Page 12 of The Truth Will Out
“Doctors leaving the NHS?”
Bob nodded. “Yep, and who could blame them? It’s a bloody shambles, any idiot can see that, apart from the politicians, apparently.”
“That’s true. Let’s not go down that route. Let’s deal with the hand we’ve been dealt, eh? Anyway, Doreen told me that he was a bad doctor and often treated her appallingly.”
“Wow, is that right? Poor Doreen. Did she complain about him?”
“No, because the surgery is the closest to her, and she’s really not the type to air her grievances, as it were.”
“People need to complain. It’s their right to be treated properly by doctors. It’s the doctors’ job to care for people in their community. If he failed to do that, then he should have been reprimanded by the General Medical Council. Hey, I might contact them. What do you think?”
“That’s a great idea. Yes, we should get in touch with them as soon as possible. Has anything come through from the CCTV yet?”
“Not yet. The incident happened out in the sticks; no cameras were available.”
“Well, other than visiting the surgery, I don’t know where else wecan turn. What about the clinic where he was found? Any connection to Morgan showing up there?”
The usually reliable Claire shook her head. “I had the same thought, so delved into it. I couldn’t find anything on record.”
“That’s not to say he didn’t visit the place,” Sam said. “Do we know what sort of clinic it was?”
“Alternative medicine,” Claire replied.
“That could mean anything. Let’s not rule it out yet. According to his wife, everything was hunky-dory at home and with the neighbours. Therefore, that only leaves us with one possible angle to tackle: a disgruntled patient, doesn’t it?”
“Unless there’s something going on in his past that Mrs Morgan wasn’t aware of,” Bob added. “And don’t forget what Des said about the way his body was dissected, or should I say, his heart removed?”
Sam placed a finger and thumb on either side of her chin. “That’s right. He told us the task was carried out with precision, suggesting that someone knew what they were doing.”
Bob clicked his fingers. “What about another doctor? Maybe he’s stepped on a colleague’s toes over the years, and they’ve found a way of getting their revenge on him.”
“By killing him and removing his heart? That’s a little far-fetched, even for you, Bob.”
“Worth looking into, if we’ve got nothing else to go on yet.”
The rest of the team nodded their agreement.
Sam sighed. “Reluctantly, I agree. I’ll leave you folks to it. There’s bound to be a desk full of mail awaiting my attention. Let me know if you find anything. Our hands are tied until the PM results come through.”
“We could visit the surgery,” Bob called after her.
“On my to-do list for tomorrow,” she reminded him, then closed the office door behind her.
She let out a weary sigh; so much for having some time off. The last few months had been full-on for her and the team, with no reprieve between cases. At least, that’s how it had felt at times. Still,she had her upcoming wedding to look forward to, except, with the death of Sonny, she had to admit that her heart wasn’t really in it. Although she wouldn’t tell either Rhys or her sister that. Did she feel railroaded into marrying Rhys now? Her head was so mixed up, she couldn’t answer that question. It had seemed a good idea at the time when he’d asked her.
Stop it. I love him. That should be all that matters, not whether the timing is right or not.
She stared at her post for a few minutes, not having the inclination to get stuck into the onerous chore. At the end of her unexpected deliberation, she gathered the brown envelopes together, dumped them in her in-tray and left her seat. She removed her jacket from the back of her chair and opened her office door. “I’ve changed my mind, Bob. Come on, let’s strike while the iron is hot.”
Her partner leapt out of his seat. “I had a feeling you would.”
She smirked. “You think you know me so well. One of these days, I’ll surprise the hell out of you and do something off the cuff.”
He sniggered. “I doubt it. You’re far too predictable.”
“It’s better to be predictable than… nope, I’m not going there.” Sam glanced over at Nick Travis, whose mouth was gaping open. “You’ll get used to the banter around here, Nick.”
He laughed. “Will I?”
