Taste of Blood

Chapter Twenty

Stanley was already halfway through his full English breakfast when Jane joined him. She had a bit of a dicky tummy, so only ordered toast and tea. He gestured with his knife to indicate that Burrows was within earshot at the next table, then passed over his notebook. Jane saw he had underlined access to Georgina Larsson’s death certificate, hospital contacts, and how they would approach the patient privacy issues they would no doubt come across. He had also underlined a note that they should not approach the Larssons until they had more evidence.

Jane passed his notebook back to him.

‘I also want to double-check the date he returned from Mexico against the date of the funeral.’

Stanley nodded. ‘Why don’t you start with that, and I’ll do the hospital checks.’

They returned to the incident room to sort through any pressing assignments that had come in overnight. Stanley was able to pass over three interviews to DC Burrows, and then gave Jane a wink as he made his escape. Jane was unable to do the same, having some paperwork she couldn’t hand over to anyone else.

Stanley had already been able to get a copy of Georgina Larsson’s death certificate from the General Register Office. She had died aged fifteen at St Thomas’ Hospital on 15th March, four years earlier, from sepsis. It was the same hospital where Martin Boon had been treated. As he drove to the hospital, he was hoping to find someone who had treated Georgina Larsson.

Staff Nurse Collins was sitting at the reception desk by the ICU section. Stanley showed her his ID.

‘I would appreciate it if we could have a private conversation about a very serious allegation.’

She hesitated for a moment, then told him to go into the meeting room, and she would join him there as soon as she found a nurse to take over at the desk.

Stanley was thumbing through some old magazine when Nurse Collins came in, closing the door behind her.

‘Thank you so much,’ Stanley said. ‘I really appreciate having such a senior member of staff give me their time.’

She remained standing, clasping her hands together in front of her.

‘If you had a patient with sepsis, would they be admitted to this department?’

‘Yes, that is correct.’

‘Were you working in this department four years ago?’

‘Yes, I was not made senior staff nurse until two years ago, but I was attached to this unit. Is this something about complaints or irregularities, because if so, I don’t think I should be questioned without another member of staff present.’

‘I assure you, Nurse Collins, this not connected to a complaint. It is a separate investigation regarding a patient called Georgina Larsson.’

‘I am very sorry but I don’t have any recollection of this patient. We are a very busy unit and I have dealt with hundreds of patients over that period.’

‘Could you check the hospital records for me, then.’

She frowned. ‘I honestly don’t think I can do that without permission from the head of the department.’

‘Fine, then who do I speak to? I presumed as you are the staff nurse...’

‘Yes, I am, but there is obviously a procedure to protect patients’ privacy.’

Stanley was finding it difficult to remain polite. ‘I don’t need to take any documents. I just need to verify some facts about her stay here.’

‘I’m sorry, Inspector, but I am unable to assist you.’

Nurse Collins opened the door and Stanley followed her out. The young doctor that Stanley had met before was leaning on the desk, chatting up the pretty nurse that had taken over from Collins.

Nurse Collins shooed him away. ‘Dr Wilde, I am sure you have more pressing work than flirting with Nurse Julia.’

Stanley gave him a nod of recognition as he grinned. Stanley pushed through the swing door into the corridor and Dr Wilde followed.

‘She catches me every morning on my coffee break. It’s beginning to be a running gag. But for all her bluster, she’s a mainstay of this department.’

‘How long have you worked here?’

‘Me? Well, I earned my stripes here five years ago, and now I’m back, but they sort of shuffle us around different departments.’

‘Were you in the ICU four years ago?’

‘Christ, I might have been. Most of the time I was in A&E.’

They headed towards the stairs. ‘I was asking about a patient that died of sepsis, but Nurse Collins couldn’t help. I don’t suppose you’d remember? Her name was Georgina Larsson.’

Dr Wilde stopped so abruptly that Stanley almost bumped into him.

‘I do remember her. Very young and pretty. Brought in as an emergency. I was in the A&E department when the ambulance arrived. She had a very high fever and they had to take her straight up to the ICU. I went up with her.’

Stanley couldn’t believe his luck.

‘Would you like me to buy you a coffee and a sausage roll, Dr Wilde, or perhaps a chocolate doughnut?’

Jane was just about to get in her car when a Range Rover pulled up and the driver lowered his window.

‘Hi. If you’re leaving, do you mind if I park up in your space? I’m only going in for a few minutes.’

Jane hesitated, throwing her briefcase onto the passenger seat.

‘Well, this is staff-only parking.’ She then shrugged and waved her hand to say OK, possibly because he was such a handsome man.

He beamed at her. ‘Thank you. Have a good day.’

She slammed her door shut. It had been a while since anyone smiled at her like that. He was just her type, too, and even looked the right age, and then she made herself laugh as she thought it would be just her luck that when he got out of the Range Rover, he would have short, bowed legs. She was driving out and waiting for the traffic to move before turning into the road when she saw him in her rear-view mirror locking the Range Rover. She sighed. He had to be way over six feet, and she even noted that he was wearing a very stylish tweed jacket.

Nathan & Markus Funeral Directors were situated in the town centre with parking available at the rear of the establishment. The narrow alley led into a small courtyard with two hearses under an open-fronted shelter. There was also a Morris Minor and a small white van, leaving just a small space for Jane to park.

Jane walked back down the alley and into the building. The interior was cramped, with a two-seater sofa and a coffee table, and a dark-green fitted carpet. On a neat desk was a telephone, a typewriter and a large black-leather diary. Jane waited. She looked over the desk to see if there was some kind of bell to press, but there was nothing. A door behind the counter was firmly closed, and just as Jane was about to call out, the shop door opened. A plump blonde woman wearing a dark-maroon suit that was rather tight around her hips, bustled in carrying a cake box and a flask.

‘Oh, I am sorry, did you have an appointment?’

Jane took out her ID as the woman scuttled round the counter, opening the diary.

‘I just went to get a sandwich and refill my flask.’

‘I’m Detective Inspector Jane Tennison from the Metropolitan Police, and...’

‘Just a minute, let me go and see if Colin’s out the back, I’m his mother.’

‘Are you Mrs Nathan?’

‘Yes, it’s a family business, my son runs it all now my husband passed. There’s nothing in the diary, I’m afraid.’

‘I just needed to ask you or your son a few questions. I am not here to organise a funeral. This is my ID.’

Jane held out her warrant card as Mrs Nathan bent down to open a drawer in the desk and take out a pair of glasses. She squinted at the card and looked up.

‘Police? Is something wrong?’

Jane explained that she wanted to ask some questions about Georgina Larsson’s funeral. Mrs Nathan asked Jane to wait, and she would get her son to talk to her. She disappeared through the door behind the counter and Jane could hear her calling for him. After a few moments, Mrs Nathan returned, saying her son was just taking his overalls off and washing his hands. ‘Is it a loved one?’ she asked.

‘No, it’s a police matter.’ Jane sighed.

‘Well, Colin will only be a moment. There’s a very nice brochure for flowers if you’d like to look through it while you’re waiting.’

Jane was relieved when Colin Nathan walked in. He was prematurely bald, with a small, pale, oval face. He gave Jane a polite nod, then told his mother that she could have her break.

‘Sorry about the confusion. After my father died, I encouraged my mother to come in a few days a week. She’s sort of still in training!’ He laughed softly as he straightened his tie.

‘I am not here regarding a funeral arrangement, Mr Nathan. This is a police enquiry regarding Georgina Larsson’s funeral. There’s nothing to be concerned about, I just need to ask you a few questions.’

‘How long ago did you say?’ he asked.

‘Four years. The family live in Clarendon Court.’

‘I will have to get the file from that year. I won’t be a moment,’ he said, disappearing through the door.

He was at least ten minutes before he returned carrying a large file. ‘Sorry it took so long, but things are in a bit of a muddle.’

He began to flip through the pages before unclipping the hooks to lay the file flat.

‘Miss Georgina Larsson, you said?’

‘Yes. I have a copy of her death certificate.’

Nathan turned over another section of the file before he looked up and unhooked the relevant pages.

‘We collected Miss Larsson from St Thomas’ Hospital mortuary on the afternoon of 17th March. The death certificate was issued on 15th March. Her body remained at their home until the family arranged her funeral on 21st March.’

‘Is that usual, for the deceased to remain at her home?’

‘No, but there is always a certain amount of time before the funeral, and it’s not unknown for the family to want to remain with the deceased during that period. Mrs Larsson had chosen the casket but returned here on the 19th March to discuss flowers and the hearse. They chose a very elegant white coffin with brass handles and a plaque, which we also inscribed.’

‘So you delivered the coffin to their home on the 17th?’

‘That’s correct.’

‘Do you recall the courtyard of Clarendon Court being tarmacked at the time of the funeral?’

Nathan looked surprised. ‘As a matter of fact I do recall the circumstances because we had been having a lot of rain, and the driveway was, I believe, freshly tarmacked, up to the area of one of the new properties. But that still left an extensive area of the courtyard very muddy, with deep potholes.’

‘The area you are referring to, would that be outside the Larssons’ property and as far as the large manor house?’

‘That is correct, and the reason I may sound rather pedantic about the situation is that all our vehicles are very highly maintained and polished. We had another funeral later that same day, and the vehicles required extensive cleaning and valeting.’

‘Thank you. And what was the date of the funeral?’

‘Twenty-first of March, at the Eltham Crematorium.’

Jane could hardly hide her surprise. ‘So Georgina Larsson was cremated?’

‘That is correct. Again, we liaise between the bereaved and the crematorium, but the collection of the deceased’s ashes is always down to the family to arrange.’

Jane nodded. ‘There is just one more thing. Do you have a photograph of the style of coffin that was chosen?’

Nathan bent down to the shelf beneath the counter, bringing up a large leather-bound volume. He turned a few laminated pages before angling the volume for Jane to see. ‘You can choose the satin or velvet inlay, and the option of a frilled satin pillow.’

‘It’s very elegant,’ Jane said. ‘Especially with the brass fittings. It also seems quite large. Did Mr and Mrs Larsson come here to choose the casket?’

‘I’m not sure I can recall exactly, but Mrs Larsson did come alone the first time.’

‘Thank you very much. You have been very helpful.’

Nathan nodded as he replaced the volume under the counter. He then laid his hands flat on the pages from the file. ‘Is there anything else?’

‘Do you personally accompany the hearse?’

‘Yes, I do. We are a very small company. I like to make sure everything’s professionally carried out.’

‘Were there many mourners at Miss Larsson’s funeral?’

‘Not that many, from memory. There were quite a lot of young people, her schoolfriends, I imagine, but only two mourners’ cars were required.’

‘Do you remember seeing a young man, rather unusual-looking, very long, dark hair. He may even have had his hair in a ponytail.’

Nathan closed the file, taking a moment before he shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not.’

Jane thanked him again before leaving. She was still puzzling over the fact that the Larssons had cremated their daughter. Her own parents had buried her young brother, his gravestone a small, carved, white cross they visited on his birthday. She had always been aware of Michael, or aware that he had died tragically, but had only ever been to his grave once. Jane believed her parents never wanted their grief to affect their two daughters, but after the session with Vera James, she wondered if it was time to be more open about it.

Jane got in her car and was about to drive back to the station when she suddenly felt violently sick. She had to take several deep breaths before the nausea subsided. Still feeling unwell, she decided to go straight home. After parking outside the house, she went into her kitchen and drank a glass of water. After a cup of tea she felt better. She was jotting down all her notes from the interviews when her phone rang. It was Eddie.

‘Can I come round? I’m only round the corner.’

‘OK. See you in a minute then,’ she said, her heart suddenly racing. She hurried upstairs to change, while checking her hair and make-up. The doorbell rang, she looked out of her bedroom window, and there he was.