ve seen how you are with Thomas. You will make a wonderful doctor in the future, I’m sure. You’re just a bit lost. You’re an adult whose child-self hasn’t healed. There are a few of those about,’ she glanced across once more at the man who had captured her own heart. ‘You just need to find someone who will love you like that awful woman should have done. Your adoptive mother I presume …?’
‘Oh, I’ve messed up big time there,’ Holly said.
‘Perhaps it’s time to face up to a few things instead of running, or drowning your sorrows,’ the old woman said, smiling a little. ‘Time to go home and make amends. The people who love you are your real family after all. You’ve found your vocation, now allow everything else to fall into place.’
37
‘I don’t know what to say,’ Cathy admitted. Her face was flushed, but she met his gaze all the same. She had pinned the charity ribbon Carol had given her, to the neck of her blouse. She flicked the material absently, and catching herself, she smiled.
It was a week later and Cathy for one was glad that the whole business was cleared up. Betty Scott had plagued her thoughts now for so long that she felt she had been going half-mad.
Alex shifted beside her and took a sip of his wine. ‘Glainkirk will never be quite the same,’ he said. ‘It’s the end of an era. With both Carol and Betty gone, the charity bosses have asked if any of the rest of the volunteers are willing to step up to the mark, and take on the running of the shop.’
‘And?’ Cathy asked. ‘Tricia, maybe? Or you?’
‘I think I’ve done my time,’ he smiled. ‘Fresh start for me. Time to move on.’
Cathy looked at him in surprise.
‘Move on, but not away,’ he said in answer. ‘The bank’s come through finally. I’ve been given the loan I was after and I’m setting up my own business. Although, after our recent breaking and entering, I think it’s a little hypocritical.’ He laughed, and then to her look of confusion, he explained: ‘Security. I’m starting up a security advisory business. What with my experience in the police, it seems natural, you know?’
Cathy grinned. She couldn’t help herself. ‘I can’t believe I thought it was you; the murderer, I mean. I really did,’ she said. ‘For a while there, I imagined I had made the most dreadful mistake having anything to do with you, Alex. I wished our paths had never crossed when I found you in that horrible charity shop.’
He placed his wine glass on the table and turned to her.
‘And now?’ he asked.
But Cathy didn’t need to answer.
Acknowledgments
To my editor Amanda, a massive thank you. Seriously, without your expertise, this book wouldn’t be half of what it is now. Many thanks to my father for his critical eye over the final days, but also for his encouragement throughout - that goes for my mother also. Your championship and love has been so appreciated. As always, thank you to my b
eloved husband, who hates all the lovey-dovey stuff, but really does steady the ship when I’m on a manic writing spree!
Finally, thank you to all of the people who told me that they enjoyed Murder and Malpractice enough to want the series to continue. I can’t wait to share book three with you very soon!
THANK YOU!
I do hope that you have enjoyed reading book two in the Dr Cathy Moreland Mystery series. If you’d like to hear about future releases and offers, please visit my website http://mairichong.com and sign up to my mailing list. I’d love to have you on board. I’m also often active on Facebook (Mairi Chong Author) and twitter @mairichong. Do pop by and say hello!
Finally, if you have enjoyed the book, please consider recommending it to a friend or writing a review. It would mean the world to me.
