Read Online No Known Grave by Maureen Jennings - Free Book Online
Authors: Maureen Jennings
Ads: Link
patient.
“Those are all our male patients, Inspector. Shall we go to the third floor?”
At that moment, they heard rapid footsteps on the stairs and one of the sisters appeared.
The nun halted abruptly when she saw Tyler and the almoner. “Beg pardon. I realized I’d left me mug on me desk. It’s me special one.”
Sister Rebecca nodded at her. “Sister Ivy, I don’t believe you’ve met Inspector Tyler yet. He’s conducting the investigation into the … the, er, deaths.”
The other nun was a husky woman, her broad cheekbones ruddy and sprinkled with freckles. Like Sister Rebecca, she wore a plain blue frock and a short black veil, but whereas the almoner was neat and composed, Sister Ivy was definitely rumpled. Tyler couldn’t help but notice she had spilled what looked like some of her cocoa down her front.
She blinked nervously at Tyler. “What would ’ee like to know?” She was a Shropshire woman.
Tyler smiled reassuringly. “First off, the obvious. Did you hear anything at all last night?”
“Nowt. All quiet on the Western Front the whole time.” Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she ducked her head. “Who could have done such a dreadful wicked thing, Inspector? Young Ben McHattie was hardly out of short trousers. And Jock? A good man through and through. What on earth happened?”
“I can’t give you an answer yet, Sister. Anything you can tell me could be of help. Anything at all.”
Sister Ivy pointed at the sole chair. “Do ’ee mind if I sits meself down? I’ve been shaky on me pins all morning. Completely knackered is the truth.”
“Allow me,” said Tyler as he pulled out the chair. The nun plonked herself down with a sigh. “That’s better,” she said with a grin. She had big, widely spaced teeth, and her smile was infectious.
She was so unpretentious he couldn’t help but smile in return. Sister Ivy was the kind of nurse who would always be described as jolly.
“Where were I?” she asked.
“I was just asking about last night. I’m sure you have your routine. Did anything out of the ordinary take place?”
He thought he saw fear flash across her eyes, but it was gone so fast he couldn’t be sure.
“Well, I come on duty at eleven. Patients was all asleep by then. As they was supposed to be. We goes to bed early here ’cos we gets up with the dawn. Sister Rachel, who was on evening duty, handed me her report. All present and correct.”
“Did you go to check in on the patients when you first arrived?”
“Not right then. I didn’t want to disturb nobody. Some of them is light sleepers. As long as the previous sister says all is well, which Sister Rachel did say, I don’t do me first round until midnight.”
“Then did you go into each room?”
“Aye.”
“Any problems?”
“None. What’s I mean is, no unforeseen problems. I ’as to help Mr. Locke to the toilet at least once a night.” She lowered her eyes. “ ’E’s got no ’ands, see. ’E usually needs to go about one o’clock. Then I got ’im settled back in bed.” She paused, and Tyler thought she was preparing her words. “Everybody was fast asleep. I checks to make sure they ’aven’t kicked off their covers or they’re not ’aving a nightmare. They whimpers and twitches if they is, so I might just wait to see if they’re going to wake up and need another sleeping draught or if it will just pass. They was all peaceful last night, bless ’em.”
“Did you do another round after that?” he asked.
“Oh yes. We go every hour. Then the last one is at half past five. They start getting up about six.”
“Does your round include going to the third floor to check on the women patients?”
“It does. They aren’t no trouble. There’s only four of them.”
“How long would that take you?”
“No more than ten minutes at the most. They each have a bell by theys bed, see. They can ring if they need anything. Never do.”
“In between rounds, did you stay at your
“Those are all our male patients, Inspector. Shall we go to the third floor?”
At that moment, they heard rapid footsteps on the stairs and one of the sisters appeared.
The nun halted abruptly when she saw Tyler and the almoner. “Beg pardon. I realized I’d left me mug on me desk. It’s me special one.”
Sister Rebecca nodded at her. “Sister Ivy, I don’t believe you’ve met Inspector Tyler yet. He’s conducting the investigation into the … the, er, deaths.”
The other nun was a husky woman, her broad cheekbones ruddy and sprinkled with freckles. Like Sister Rebecca, she wore a plain blue frock and a short black veil, but whereas the almoner was neat and composed, Sister Ivy was definitely rumpled. Tyler couldn’t help but notice she had spilled what looked like some of her cocoa down her front.
She blinked nervously at Tyler. “What would ’ee like to know?” She was a Shropshire woman.
Tyler smiled reassuringly. “First off, the obvious. Did you hear anything at all last night?”
“Nowt. All quiet on the Western Front the whole time.” Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she ducked her head. “Who could have done such a dreadful wicked thing, Inspector? Young Ben McHattie was hardly out of short trousers. And Jock? A good man through and through. What on earth happened?”
“I can’t give you an answer yet, Sister. Anything you can tell me could be of help. Anything at all.”
Sister Ivy pointed at the sole chair. “Do ’ee mind if I sits meself down? I’ve been shaky on me pins all morning. Completely knackered is the truth.”
“Allow me,” said Tyler as he pulled out the chair. The nun plonked herself down with a sigh. “That’s better,” she said with a grin. She had big, widely spaced teeth, and her smile was infectious.
She was so unpretentious he couldn’t help but smile in return. Sister Ivy was the kind of nurse who would always be described as jolly.
“Where were I?” she asked.
“I was just asking about last night. I’m sure you have your routine. Did anything out of the ordinary take place?”
He thought he saw fear flash across her eyes, but it was gone so fast he couldn’t be sure.
“Well, I come on duty at eleven. Patients was all asleep by then. As they was supposed to be. We goes to bed early here ’cos we gets up with the dawn. Sister Rachel, who was on evening duty, handed me her report. All present and correct.”
“Did you go to check in on the patients when you first arrived?”
“Not right then. I didn’t want to disturb nobody. Some of them is light sleepers. As long as the previous sister says all is well, which Sister Rachel did say, I don’t do me first round until midnight.”
“Then did you go into each room?”
“Aye.”
“Any problems?”
“None. What’s I mean is, no unforeseen problems. I ’as to help Mr. Locke to the toilet at least once a night.” She lowered her eyes. “ ’E’s got no ’ands, see. ’E usually needs to go about one o’clock. Then I got ’im settled back in bed.” She paused, and Tyler thought she was preparing her words. “Everybody was fast asleep. I checks to make sure they ’aven’t kicked off their covers or they’re not ’aving a nightmare. They whimpers and twitches if they is, so I might just wait to see if they’re going to wake up and need another sleeping draught or if it will just pass. They was all peaceful last night, bless ’em.”
“Did you do another round after that?” he asked.
“Oh yes. We go every hour. Then the last one is at half past five. They start getting up about six.”
“Does your round include going to the third floor to check on the women patients?”
“It does. They aren’t no trouble. There’s only four of them.”
“How long would that take you?”
“No more than ten minutes at the most. They each have a bell by theys bed, see. They can ring if they need anything. Never do.”
“In between rounds, did you stay at your
Similar Books
