A Place of Hope (22 page)

He stood up. ‘Perhaps you’d show me to a photocopier, now.’

After he’d finished making copies, he collected Emily and Chad, and led the way outside, shaking his head to indicate they should wait to discuss anything.

When they were in the car, she said, ‘I thought you’d point out that the contract was for Miss Mattison, something I’d never accept.’

‘Not yet. We’ll keep it in reserve.’

‘It’s one of my quirks, refusing to be addressed as Miss, and I can get several people from my former employer to vouch for that. I might let it pass occasionally, but I’d never, ever allow anyone to call me
Miss
in a formal document.’

‘I doubt that would be enough to change matters in law,’ Oliver said. ‘But it might be useful as corroborative evidence. In the meantime I’ll take the necessary steps to get an injunction to prevent your nephew from approaching you or your dwelling, but that’ll take time, I’m afraid. It has to be served on him so that he can respond.’

‘The sooner it can be applied, the better.’ Emily was surprised at how afraid she was of what her nephew might do next.

Oliver rubbed his hands together briskly. ‘Right then. We’ll go and see Dr Allerton now. She kindly agreed to stay on a little longer after her session ended at the practice, because her friend Ms Patel, who’s a geriatric specialist, has made time to join her.’

At the doctor’s surgery, they were taken into a small meeting room. Emily wanted Chad to be present, as well as their mutual lawyer, to back up if necessary some of her statements about what had happened in the geriatric ward.

Once they were all seated, the two women studied her so carefully before she even spoke that she felt as if they could see right through her. As they started to question her, she decided it wasn’t a hostile gaze, but an assessing one. She felt certain these two wouldn’t be fooled by anything she said or did. Luckily, she had only to tell the truth.

When they stopped asking questions, they turned to Chad to ask him to corroborate certain claims she’d made about what had happened in the geriatric unit.

‘Everything Emily’s said is true. I was treated in a very similar manner, including being sedated unnecessarily. It was seeing one another spitting out the tablets they gave us that first drew us together.’

Afterwards Emily expected them to confer, but Dr Allerton looked at her colleague and nodded as if to say go ahead.

‘In my opinion, as a first assessment only of course, you’re not suffering from dementia, Ms Mattison,’ Ms Patel stated quietly.

‘Thank you.’ Emily knew she wasn’t, and yet she felt enormously relieved to have this reassurance from an expert in the field.

The two doctors turned to Chad, studying him in exactly the same careful way and asking Emily to verify a couple of things he said.

He answered their questions about himself calmly when he knew the answer, admitting his ignorance when he didn’t. He had no trouble with general questions and displayed good knowledge of a range of subjects.

‘Since you’re still remembering the odd detail about yourself, Chad,’ Ms Patel said, ‘there is a likelihood that you’ll retrieve further information. One can never be quite sure how much, but there’s nothing I or anyone else can do to speed it up, unfortunately. And there’s no guarantee how much you’ll remember. You seem to me to be in full possession of your mental faculties, however.’

She smiled gently at the relief on his face. ‘That’s my expert opinion and I’m prepared to swear to it in court.’

He let out a long sigh. ‘I find that very reassuring. Thank you. I’m lucky to have found such good friends at this difficult time.’ He looked at Emily and Oliver as he said that.

Chad had spoken with dignity, Emily decided. She’d guess he’d been a figure of authority, though in what area was not yet clear: he’d shown considerable knowledge of old buildings, photography and antiques. Or were those simply interests? How had he earned a living? And why had no one come forward to report him missing or respond to the requests for information?

The two women went on to question both of them about the details of their confinement at the unit.

‘That’s it, for now,’ Dr Allerton said eventually.

Ms Patel nodded agreement. ‘You were right, Jean. There’s something very wrong there and we can’t let it continue.’ She looked at Chad and Emily. ‘Would you two be willing to testify in court about your treatment?’

‘Definitely. In fact, it’d give me great satisfaction,’ Emily said at once. ‘Though I don’t remember what happened when I was in a coma, of course.’

Chad nodded. ‘I’m much the same. I remember the later details of my incarceration very clearly, but not the earlier ones, like how I got there. I was semi-conscious for a while, apparently, and under heavy sedation. Once I’d stopped swallowing the tablets, things became much clearer.’

Emily suddenly remembered something. ‘I think I may have two of the tablets they kept dishing out stuck in the pocket of an old dressing gown they gave me. It wasn’t my own, but no one would believe that, because George insisted it was. I was wearing it over my clothes when I fled.’

‘Excellent. If you could let us have them . . .’

‘It’d be no proof in law,’ Oliver said at once. ‘She could have got them anywhere.’

‘It’d give us some idea of what they were using and therefore where they might be getting their supplies from,’ Ms Patel said bitterly. ‘I want this place and all others like it closed down. We’re here to
care
for older patients, not abuse them or dope them to the eyeballs.’

‘If I can do anything to help, I will, believe me.’

‘Thank you.’

Emily shivered. If she hadn’t met Chad . . . If she hadn’t had her friend Rachel to help . . . she might still be there.

George walked round the rental house, then returned to the living room, dividing his scowls equally between the room and his wife. ‘The rooms aren’t big enough. I don’t know why you’re even considering this rabbit hutch.’

Marcia gestured to the agent to leave them alone. ‘George, there isn’t much available in the area to rent at the moment that’s any better, not without paying an absolute fortune into someone else’s pocket. This house will be all right for a few months, while you’re working in England. It’s a reasonable size, very conveniently situated for transport and in a good area. Plus they’re prepared to give us a three-month lease, with monthly renewals.’

‘No wonder! It’s downright shabby. Look at that lounge suite! My aunt’s house was far better than this.’

She didn’t comment on that. He still seemed aggrieved that he’d had to leave Emily’s house, but Marcia had been relieved. She’d never felt right about taking the place over when his aunt might well recover from her accident – as she clearly had, whatever George still claimed.

She sighed. She wished she knew what he was up to. He was planning something, she could tell, but what? She wrenched her thoughts away from that to the present problem.

‘The furniture here is adequate.’ She went to sit on the offending lounge suite. ‘Actually, it’s quite comfortable. Come and try it.’

He joined her on the sofa, wriggling about, still scowling. ‘I think we deserve more than merely
adequate
.’

‘Of course we do . . . long term. But this is by far the best house we’ve seen, and you know how good I am at making a home out of a rental. We should take it, just for a few months. It’ll give you time to see what your next permanent project will be. You said you’d probably continue working with that company a while longer. After all, you
are
an expert on industrial pumps and they do pay you rather well.’

‘So they should.’

‘Once we retire, we can decide where we want to live permanently and take our time finding a house that’s just right. We’ll both enjoy that.’ She hoped.

‘Hmm.’ He got up, shoved his hands deep in his pockets and went to stare out of the window.

She waited. It never did to hurry George.

‘I suppose you’re right. This place is in a decent area, at least. And you usually work miracles with the interiors, I will admit.’

Silence followed, which she didn’t interrupt, then he shrugged. ‘Oh, very well. I’ll go and tell that fellow we’ll take it.’

‘Ask him how quickly we can move in. It might be worth staying with your mother for another day or two if we can move here quickly, rather than wasting time, effort and money changing to a hotel.’

He grimaced. ‘I suppose so. I wish my mother didn’t fuss so much, though.’

‘It’s because she cares about you. Just be a little patient with her.’

When he’d gone to talk to the agent, Marcia let her head drop against the back of the sofa, closing her eyes briefly. It was always like this when they were looking for a house. George wanted the best, the very best. He acted as if he were a multi-millionaire. He was going to be a devil to deal with when it came to buying a place of their own. She hoped he had a lot of money saved, wished he’d involve her more in the financial side of their life, so that she knew what to aim for.

She could usually manage him when it came to their day-to-day living, but she wasn’t fool enough to interfere with his major long-term plans. Not if she wanted a comfortable early retirement, as he’d been planning for several years now. It had become quite an obsession with him, especially when they were living in the Middle East.

She couldn’t disagree with his focus. When she remembered how her parents had had to scrimp and save in their old age to manage on the state pension, and how limited their life had been, she knew she’d do anything rather than go down the same path. Not only had her parents lived in a mean little council house nearly all their lives, but they’d died in a road accident because they were driving an old rattletrap of a car that had few safety features.

She shuddered. She didn’t ever intend to live as they had. Which was why it was worth putting up with George’s autocratic attitude towards her – all women, come to that – not to mention his moods. She enjoyed her comfortable lifestyle very much indeed.

After leaving the doctor’s, they stopped to buy some more food, then Emily drove them home, enjoying the comfort of her new car. She kept wondering what Oliver’s legal tactics would be, but didn’t want to discuss that while she was driving.

Once they got back, she didn’t have to wait long to find out what he was planning.

‘We need to talk,’ he said abruptly as they finished a scratch meal.

‘I’ll clear away and leave you three in peace,’ Rachel offered. ‘Toby, you’ll help me, won’t you?’

‘I do the washing up. Miss Penelope showed me.’ He began to clear the table. There wasn’t much food left to put away. Between his appetite and Chad’s, the dishes of salad and plates of cooked meats had been cleared quickly, plus all the French loaf.

‘Let’s go into the front bar, so we’ve space to study the papers we’ve got.’ Oliver took their consent for granted and led the way out of the flat. ‘First we should check the dates on the letters they sent and the dates you’re supposed to have signed the memorandum, then we can tie them in to events.’ He spread the pieces of paper out.

Emily picked up the earliest letter. ‘This must have been forwarded to my sister while I was in hospital.’

Rachel nodded. ‘Yes, that’s my handwriting on the envelope. I forwarded all your mail, Emily, as we agreed.’

‘George must have arranged to have Liz’s mail forwarded to him. I’m amazed she let him do that.’

‘Do you think she knew?’ Chad asked.

‘Perhaps not. But if he said it was necessary for business, she’d agree. It’s suspicious how short of money she always seemed, because I’d understood that Nigel had left her well provided for.’

‘In any case, there was no excuse for your nephew opening letters addressed to you, even if they were forwarded to him. It’s against the law and you never agreed in any way whatsoever that he should act on your behalf once you recovered consciousness, did you?’ Oliver looked at her, pen in hand, ready to note down her answer.

‘I was in no state to agree to anything at first. But after I’d recovered, I did try to stop him handling anything. The trouble was, he refused to bring in my mail and that sister refused to put me in touch with anyone who could help. I felt so helpless.’

‘I overheard Emily asking for her mail, and her purse, and several times asking them to stop George interfering,’ Chad said. ‘I used to sit in the day room for hours and I had little else to do but watch what was going on, since I was supposed to be sedated.’

‘Your testimony could be very useful.’ Oliver made another note then turned back to Emily. ‘And your nephew never mentioned the letters from Barton and Halling, let alone discussed the offer with you?’

‘No. Definitely not. He’ll say he did, of course.’

Chad leaned forward. ‘I’d guess he’ll get Pauline to bear witness to that. But I may be able to help there as well. I overheard most of his conversations with Emily, and some of his conversations with Pauline, too. They were rather lax about that. Over-confident.’ He smiled. ‘I couldn’t help overhearing what they said, because your nephew has a very loud voice.’

‘Overhearing some of their conversations won’t provide enough evidence of collusion,’ Oliver said. ‘It’ll be their word against yours, two against one. And they’ll claim you weren’t in your right mind.’

‘I also saw him hand Pauline an envelope on three occasions. They didn’t realize how half-open glass doors can sometimes act as mirrors.’

‘Hmm. Would you have any idea exactly when George came to visit, Emily?’

She frowned. ‘It’s hard to remember dates, because we weren’t allowed newspapers, but after his first visit, George only came to see me on Tuesdays and either Thursday or Friday, so that should narrow it down.’

‘We must make a chart of the weeks you were there, with George’s visits noted, and anything else you can remember.’

‘There wasn’t much happening to mark the passage of time.’ Emily couldn’t help feeling bitter as she remembered the long, dreary hours, her despair at being in that unit.

Chad suddenly snapped his fingers. ‘Jackson might remember things better than we do, and he’s no friend of Pauline’s.’