Sisters of Mercy by Andrew Puckett Read Free Book Online Page B

all …’
    He let out a breath. ‘OK, OK. I’ll speak to Debbie, see what she thinks —’
    ‘ You’re not going to tell her about —?’
    ‘ I’ll only ask her about the medical aspects — OK? Now you get home and try to get some rest.’
    ‘ But Stephen …’
    ‘ Look, Jo, I’m on duty in ten minutes and I daren’t be late. Go home and I’ll either come round or ring you later today. I promise. OK?’
    He squeezed my hand before gently pulling me to my feet and seeing me out.
    I suppose he couldn’t really have done any more, I thought as I drove slowly back.
    He could have put you to bed at his place … a small voice answered.
    I was trembling with exhaustion when I got home, and pausing just to brush my teeth and rub some cream into my bruised face, went straight to bed.
    But not to sleep — every nerve in my body seemed to be jangling and jostling at once …
    I got up, made some tea and had a cigarette. Then, after some hesitation, I poured myself a strong whisky. As its warmth spread from my stomach to the rest of my body, I began to relax.
    I glanced at my watch. Josephine Farewell, I thought, drinking whisky at ten in the morning. Whatever next?
    But it did make me feel better and as I settled back into bed, the worst of the trembling and jangling seemed to have gone, and after a while, I slipped into an uneasy sleep.
    About four or five hours later, I surfaced with great difficulty, reaching for the phone before I realized it was the doorbell. Stephen!
    ‘ All right, all right, I’m coming!’ I shouted as I ran down the stairs, tying the sash of my dressing gown.
    If I hadn’t been so muzzy, maybe I’d have checked who it was, but it probably wouldn’t have made any difference …
    Anyway, as soon as I slipped the chain, the door was thrown in my face and two creatures: one black, one white, not long evolved from apes, pushed their way in. Len Sutton strolled in after them.

     
    7
     
    As the white ape shut the door, I said, ‘If you touch me, I’ll scream.’
    Sutton looked at the black ape, who put his hand in his pocket and brought something out. There was a snick and a blade sprang from his hand. It flashed in the light from the window.
    ‘ You won’t scream, Sister,’ Sutton said flatly.
    My eyes were hypnotized by the blade. Sutton said, ‘All I want from you is answers. What did you mean last night about I should go after the one that really killed Sharon?’
    ‘ I didn’t mean anything. I was overwrought. It was a mistake.’
    He nodded to the black ape with the knife, who took a quick step forwards … the blade became a glinting arc and the sleeve of my dressing gown fell loose, slashed halfway up the arm. I had neither heard nor felt anything. My skin was untouched.
    ‘ What did you mean?’
    My back pressed into the wall and I realized I’d been walking backwards. ‘I — I suppose I meant you. Because …’
    ‘ No you didn’t, Sister. You meant somethin’ else. What was it?’ He didn’t raise his voice and his very calmness was as frightening as the knife.
    ‘ I don’t know .’ I heard my own voice rise to a squeak. ‘I swear I —’
    But he’d nodded again, and once more the blade flickered … and the sash fell softly round my feet as the dressing gown gaped open.
    ‘ I’ll ask you once more. What did you mean?’
    They were all staring at me. The black knifeape was staring at the material of my nightdress over my breasts, but there was nothing lascivious in his gaze, only professionalism.
    My tongue touched my lip. ‘All right. Please, can I sit down?’
    ‘ No. Jus’ talk.’
    ‘ All right.’ I swallowed. ‘It has seemed to me, over the last two months, that … more people have died in that ward than should have died. It seemed to me that your wife may have been another.’
    ‘ It seemed to you … is that all?’
    ‘ I did a statistical analysis. Statistically, the deaths shouldn’t have happened.’
    His eyes stared back at me.
    ‘ Have