I was shivering so violently by now that I crawled back into bed. It got worse. I got up again and went to the bathroom. Bolted the door, switched on the extractor fan and had a cigarette. Why hadn’t we thought of this before? I wondered, watching the smoke spiral into the grill. I smoked another, brushed my teeth and went back to bed. I didn’t hear Tom coming back because I was asleep.
I awoke the next morning to the sound of Classic FM, and looked at my bedside clock—half past seven. I had the same nagging headache and overall grunge feeling I’d had after starting the Nafarelin.
Tom came out of the bathroom, put his finger to his lips and came over. He was dressed in running shorts and sweatshirt.
‘What happened?’ I whispered.
‘When the alarm went off, or when I went down with Dr Kent?’
‘Both.’ I’d forgotten about the alarm going off when it shouldn’t.
‘Cal had set the security clock half an hour fast—I noticed when we looked in his office. Anyway, we then looked around until we found him and the broken window in the commonroom. She checked Cal over pretty thoroughly, then phoned the police.’
‘Did they come?’
He nodded. ‘I gave them a brief statement, but they’ll want to see me again today. Both of us, probably. Kent insisted they didn’t question anyone else last night.’
‘Does she suspect anything?’
He shrugged. ‘Not that I could see. She was absolutely bloody livid—couldn’t wait to get to her office. I think the graffiti and the marks on the lab door put her mind at rest, though.’
‘Will she carry on as normal?’
‘She told us she would. I’d better get on with my jog now.’
‘You’re not serious, not after last night?’
‘I’m a health freak, remember? Besides, I want to get the film to Marcus.’
I open my mouth to say something, but he put his fingers over it.
‘You get dressed and make yourself beautiful for breakfast.’
‘Oh, bog off, you patronising bastard.’
Which he did.
How was he going to get the film to Marcus, I wondered. And why was he on such a high? Then I remembered how near risks had seemed to do this to him before. But not me, I thought, I don’t want any more.
I had a shower, then dressed slowly, glad to be able to do so without him being present. I wasn’t worried on my own account—my libido was at minus something—I just didn’t want him there while I was feeling so cankerous.
He arrived back, puffing and somewhat red of face, just as I finished.
‘That was quick.’ The radio was still on, so I continued in a low voice. ‘Did you give the film to Marcus?’
‘There wasn’t time for that. I found a phonebox, called him and left it where he could find it.’
‘Wasn’t that a bit risky?’
He shook his head. ‘There was no one about.’
I sniffed at him and said, ‘You’d better have a shower before we go down. I shan’t go with you if you don’t.’
He grinned and saluted—‘I hear and obey’—grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom.
We were the first down. We helped ourselves to cereal and found a table. I wasn’t very hungry. Wendy and Graham Dacie came in next. Wendy said, ‘Good-morning,’ and Graham rather pointedly chose a table by themselves. Then Geoff came in and sat with us.
‘How’s Denny?’ I asked.
‘Not bad, considering.’ He lowered his voice. ‘They’re collecting the eggs today, so she’s waiting for the pre-med.’
‘Why a pre-med?’
‘Oh, they’re doing a laparoscopy again.’
‘Why?’
‘I’m not sure. Something to do with the position of the eggs, I think.’ He turned to Tom, changing the subject. ‘Has anything more been said about last—’
He was interrupted by the arrival of the fourth couple who were staying and whose names I didn’t know yet. They were closely followed by Dr Kent.
She waited for silence, then said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfasts, but I want to apologise to you for the disgraceful disturbance to which you were subjected last night. This was perpetrated by a protest group who object to the nature of our work here. I have no intention of allowing them to disrupt the treatment you are having, and I hope you feel the same. If we allow them to do this, they’ll have won.’
‘Hear, hear,’ said Geoff.
She continued, ‘I’m afraid the police will he here asking you questions later this morning. Please hear with them, they’re only doing their job. Leila will tell you when they want to speak to you. Once again, I apologise and hope it won’t spoil your stay here.’ She looked round at us all, then made a dignified exit.
After a short silence, Tom said, ‘Makes you feel sorry for all the bad things you’ve said about her, doesn’t it?’
‘Yeah,’ agreed Geoff. Then, ‘What bad things?’
‘Tom’s speaking for himself,’ I said.
‘Joking,’ said Tom.
‘Oh,’ said Geoff. ‘Dunno what the police think they’re gonna get out of talking to everyone. We were the only ones who saw anything.’
‘Routine, I expect. And they did warn us they’d want to speak to us again, in case we remembered anything else.’
‘True,’ Geoff agreed. ‘The funny thing is, I wasn’t sleeping all that well last night, and I do remember a board creaking not long before the alarm went off. D’you think I should mention it?’
‘Can’t do any harm,’ Tom said casually. ‘Although it would probably mean the police staying here for longer, checking it out.’
‘Hmm.’
‘How sure are you? Old houses do tend to make noises in the night.’
‘Put like that, I’m not so sure.’
‘Don’t let me influence you. Think about it.’
I’d been looking down at my cereal bowl, afraid to meet Geoff’s eyes. I looked at my watch and started.
‘Tom, it’s ten to nine and I’m supposed to be seeing Dr Kent at nine. I’ll have to go—excuse me, Geoff.’
‘Sure.’
‘Regards to Denny.’
I left the room and walked quickly up the stairs. I remembered the board creaking and hoped Tom had put him off saying anything. I brushed my teeth, tidied my hair and went down again.
Leila gave me her practised smile. ‘Dr Kent’s ready for you now, Mrs Jones.’
‘Thank you.’
Dr Kent called me in and sat me down.
‘How are you feeling this morning, Mrs Jones?’
‘Pretty rough. Much the same way I felt after starting the Nafarelin.’
‘Only to be expected, I’m afraid. Although at least you can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.’
Funny she should use that expression, I thought, recalling how I’d used it myself on the way here.
She placed her hands on her desk. ‘Still, shall we take a look at how you’re doing?’
I went to the scanning room, undressed and hoisted myself on to the examining bed. This time, as she had indicated yesterday, the examination was much more thorough.
‘Aha, I thought there might be more eggs…there, you see them?’
I moved my head slightly to see past my outstretched thigh—she was indicating a point on the monitor. ‘I—I think so.’ Actually, I wasn’t sure I could see anything.
‘I know so. Keep still while I see if there are any more.’ After further manoeuvring, she said she could see two others, then it was over.
‘Come back into the office when you’re ready, please,’ she said, and left me. I dressed quickly and went back through.
‘I’m sure you have at least thirteen eggs,’ she said once I was seated. ‘And it will increase our chances if we can collect them all. However, to do this, because of the position they are in, it means we will have to perform a laparoscopy. However, that shouldn’t…Is there something wrong, Mrs Jones?’ She’d seen th
e dismay in my face.
‘No…that is, I was expecting it to be done by ultrasound.’
‘And so we would, normally, but in this case, laparoscopy is definitely indicated…yes?’
I stopped myself saying: Is Mrs Boyton also an exception? and said rather lamely instead. ‘I hate operations. I hated the last laparoscopy I had.’
‘I can understand that,’ she said gently, ‘but surely, Mrs Jones, you want to maximise the chances of success?’
‘Of course I do.’
‘Microinjection is a traumatic procedure and it is important to have as many eggs as possible.’
‘I understand.’
She smiled. ‘We’ll make sure we’re especially gentle with you. There really is nothing to worry about.’
I smiled weakly, trying not to think of Mrs Murrell. ‘I’m sure you’re right.’
‘Relax as much as you can today, and we’ll see you tomorrow. I think perhaps you’d better have some sedative tablets.’
‘No thank—Perhaps I will.’ I said, not wanting to make any more waves than I already had. She went to her cabinet and counted some out.
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I’ll take one as soon as I get to my room.’
Tom was still in the dining room, talking to Geoff. They were the only ones there. I was about to call Tom when a thought occurred to me and I walked over.
‘Geoff,’ I said, ‘sorry to interrupt, but you did say earlier that Denny was having a laparoscopy today, didn’t you?’
‘That’s right. Something to do with the position of the eggs. Wh—’
‘Did she have one last time you were here?’
‘Yes, she did, actually.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Is something wrong?’
I summoned a smile. ‘No. You’ve explained it to me now. It’s just that I’ve got to have a laparoscopy as well. Not a problem.’
‘Oh, right. Good.’
‘I think I’ll go up. Leave you two to it.’
‘I’ll come up with you. I want to see how Denny’s doing.’
‘In that case, I’d better come too,’ Tom said. ‘Make sure you two don’t get up to anything you shouldn’t.’
My, we are the cheery cheeky chappie this morning, I thought sourly.
We turned on the radio again—this time it was some soprano trying for top C.
‘Is it a problem?’ he asked when I told him about the laparoscopy.
‘Would you like to be unconscious on an operating table with Dr Kent holding a scalpel over you?’
‘No I wouldn’t, now you come to mention it.’ He paused, looking up at me. ‘But there’s not a lot we can do about it, is there? Not without raising her suspicions.’
‘Tom, I don’t like it.’
‘I don’t blame you. Let me think a minute.’ He walked over to the window, looked out. The lady on the radio, thankfully, ceased her attempts. Tom turned and said, ‘Marcus is getting the photographs over to Fulbourn as soon as they’re ready—I’ll make sure he knows about this as well.’
‘How will that help?’
‘Fulbourn might be able to work out what’s going on today. Meanwhile, we’ll keep a sharp eye on Denny. She should be conscious by this evening, shouldn’t she?’
‘Before then, but—’
‘And if you do have to go through with it yourself, I’ll make sure I’m conspicuously around for every minute you’re in that theatre. The second I smell anything bad, I’ll be in there.’
‘Tom, I’m frightened…’
His eyes met mine. ‘D’you want to call it off?’
Yes! ‘I—I don’t know.’
He put his arms round me, holding me close. ‘Nobody would blame you.’
‘But I wouldn’t be—’
‘Listen.’ He held my shoulders and looked into my face again. ‘There’s a chance the photos we took may be enough for Fulbourn to work out what’s going on. In which case…’
‘But we wouldn’t know in time.’
‘We might. I’ll go and contact Marcus now and—’
The phone in our room rang and he picked it up.
‘Oh yes, Leila…thanks. The police,’ he said to me, putting the receiver down. ‘They’d like a word with us. Come on, it shouldn’t take long and they’d smell a skunk if we tried to put it off now.’
Marvelling anew at his powers of expression, I followed him down.
16
The police had commandeered the dining room. There were two of them sitting at one of the tables, one in plain clothes, the other in uniform holding a notebook.
‘Please sit down,’ the plain-clothes man said, indicating chairs in front of them. ‘I’m Inspector Wylye and this is Constable Bratton. Mr and Mrs Jones, isn’t it?’ He had a slight accent which I took to be Wiltshire.
‘Yes,’ we both said.
‘I know you gave us a brief statement last night, Mr Jones, but I hope you’ll bear with me if we go over it again.’ He looked down at his notes. ‘You awoke last night at about one thirty?’
‘That’s right, I heard the alarm going off.’
‘Did you hear it, Mrs Jones?’
‘Er—yes. It woke me up as well.’
He turned back to Tom. ‘Are you sure you weren’t awake before that, Mr Jones?’
‘Quite sure, yes.’
‘What did you do then?’
‘Put on a dressing gown and slippers and went to see what was going on.’
‘And?’
‘Mr Boyton was outside, together with the on-call nurse. We were wondering what to do when Dr Kent arrived.’
‘What happened then?’
‘Geoff—Mr Boyton—and I volunteered to go downstairs with her.’
‘Was the alarm still going at this stage, do you remember?’
‘I…don’t believe it was.’
‘So you and Mr Boyton went downstairs with Dr Kent. That would be the main staircase to the hall?’
‘That’s right. Dr Kent flashed her torch around, but we couldn’t see or hear anyone. Then we went to the security office, which was empty.’
‘Which it shouldn’t have been?’
‘Not according to Dr Kent, no. We looked round, starting here, in the dining room. In the commonroom, next door, we found the security guard, lying unconscious, and a window open. Dr Kent checked him over, then went to her office to phone for the police. Geoff and I looked round, but all we could find was some writing on the wall by the laboratory. We showed it to Dr Kent and the police arrived quite soon after that.’
‘OK, that gives me quite a clear picture. Mr Jones, think hard…the alarm had stopped and you were going downstairs. Did you hear any noises from outside, voices, footsteps, a car door or engine?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘You don’t think so?’
‘It’s difficult to say. We were listening for noises inside.’
‘What about in the commonroom, when you were near the open window?’
‘I can’t remember anything.’
‘You see, Mr Jones, if it was the alarm that scared the intruders, they wouldn’t have had much time to get away. You should have heard a car engine, or something.’
‘I can only repeat that I can’t remember hearing anything.’
The inspector didn’t say anything, just studied him carefully, and after a moment Tom continued, ‘I suppose our minds were on what we’d found—the security guard.’ He stopped abruptly, then went on, ‘Can’t he tell you what happened, Inspector? He’s conscious now, isn’t he?’
‘He is, yes, but it seems that he can’t remember much either.’
‘Concussion, I suppose. But he should remember when that wears—’
‘What made you say concussion, Mr Jones?’
Tom shrugged. ‘Sorry. I assumed he’d been hit on the head.’
The Inspector looked at him a moment as though deciding what to say next.
‘As it happens, he’d been injected with a drug, which suggests to us that the…perpetrators k
new all about the security here and came prepared.’
‘I hadn’t realised that. Does it make a difference?’
‘We don’t know, yet.’ He looked at him a little longer before turning to me.
‘Mrs Jones, I believe you said just now that you were also woken by the alarm?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Are you sure you weren’t awake before that?’
‘As sure as I can be.’
‘Please think carefully. Did you hear anything else? Anything.’
I pursed my lips and turned my eyes away for a few moments.
‘I’m as sure as I can be that I didn’t. But all the upstairs windows are double glazed, and very little noise from outside can get in.’
‘I was thinking of noises from the inside.’
‘I’m quite certain I didn’t hear anything until the alarm went off.’ It was at this point that my body decided to let me down and I felt a hot flush flooding up through my face.
‘You’ve gone very red, Mrs Jones—are you all right?’
‘I was injected with a drug called Pregnyl last night, it’s part of the treatment here. Flushes like this are one of the side effects.’
‘But it didn’t prevent you from sleeping soundly?’
‘No, the symptoms have only really hit me this morning.’
‘Inspector,’ said Tom, ‘it’s unlikely that either of us would have heard anyone either getting in or creeping about downstairs last night, even if we had been awake. Why do you keep pressing this point?’
‘Because we have to make sure that nobody inside was involved.’
So Geoff had talked after all, I thought. Under this kind of pressure, I wasn’t really surprised.
Tom said slowly. ‘But Dr Kent told us this morning that a protest group was responsible. And I must say I saw the broken window and the graffiti myself last night.’
Wylye hesitated before replying. ‘There are one or two aspects which don’t quite add up, sir. And as I said before, I am surprised, in view of how quickly you responded to the alarm, that no one heard the sound of their getaway.’
Leave it, Tom, I thought. He must have received the message because he said, ‘Well, I’m afraid we can’t help you, Inspector. And since my wife’s not feeling well, I’d like to take her up to our room now, if you don’t mind.’
Deliver Them From Evil Page 12