No Known Grave (21 page)

“I’m your brother. You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

“Short answer? Yes.”

“Everything all right, Mr. Hughes?” called a voice. Nigel Melrose was standing in the hall.

Evan turned to face him. “I’m afraid there’s been an accident, Mr. Melrose. Sister Ivy.” He walked towards the other man and his voice was soothing. “I’d appreciate it if you’d stay in your room for now. We’re all going to meet after breakfast and you’ll be told what has happened.”

Melrose didn’t move. He stared over Hughes’s shoulder, where he could clearly see the screen.

“Is she dead?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“Another one. Was it really an accident, or are you just saying that to keep me calm?”

“We’ll know more when the doctor arrives. But we don’t want to upset everybody more than we have to. When everybody’s up, we’ll proceed downstairs in an orderly fashion.”

Melrose allowed himself to be directed back into his room as he declaimed:

“
She should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word
.”

Evan followed him and closed the bedroom door behind them.

Dai heard footsteps on the stairs, coming up to the ward, and then a police officer appeared. It was the young, skinny one.

“Good morning. I’m Constable Mady, and I’ve been sent to take over the watching.”

Dai was too rattled from his conversation with his brother to be magnanimous.

“About time. I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got to tend to the patients.”

Mady looked around. “Could I just ask you something? Is it true there’s maniacs in this place? One of them isn’t likely to pop and start shooting, are they?”

“Wish I could guarantee that, but I can’t,” said Dai. “Let’s just say it’s not likely.”

“But something has happened here – and people say that the patients are all crackers.”

“People are ignorant then.”

“So they’re not loonies is what you’re saying?”

“No. I said they wasn’t likely to come out and shoot you. But let’s put it this way, look you. If you suddenly had your legs shot off, your hands amputated, and you couldn’t see but darkness, you’d be a bit off your rocker, wouldn’t you, laddie?”

“I suppose I would.”

“Not to mention you’d lost your good looks and the girls run away crying. Not to mention you couldn’t be a man to her even if she wanted it. That’d send you around the bend, don’t you think?”

“My God. Has that happened to some of these chaps?”

“It has indeed. Me, I’d rather be put out of me misery.”

“So you do think it’s one of them that did the murders?” whispered Mady.

Rather roughly, Dai tapped the young constable on the forehead.

“You’re not using your noggin, my friend. How can you shoot anybody if you can’t walk, can’t see, and can’t hold anything?”

“But they’re not
all
that bad, are they?”

Before Dai could answer, Sister Clarissa appeared, puffing hard from the exertion of climbing the stairs.

“Mr. Hughes, Sister Rebecca wants to let you know that the patients should be brought down to the dining room as soon as
possible. She wants them to have some breakfast before the inspector talks to them.”

“We’ll be right there, Sister.” Dai nodded at the constable. “Chin up, laddie. The grave’s where we all end up eventually.”

The nun frowned at him. “Why’re you saying that, Dai Hughes? It’s nothing a young fellow like him should be thinking about.”

“I disagree with you there, Sister,” said Dai with a grimace. “None of us knows, do us? When we’ll be called. We’ve got to be prepared, look you.”

37.

A
FTER A BRIEF CONSULTATION WITH
S
ISTER
R
EBECCA
, Tyler decided not to include the McHattie family in the general meeting. He had no idea how they were going to react, and it seemed cruel to subject them to more tragedy. He’d have to talk to them afterwards. Once again, he found himself in the distressingly familiar position of delivering news of violent death to the gathered residents.

There had been a wide range of reactions: fear, disbelief, anger – the usual emotions people feel when presented with such a situation. Although he was beginning to fume at his own impotence, all Tyler could do at this juncture was say he didn’t know exactly how Sister Ivy had died.

In terms of actual evidence or information, he got nothing new from the patients. He concluded the meeting by eight o’clock. He’d said all he could say, gone over the same ground a couple of times, reassured as best he could. Sister Rebecca said the other nuns would stay in the dining room and give the patients the opportunity to air their feelings if they wanted to. There was often a delayed reaction to these tragic incidents. In the meantime, she would go with him to talk to the McHatties.

First, Tyler had to organize the influx of constables. Rowell had done a good job. As well as the men from the morning roster and the reservists, he’d been able to contact the afternoon shift, and they were there as well. More than a dozen men all told. Tyler was gratified. Looked like an army to him.

The sergeant had come himself.

“This has priority, sir. I’ve left Constable Mortimer temporarily in charge of the station until Constable Pepper arrives from his rest day.”

“The grounds were searched thoroughly yesterday, but we need to do it again,” said Tyler. “Once we’re satisfied with that, we’ll continue to question the locals. We’ll have to go further afield.”

“When are you going to make the incidents public, sir?”

“Frankly, I’m delaying that as long as possible. People will be seeing Jerry parachutists under every tree.”

Rowell looked at him. “I assume we are ruling out enemy infiltration, sir?”

Tyler sighed. “I’m not ruling out men from Mars, Sergeant. But first we’ll keep looking closer to home. Have Eaves and Stanton made any progress with the fingerprint checks?”

“Not yet. They didn’t get very clear impressions from the cottage, but they are studying everything they have.”

Tyler turned back to Sister Rebecca. “Shall we go, Sister? The sooner I get this over with, the better.”

She fell into step with him as they headed along the path for the nuns’ quarters.

“I reached Dr. Murnaghan and he says he’ll come as soon as he can.”

“Good … You know, Sister, I’ve delivered news of death before. It never gets easier. In this case, I feel as if I’m piling on one more tragedy to people already devastated.”

She glanced over at him. “Life doesn’t necessarily parcel out grief like a fair-minded teacher. One for you, one for you. We have to deal with what we are given.”

These words might have sounded pretentious and sanctimonious, but coming from her, they came across as matter of fact and real.

To Tyler’s eyes, Shirley McHattie’s belly seemed more swollen than it had yesterday. The cotton smock was tight. Perhaps she was close to delivering her baby. Her mother looked drawn and wretched. She didn’t appear to have even combed her hair. They were finishing up their breakfast. They did not seem to be talking. When he and Sister Rebecca entered, he felt the tension seize both of them. Mrs. McHattie abruptly put down the cup of tea she was drinking.

“Something else has happened, hasn’t it? The nuns have all disappeared and I can tell just by looking at you two, there’s trouble.”

There was no point in beating around the bush. Tyler told them.

“Sister Ivy! I can’t believe it. She was always so cheerful,” said Mrs. McHattie. “Killed herself?”

“That’s what appears to have happened,” said Tyler. He phrased his answer carefully.

Shirley had gone very pale. “I think I’m going to be sick, Ma. I need to go to the toilet.”

“I’ll take you, Miss McHattie,” said Sister Rebecca. Too late. Shirley suddenly vomited onto her plate. Her mother and the nun both reached towards the table for a serviette to hand to her and Tyler waited for her to wipe her face. Sister Rebecca whipped away the plate and carried it to the sink, where she quickly rinsed it off. Then she poured a glass of water for the girl and brought it back.

Shirley gulped it down. “Sorry,” she whispered to Tyler.

“No need to apologize. I regret I had to deliver such shocking news.”

“Surely she didn’t do it because of what happened to Jock?” asked Mrs. McHattie.

“So far we haven’t discovered anything which might explain her reasons.”

“Not that we knew each other, really. We all worked together to get the hospital in order when it opened,” she continued. “But other than that, you might say we were only casual acquaintances. The sisters keep to themselves and so do we.”

“I can let you go to Wem if you’d like,” said Tyler. “Do you think you can stay with your relatives for a few days?”

He could ill spare the constables who would have to remain with them, but he couldn’t bear to see their fear and misery.

“I’m sure Ethel will put us up,” said Mrs. McHattie.

“No, I don’t want to go to Auntie Ethel’s.” Shirley’s tone was sharp. “For one thing, she’s always looking down her nose at me. For another, I feel safer here with the sisters and the inspector.”

Her mother stared at her doubtfully. “All right, suit yourself.” She turned to Tyler. “What will I tell Charlie? He’s still sleeping. I don’t want to get him all upset again.”

“I would recommend not saying anything for the moment. Keep him with Hughes or yourselves so he doesn’t overhear anything accidentally.”

“All right.” Mrs. McHattie scowled at Tyler. “Is that all, Inspector? We wouldna mind finishing our breakfast in peace. Or do you have some other cheery news you want to tell us?”

Her tone was belligerent and Tyler almost snapped back at her. It wasn’t exactly his fault that they had been interrupted.

Shirley put her hands on her big belly. “I still think I might be sick.”

“Sip the water,” said Sister Rebecca. “I’ll go and fetch you something to settle your stomach.”

For some reason, this offer irritated Mrs. McHattie. “The only bloody thing that’ll settle her stomach is when the bebbie is out of it.”

Tyler could see tears spring to Shirley’s eyes, but she tightened her lips and didn’t cry. He didn’t miss the look of fury that she flashed at her mother.

“I’ll come back later,” he said, and left the two of them to their unhappiness. A sorrow he could not alleviate.

38.

D
R
. M
URNAGHAN ARRIVED AT ABOUT TEN O’CLOCK
. He was driving his own ramshackle Ford.

“The ambulance will be here in about half an hour,” he said to Tyler. “Somebody forgot to get the petrol ration and we were almost on empty.”

“How are you feeling?” Tyler asked. Murnaghan had a livid bruise on his cheek and bloodshot eyes.

“I’ve still got a headache, but I’ll be all right. I was planning to do those other post-mortems this morning.” He gave a rueful grin. “Never rains but it pours, eh, Tom. Let’s have a look at what you’ve got for me today.”

Tyler led the way upstairs to the men’s ward. Dr. Murnaghan was moving slowly. “Banged my hip,” he said in answer to Tyler’s look.

Constable Mady was at the far end of the hall staring out of the window. Tyler had the impression he was keeping as far away as possible from the corpse.

“Go and get yourself a cup of tea, there’s a good chap,” said Tyler to him. “Come back in half an hour.”

“Yes, sir.” His relief palpable, Mady scuttled off.

Dr. Murnaghan removed the sheet.

The two men gazed down at the body. Then Murnaghan picked up the vial of chloroform.

“Assuming it was a full bottle, she’s inhaled enough to kill a horse. But it’s not an easy way to kill yourself.”

“That’s what I thought,” said Tyler. “But there’s no indication
she struggled, so if somebody else put that mask on her face, she submitted passively, which doesn’t make sense.”

The coroner pushed at the left arm where her head was resting. It was already stiffening and the underside had turned purple with lividity.

“She’s been dead about eight or nine hours. I’d estimate she died in the early hours of this morning.”

Tyler pointed at the silver mug. “She was in the habit of making herself a nightcap at a quarter past two. It was her tea time. From her position she looks as if she was asleep or resting. Whether naturally or unnaturally, it’d be good to find out. I’d like you to analyze the contents of the cocoa mug.”

Dr. Murnaghan pursed his lips. “Would you believe I knew Ivy Packwin many years ago? I was a
G.P
. in Hereford at the time. She always struck me as a sensible woman. Salt of the earth type. She didn’t leave a note or anything, I gather?”

Tyler indicated the ink stain on the nun’s finger. “She was writing something before she died. It may have been her report – I’m not sure. But we found no note.”

“I’ll just wait here until the ambulance boys arrive,” said Murnaghan. “I’ll need to supervise them. They’re both totally green at the job.”

“Do you want me to have a cup of tea sent up?”

“That would be grand.” Murnaghan went over to the empty chair and sat down wearily. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved my work. Still do when it comes along. But when I see something like this, it brings me down.” He flapped his hand in Tyler’s direction. “Don’t mind me, Tom. I’m getting old is the problem. A nice hot cup of tea will fix me up.”