Before I could say anything else she turned back to the matron. ‘Now, Gail, about Mrs Jarvis, I can come back later if you…’
‘No, we’re finished.’ Mrs Knight stood up, a signal for me to leave.
As I left, my hands curled round the bottle of drugs in my pocket. The bottle that Mrs Knight claimed had been put back. Mrs Knight the liar.
I drove to Moira’s that afternoon, on spec. I’d done a steady thirty lengths at the baths and it wasn’t far from there to her house in Fallowfield. I knew she sometimes got a break in between morning and afternoon surgery if she didn’t have too many home visits.
Her car was in the drive.
‘Yes?’ she barked before the door was fully open. ‘Sal! Come in, kettle’s boiled.’
‘I’ve brought the books back,’ I said.
‘Any use?’
‘Yeah, gave me the background.’
‘Tea, coffee, herbals?’
‘Coffee, please.’
She spooned coffee into mugs, poured in water. ‘Was it acute – the confusion?’
‘No, well, apparently not. Just pretty quick. But the woman’s even worse now. Been transferred to Kingsfield.’
‘Case over? Milk, sugar?’
‘Yes, no. Yes milk, no sugar. Case not over, not quite. The client still wants further enquiries. That’s the other reason I called.’
Moira handed me a mug. Cradled her own in her hand, leaning against the work surface.
I put the coffee down, pulled the bottle from my pocket. ‘My client thinks there may be some problem with these.’ I handed it to Moira. She read the label.
‘They don’t look the same as her own,’ I explained. ‘I told her different companies probably used different packaging.’
‘Can do,’ Moira agreed.
‘But if I could get them analysed. We think there could be some mistake; it would explain a lot.’ I paused. Would Moira offer or would I have to beg? I sipped coffee.
‘Take a few days,’ she said, ‘even if you did have access to a lab.’ Only the way she chewed her lip gave away the wind-up.
‘Moira!’
‘All right. Just don’t make a habit of it.’
Ray was collecting the children so I had the whole afternoon to play with. I drove up to Rusholme and bought some authentic ingredients for a good curry. Lady’s fingers and a whole bouquet of coriander – a far cry from the sprigs on sale at the supermarket. I stocked up on spices too, and a selection of pickles, chutneys and ready-made sauces.
I drove along to Longsight Market. Open-air stalls selling cheap clothes, household goods, gadgets and fabric. I bought some woolly tights and a corduroy pinafore dress for Maddie, and some cheap videotapes. I spent ten minutes hovering over a printed silk blouse before putting it back. I’d never get the chance to wear it. It was nightclub gear really, or the sort of thing for balmy nights on foreign holidays. Fat chance.