Post by PamA on Jun 1, 2005 21:47:10 GMT 1
Part 10
Greg had just finished doing a blood test on a drunk driver, when DI Roth entered the small room in the police station that was used as a surgery.
“Thought you’d like to know that forensics found Ria’s fingerprints all over the knife," she said, “Unfortunately there were some other prints as well which can’t be identified at the moment.”
“Yes,” Greg replied, looking up from the phial of blood he was busy labelling, “but we know full well it was Ria who stabbed Jack.”
“It’s all circumstantial at the moment. Until Dr. Ford comes round and can give us a statement, or Ria wakes up and confesses, there’s no absolute proof.” DI Roth paused for a moment. Her hands joined together in a prayer like gesture, the tips of her fingers touching her lips and, taking a deep breath, she continued, “When do you think that will happen Dr. Robinson?”
Greg looked thoughtful and sat in silence for a few moments while he considered his answer. “To be honest, as far as Ria goes it’s questionable whether she will ever come round. As you know, she’s in a coma. She could come round today, next week, next year or, well, never. Even if she did come round she has suffered a severe brain injury. I doubt if she’d be able to help you with a confession.” Again he paused, his gaze going up to the ceiling as if he imagined the answer to her questions would suddenly materialise there. “As for Jack,” he continued, “that’s a really difficult one. There’s no logical reason why he should still be unconscious after 2 days. His main problem came from the loss of blood and that, as you know, has been dealt with. His blood count is back to normal now so we can only assume that his body has just decided it needs time to build up strength. It does happen sometimes.”
“How long?” DI Roth persisted in her questioning.
“I really don’t know.” Greg stood up and picked up his jacket from the back of the chair. Putting his arms in the sleeves he turned back to DI Roth, “I suspect though, that it won’t be long. Any day and I think Jack will be back with us. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to pay a quick visit to the hospital before afternoon surgery.”
“By the way Dr. Robinson,” DI Roth said as Greg made to leave the room, “you’ll be glad to know that Julia Maguire is off the hook for the fire.”
Greg stopped. “Really!” he said, barely able to keep the surprise out of his voice.
“Yes, really.” Lucy Roth continued, “We found a diary in Ria Ford’s handbag. She’d kept a very careful record of all her actions on the day of the fire. Even wrote of how she stood watching the building explode. The damning evidence, though, was her note of regret about innocent people being caught up in her plans.”
“Well, I have to say I’m relieved it wasn’t Julia.” Greg said raising his eyebrows, “But it’s going to be damned difficult working with her!”
Greg arrived at the hospital to find Helen at the coffee machine sited in the corridor close to Jack’s room.
“Any change?” he asked. Helen said nothing but simply shook her head and smiled sadly. At that moment, a nurse appeared at the door of Jack's room.
"Dr. Thompson!" the nurse called, "Come quickly. He's woken up!"
Helen looked at Greg, a look of such raw emotion that he thought for one moment she would scream or cry or even laugh, but she did nothing. It was as if she was totally incapable of speech or movement, and Greg found himself taking her by the arm and saying, "Come on Helen. This is what you've been waiting for."
He led her to the door of Jack's room where she suddenly pulled to a halt.
"I know it's silly," she said turning to look at Greg, "but I feel really nervous." Then, with a slight laugh, she entered the room.
Jack was sitting up in bed, propped up by numerous pillows on the backrest, a nurse taking his blood pressure. He smiled at Helen as she entered the room. but as Helen said to him, "Oh Jack! I thought I'd lost you." he looked at her blankly and said, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"
to be continued..........
Greg had just finished doing a blood test on a drunk driver, when DI Roth entered the small room in the police station that was used as a surgery.
“Thought you’d like to know that forensics found Ria’s fingerprints all over the knife," she said, “Unfortunately there were some other prints as well which can’t be identified at the moment.”
“Yes,” Greg replied, looking up from the phial of blood he was busy labelling, “but we know full well it was Ria who stabbed Jack.”
“It’s all circumstantial at the moment. Until Dr. Ford comes round and can give us a statement, or Ria wakes up and confesses, there’s no absolute proof.” DI Roth paused for a moment. Her hands joined together in a prayer like gesture, the tips of her fingers touching her lips and, taking a deep breath, she continued, “When do you think that will happen Dr. Robinson?”
Greg looked thoughtful and sat in silence for a few moments while he considered his answer. “To be honest, as far as Ria goes it’s questionable whether she will ever come round. As you know, she’s in a coma. She could come round today, next week, next year or, well, never. Even if she did come round she has suffered a severe brain injury. I doubt if she’d be able to help you with a confession.” Again he paused, his gaze going up to the ceiling as if he imagined the answer to her questions would suddenly materialise there. “As for Jack,” he continued, “that’s a really difficult one. There’s no logical reason why he should still be unconscious after 2 days. His main problem came from the loss of blood and that, as you know, has been dealt with. His blood count is back to normal now so we can only assume that his body has just decided it needs time to build up strength. It does happen sometimes.”
“How long?” DI Roth persisted in her questioning.
“I really don’t know.” Greg stood up and picked up his jacket from the back of the chair. Putting his arms in the sleeves he turned back to DI Roth, “I suspect though, that it won’t be long. Any day and I think Jack will be back with us. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to pay a quick visit to the hospital before afternoon surgery.”
“By the way Dr. Robinson,” DI Roth said as Greg made to leave the room, “you’ll be glad to know that Julia Maguire is off the hook for the fire.”
Greg stopped. “Really!” he said, barely able to keep the surprise out of his voice.
“Yes, really.” Lucy Roth continued, “We found a diary in Ria Ford’s handbag. She’d kept a very careful record of all her actions on the day of the fire. Even wrote of how she stood watching the building explode. The damning evidence, though, was her note of regret about innocent people being caught up in her plans.”
“Well, I have to say I’m relieved it wasn’t Julia.” Greg said raising his eyebrows, “But it’s going to be damned difficult working with her!”
Greg arrived at the hospital to find Helen at the coffee machine sited in the corridor close to Jack’s room.
“Any change?” he asked. Helen said nothing but simply shook her head and smiled sadly. At that moment, a nurse appeared at the door of Jack's room.
"Dr. Thompson!" the nurse called, "Come quickly. He's woken up!"
Helen looked at Greg, a look of such raw emotion that he thought for one moment she would scream or cry or even laugh, but she did nothing. It was as if she was totally incapable of speech or movement, and Greg found himself taking her by the arm and saying, "Come on Helen. This is what you've been waiting for."
He led her to the door of Jack's room where she suddenly pulled to a halt.
"I know it's silly," she said turning to look at Greg, "but I feel really nervous." Then, with a slight laugh, she entered the room.
Jack was sitting up in bed, propped up by numerous pillows on the backrest, a nurse taking his blood pressure. He smiled at Helen as she entered the room. but as Helen said to him, "Oh Jack! I thought I'd lost you." he looked at her blankly and said, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"
to be continued..........