Poisoned Ground by Nadel Barbara

Author:Nadel, Barbara [Nadel, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery & Detective, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, blt
ISBN: 9781848664210
Google: osMSBAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 63096809
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2014-09-04T07:00:00+00:00

18

‘Dylan Smith has been beaten black and blue,’ Shirley said.

‘That’s Tim Pool for you.’

They all looked at Roy, who continued, ‘Deprived me of a couple of teeth.’

‘But you said nothing.’

‘Course not.’

Mandy took Roy’s hand. She said, ‘You don’t. So if Dylan Smith’s withdrawn his complaint you’ll have to respect his wishes, Shirley. We’re there for the service users. We do what they want.’

‘Pool’ll do something worse if Dylan goes ahead,’ Roy said.

Mumtaz didn’t know what she could contribute to the discussion. Shirley had asked her to come in and she’d come. But to do what? Shirley looked genuinely upset that she couldn’t take this service user’s complaint any further. When Shirley went to the toilet, Mandy spoke up.

‘I think that Shirley’s changing,’ she said. ‘Don’t know why. She’s always been for a quiet life but now it’s like she’s on a mission. All of a sudden.’

‘You don’t know why?’

‘No. If she upsets too many people Mr Cotton’ll get rid of her. And she’s got a mortgage.’

‘But representing the service users is her job,’ Mumtaz said. ‘She must’ve known it carried risks when she took it?’

Roy shrugged.

Shirley returned. ‘I’m not going to give up on Dylan Smith and I’m not going to let those service users on Forensic live in fear any longer.’

‘Who you gonna get to help you?’ Roy asked. ‘Batman?’

‘No, but I’d like to introduce you to someone who can help us without the aid of a silly costume,’ Shirley said. Then she called out into the corridor, ‘Would you like to come in now?’

She was little more than a girl. Blonde and small, she wore a baseball cap and a thick woollen scarf that obscured half her face.

‘Denna has been doing nights on Forensic,’ Shirley said.

‘I’ve not seen you here before,’ Mandy said.

‘I’ve only been at Ilford, on and off, for just over a month,’ Denna said. She had a light, boyish voice. ‘I’m agency.’

‘But she’s seen enough,’ Shirley said.

‘Smith got beaten by another patient,’ Denna said. ‘On Pool’s orders.’

‘How do you know that?’ Mumtaz asked.

‘The patient, Moran, was allowed to go outside for a smoke in the early hours of the morning,’ Denna said. ‘That just doesn’t happen, especially not on Tim’s shifts. He hates smoking.’

‘I can see that’s unusual, but what does that prove?’ Mumtaz asked.

‘Moran is a very violent man. His index offence is murder.’

‘Him I do know,’ Roy said. ‘He killed his flatmate and then cut him up and put him in dustbin bags.’

‘When I saw him outside I noticed that Moran’s knuckles were swollen,’ Denna said. ‘At dinner time they hadn’t been.’

‘So? Maybe he thumped a wall,’ Mandy said. ‘Self-harm.’

‘Yeah, I’d accept that,’ Denna said, ‘if Moran hadn’t spoken to me. His cigarette lighter wouldn’t work and so I lent him mine. I could see he wanted me to ask him how he’d managed to get extra smoking privileges from Tim. They’re as rare as hen’s teeth and are trophies on the unit. He kept me on tenterhooks as long as he could. Then he said, “I’m here because I helped Mr Pool out with a problem.

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