wheels were spinning in Odelia’s mind. “And, and there he is, fit as a fiddle.” A small smile returned. “Though what chapel he’s talking about, I have no idea. Still — like my husband Arnold used to say … ‘whatever floats your boat’.”
“See you all in the chapel promptly,” Reg announced.
Then he turned to leave the room — but not before glancing over at Jack and Sarah.
Perhaps espying new parishioners for his non-existent church.
But — Sarah thought — he held that look, as if he was about to come over.
Then, in his dementia — or whatever he had — he instead made the sign of the cross, blessing all the souls in the common room and left.
And when she turned back to Odelia, she had also — in kind of a way — left . Staring out the window, gazing at the snow.
Maybe thinking of the countless snowfalls in her lifetime.
It all goes so fast, Sarah thought.
I need to remember that.
She reached out and covered Odelia’s intertwined hands.
“We’ll leave you for now, hmm?”
Odelia nodded.
“But is it okay if we pop around, visit from time to time?” Jack said. And Sarah knew he meant it.
“I — I’d like that,” Odelia said.
Sarah gave those hands a squeeze. “Later then …”
And they got up.
Out in the hallway they ran into Ania, arms full of bed sheets.
“Ania!” Sarah said.
The nurse still seemed tentative, guarded.
Are you still short-staffed because of the storm?”
“Me, changing beds? You could say that …” The nurse looked eager to hurry on.
But Sarah had one quick question.
“Ania — can you tell me where the chapel is?”
Ania nodded.
“The chapel? Yes — it is through the common room — that way.”
She pointed across the hallway to a corridor, then hurried away.
Sarah turned to Jack.
“Why don’t I look in on the morning service — while you see if you can track down our favourite member of staff?”
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” said Jack.
Sarah watched him turn and head towards the office.
Would she get any sense out of Reg?
11. Suspects
Sarah pushed open the door to the chapel and peered into the darkened room.
As her eyes adjusted she realised, looking around, that what must at one time have been a Christian place of worship had been converted into a simple multi-faith room of prayer.
No crosses, statues, stained glass. Just white walls, simple chairs, pictures of trees and flowers.
Like being in one of those airport prayer rooms, she thought.
She spotted Reg, sitting on a chair in a dark corner, his fluffy slippers out of place in this austere setting.
She went over and sat next to him. At first, he didn’t react to her presence — but then he slowly turned and stared straight at her, his eyes seeming to search her face for clues.
“Did we have dinner?” he said. “Is it bedtime?” He didn’t seem to recognise her from the previous day.
“No, Reg. It’s not bedtime, not yet,” said Sarah.
She smiled at him and he nodded; his face serious.
Did he understand? His face, his eyes, seemed alert even if his words didn’t make much sense.
“I’m not hungry anyway,” he said. “Padre will be here soon.”
“That’s good, Reg. Do you like it in here?”
“You pays your money, you takes your choice,” he said.
Sarah realised she didn’t have the skills or experience to deal with someone in Reg’s condition. But she desperately wanted to find out if he knew anything, even the slightest detail about what had happened on the night Archy had died.
“Reg — can you remember what happened to Archy?”
She saw Reg’s eyes light up.
“Archy’s my mate.”
“I know.”
She watched as Reg’s sombre face suddenly broke into a cheeky grin.
“He’s a proper ladies’ man, Archy is. Wanna watch yourself with him, sweetheart!”
“I will,” she said, smiling at Reg. “Reg — do you remember going in the snow with Archy?”
“Bloody cold that was,” said Reg. “Caught my
“See you all in the chapel promptly,” Reg announced.
Then he turned to leave the room — but not before glancing over at Jack and Sarah.
Perhaps espying new parishioners for his non-existent church.
But — Sarah thought — he held that look, as if he was about to come over.
Then, in his dementia — or whatever he had — he instead made the sign of the cross, blessing all the souls in the common room and left.
And when she turned back to Odelia, she had also — in kind of a way — left . Staring out the window, gazing at the snow.
Maybe thinking of the countless snowfalls in her lifetime.
It all goes so fast, Sarah thought.
I need to remember that.
She reached out and covered Odelia’s intertwined hands.
“We’ll leave you for now, hmm?”
Odelia nodded.
“But is it okay if we pop around, visit from time to time?” Jack said. And Sarah knew he meant it.
“I — I’d like that,” Odelia said.
Sarah gave those hands a squeeze. “Later then …”
And they got up.
Out in the hallway they ran into Ania, arms full of bed sheets.
“Ania!” Sarah said.
The nurse still seemed tentative, guarded.
Are you still short-staffed because of the storm?”
“Me, changing beds? You could say that …” The nurse looked eager to hurry on.
But Sarah had one quick question.
“Ania — can you tell me where the chapel is?”
Ania nodded.
“The chapel? Yes — it is through the common room — that way.”
She pointed across the hallway to a corridor, then hurried away.
Sarah turned to Jack.
“Why don’t I look in on the morning service — while you see if you can track down our favourite member of staff?”
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” said Jack.
Sarah watched him turn and head towards the office.
Would she get any sense out of Reg?
11. Suspects
Sarah pushed open the door to the chapel and peered into the darkened room.
As her eyes adjusted she realised, looking around, that what must at one time have been a Christian place of worship had been converted into a simple multi-faith room of prayer.
No crosses, statues, stained glass. Just white walls, simple chairs, pictures of trees and flowers.
Like being in one of those airport prayer rooms, she thought.
She spotted Reg, sitting on a chair in a dark corner, his fluffy slippers out of place in this austere setting.
She went over and sat next to him. At first, he didn’t react to her presence — but then he slowly turned and stared straight at her, his eyes seeming to search her face for clues.
“Did we have dinner?” he said. “Is it bedtime?” He didn’t seem to recognise her from the previous day.
“No, Reg. It’s not bedtime, not yet,” said Sarah.
She smiled at him and he nodded; his face serious.
Did he understand? His face, his eyes, seemed alert even if his words didn’t make much sense.
“I’m not hungry anyway,” he said. “Padre will be here soon.”
“That’s good, Reg. Do you like it in here?”
“You pays your money, you takes your choice,” he said.
Sarah realised she didn’t have the skills or experience to deal with someone in Reg’s condition. But she desperately wanted to find out if he knew anything, even the slightest detail about what had happened on the night Archy had died.
“Reg — can you remember what happened to Archy?”
She saw Reg’s eyes light up.
“Archy’s my mate.”
“I know.”
She watched as Reg’s sombre face suddenly broke into a cheeky grin.
“He’s a proper ladies’ man, Archy is. Wanna watch yourself with him, sweetheart!”
“I will,” she said, smiling at Reg. “Reg — do you remember going in the snow with Archy?”
“Bloody cold that was,” said Reg. “Caught my
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