Dead Before Morning #1 Rafferty & Llewellyn procedural

Dead Before Morning CHAPTER FOUR

AUTHOR’S NOTES

You can buy this book and the rest of DEAD BEFORE MORNING #1 in the 15-strong Rafferty & Llewellyn procedural series at the following retailers:

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The other fourteen books in the series are also (mostly) available at all these retailers, too:.

AMAZON, B & N, KOBO, SONY EBOOKSTORE, DIESEL EBOOKSTORE, SMASHWORDS

      Geraldine Evans

      Author of the Rafferty & Llewellyn and Casey & Catt police procedural series

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CHAPTER FOUR 

 Melville-Briggs opened a door on the first floor that over-looked the drive. 'These are the investigating policemen, Mrs. Galvin.' He didn't bother to introduce them. 'I believe I mentioned that they required a room?'  

She glanced at Rafferty. 'I imagine you require details of our staff, their duties, hours of work and so on?' 

Rafferty nodded encouragingly. Her voice was pleasant; low and musical. She was perhaps in her early thirties. An attractive, delicate-featured woman, there wasn't a strand of dark hair out of place in the ruthlessly neat French pleat and Rafferty wondered what hidden depths such an outwardly controlled appearance might be concealing. There appeared to be an air of constraint between her and the doctor. Intrigued, Rafferty glanced speculatively at them both, but Melville-Briggs, having made his wishes known, wasted no more of his valuable time, and went out, shutting the panelled door firmly behind him, as much as to say "don't bother me with minor details". 

Mrs. Galvin opened the top drawer of the filing cabinet and extracted two thin files and handed them to Rafferty. 'The green file lists all the staff who are on duty this week and the buff file covers the full complement of staff, from the medical staff through to the cleaners. Though, of course, most of the nursing staff are away on escort duties at the moment. We usually take our patients away for their short spring holiday about this time, so there's only a skeleton staff and a few patients here.' 

Rafferty brightened. That was the first glimmer of good news he'd heard all morning. 'And they're all accounted for?' Mrs. Galvin nodded. 'You'll understand that we need to establish the victim's identity as speedily as possible. Have you any idea who she might be? What she might have been doing in the grounds?' 

'I'm afraid not. I finish work at five thirty, so have no idea who might frequent the premises after that time.' 

There had been a certain distaste in her voice. Rafferty wondered who would know? Perhaps his earlier guess about one of the night staff smuggling in a girlfriend would prove accurate? He hoped so as it should make establishing the victim's identity easier. Now, he gave Mrs. Galvin one of his more winning smiles. 'Can you tell me what sort of patients you treat here?' 

'We accept a variety of cases, but we specialise in drug-dependency, and most of our patients come into that category.' 

'How long do most of them stay?' 

'We tend to take in the really hopeless cases, I'm afraid, those that have been assessed and treated unsuccessfully elsewhere. You could say we provide a permanent and secure home for the sadder elements of society.' Few empty beds then, mused Rafferty, very profitable. 'They lack for nothing,' Mrs. Galvin went on, as though anxious to remove the cynicism Rafferty suspected might be apparent in his blue eyes. 'Perhaps you don't realise that in the grounds we have an extensive range of facilities to keep them happy and occupied? For instance, we have an indoor heated swimming-pool, a Jacuzzi, a gymnasium for our younger clients and of course we encourage them to develop an interest in gardening it's a very soothing occupation for disturbed minds, we've discovered.'