‘I am sorry. Any news from Charles?’
‘Yes. He’s spoken to Mr Simcock again. There’s no reason to suspect there’s any connection between the operation and the infection. Apparently just being in hospital increases the risk. He said they’ll be concentrating on trying to fight that off using antibiotics. But even if she gets over all this she’s never going to be well. You know, the scan showed substantial changes in her brain.’ I could hear the desolation in her voice. She cleared her throat. ‘There’s very little they can do now. All we can expect is a steady decline.’
‘Will she go back to Kingsfield?’
‘I’m not sure. Charles got the impression they were thinking of one of the nursing homes where they specialise in caring for patients with Alzheimer’s. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I suppose I’ve got the proof I wanted about Lily’s condition: they’ve definite physical evidence of what’s wrong. Now I need to accept it. It’s not going to go away. I just hope she can shake off this infection.’
‘Do you want to see her tonight? I could give you a lift.’
‘You don’t sound very well,’ she said doubtfully.
‘No, I’m all right. Just this cold. I’ll come about six.’
‘Thank you. Oh, by the way, it doesn’t seem so important any more but did you hear anything more about the tablets?’
‘No. I’ve asked my friend to chivvy the lab along. She’s doing me a favour so I can’t really push her any more than I have done. I’m also trying to find out if there’s any connection between Goulden and Simcock but I’ve not got anything yet. I’m waiting to hear.’
I did hear. Just after I got back from school, Harry rang. ‘Hi! I’ve left a message on your answerphone too,’ he began.
‘Any luck?’ I didn’t expect anything.
‘Bingo!’
‘What?’ I was astonished.
‘You got a fax yet?’
‘No.’
‘A pen?’
‘Yes, Harry, I have a pen. Poised. Go on.’
‘OK. Simcock and Montgomery are both directors of Malden Medical Supplies.’
My scalp prickled.
‘They’re a company based in Cheshire, Northwich, and they supply anything and everything – rubber gloves, gas cylinders, disposable sheets, bandages, the lot. They deal with nursing homes, hospitals, that sort of thing. It’s a lucrative little concern, accounts for the last year on record show a turnover of two million and very healthy profits.’
‘Hang on, let me get this all down.’ I scribbled furiously. ‘Right.’
‘That was up fifty per cent on the previous year. They came in just at the right time, when all the privatisation was kicking in and the fact that the clients can get all their stuff from the same supplier probably gave them the edge over the competition.’
‘So, they’ll be making quite a bit from it?’ I said.
‘Oh, yeah. Depends how much they’re ploughing back in but they’re doing very nicely thank you.’
‘Nothing illegal?’
‘Well, the law’s very woolly around some of this, but everything I’ve told you so far is public knowledge somewhere or other. Difference is it’d take you weeks going via other agencies, hard copies. Using the computer makes it that much quicker…’
‘Harry! I didn’t mean you. I meant them – anything fishy about their operation?’
‘Oh, no. Nothing glaring anyway.’
‘And Goulden’s not a director?’
‘Ah-ha! No. But listen to this. There’s a Mrs A. L. Goulden, BPharm, MRPharmS who’s actually Managing Director.’
‘His wife.’
‘There’s more – her Malden name was Montgomery, Angela Leonie Montgomery, sister to Douglas Vernon Montgomery.’
‘Yes!’ The connections were there. They all had some involvement in Malden Medical Supplies, and Montgomery and Goulden were brothers-in-law.
‘Anything else you want? Creditworthiness, mortgage details, hire purchase agreements?’
‘Spare me.’
‘Seriously, Sal, you ought to think about getting a system. The amount of stuff you’d have there at your fingertips.’
Oh yeah, and the amount of time it’d take me to access it. ‘I can’t even afford a fax at the moment, Harry.’
‘Tax deductible.’
‘I don’t pay enough blinking tax to deduct it. Besides, it’s money up front which I can’t manage.’
‘Or credit.’
‘I wouldn’t dare.’
‘Shame. Plenty of your lot are in there already, you know.’
‘Yeah, well, lucky I got you, isn’t it?’
‘Why keep a dog and bark yourself?’
I laughed. ‘Something like that. Besides, you’re an expert.
You’ll let me know if it gets too much?’
‘Go on. But promise me…’
‘What?’
‘If there’s a story…’
‘I thought you’d given up on the journalism.’
‘Oh, I still need a nice juicy scandal now and again. One that I write up instead of seeing it mangled by the other hacks.’
‘You’ll be the first to know. But don’t hold your breath.’
So there were plenty of legitimate reasons for Goulden and Simcock to meet at the hospital, a word about business if not a conscientious visit from the GP concerned about his elderly patient.
But I wasn’t thinking about legitimate reasons. I was more interested in the other sort.
By quarter to six I was regretting my offer to take Agnes to the hospital but I didn’t want to let her down at the last minute. Ray still wasn’t in from work so I resorted to going up and asking Sheila if she’d keep an eye on the children till he got back. She was happy to. I braced myself for another tantrum from Maddie but she didn’t turn a hair when I explained what was happening. I was the only one who was uncomfortable with the situation because I felt I was imposing on Sheila.
On our journey to the Infirmary I told Agnes about the business and family links between the three doctors. ‘Mr Simcock is on the board of directors there and Mrs Goulden is the Managing Director so that could be one reason why we saw Dr Goulden at the hospital – he’s got business connections with Simcock.’
Silence. ‘Agnes?’
‘Let me get this right. Mr Simcock is on the board of the company?’
‘Yes.’
‘And Dr Montgomery?’
‘Yes. And what’s more, Mrs Goulden, who works there, is actually the sister of Dr Montgomery too. It’s very incestuous.’
‘I don’t like it,’ she said sharply.
‘It stinks,’ I agreed, ‘and there are too many coincidences flying around. All these people have been involved in Lily’s treatment – is that just because it’s a specialised area? Is it just nepotism, the old boy network, or is there something else going on?’ I was speculating aloud.
Agnes shook her head.
‘You’d think one well-paid job would satisfy,’ she remarked, ‘with all this unemployment.’
‘It might be greedy but it’s not illegal,’ I pointed out. ‘Besides, they’re directors of the business – they employ people to work there.’
‘And money makes money. Always has done. What about them?’ She pointed towards a cluster of youths who were gathered outside a local off-licence. ‘Nothing, no hope. Even in the thirties there was hope, the belief that things could change. Now…all this talk about moral standards and the fabric of society. A return to Victorian values. Huh,’ she snorted, ‘Victorian values were savage, smothered in hypocrisy.’
I was fazed at her outburst and I’d no idea what had set her off. I said nothing. We arrived at the hospital.
The curtains were still drawn round Lily’s bed and no sooner had we sat down at her bedside than a junior doctor arrived. She introduced herself and explained that they were using intravenous antibiotics to try to fight the infection that had raised Lily’s temperature. The saline drip was to prevent dehydration.
‘Has she been awake?’ asked Agnes.