Chapter 11 #2
Marge. Amber missed her almost as much as she missed Estelle. For the second time today, she thought how there was a time that she’d be straight on the phone to Estelle right now, telling her all about the batshit crazy day she was having.
But that was before they’d fallen out, after her best friend had betrayed her. Not now.
‘I was at the funeral,’ she agreed, dipping back into the conversation, ‘but I didn’t know anyone except Kenneth’s secretary, Marge, and I was only there with her because her daughter couldn’t make it.
I was a funeral stunt double.’ She tried to rack her brain for any further information.
Marge had given her a brief rundown of the chief mourners at the time.
‘And am I wrong in thinking that Kenneth and…’ she paused, as she pulled the name back up, before repeating, ‘Kenneth and Bernadette… they were already divorced back then, weren’t they?
Didn’t he have an affair? I’m sure my friend, Estelle, told me that. ’
‘I thought you said you were no longer friends with her?’ he asked, the muscle on the side of his jaw visibly throbbing.
Another piece of the jigsaw. When they’d reconnected in her flower shop, he’d asked her lots of questions about whether she was still in touch with Marge.
Of course she’d said no, explaining that she hadn’t seen her in years, which was technically true.
He’d taken that in, continued chatting, then, after that, eventually asked her out.
‘I’m not.’ Why was he biting her head off? True, they were in a slightly stressful situation and he clearly didn’t want to be here, but this was such a disproportionate response and, quite frankly, it was pissing her off.
She was saved from her rising irritation by Bernadette, who had just reappeared around the curtain. ‘Okay, good news for you, Murray. I’ve spoken to radiology and they’re sending someone round to get you now. They’ll just be a couple of minutes.’
At first, Amber thought he was going to reject the suggestion, but he kept his mouth snapped shut. This woman clearly had magical powers.
Bernadette picked up his chart from the table beside his bed. ‘While we’re waiting, I just need to take some more details because the admitting nurse didn’t have a chance to get everything we need.’
There was a hint of a reprimand in there, but he ignored it, because everyone here knew that the poor junior nurse who’d first attempted to take his details had been run out of the room before she could finish her job.
‘Okay, I’ve got full name. Date of birth?’
He rhymed that off and Amber realised that he’d shaved a couple of years off when he’d told her his age. Yet more evidence for the dickhead prosecution.
‘Address?’
He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, a flinch of something Amber didn’t recognise crossing his face.
Then he switched to a swarthy smile and tone of voice that she definitely did recognise, because it was the one he’d been wooing her with for the last two months.
And did anyone still say ‘wooing’? That was another question she’d have asked Estelle if they were still friends.
‘Amber, would you mind getting me that water after all?’ he asked her. ‘There’s a vending machine just outside the doors, if I remember correctly?’ He directed the second part of that question to Bernadette, who was now nodding.
‘Yes, just as you go back into the ED reception. The doors are locked, but if you let the nurse at reception know who you’re with, she’ll let you back through.’
Amber got the hint, saying, ‘Erm, sure,’ as she got up and opened the curtain just wide enough to let herself out.
She should have crossed the ward in the direction of the doors, but something made her stop.
Maybe curiosity. Or a premonition. Or the realisation that he’d already lied, coupled with a desire to get the full picture.
Whatever the reason, she stopped, stood absolutely still, and listened as he rattled off an address in what she knew was a very posh part of Edinburgh.
Bernadette spoke again, and even on the other side of the curtain, Amber could hear something loaded in her words.
‘Next of kin?’
There was a pause that stretched. And stretched.
Then a little longer. Before the man she’d just shagged sighed, and then reeled off a name that surprised her.
Actually, it was more than surprise. This one probably fell into the ‘shocked the knickers off her’ category.
Not that she was ever removing her undergarments for a bloke again after today. The NHS couldn’t afford it.
But still… It was all she needed to hear. Another piece of the jigsaw clicked in. Make that two pieces, because she also remembered his murmured words when they were loading him into the ambulance.
She followed Bernadette’s instructions and made her way to the doors, where a smiling triage nurse pressed a big green button to let her out.
She considered just keeping going, but she’d left her handbag behind, and besides, she needed more than a partial confirmation of her suspicions.
That’s why she bought a bottle of water, then, helped by the receptionist as directed, went straight back into the Emergency Department.
By the time she reached his bay and went back through the curtain, Bernadette was gone.
Excellent. That meant she could get straight to the point.
She inhaled. Tried to keep her voice steady.
Spoke in the same tone she’d used once before when she challenged a man she’d caught lying to her.
Back then, Ewan had come clean. She wondered if this one was about to do the same.
‘Ray, I need to ask you something. Are you married?’