Midnight Murders Read Online Free Page A

give her here. Besides, I wouldn’t dare encroach on Karl’s territory.’
    Peter looked into the office and saw the male nurse bending over Lyn while Trevor stood ineptly by, still holding the glass of water. He ran his fingers over his left cheekbone and when he withdrew them he was surprised to find them covered in blood.
    â€˜It always looks and feels worse than it is, when it’s on the face,’ Jean commented.
    â€˜I’ve discovered that the hard way.’ Peter allowed her to clean up the cut and cover it with a plaster.
    â€˜Vanessa would have to choose visiting hours on a Sunday afternoon to go berserk,’ Jean complained when she washed her hands. ‘Weekend cover is barely half of normal, and a quarter of the few staff we have are on tea break at this time of day.’
    â€˜Sod’s law.’ Peter winced as the cut stung viciously back to life.
    â€˜Do me a favour?’
    â€˜I didn’t see or hear anything. I wasn’t even here.’
    â€˜It’s not that I want to deny you a medal, but I’ll never see the end of the paperwork if they find out that I allowed a visitor to manhandle a patient.’
    â€˜What visitor?’ Peter wasn’t slow in demanding a return favour. ‘Can I come back later with a take-away for Trevor? He looks as if he hasn’t eaten for months. He used to enjoy late night suppers in the station.’
    â€˜It will be a miracle if he eats it.’
    â€˜I’d like to try.’
    â€˜Be my guest.’ She led the way out of the treatment room and locked it with one of the keys that hung from a belt at her waist. They passed the storeroom, where the porters were clearing the mess of broken glass and spilt drugs under the supervision of the security guard. ‘As ward sister it’s not my place to say this, it’s Mr Goldman’s. You do know there’s nothing we can do for Trevor. He’s depressed, but not clinically so, at least no more than anyone who’s been through what he has is entitled to be. And certainly no more than anyone who’s capable of reading the daily papers from cover to cover. But he’s become institutionalised. It’s long past the time when he should have returned to the real world. Mr Goldman’s been suggesting short solitary afternoon outings since the second day he was admitted. As far as the front gate would be a start. If Trevor doesn’t make an effort and take his advice soon, we’ll be putting the boot behind him.’
    â€˜We were on the way out when you distracted us,’ Peter said.
    â€˜I appreciate you trying to help, but the effort has to be his, not yours,’ Jean halted when they reached the office.
    Peter looked inside where Trevor was still hovering behind Lyn’s chair. ‘He did drag Lyn Sullivan out of the cupboard.’
    â€˜So he did.’ Jean watched Karl bandage Lyn’s leg. ‘It could be the first small step.’
    â€˜I’ll give him the push he needs to make the second.’ Peter felt better about Trevor than he had done since the day the doctor in intensive care had told him that his friend was going to live.
    â€˜Make sure you come in with that meal before I go off at eight,’ Jean warned, artfully. ‘The night sister isn’t as accommodating as me.’
    â€˜I’m on duty myself at nine, so I’ll probably make it around seven.’
    Peter’s reply wiped the smile from Jean’s face. If he’d come at the end of her shift she had hoped to inveigle him into the Green Monkey.
    It had been almost four years since her scrap metal dealer husband had left her for a beauty queen less than half her age. She’d picked her lawyer well and paid him enough to ensure that she’d come out of the divorce financially sound. Her share of her husband’s assets included their luxurious four-bedroomed apartment on the marina, a five-berth yacht, and enough gilt