Nelson drives back to the station, feeling disturbed on many levels. He抯 worried about Cathbad. Much as he believes in the druid抯 powers of survival, it抯 no joke being in ICU during a pandemic. He wishes there was something he could do for Judy. Last time she had a crisis, when Michael went missing, the team had rallied round immediately. They had rushed to her side, not that they had received much gratitude for it at the time, and had worked night and day to find the kidnapper. Now Nelson can抰 drop in on Judy to give her an awkward hug and promise his support. The team can抰 career around the countryside solving crimes. Judy can抰 even visit Cathbad in hospital. All they can do is wait and waiting is not something that comes easily to Nelson.
He抯 concerned about Zoe too. She might have been found innocent of murder, but he doesn抰 want a person with such a chequered past living next door to Ruth and Katie. The two women have become quite friendly too. And is there some sinister explanation for Zoe抯 disappearance? At the very least, it seems out of character. Her employers were expecting her to be in work today and she hadn抰 left instructions for feeding her cat. At the thought of Ruth and Katie going into the empty house next door, Nelson grinds his teeth again. He wishes that he could keep everyone he loves safe and under his eye but, even in lockdown, this is proving impossible.
And, finally, he抯 still worried about Leah. Should he call her at home, just to check that she抯 OK? Or would that seem bullying, as if he抯 insisting that she come to work even if she抯 ill? He wishes Judy was there to do it for him. But it抯 Tanya抯 day and, whilst his DS has many sterling qualities, empathy is not one of them.
Tanya is still working on the suicide cases. In his office, Nelson googles 慫oe Hilton? There抯 not much. She has a Facebook page but it抯 mostly pictures of that mutant cat. He tries 慏awn Stainton?and the headlines spring up.
Killer Nurse
Angel of Death
Hospital Failures
Agony of families
He reads that Dawn Stainton, 31, was arrested when three elderly patients in her care were suspected of dying from insulin poisoning. The case came to trial the next year and Dawn was found not guilty, partly, it seems, because this type of poisoning is hard to prove. Chris Stephenson, Nelson抯 least favourite pathologist, gave evidence that the deceased showed signs of lower glucose which ?counter-intuitively ?might point to insulin overdose. But Dawn had no motive and there was no direct evidence of her involvement. She was acquitted. Two years later another nurse, Christine Sands, was found guilty of the murders but this case does not seem to have generated nearly as many headlines. Nelson suspects that this is because Christine was not as photogenic as the young Dawn.
So, on the face of it, Zoe is innocent, a victim of a miscarriage of justice. All the same, Nelson still feels uneasy about her living next door to Ruth and Katie. And he抎 very much like her to turn up.
態oss??
Nelson looks up to see Tanya in the doorway, the lower half of her face covered by one of her colourful masks.
慖 may have found something.?
慪es??
Tanya comes closer but not too close. 慖 spoke to Samantha Wilson抯 adult children again. Just to see if anything had come to them since their mother抯 death. The son, Brady, mentioned that a neighbour had seen a man going into the house a few times. A bearded chap, she said.?
A bearded chap. Nelson recalls the picture on Joe 璏cMahon抯 student card, the intense stare, the full black beard.
慏id you talk to this neighbour??
慣hat抯 the frustrating thing. She moved away, Brady says, as soon as lockdown started. She was going to stay with her grown-up son, but Brady doesn抰 know where he lives.?
慡ee if you can find her.?
慖 will.?
Tanya seems to be expecting something but it抯 a few seconds before Nelson realises what it is.
慓ood work,?he says.