to.’
I didn’t reply and she went on, ‘Donald was really upset – well, they’d become quite close, if you know what I mean. At least, that’s what I’ve been given to believe. And he was away too. Imagine what
he
must be feeling.’
‘I think he was away on business,’ Maureen Philips said. ‘Not just on holiday.’
‘We don’t know yet what caused poor Eva’s death,’ Matthew Paisley broke in. ‘It’s a bit soon to be apportioning the guilt.’
‘Oh no,’ Alison said hastily ‘I never meant—’
‘So we don’t know if anyone could have done anything to help her.’ Matthew persisted.
‘No, of course not. I just thought …’
‘I tried to ring her,’ Maureen said. ‘I thought she might know when Donald would be back. I needed to tell him about a committee meeting. But there was no reply. That was on the Wednesday. Do you think that she was, you know,
then
?’
‘Oh dear,’ Alison clasped her hands together in a dramatic gesture. ‘How
awful
! When did the cleaner find her?’
‘I think she goes in on a Friday,’ Maureen said. ‘I seem to remember Eva saying it was sometimes awkward because she always liked to do any writing she had on Fridays and it was a bit difficult with Mrs Mac hoovering all round her.’
‘So if you phoned on the Wednesday, then she might—’
‘We won’t know anything until after the post-mortem,’ Matthew said abruptly. ‘I think we should stop all this speculation.’ He looked at me. ‘It must be very distressing for her close friends and family.’
‘Oh no – I wouldn’t dream …’ Maureen said hastily. ‘I’m sorry, Sheila.’
‘I think Matthew is right,’ I said. ‘We won’t know what actually happened until Dr Porter informs the family.’
‘They’ve got the post-mortem results,’ Rosemary said.
‘Was it this virus thing?’ I asked.
‘In a way. It was the diabetes, really. She died because she didn’t take her insulin.’
‘But she was always so good about that.’
‘Dr Porter thinks she was feeling so ill with that wretched virus that she simply forgot,’ Rosemary said.‘And then, of course, she was dehydrated anyway. There’s something called diabetic acidosis that can be caused by gastritis. Apparently it’s the fever and vomiting – you don’t take your insulin. It’s all very complicated, I don’t understand the half of it. But so awful – if I’d been here I’d have been able to see to her, it need never have happened …’ Her voice trailed away.
‘It’s not your
fault
,’ I said vehemently. ‘No one could have foreseen it. I feel guilty too. I should have followed up my phone call. I might have been in time to save her. I feel terrible about it. But it’s happened and it’s dreadful and there’s nothing we can do about it now.’
We were both silent for a moment, then Rosemary said, ‘Of course, I’ve had to tell Mother.’
‘Oh dear. How did she take it?’
‘Surprisingly well, really, I thought, she was very upset.’
‘I suppose,’ I said thoughtfully, ‘that if you’re really old, then death isn’t such a surprise – I mean, you’re used – in a way – to your friends dying …’
‘She talked a lot about Alan and how devoted he and Eva were.’
‘How about Daniel?’
‘Absolutely devastated, poor boy. Losing Eva so soon after Alan. I know he didn’t see a lot of them –he’d got his own life – but they were all very close. Thank goodness he’s got Patrick.’
‘Yes, he struck me as being someone who’d be good in a crisis.’
‘They’re coming down for the funeral – we can arrange that now. Well, I said I’d do everything. I think Eva would want it down here. Mother and I thought she’d like to be buried near her parents; Alan was cremated, of course. Daniel said he’d leave it all to me and Patrick seemed to think it was the best plan.’
‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘Not really. It’s all in hand now and I’ve seen the vicar of
I didn’t reply and she went on, ‘Donald was really upset – well, they’d become quite close, if you know what I mean. At least, that’s what I’ve been given to believe. And he was away too. Imagine what
he
must be feeling.’
‘I think he was away on business,’ Maureen Philips said. ‘Not just on holiday.’
‘We don’t know yet what caused poor Eva’s death,’ Matthew Paisley broke in. ‘It’s a bit soon to be apportioning the guilt.’
‘Oh no,’ Alison said hastily ‘I never meant—’
‘So we don’t know if anyone could have done anything to help her.’ Matthew persisted.
‘No, of course not. I just thought …’
‘I tried to ring her,’ Maureen said. ‘I thought she might know when Donald would be back. I needed to tell him about a committee meeting. But there was no reply. That was on the Wednesday. Do you think that she was, you know,
then
?’
‘Oh dear,’ Alison clasped her hands together in a dramatic gesture. ‘How
awful
! When did the cleaner find her?’
‘I think she goes in on a Friday,’ Maureen said. ‘I seem to remember Eva saying it was sometimes awkward because she always liked to do any writing she had on Fridays and it was a bit difficult with Mrs Mac hoovering all round her.’
‘So if you phoned on the Wednesday, then she might—’
‘We won’t know anything until after the post-mortem,’ Matthew said abruptly. ‘I think we should stop all this speculation.’ He looked at me. ‘It must be very distressing for her close friends and family.’
‘Oh no – I wouldn’t dream …’ Maureen said hastily. ‘I’m sorry, Sheila.’
‘I think Matthew is right,’ I said. ‘We won’t know what actually happened until Dr Porter informs the family.’
‘They’ve got the post-mortem results,’ Rosemary said.
‘Was it this virus thing?’ I asked.
‘In a way. It was the diabetes, really. She died because she didn’t take her insulin.’
‘But she was always so good about that.’
‘Dr Porter thinks she was feeling so ill with that wretched virus that she simply forgot,’ Rosemary said.‘And then, of course, she was dehydrated anyway. There’s something called diabetic acidosis that can be caused by gastritis. Apparently it’s the fever and vomiting – you don’t take your insulin. It’s all very complicated, I don’t understand the half of it. But so awful – if I’d been here I’d have been able to see to her, it need never have happened …’ Her voice trailed away.
‘It’s not your
fault
,’ I said vehemently. ‘No one could have foreseen it. I feel guilty too. I should have followed up my phone call. I might have been in time to save her. I feel terrible about it. But it’s happened and it’s dreadful and there’s nothing we can do about it now.’
We were both silent for a moment, then Rosemary said, ‘Of course, I’ve had to tell Mother.’
‘Oh dear. How did she take it?’
‘Surprisingly well, really, I thought, she was very upset.’
‘I suppose,’ I said thoughtfully, ‘that if you’re really old, then death isn’t such a surprise – I mean, you’re used – in a way – to your friends dying …’
‘She talked a lot about Alan and how devoted he and Eva were.’
‘How about Daniel?’
‘Absolutely devastated, poor boy. Losing Eva so soon after Alan. I know he didn’t see a lot of them –he’d got his own life – but they were all very close. Thank goodness he’s got Patrick.’
‘Yes, he struck me as being someone who’d be good in a crisis.’
‘They’re coming down for the funeral – we can arrange that now. Well, I said I’d do everything. I think Eva would want it down here. Mother and I thought she’d like to be buried near her parents; Alan was cremated, of course. Daniel said he’d leave it all to me and Patrick seemed to think it was the best plan.’
‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘Not really. It’s all in hand now and I’ve seen the vicar of
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