The Dead Voices: A London crime thriller loaded with suspense (Detective Arla Baker Series Book 10) by ML Rose

Author:ML Rose [Rose, ML]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 36

40 years ago

The baby’s shrill cry seemed to pierce through the walls. Melanie clasped her hands over her ears. She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. She had fed Joan an hour ago and she was up again. She had changed the nappy, burped her, and thankfully, little Joan had gone to sleep. She had been restless for the last two days with colic. When she screamed, she drew her knees up to her chest. Melanie picked her up and rocked her. The screaming didn’t stop. Melanie felt her head would burst open. Joan was just two months old, but she had the lungs of a soprano. When she cried, the whole building heard.

“Shh! Please be quiet,” Melanie said. It didn’t help. She tried to feed her, but she wasn’t having any of it. She thrust the bottle away, so Melanie tried to give her the breast. That didn’t work either. Joan arched her back and screamed. Melanie knew something was wrong.

She only had one option. She put Joan down and went into the hallway. She rang Dr Bledsoe. Luckily, he picked up the phone.

“Who is this?”

“It’s me, Melanie Anderton. I’m sorry to call, but my baby won’t stop crying. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.” She broke down, sobbing.

The doctor said something but she didn’t hear it. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m just so tired.”

“Where are you?”

“At home.”

Dr Bledsoe had visited her several times, and he didn’t live that far away. Melanie didn’t know exactly where, but she knew he could come fairly quickly.

“I’m on my way. Can you get dressed, please? In case we have to get Joan to hospital.”

“Okay.”

Melanie changed Joan and walked around with her. She gave her some Calpol. She knew it took fifteen minutes to work fully, and she spent that time walking around with her, tired as she was.

Eventually, she just slumped on the floor by the bed. Joan was on her lap, and she started crying as soon as she couldn’t feel her mother’s arms.

That’s how Dr Bledsoe found them. He put his bag down and extracted a thermometer from it. He picked up baby and examined her quickly. Melanie dragged herself off to the other room to get dressed.

When she came back, Dr Bledsoe’s handsome face was scarred with a frown. Her limbs turned ice cold. Joan was still crying, but less than before. Maybe the calpol was working. Melanie rushed over and picked her up.

“She’s got a petechial rash,” Dr Bledsoe said. “It won’t blanch. We need to get her to hospital immediately. There’s a chance it could be meningitis.”

Melanie didn’t know what it was, but it sounded scary. Dr Bledsoe put an arm around her shoulder.

“Don’t worry. You did the right thing by calling me. I can drive you to the hospital.”

He used her phone to call the hospital and speak to the paediatrics consultant. Then he turned to Melanie.

“Let’s go.”

The night was bitterly cold. Melanie had Joan wrapped up in three blankets. Joan whimpered against her mother’s chin as Dr Bledsoe opened the door for them.

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