investigating. I suggested they go back to their cabins, mainly because it
was so early. They were the ones who mentioned locking doors. I can assure you
I was not trying to alarm anyone."
"I see. Captain Jensson has a point. It is terribly
easy to spook a flock like this, especially when they're looking for a reason
to get hysterical. I’m sorry. I had my doubts but thought it best to check. And
one other thing, if we’re going to be partners, can we drop the formalities? My
name is Beatrice."
"No problem. Call Nikos."
"Nice working with you, Nikos." She offered her
hand and they shook.
"You too, Beatrice."
"Now, tell me your thoughts on how we proceed."
He was ready for this and had thought of nothing else since
he'd received the call. "While we wait for the crime scene results, we
research the three deaths on this cruise. We need to find out more about Beryl
Hodges and make one hundred percent certain her death was natural.”
“My thoughts exactly. I will call London and get them to
organise a PM. I hope to God they’ve not buried her yet. Or worse still, she
might have been cremated.”
“If so, we’ll have to look for the information elsewhere.
Next, we seek connections between Esther Crawford and Maureen Hall. I think we
should interview the doctors again, Fraser in particular. I also want to talk
to the captain. Something about that book you mentioned, his deaths record,
makes me uncomfortable. And the ship's security team must have information
about who we can eliminate from the crew by providing alibis. The only
thing..." He tailed off, not wishing to admit it.
"Motive?"
Nikos nodded. "Exactly. I can't understand who would
benefit from killing two elderly women."
"So that's what we need to work out. When we know why,
we will find who."
Chapter 13
None of the infirmary's medical staff had enjoyed an
uninterrupted eight hours sleep, and a large percentage of the passengers found
themselves afflicted that morning by a variety of nervous disorders, requiring
a visit to the morning surgery. Short fuses were to be expected. Dr Fraser's
air of barely contained rage had an oddly soothing effect on Beatrice. The more
he spluttered and swore, the calmer she became. Nikos impressed her by not
rising to the doctor's aggression, and simply restating their requests for
information.
"Just to be clear, the death certificate for Beryl
Hodges was signed by you and Dr Weinberg? Did the other doctor actually examine
her or did you alone determine she died of natural causes?" asked Nikos.
"You have the certificate in front of you! It's there
in black and white! As senior physician and official coroner on board, I have
every right to make a professional assessment without wasting my colleague’s
time. She died peacefully in her sleep. The woman suffered from obstructive sleep
apnoea. She used a CPAP machine at home but didn’t bring it with her. The
condition means you stop breathing for a few seconds during the night, but then
your system, or machine, kicks in and you clear the blockage. If you don’t, for
whatever reason, it causes oxygen deprivation, and eventually leads to
asphyxia. When someone dies of asphyxia aboard, there is always a concern about
insufficient ventilation, or exposure to noxious gases. So I check thoroughly.
Yes, obviously for insurance, but also because I'm a professional physician and
my own reputation is at stake. The truth is the woman was old, she had asthma
and her lungs couldn't cope. Congestion added to the frequent blockage to her
breathing and her system shut down due to a lack of oxygen."
His strident voice and expansive gestures echoed around his
compact consulting room. Nikos wrote detailed comments in his notebook, but
Beatrice kept her eyes on the doctor. His hostility, his easy explanation, his
curious refusal to see a connection made her wary. She studied his manner. His
eyes, with all the warmth of pack ice, shifted constantly between her and
Nikos. He often ran
was so early. They were the ones who mentioned locking doors. I can assure you
I was not trying to alarm anyone."
"I see. Captain Jensson has a point. It is terribly
easy to spook a flock like this, especially when they're looking for a reason
to get hysterical. I’m sorry. I had my doubts but thought it best to check. And
one other thing, if we’re going to be partners, can we drop the formalities? My
name is Beatrice."
"No problem. Call Nikos."
"Nice working with you, Nikos." She offered her
hand and they shook.
"You too, Beatrice."
"Now, tell me your thoughts on how we proceed."
He was ready for this and had thought of nothing else since
he'd received the call. "While we wait for the crime scene results, we
research the three deaths on this cruise. We need to find out more about Beryl
Hodges and make one hundred percent certain her death was natural.”
“My thoughts exactly. I will call London and get them to
organise a PM. I hope to God they’ve not buried her yet. Or worse still, she
might have been cremated.”
“If so, we’ll have to look for the information elsewhere.
Next, we seek connections between Esther Crawford and Maureen Hall. I think we
should interview the doctors again, Fraser in particular. I also want to talk
to the captain. Something about that book you mentioned, his deaths record,
makes me uncomfortable. And the ship's security team must have information
about who we can eliminate from the crew by providing alibis. The only
thing..." He tailed off, not wishing to admit it.
"Motive?"
Nikos nodded. "Exactly. I can't understand who would
benefit from killing two elderly women."
"So that's what we need to work out. When we know why,
we will find who."
Chapter 13
None of the infirmary's medical staff had enjoyed an
uninterrupted eight hours sleep, and a large percentage of the passengers found
themselves afflicted that morning by a variety of nervous disorders, requiring
a visit to the morning surgery. Short fuses were to be expected. Dr Fraser's
air of barely contained rage had an oddly soothing effect on Beatrice. The more
he spluttered and swore, the calmer she became. Nikos impressed her by not
rising to the doctor's aggression, and simply restating their requests for
information.
"Just to be clear, the death certificate for Beryl
Hodges was signed by you and Dr Weinberg? Did the other doctor actually examine
her or did you alone determine she died of natural causes?" asked Nikos.
"You have the certificate in front of you! It's there
in black and white! As senior physician and official coroner on board, I have
every right to make a professional assessment without wasting my colleague’s
time. She died peacefully in her sleep. The woman suffered from obstructive sleep
apnoea. She used a CPAP machine at home but didn’t bring it with her. The
condition means you stop breathing for a few seconds during the night, but then
your system, or machine, kicks in and you clear the blockage. If you don’t, for
whatever reason, it causes oxygen deprivation, and eventually leads to
asphyxia. When someone dies of asphyxia aboard, there is always a concern about
insufficient ventilation, or exposure to noxious gases. So I check thoroughly.
Yes, obviously for insurance, but also because I'm a professional physician and
my own reputation is at stake. The truth is the woman was old, she had asthma
and her lungs couldn't cope. Congestion added to the frequent blockage to her
breathing and her system shut down due to a lack of oxygen."
His strident voice and expansive gestures echoed around his
compact consulting room. Nikos wrote detailed comments in his notebook, but
Beatrice kept her eyes on the doctor. His hostility, his easy explanation, his
curious refusal to see a connection made her wary. She studied his manner. His
eyes, with all the warmth of pack ice, shifted constantly between her and
Nikos. He often ran
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