But Dr Goulden managed to get his patients in, six in one year. It stank.
First thing Monday morning I rang the registry office, got put through to deaths and gave them Ernest Theakston’s name and date of birth. Asked them to search for a death in the last six mouths. Normally they want you to make a written application, or go in and spend hours there yourself searching through index cards, but with recent deaths they can call them up on the computer.
He was there. He’d died at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, about ten days after he’d left Homelea.
‘I can’t verify that for you,’ said the clerk. ‘You’d need to come in for verification.’
‘No, it’s OK,’ I said. ‘That’s him. I’m sure that’s him.’
I didn’t know what had killed him. But it sure as hell wasn’t old age.
Lily died that Sunday night. Agnes rang me mid-morning. The hospital had notified Charles and he’d let her know. The pneumonia had failed to respond to the antibiotics.
‘I want to go see her,’ said Agnes, her voice remarkably firm.
‘I’ll take you,’ I volunteered. ‘I’ll be there soon.’
I tried Bootle Street before leaving, but DS Wignall was out.
The sun glanced off the wet road, making me squint as I drove. I fished in the glove compartment for my sunglasses. They were there in amongst half-empty packets of crisps and tourist leaflets.
Agnes smiled when she opened the door. She was impeccably turned out, white hair carefully brushed, a touch of lipstick, small navy studs in her ears which matched her coat. ‘Thank you for coming. I could probably have managed on the buses but all that waiting around is so tiring.’
‘It’s all right,’ I said. ‘I wanted to come.’
Once in the car Agnes began to discuss the funeral arrangements. Charles had already organised that. ‘It’ll be Southern Cemetery, the crematorium. She always wanted her ashes on the rose garden. That’s where they took Olive, her daughter. That was March too. Easter time.’ She seemed remarkably composed. If my closest friend, Diane, had just died I’d have been in bits. Did emotions dull with age? Had Agnes prepared herself for this or was she still in shock at the news?
We were just turning into the hospital car park when she spoke again. ‘Have you talked to the police?’
‘Not yet. I tried to get through this morning but the person I need to talk to wasn’t there. I wish we had something more substantial to go on, some sort of evidence to give them. A crime to report.’
‘Lily’s dead.’ Measured voice.
‘Yes, and the cause of death will be bronchial pneumonia. It’s very common amongst old people, isn’t it? Harder to fight infection.’