She did not enlarge but added, “I saw the face of my dear husband Tom, young he was, yes, as clear as day I saw him. It is a comfort to me in old age to think back on our married life when there was much peace and happiness. Mrs Morris, it may strike you as strange but the time, it passed so quickly all those years now appear to be just months. I have a consolation, you know at my age I am not afraid of death. I know when my allotted time arrives my Tom will be waiting for me.”
“Mrs Carter let us not speak of such things,” replied Heather, “Now, how are you feeling pain wise?”
“It was not too bad when I awoke, now I can tell it is time for my medication, especially the pain killers, blasted cancer the curse of man I think someone said.”
“Right, Mrs Carter, let us have you up and the usual, then it will be time for the medication and breakfast. Oh I can hear the gates opening, I expect it is Ron the gardener, he is due today.”
“Yes,” replied Iris, “I hope his kind wife will be along soon. What a nice friendly couple they are. I am so fortunate to have all three of you.”
Heather took off the nightdress and then assisted Iris to wash; it would be a bath this evening. Once washed and dressed Iris would make the slow journey on her walking frame back to her bedroom, as always. It was then into her day clothes and finally Iris made the slow journey into the kitchen.
The kettle had boiled and switched itself off, so Heather then boiled the water again and finally put the hot water onto the tea bags leaving to them to brew before turning to assist Iris to sit at her normal place at the end of the table.
Years ago Tom had been seated the other end and son Aubrey, before he was school age and later whilst on school holidays, seated at the side which varied depending which parent he intended to sneak food from.
“The usual boiled egg for you Mrs Carter, yolk slightly solid but not hard and certainly no loose white.”
Smiling, Iris replied, “You have me weighed up to a fine point, Mrs Morris, the toast, I think one piece only.”
“Yes well, it is the medication first, I will reach you the box” called Heather, placing the egg in the pan.
She turned, reached the box of many medication bottles and placed it on the table. Keeping a close eye, very close, on the egg timer. Finally she took out the egg putting it into the egg cup on Iris’s plate.
“Right then, the medication,” said Heather.
Iris reached over, “It is two for my eyes, I have peripheral eyesight only, they said I would have it. Mine is the dry, my sister she had the wet, she went blind.”
Heather had heard this history of the illness three times each day for at least ten years.
The pills were tipped out.
“Two of these, four of those the same each morning and of course the morphine, which nurse would administer by injection, much better than the spare pills.”
The pills, all now on the table, a glass of water placed down by Heather, Iris systematically took the medication. It was then breakfast.
The time taking the pills and tablets had been sufficient for the egg to cool and also the toast, just as always. Every breakfast and lunch time was the same, all set to a routine.
The breakfasting now under way, there was a knock on the door.
Heather called, “come in Ron.”
The door opened and a head peered around, “good morning to you Mrs Carter and to you Heather.”
Being workers together it was Christian names between gardener and cleaner cum carer.
“I intend to dig over the kitchen garden today and hopefully plant some potatoes,” said Ron.
“My,” called Heather “ Ron you have that warm black great coat, you will get overheated in that and you also look like a copper again. I recall my dad, he was a Special Constable, he had one just like it.”
“I found it in the shed, it was chilly this morning so I thought to wear it to bike here,” responded Ron.
He didn’t get a response to this but received a question far more important at this moment to Iris Carter.
“I wish that lady wife of yours would come, over the last half an hour this pain is overwhelming, did she say what time she was calling.”
“I am sure she will be along,” replied Ron, realising his presence was serving no value and so he turned and left.
It was an hour before the sound of another car was heard in the drive. This was followed by the sound of the door banging.
“I expect that will be Ron’s wife here, it is her time,” said Heather in a comforting tone. She could see the pain now in Iris Carter’s face.
“I hope so Mrs Morris, this pain is now very overwhelming” said Iris. “I hope it is the nurse and no-one else, not yet anyway.”
Heather looked up rather startled, then thought, “oh yes it is nurse, a little early for any other callers I think.”
There was a knock on the door, it opened without being answered.
“Good morning,” came the pleasant voice accompanied by the smiling face of the lady, dressed in a black overcoat and hat, taking this off, the blue uniform of the district nurse was now revealed.
“How are you today Mrs Carter?”
“In pain nurse,” came the reply, no name mentioned a clear indication to any trained rural nurse who like police officers until recent years were very familiar with all their patients and residents, that the patient was under stress.
“I will soon have you fixed up Mrs Carter.”
Opening her black case, then taking out the phial, checking the dose and then showing it to Heather who had rolled up the sleeve of Iris.
Nurse Kyle Gittins then administered the morphine, then placing the needle and syringe into the yellow sharps needle and syringe disposal box. She then handed the drugs register to Heather to sign to witness the dose of the class one drug, which had been administered.
“There you are Mrs Carter, you will feel much more comfortable in a very few minutes, if the pain continues to become worse. I will speak to doctor; get him to visit with a view to increasing the dose.”
“Thank you nurse Gittins,” replied Iris, she now used the name, a sure sign she was feeling much less in pain.
“I may call again later in the day to check on you, and I will also have a word with Ron for him to check when he leaves to ensure you are Ok.”
Iris looked up and smiled, then said, “Thank you so very Nurse Gittins and your husband Ron for all you have done for me, a gardener cum handyman is not easy to find in these parts.”
“Heather smiled, and said, “Thank you Nurse, now Mrs Carter, I have to go into town on the bus to get several items you need for the kitchen. I will be an hour or so. Nurse may call back to see you. Ron is in the garden. You have your emergency call button. If you need anything press the button. The call centre will telephone me.”
“I will be fine now Mrs Morris, the injection has made me sleepy, I will rest here, you get on and do what you have to do.”
The drug was taking effect. For Iris’s eyes began to open and close.
It was not many minutes before she was seated, mouth open eyes partly closed.
Nurse Gittins smiled said her farewell and left. Heather Morris put on her coat, took the two shopping bags and after locking the door she also left, as she did so, calling to Ron in the garden to close the gate when he had finished for the day.
Iris was now in slumber and in peace she had drifted so very far away more than likely thinking of her dear Tom or so she always said.
She did not therefore see the close and trusted friend standing at her side, dressed in black and gazing down upon her.
It was lunch time, just after one o’clock that afternoon that the town bus arrived and stopped outside the very nice bungalow, Four Winds located in Oak lane, Kelsall.
The driver was a friendly type as many were on the local country buses. He assisted Heather with the heavy bags as far as the gate, he turned and drove away tooting as he did so.
Arriving at the front door, H
eather had ensured she now had the key handy. Inserting it into the keyhole she turned it and then opened the door.
Arriving inside she placed the bags onto the work surface in the kitchen. She next filled the kettle, put two tea bags into the pot, and spoonful of coffee into a mug for herself.
Whilst the water was heating she emptied the bags, placing the items into the required cupboard or fridge. Iris Carter was strict about everything being in its correct place even if she was now disabled.
All done and dusted, to quote a phrase, she placed the items for Iris onto the tray. She added her mid afternoon treat, two chocolate biscuits, to be consumed after her lunch.
Looking at the clock it was nearly time for her medication.
“Hello Mrs Carter, my, the traffic was busy in town and the supermarket, it goes without saying all the tills were chocker bloc.”
There was no response, Iris was sitting in the armchair near the French Window, staring out onto the garden and fields beyond. Her head down eyes and mouth partly open. There was no snoring as there often was when she had dozed off with her head back.
She looked so at peace, it was a pity to awaken her, but another look at the clock on the Welsh Dresser on the far side of the lounge gave its own message, medication time.
The tea placed, a leaning over and whispering, “Mrs Carter, I am back, your afternoon tea.”
There was no response, Heather looked closer, then, stood back, there was this awful feeling that came over her.
Now speaking louder, “Mrs Carter, Mrs Carter,” still nothing.
Leaning closer, in that dreadful moment a thought came into reality.
When Heather touched Iris, her head fell sideways, over the chair arm.
An automatic shaking brought an arm to drop.
In a panic Heather ran and dialled 999 seeking an ambulance and quickly at that, “I have just found an old lady in her house I think she is dead. She was quite well when I left her a little while ago,” she said.
The call made, the pacing up and down commenced, then the looking through the French Window to the gate. She saw them both closed.
A quick thought of how to help, the response was the running down to the gates and opening them, anything to get the ambulance crew inside just that little earlier, to help poor Iris.
It was then back to the house, at first sitting, then standing and checking if there was any sign of life.
The sound of the approaching siren spoke for itself.
Heather left the house and ran to the gate, now standing at the road edge and seeing the green and white ambulance approaching, its headlights and blue flashing lights accompanied by the loud siren. She saw two cars slow then pull into the side to allow the emergency vehicle through.
A farmer on his tractor approaching from the other direction pulled into a gate to ensure his large cumbersome vehicle did not hinder the emergency response.
The paramedics, a young man and young woman arrived carrying the resuscitation bags, it took no time at all for them to look up with shaking heads.
“I am sorry,” said the ambulance man, “the lady is dead, there is no sign of life.”
“Is this your mother or other relative?” asked the man.
“No,” replied Heather, “I just work here, the carer cum cleaner; this is awful, I wish I had never gone shopping.”
“How old is the lady? He asked. “Oh mid eighties, I am not certain exactly.”
“Do you know the name of her doctor?” was the next question.
“I am not certain, I think they all see her, it is the surgery in the village here.”
“What of relatives?" enquired the lady paramedic.
“She has a son, I will have to check to find his number, he lives away you see.” replied trembling Heather
“Right." said the ambulance man, "I will telephone the doctor."
He left and walked to the ambulance and picking up the vehicle radio he called in.
“Hello, ambulance control from Delta Zero, two eight, location Four Winds, Oak Lane, Kellsall, report of a collapse. Update, this is a death. I request that a local doctor is called to certify death. This will prevent our vehicle being taken off the road for disinfection.”
He received a brief reply, “noted,” and later confirmation that a doctor was enroute.
It was thirty minutes later that the large Range Rover pulled up outside the house. A young man carrying a briefcase arrived at the door. It was Heather Morris who let him in. She knew all the local doctors but this was not one of them.
The young man walked in, then across the room. He took the wrist of Iris feeling for a pulse and next listened to the heart. He then stood and announced.
“Yes, Life is extinct; I will contact the Coroner, Colonel Travers”
“But doctor, I am sorry, I do not know your name,” said Heather, “but poor Mrs Carter she was suffering from cancer and numerous illnesses, she was well over eighty. Surely there is no need for this, why cannot you issue a death certificate?”
The doctor looked, a young man, fresh faced clearly not long out of training, “I am Doctor Ferriday, I am a locum. I have no knowledge of this patient. I am unable to rely on the records, no I must inform the Coroner.”
With that there was a knock on the door, “Hello,” was called and with that Nurse Gittins arrived. She was still dressed in her black overcoat, clearly it had been a busy day “Oh my dear what has happened here?”
Heather Morris, only too pleased to update Nurse said, “When I arrived back from town I discovered poor Mrs Carter here, there was no response. I called for an ambulance; they could find no signs of life. Doctor Ferriday has just arrived and said he cannot sign a death certificate and it will have to be reported to the Coroner.”
Kyle Gittins looked on in amazement. “Doctor Ferriday, I am aware you are a locum, and not fully updated with this patient. There is a long history, her records at the surgery give the full antecedents of her illnesses and medication. She could have popped off at any time. I certainly do not think there should be any post-mortem and Inquest. The family will be distressed enough as it is.”
Ferriday looked, then taking out his mobile phone, he replied, “You are a nurse, I am a doctor, what I say goes, do you understand nurse?”
“Doctor, I will certainly take this up first thing tomorrow with the practice senior partner. This is totally unnecessary.”
“You do as you wish nurse, if you will excuse me I must speak with the Coroner.”
It was only minutes before he was speaking with Colonel Travers the Chester area Coroner.
Colonel Travers was updated that Mrs Iris Carter, had been found dead at her home and that he was unable to issue a death certificate.
The Coroner asked no further questions but added that he would inform his officer immediately and the pathologist. The call ended after only two minutes.
Ten minutes later at Chester Police Headquarters Jock Peters, a retired police officer now a civilian, had been appointed the Coroners Officer some years previous.
Colonel Travers updated him and stated that he himself would inform the pathologist, if Peters would instruct the on call funeral director to remove the body, thus preventing contamination of the on duty ambulance, taking it out of action for some time.
It was an hour later that Peters arrived with Lewis and Co. at the home of Iris Carter.
Updating the officer as to what transpired Heather Morris was interrupted by Sister Gittins still protesting at the need for all this. The long history of illnesses especially cancer, in fact she had been diagnosed with a terminal form.
Peters noted all the details he had been given by Heather and Kyle. He thanked them both, adding that it appeared to be a straight forward sudden death. What they had told him would be noted. It was however very unlikely after the post-mortem examination that any further action would be required.
Taking the body outside Peters saw an old familiar face, Ron Gittins.
“Hello Ron
, what brings you here?”
“Hi Jock, I do work here, a bit of gardening to supplement the police pension, I had forgotten my small trowel. I see the wife is here and you with the hearse, dear God has anything happened to Iris Carter?”
The Judas Murders Page 2
