Old Cases New Colours (A Dudley Green Investigation) (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 9)

by Madalyn Morgan

  ‘Brother? There’s been no mention of Mrs Thornton having a grandson. So, he survived the accident too?’

  Artie scanned the rest of the page and turned to the next. ‘Got it. It says here that Mr and Mrs Thornton’s daughter, Andrea, dazed and in shock, left her small brother in the back of the car while she went to get help.’ Artie put down the newspaper and rolled his eyes.

  ‘You don’t look convinced.’

  ‘I’m not. I did as you suggested and took the reporter to the pub. He told me that some months later he spoke to the lads Andrea ran around with and they told him that the accident happened not because her father lost control of the car, but because Andrea, in a fit of anger, grabbed the steering wheel. It was her fault the car went off the road and hit a tree. She was thrown clear, her father died at the scene, her mother who was in the back of the car with the six-year-old boy died on the way to the hospital. The boy’s legs were broken so badly he was in a wheelchair. The reporter said the boy hasn’t been seen since his grandmother fell down the stairs and went into the nursing home. He didn’t say it, but I knew by his tone the reporter thought the old lady’s fall was suspicious.’

  ‘I do too. So,’ Ena said, ‘at the time of the accident Andrea would have been fourteen, too young to inherit her parents money. She’d also be too young to live in the family home on her own, especially with a disabled brother.’

  ‘What are you thinking?’

  ‘If Mrs Thornton sold her son and daughter-in-law’s house and invested the money for the children when they were older and Andrea wanted her share now…’

  ‘… she might have tried to kill her grandmother, but instead killed George’s father?’

  ‘Nurse McKinlay said Mr Derby-Bloom’s last words were, Granddaughter. She has killed me. What if he meant me opposed to Mrs Thornton. Andrea had been to see her grandmother the day George’s father died. What if she put poison in her grandmother’s glass and the glasses were accidently switched?’

  ‘In which case, Mr Derby-Bloom wasn’t the intended victim, but Mrs Thornton was. We’d better get over there. I’ll telephone DI Powell, ask him to let the Surrey Police know what we’ve found out – and that we’re going to the nursing home – and you telephone George, ask her if we can meet next week.’

  When they had each finished speaking on the telephone, Ena grabbed the car keys, Artie the office keys. While he locked up, Ena ran across the road to the Sunbeam. Got in and gunned the engine. ‘DI Powell is going to let Surrey Police know what’s going on,’ Ena confirmed. Artie jumped in the car as Ena backed out of the parking space and drove up Mercer Street.

  ‘I told George we’d had a breakthrough. She said her father’s funeral is on Tuesday.’

  ‘I’ll go to it. I’d rather you stayed in the office in case Selwyn Horton phones. You didn’t want to come with me, did you?’

  ‘No. Someone needs to be in the office.’ Artie leaned back in the passenger seat and sighed. ‘Everything seems to happen at once. I’ve a pile of paperwork to catch up on. So have you.’

  ‘Don’t remind me.’

  ***

  Ena parked at the side of the nursing home to keep the drive at the front free. ‘No Police cars yet,’ she said, locking the Sunbeam.

  As they entered the lobby, the door to the manager’s office opened and Mrs Sharp came out.

  ‘Mrs Green?’ she said, exhibiting her usual pinched look. ‘What can I do for you?’ She looked Artie up and down.

  ‘Mr Mallory and I,’ Ena said, by way of introducing Artie, ‘would like to speak to Nurse McKinlay and Mrs Thornton.’

  ‘As you didn’t make an appointment, I wasn’t expecting you. If you’d be kind enough to come into my office and explain to me why you wish to speak to one of my staff and a resident.’

  ‘Mrs Sharp, we’re wasting time. It’s important that I speak to Nurse McKinlay.’

  The nursing home’s manageress threw her hands in the air. ‘Nurse McKinlay is working. I can’t have her abandon patients every time you come here. You should have telephoned first!’ she said, holding Ena with a defiant look.

  Ena took a deep and calming breath. She was losing patience with Mrs Sharp and her rules and was getting very close to telling her so.

  The manageress was first to back down from the stand-off. ‘Very well, I’ll send for her. But Mrs Thornton is in her room, resting. She is not to be disturbed.’

  The door to the resident’s lounge opened and Nurse McKinlay appeared pushing an elderly man in a wheelchair.

  Nurse McKinlay smiled at Ena.

  ‘Mrs Green would like to speak to you, Nurse.’

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Sharp, I’d like to speak to Mrs Green.’ The manageress gave her a curt nod. ‘I’ll take Mr Carlisle to his room and get him settled. I’ll be five minutes.’

  ‘You can wait for Nurse McKinlay in my office.’ Mrs Sharp didn’t wait for a reply, she turned her back on Ena and Artie and opened the door.

  ‘As Nurse McKinlay said she’ll be five minutes, I’ll pop to the toilet,’ Ena said, turning on her heels and heading along the corridor leading to Mrs Thornton’s room.

  ‘No need to go all the way to the resident’s wing when there’s a perfectly good toilet here.’ Mrs Sharp jabbed a forefinger at the door next to her office marked private.

  ‘Even better. I should have gone before I left London.’ Ena pushed open the toilet door and disappeared inside, closing it with a considerable thud. When she heard the door to the Mrs Sharp’s office close, Ena tiptoed out of the toilet and closed the door quietly. Waiting until she was certain she wouldn’t be heard, she then ran down the corridor towards Mrs Thornton’s room. Hearing voices inside, she tapped the door gently. There was no reply so she opened it. Mrs Thornton was in her armchair, her granddaughter was sitting on her bed. They both turned and looked at her.

  ‘I’m terribly sorry to have disturbed you,’ Ena said, ‘I was looking for the toilet.’

  ‘The next door along,’ Mrs Thornton’s granddaughter said.

  Ena tutted. ‘Of course it is.’ She smiled at Mrs Thornton, apologised once more, and left, closing the door behind her.

  Before going into Mrs Sharp’s office, Ena popped into the small private lavatory next door, flushed the toilet and washed her hands. ‘That’s better,’ she said, nodding at Artie as she entered. No sooner had she sat down than Nurse McKinlay knocked on the door. Without waiting to be told by her superior to come in, she entered and crossed the room to Ena, showing her a glass with what looked like lemon and barley water in it. ‘I swapped the glasses. This is the first glass, the one I gave to Mrs Thornton earlier. I was called away…’

  ‘Thank you, Nurse McKinlay, good work.’

  ‘Would someone tell me what is going on!’ Mrs Sharp spat, puffing out her chest. She looked at Nurse McKinlay as if she had something unpleasant stuck to her top lip.

  ‘Before Mr Derby-Bloom died, he said, “Granddaughter. She has killed me.” He didn’t have a granddaughter. Mr Derby-Bloom was not referring to a grandchild of his, he—’ Before Ena explained further, there was loud knocking at the front door.

  Mrs Sharp left her seat and looked out of the window. ‘It’s the Police!’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Ena was nearest the door. ‘Shall I let the Police in?’

  ‘No!’ Mrs Sharp snapped. ‘This is still my nursing home.’ The manageress barged past Ena, marched across the entrance foyer to the street door and yanked it open.

  ‘Inspector Reed, Surrey Constabulary,’ a plain clothes policeman announced. ‘This is DS Myers and WPC Elliot. We’d like to speak to Mrs Thornton.’

  ‘This is most irregular. May I ask why?’

  Ena heard the inspector hesitate before saying, ‘We have reason to believe that her life is in danger.’

  Mrs Sharp’s hand flew to her mouth and she gasped. Ena thought she might faint and took a few steps towards her in case she needed to show the Police to Mrs Thornton’s room. She needn�
��t have bothered. Seeing Ena approaching, Mrs Sharp quickly recovered. Summoning Nurse McKinlay she said to the inspector, ‘If you would like to follow me.’

  Ena watched as Mrs Sharp led the Police Officers down the corridor. Five minutes later, the detective sergeant and the female Police constable were walking so quickly they were almost running, As they left the building the inspector appeared holding a glass of lemon and barley, which Ena suspected was the glass Nurse McKinlay had swapped for a fresh drink of cordial.

  No longer than a minute later, a nurse was pushing Mrs Thornton in a wheelchair and Nurse McKinlay was at the old lady’s side holding her hand and speaking to her in calming hushed tones. Ena couldn’t hear what she was saying but assumed the compassionate nurse would be saying something to comfort her. No sooner had they arrived at the main exit than they were met by two ambulance men who took over, leaving both the nurses and Mrs Sharp watching, speechless. In shock, Ena thought. She exhaled. At least the old lady was alive, but where was her granddaughter?

  ‘Back to work, ladies,’ Mrs Sharp ordered, leaving them to secure the front door. As the nurses turned to resume their duties, Ena opened Mrs Sharp’s office door a little wider, attracting the attention of Nurse McKinlay. Upon seeing Ena, she jerked her head in the direction of Mrs Thornton’s room. Ena nodded and as Nurse McKinlay headed back down the corridor, Ena quietly pulled the office door to, and prepared herself for an onslaught of questions from Mrs Sharp.

  The inspector entered the office first, with Mrs Sharp hard on his heels. She looked understandably worried. ‘It was Mrs Green,’ Mrs Sharp said, pointing to Ena, ‘who first suspected Mrs Thornton’s life was in danger and it was one of my nurses who alerted me.’

  The inspector acknowledged Ena with a professional smile. ‘Perhaps I could use your office to interview the staff?’ Mrs Sharp didn’t look at all happy by the inspector’s request. ‘It will be quicker for them and cause less concern to your patients if I speak to them in here.’ Mrs Sharp pursed her lips but didn’t answer. ‘Of course, it would be easier for me to interview them at the station…’

  ‘No, no, no. I can’t have them out of the building. We’re short staffed as it is.’ She looked at her wristwatch. ‘No, my office is at your disposal,’ she said sitting down.

  ‘I’m sure you have a great deal of work to be getting on with, so, I’ll start by speaking to Mrs Green. Would you give me an hour? It shouldn’t take longer.’

  ‘Of course.’ Mrs Sharp got up and pulled on the lapels of her jacket. ‘I shall be in the staff room if you need me. Along the corridor, first door on the right.’ She cleared her desk of paperwork with such speed the documents might have been top secret. With files and folders under her arm, Mrs Sharp left her office. ‘Call me if you need me,’ she said, as the door swung shut behind her.

  Inspector Reed introduced himself to Ena and Artie and took a notepad and pen from his briefcase. ‘I understand from Detective Inspector Powell at Bow Street that one of the residents here has already been poisoned and you suspect Mrs Thornton’s granddaughter?’

  ‘I think it was the granddaughter and I think it was accidental,’ Ena explained. ‘I believe Mr Derby-Bloom died because he drank Mrs Thornton’s lemon and barley water by mistake. I also believe he realised what he’d done and that he knew his friend’s life was in danger. He told one of the nurses as much before he died. He said, “Granddaughter, she has killed me.” Except he said it in German.’

  ‘Is the nurse German?’

  ‘No, she worked with a German doctor after the Russian invasion of Finland in 1940. She was also a translator in the war. Mr Derby-Bloom worked with German students, Jewish students. Nurse McKinlay is a caring, and understanding woman. I think they had spoken about the work they had both done in the war and they had the German language in common. I’m guessing Mr Derby-Bloom trusted Nurse McKinlay, which is why he told her. I believe he told her in German in case anyone was listening to their conversation.’

  ‘Where can I find Nurse McKinlay?’

  ‘The last time I saw her she was heading back to Mrs Thornton’s room.’

  The inspector stopped writing and looked up at Ena. ‘It’s a coincidence that the nurse who was with Mr Derby-Bloom when he was murdered was also with Mrs Thornton and her granddaughter today?’

  ‘I was worried that having failed to poison her grandmother once, Andrea Thornton would try again, so I asked Nurse McKinlay to watch her and if Andrea went anywhere near her grandmother’s cordial to replace it immediately and keep the glass so the contents could be analysed.’

  ‘Since you recruited the nurse who was with Mr Derby-Bloom and Mrs Thornton to work for you, perhaps you’d like to find her and tell her I need to speak to her,’

  Ena felt the heat of embarrassment creep up her neck. As she thought, Nurse McKinlay was in Mrs Thornton’s room looking out of the window. ‘The inspector would like to ask you a few questions,’ Ena said, poking her head around the door.

  Nurse McKinlay turned and followed Ena along the corridor. ‘Mrs Green,’ she said, before she and Ena entered the manager’s office. ‘I need to give you this.’ She took a piece of paper with two addresses on it from her pocket. ‘The first is Mrs Thornton’s address, the other is the address and telephone number of her granddaughter, which she gave the office when she signed as her grandmother’s next of kin.’

  Ena’s eyes widened. ‘Did you give the Police these addresses?’

  ‘No, I assumed Mrs Sharp would.’

  ‘When did Andrea Thornton leave?’

  ‘Not long after you came into her grandmother’s room. I couldn’t go after her or come and tell you because I didn’t want to leave Mrs Thornton. By the time the Police arrived Andrea had disappeared. I looked everywhere for her, but…’ Nurse McKinlay shrugged her shoulders.

  Ena noted the addresses. ‘Thank you. I’ll go to one address and Artie the other.’ Ena stopped. ‘Damn, we only have one car. Is there a taxi company nearby?’

  ‘No, but I have a car. It’s old and doesn’t go very fast, but you’re welcome to borrow it.’

  ‘I couldn’t…’

  ‘I insist. That young woman killed a lovely gentleman. Wait here.’

  Ena took several deep breaths. She looked at the door to the staff room and prayed the manageress wouldn’t come out of it.

  ‘Here,’ Nurse McKinlay pushed the keys to her car into Ena’s hands. ‘It’s the green Morris Minor in the car park at the back of the building. Drop it back here when you’ve finished with it. I’m working until 8 o’clock tonight.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Ena looked at Nurse McKinlay’s name badge, ‘Jeanie.’ Ena pressed he lips together. ‘I don’t know how to ask you this, but could you do me another favour?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘When Artie and I leave, the inspector will interview you. Would you wait a couple of minutes to give Artie and me a head start before you give him these addresses. If you don’t want Mrs Sharp to know you took them from her office, say they were in Mrs Thornton’s room.’

  Jeanie nodded.

  ‘Mrs Thornton has a grandson. If he’s at her house I want to speak to him, find out if he’s in cahoots with his sister in trying to kill his grandmother. Because he’s younger than Andrea, she may have coerced him.

  ‘I’m Ena, by the way.’ She reached out and took hold of Jeanie’s hands. ‘I’ll see you later when I return your car,’ Ena said and entered the office behind Jeanie. The inspector was writing. Ena looked at Artie, who rolled his eyes.

  ‘If you’ve finished with my associate and me, we’ve got work to do,’ Ena said, giving the inspector her card. ‘If you need to see either of us again, give the office a call.’ As she passed Jeanie, she gave her a conspiratorial wink.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Ena took the keys to the Sunbeam from her shoulder bag and gave them to Artie. She then took out a notebook and pen and wrote down the addresses of Andrea Thornton and her grandmother. ‘Take my car and
go to Andrea’s flat. She hasn’t seen you before, so if she’s there, ask for a different name and then leave when she says the person isn’t at that address. She’s dangerous. I’m going to the old lady’s house.’

  ‘How, if I take your car?’

  ‘Nurse McKinlay has loaned me hers. Now get going. She’s going to give the addresses to the inspector so both houses will be swarming with Police in an hour.’

  The green Morris Minor looked old, but drove perfectly. It had obviously been well maintained. Having got to know Jeanie McKinlay, Ena wasn’t surprised.

  ***

  Ena didn’t know the area but she found Mrs Thornton’s house quite quickly. She drove past the half-moon shaped drive. There were no cars in front of the house. She turned the Morris around, parked twenty yards down the road, got out and walked the short distance to the three-storey red brick Victorian house. At the front were two bay windows and between them steps with a metal rail on either side leading to the front door. Mounting the steps, Ena knocked on the door. There was no reply. She knocked again, but still no one answered.

  Ena glanced over her shoulder. On either side of the drive, tall shrubs made it difficult to see the neighbouring houses, which in turn would make it difficult for the neighbours to see Mrs Thornton’s house. As the house appeared to be deserted, Ena lifted the flap of the letter box and peered in. A light shone from one of the downstairs rooms, its stark beam reflected a harsh glare across the polished wooden floor of the hall.

  Checking again that she wasn’t being watched, Ena walked down the steps, continued along the side of the house and looked through the first window she came to. She was right, a standard lamp without a shade shone brightly. The rest of the furniture in the room was covered with white sheets.

  Was Mrs Thornton going to sell the house, Ena mused, or was it her granddaughter that was going to sell it? Ena wondered if Mrs Thornton knew what was happening in her absence. Her heart began to thump. Jeanie had said her granddaughter was Mrs Thornton’s next of kin. Was she also the beneficiary of the old lady’s will? Ena hoped not.